June 2022 - Bookiecity

Betfred Sports switches to OpenBet in Iowa

Betfred Sports has expanded its partnership with OpenBet having selected its digital and retail technology across its operations in the US state of Iowa.

Betfred’s Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort sportsbook facility is now powered by OpenBet’s retail solutions including betting counters and self-service kiosks. Betfred will also utilise OpenBet’s digital technology and sports betting engine for mobile and online betting.

The two groups have already partnered for Betfred’s entry into the Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana and Pennsylvania regulated markets.

Bryan Bennett, chief operating officer at Betfred, said: “OpenBet’s products and technology perform consistently across our existing locations, so naturally we entrusted the company to power our offering in Iowa. We first launched in Iowa in 2020, and we look forward to working with OpenBet to continue building on that success.”

Betfred had launched in Iowa with an Optima-powered product, though it used the technology of Openbet owner..

June 30, 2022

NFL hires first sports betting executive

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The NFL, the most popular sports league in the US, has hired David Highhill as vice president, general manager of sports betting; the first executive the league has had dedicated to sports betting.

Highhill will lead the league’s efforts to reduce the effects of gambling-related harm, advance the value of the NFL’s brand and reputation, support fan engagement, as well as improve the value of the NFL’s data and intellectual property.

He has been with the NFL for 10 years, and will move from the corporate strategy group, where he previously led the league’s analytics department.

The NFL already has a number of sports betting partnership agreements, most recently with 888sport, which will be the league’s official sports betting partner in both the UK and Ireland until 2025.

In the US, FOX Bet, BetMGM, PointsBet, and WynnBET were announced as official partners last year, alongside Caesars, FanDuel and DraftKings.

June 29, 2022

Online gambling proposal confirmed for California’s November ballot

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A measure to permit online gambling in California – backed by a number of commercial operators but opposed by many tribes in the state – has been confirmed for November’s ballot.

The Secretary of State in the US’s most populous state announced on Monday that the proposed law, which is backed by major gaming groups such as BetMGM, has attracted around 1.1 million valid signatures – well above the 997,000 required to make the ballot.

The confirmation it has qualified for the ballot was met with opposition from tribal gaming groups, whose own Tribal Sports Wagering Act initiative that would legalise sports betting at limited locations, including tribal casinos, has already been accepted for November’s poll.

Tribal chairman Cody Martinez, of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, said: “We will run a vigorous campaign against this measure and are confident the voters will see through the deceptive promises being made by these out-of-state gambling corporations.”

For the full article, ..

June 28, 2022

Towards intolerance of illegal operators

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Illegal online gambling remains a threat to both player protection and government tax yields. Yet, as Paul Girvan explains, most regulated jurisdictions continue to tolerate operators making money outside of the regulatory environment. Could more be done to fight the unlicensed sector?

Online gambling has existed since the inception of the internet, and over time we have seen increasing concern arise from the issue of black market gambling.

Equally, nearly all countries implementing legal market controls have encountered rising rates of gambling harm and negative social consequences, the causes for many of which remain outside the licensed market.

While there is much talk about the “licensed level playing field”, it’s hard to see how any marketplace is effectively levelled to the benefit of any parties if it tolerates the presence of the illicit black market. These shadow operators reap a competitive advantage as their regulated competitors pay a licence fee and taxes and comply wi..

June 28, 2022

Laos to mimic POGO model with new offshore licences

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Laos is set to regulate online gambling, setting up a regime where operators licensed in the country targeting markets elsewhere in Southeast Asia such as Thailand.

In a model similar to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), operators that receive a licence may set up an online gambling operation, but may not accept customers who are based in Laos.

Danny Too, a consultant assisting the Laotian government on the process, told iGB that the government is currently in the process of drawing up its regulations for the sector.

He said that the government had planned to publish guidelines to apply for licences in two months’ time.

According to Too, initial master licences are set to be issued to a small number of businesses, which can then contract out “sub-licences” to a wider number of businesses, similar to the model in Curaçao.

