Legal & compliance Archives - Page 7 of 11

Dutch regulator issues 21st online licence

Dutch regulator de Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has issued its 21st online gambling licence, to a business known as Smart Gaming BV.

As yet, little information has been provided about Smart Gaming, which is registered in the Dutch town of Aalsmeer.

The KSA said that it will list the domain name that the business will use as soon as this is known, but Smart Gaming has not yet submitted the domain it intends to use.

The business is the 21st operator to receive a licence to operate in the Dutch online gambling market. It follows the ComeOn Group, which announced that it would launch its flagship ComeOn brand in the Netherlands after receiving a licence last week.

Also last week, the KSA launched a gambling harm prevention research programme, developed by Hague-based health organisation ZonMw. It said that the aim of the scheme will be to gather new knowledge on the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction and gambling-related harms, so it can be formed into new treatment measures.
..

September 16, 2022

Rumour Truss will scrap gambling review may be bad news, analyst warns

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

Regulus Partners analyst Dan Waugh warned against the industry celebrating rumours new prime minister Liz Truss would abandon the Gambling Act review, instead arguing the news may be “worst outcome for industry”.

A report from Guardian chief political correspondent Jessica Elgot concerning general government plans to scrap a number of legislative proposals noted “rumours” that the Gambling Act review was among the proposals that could be axed.

Long-delayed process

The Gambling Act review has been in motion since late 2020, having initially been on the Conservative Party manifesto in 2019.

However, various delays have meant that a white paper outlining the government’s wish list for reforms has still not been published.

A major factor in the repeated delays appeared to have been changes in personnel, with four different ministers having overseen the legislation since it began.

Chris Philp, who at the time was responsible for the review, said in his July resignation letter that th..

September 13, 2022

Operators challenge German sports betting proximity ban

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

The constitutional court in the German state of Baden-Württenberg will hear a case from four operators challenging a ban on operating sports betting facilities in the same building as casinos and gaming halls.

Section 21 (2) of Germany’s First State Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV) prohibits sports betting and casino activities from taking place in the same building.

Germany’s Fourth State Treaty on Gambling came into force in July 2021.

The complaint states that administrative courts did not provide adequate protection for operators that had sports betting facilities in the same building as casino activities, when the GlüStV and, subsequently, section 21 (2) was enacted.

The complaint also cites a lack of temporary protection.

Section 42 (1) of the LGüG – Baden-Württenberg’s state-level gambling act, which was brought in in 2012 – states that gambling facilities must be at least 500 meters apart, measured from entrance door to entrance door.

The complaint will be discussed on 21 Nove..

August 22, 2022

Dazn Bet goes live with UK “soft launch”

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

Dazn Bet – a new betting venture from streaming giant DAZN – has launched its beta product in the UK, the first market in which it is live.

The streaming business announced the launch of a new betting brand in April, which would be powered by technology from Pragmatic Play and named Dazn Bet.

Later that month, Dazn announced that Mark Kemp, who at the time was chief executive of BoyleSports, would lead the new betting brand.

The operator will do business under a Great Britain Gambling Commission licence held by One Click Limited. One Click had operated a number of B2C brands in Great Britain such as Casinoland and Royal Slots, before withdrawing from the market earlier this year.

Kemp said the the ultimate goal of Dazn Bet was to create a product that fully integrates betting into streaming. The business said it hoped to also integrate news updates, non-fungible tokens, tickets, and merchandise – as well as betting – into its streaming product in the near future.

“The initial laun..

August 12, 2022

Flutter CEO: we are well-placed to “capitalise” on UK reforms

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

Flutter chief executive Peter Jackson said that he expects his business to ultimately be a winner from the results of the UK Gambling Act review, as Flutter’s scale will help it navigate changes while smaller businesses may exit the market.

The comments came during Flutter’s earnings call for the first half of 2022, following results in which the business revealed that its FanDuel brand had turned a profit during Q2.

Jackson (pictured) argued that in both the UK and Australia, Flutter’s businesses had “outgrown regulations”.

He discussed the introduction of point-of-consumption taxes in these markets as an example of a regulatory challenge that had a short-term negative impact, but made Flutter brands stronger in the long term.