Too noted that this was due in part to the effects of Covid-19, which was devastating to Laos’ foreigner-only land-based casinos.

“During the pandemi..

June 27, 2022

Sportradar announces new all-in-one sportsbook solution Orako

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Sportradar has announced Orako, its new all-in-one sportsbook solution for betting operators.

Orako offers technology, products and tools for operators looking to establish an omnichannel sports betting service for customers.

The sportsbook solution will feature Sportradar’s own portfolio and will present two options for operators to choose from- the choice of a service fully managed by Sportradar, or an option that allows operators to manage their own service using the Orako tools and technologies.

Orako will also include marketing services, and is powered with artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities.

“The sports betting industry is hyper competitive, growing at pace and offering more opportunities than ever to operators,” said Jacob Lopez Curciel, managing director for managed sportsbook services at Sportradar.

“With Orako, we can manage up to 100 percent of a sportsbook’s operation and alleviate their need to invest in additional technology and innovation, fre..

June 24, 2022

KSA chair Jansen questions whether industry is “capable of self-regulation”

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René Jansen, chair of Dutch regulator de Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has questioned whether self-regulation is possible within the gambling industry, as he expressed his continued frustration with operators that “look for the edges of the law”.

In a blog post, Jansen looked back on a roundtable discussion on gambling in the House of Representatives, in which he participated.

This discussion noted the success of the country’s online gambling regime in channeling players to licensed offerings since the market launched in October 2021. However, it also noted areas where there was room for improvement.

In particular, Jansen said one issue that became obvious in the discussion was “the behavior of some legal operators, who – unfortunately – did look for the edges of the law”.

As a result of this, Jansen said he had his doubts about whether it was possible for the industry to regulate itself.

“This raises the question of the extent to which the sector as a whole is capable of self-regulat..

June 24, 2022

FDJ’s ParionsSport launches anti-cyberbullying campaign

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ParionsSport, the sports betting division of Française des Jeux (FDJ), has launched an anti-cyberbullying campaign to raise money for online harassment helpline 3018.

The campaign, titled #SmashTheHaters, intends to support the French Tennis Federation’s (FFT) fight against cyberbullying suffered by tennis players.

As part of the campaign, ParionsSport released a video on their Twitter account to raise awareness of online harassment in tennis.

The operator said that for one week, they will donate five euros for each retweet to 3018, a free and anonymous service for victims of digital harassment.

The service was launched in February this year and is made up of a team of psychologists, digital experts and legal professionals.

Earlier this month, FDJ signed a sports content deal with Sportradar. FDJ also launched a safer gambling campaign in April of this year.

June 23, 2022

Kyrgyz parliament votes to legalise casinos and igaming for foreigners

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Kyrgyzstan’s legislature has voted to re-legalise land-based gambling and launch online casino for the first time, though all offerings will only be available to foreign players.

The bill “On Gambling in the Kyrgyz Republic” – passed on its third reading – would legalise a wide range of forms of gambling. As well as casinos, slot halls and retail bookmakers – which had all been legal in the past before casinos were banned in 2012 and the latter two banned in 2015 – online casino games will also be legal.

However, all gambling will only be available to foreign players.

Land-based casinos must only be set up in restaurants or hotel complexes. The restaurant must have at least 100 seats, and the hotel must have at least 20 rooms. Slot halls, meanwhile, must be separate rooms or buildings from any other type of business activity.

Casinos located in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek must have at least 10 gaming tables, while those elsewhere must have at least five. Slot halls must contain a..

June 22, 2022

North Carolina House committee passes sports wagering bills as deadline looms

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North Carolina’s House Judiciary Committee has passed two bills that would bring sports wagering to the state, just nine days before the legislative session ends on June 30.

The bills will now be referred to the state’s House Finance Committee and will be heard today (June 22).

The main sports wagering bill – Senate Bill 688 – had its first reading on April 8 2021.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Month: June 2022