“Our scale and operating leverage have allowed us to mitigate the impacts, both through operational efficiencies, and also through market share gains as smaller operators were required to exit from the market.”

In the presentation, Flutter also noted that ..

August 11, 2022

Massachusetts Governor signs sports betting bill into law

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has signed into law a bill legalising and regulating sports betting in the US state.

House Bill 5164 will permit any operator of a land-based casino or racetrack in the state to apply for a licence, while an additional seven online-only licences will be made available. Every licence comes with a $5m fee.

Online betting will be taxed at 20% and retail at 15%, while consumers will be able to bet on a wide range of events including college sports, with the exception of matches involving in-state teams.

In addition, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) will be designated as regulator of the state’s new sports wagering market.

“On behalf of my fellow commissioners and the staff of the MGC, we appreciate the confidence the Legislature and the Governor have in naming us as regulator of this new industry,” MGC chair Cathy Judd-Stein said.

“For the past several years, we have been monitoring sports wagering legislation and taking appropriate steps ..

July 28, 2022

German state of Bremen shuts down all bookmakers amid AML concerns

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen – the smallest state in Germany – has announced a full closure of all bookmakers following a statewide investigation into money laundering.

The announcement affects the four operators that offer retail betting services in Bremen – Tipico, HappyBet, Tipwin and XTiP – which between them operate 32 betting shops.

A total of 24 of the operators’ franchises were “tolerated” in the state before the shutdown came into effect, according to a statement on Bremen’s state website, but were awaiting full approval.

Now, however, Bremen has issued rejection letters to all 32 betting shops after the four operators were unable to prove where their funds originated from, leading to concerns about money laundering.

Once the rejection notices were issued, it became illegal to bet in any of the bookmakers in Bremen.

The announcement came from the Bremen Landtag, after Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer conducted a press conference explaining the closures.

“Basically, it..

July 21, 2022

Belgium to introduce €200 weekly deposit limit

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

Belgium’s government is to introduce a new deposit limit for online gambling, with players able to deposit up to €200 (£171/$204) a week per licensed website.

The Royal Decree, published in the Belgian Official Gazette, will come into effect from 20 October, with the deposit limit to apply to all players across all verticals.

Each week will be calculated on the last seven days of activity and will move continuously, the decree said, with all players’ limits to be reset to €200 when the decree enters into force in October.

However, the decree also set out a provision for players to request an increased deposit limit. The operator in question must first notify Belgium’s Gaming Commission (BGC), which will then check with the National Bank of Belgium whether the player is listed in the Central Individual Credit Register of the National Bank of Belgium as being in default of payment.

If the player is not listed, the deposit limit may be removed three days after the request was made, me..

July 18, 2022

High school Spire Institute among Ohio betting licence applicants

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

A number of new organisations have applied for Ohio sports betting licences, including Bet365 and Tipico as online providers, and high school Spire Institute – alongside a number of professional sports teams – for a proprietor licence.

Spire Institute is an Ohio sports-focused high school, with its athletic programs attracting top recruits including basketball star LaMelo Ball. The organisation also offers a general sporting development programs and operates sporting complexes on its grounds, outside of its presence as a high school.

Under Ohio’s sports betting laws, sporting organisations or land-based gaming venues may offer betting in the state, partnering with online operators for an online product.

It has partnered with Out the Gate, a startup sports betting operator that says it uses an in-house trading solution and plans to accept “all action” with lined that “lead the market on US sports”. Out the Gate is led by Christopher Kape and Robbie Manis, formerly of data provider Do..

July 12, 2022

California Democrats endorse “no” vote on online betting measure

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

The California Democratic Party has recommended that those in the state vote against a proposal that would legalise online betting.

The party – which dominates California elections, having controlled both houses of the state legislature since 1996 – announced its official list of endorsements for ballot measures that will appear in the 2022 November election.

That election will include two ballot measures related to sports betting. Tribe-backed Proposition 26, titled the California Legalize Sports Betting on American Lands Initiative. would allow for retail sports betting only on tribal lands.

Read the full story on iGB North America

Tag Archives: Legal & compliance