Category: Legislation

Intralot’s Contract in Washington D.C. Suspsended Temporarily

Posted on by Aran Malik

As a result of suspicious awarding of a sports betting and lottery contract in February 2019, Intralot may stand to lose rights to operate in Washington D.C. A lawsuit has been brought up with a court and a temporary refraining order has been issued.

Intralot’s Contract with Washington D.C. Suspended

Intralot, a Greece-based lottery operator, has had its contract as sports betting and lottery vendor suspended by a court in Washington D.C. The premises on which the contract has been suspended is a likely violation of federal laws and should the legal motion be successful, it would possibly overturn the deal completely.

According to Dylan Carragher, the person responsible for the lawsuit, the deal violates the Home Rule Act that applies to Washington D.C. According to Carragher, the current deal deprives residents of the District of Columbia from the right to choose from sports betting products that are fairly priced and offer them better value.

As a result, a temporary refraining order or TRO has been issued, asking Intralot to suspend activities while investigation is ongoing. According to Judge Joan Zeldon – who ruled in favour of Carragher – there was a substantial chance that the lawsuit will be successful, possibly threatening the entire deal with Intralot.

Greasing Palms to Win Sports Betting Contracts

The dubious nature of the deal was brought into light when evidence surfaced that Intralot had provided the District’s CFO with a $109.7 million work contract as operators manager, putting all involved in a direct line of conflict of interests.

Speaking to iGaming Business, Intralot has denied all accusations, pointing out that:

“Intralot has been operating the D.C. Lottery under the existing partnership with great success for the past nine years. Having generated more than $500 million in net profit for the District of Columbia, it is one of INTRALOT’s most successful operations. The recently awarded contract was scrutinized and debated at great length before getting legislative approval on July 9, 2019. Regarding our local partner, VSC has met all of the requirements that the DC government has set forth, and is a contributor to the successes in this jurisdiction.”

However, VSC, the company in question, is run by Emmanuel Bailey who is also a big political sponsor. Fears that there may be some under-the-table power brokering came in February, when Intralot was awarded an extension of the contract without any public bidding process.

Councilman David Grosso called the deal outright rigged and a giveaway, pointing out that this way of handling the contract was in direct violation of established procedure.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Brazil Introduces Consultation Service for Sporst Betting

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • Consultation period launches between July 30 and April 31
  • Brazil looks to enforce better customer protection
  • The government is reaching out to the UK and Portugal for advice

Brazil has launched a new consultation imitative, reaching out to members of the public to discuss how the future sports betting market will be regulated.

Brazil Launches Consultation Initiative

Preparing for a quickly-expanding sports betting industry, the Brazilian Ministry of the Economy has officially introduced a consultation initiative which will give the public a month’s time to share opinions on the development of a framework that will regulate the betting vertical. This initiative also comes amid urges that the country should better regulate its market.

The consultation kicked off on July 30 and it will be running until |August 31, with public stakeholders sharing their vision of what sports betting in the country should look like. This initiative is carried out by the Secretariat of Evaluation, Planning, Energy and Lottery (SECAP), which is a division under the Ministry’s Special Secretariat of Finance and specifically tasked with helping set up the industry.

Gauging the Public Opinion

The shareholders and members of the public have been asked a number of questions and specifically whether a fixed number of licenses should be made available or whether only companies fulfilling certain standards should be awarded the licenses.

The Secretariat is equally hoping to find out more about how the public expects the government to regulate the industry, including:

  • Monitoring
  • Control
  • Enforcement

A number of other potential issues have also been brought, including fraud prevention, player data safety, anti-money laundering (AML), and market integrity, i.e. targeting monopolies and preventing the establishing of such.

Launching the Industry with Provisional Measure 846/18

Brazil is preparing to launch its sports betting industry, following the passing of Provisional Measure 846/18, which was signed by outgoing President Michel Temer and tentatively endorsed by the new government.

The country’s sports betting market is potentially worth billions and regulating it would help fund public initiatives, lawmakers hope. The Ministry has also said that the initiative is a direct result from the Ministry’s efforts to provide future bettors with better protection across the board .

Meanwhile, Brazil’s government has reached out to Portugal and the United Kingdom to seek advice on how to launch and regulate the industry. Presently, the country’s offshore gambling market is estimated at BRL$4.3 billion, but specialists suggest that the numbers are in fact much higher.

Can Brazil bring the sports betting bacon?

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

DOJ Postpones Wire Act Implementation For Several Months

Posted on by Carmen Thompson

The US. Department of Justice has decided to postpone the implementation of the 2019 Wire Act Opinion by yet another two-to-six months.

DOJ’s Latest Memo Is Putting Everyone on Edge

A new memo issued by the Department of Justice ( DOJ) has delayed the roll out of the revised Wire Act Opinion in July. Instead, the DOJ would await a ruling in the New Hampshire case which it is leading against the state’s lottery. However, the enactment cannot exceed the deadline which is set for December 31, 2019.

So far, the DOJ has appeared adamant about the enforcement of the Wire Act Opinion which it voted and passed into a law earlier this year in January. Yet, nothing has happened since. This is the second time the DOJ has reneged on a deadline for the enforcement of the Opinion.
Previously, regulators expected to be dealing with the Opinion in April, but then it was pushed back for July 15. The cascade of changes has been occasioned by the mounting litigation that DOJ attorneys have been forced to deal with.

Why Is the DOJ New Opinion Challenged

The DOJ is trying to extend the meaning of the Wire Act to apply to all sorts of gambling and betting activities. This has been deemed a frivolous move by observers and business leaders. The real reason, some have argued, is the DOJ’s affiliation with casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who has been a long-time opponent of any online gambling.

The latest Opinion on the Wire Act is dangerous to businesses and owners, because the DOJ wants to effectively criminalize anyone who has been running an iLottery since 2011. This goes against the grain of the then decision, which the Obama administration issued.

In the 2011 ruling of DOJ, the Wire Act was deemed not to extend to activities such as lotteries and casinos, but this is to about to change, or so the Department hopes. The arguments that former Attorney General Rod Rosenstein presented in January, 2019 aren’t exactly cogent and nobody is really sure why the Wire Act should apply to anything beyond sports wagers.

New Jersey has even taken matters in its own hands, launching a lawsuit against Sheldon Adelson in a bid to clamp down on the casino-owners’ ambitions to meddle in the iGaming industry.

Business Fighting Back to Avoid Prosecution

Lottery operators have every bit of reason to be contesting the decision as under the decision they would be turned into criminals liable to hefty fines and multiple years in prison. Avoiding prosecution will depend on a clearer language of the Wire Act Opinion.

States seem to be ready to accept the decision as long as it’s not ambiguous. It’s this ambiguity that has been the source of all of DOJ’s trouble so far. New Hampshire dismantled the Wire Act Opinion in a district court, arguing that the new legislation was too badly-defined to give any clear indication to businesses what their next move should be.

This was upheld by a judge, although NH didn’t receive anything more than a nod that the state’s original concerns were well-founded. In other words, no judge has yet said that the Wire Act Opinion has been made on the basis of no legal arguments, but this would probably not happen until states and DOJ clash in court over whether the Wire Act in its would-be new interpretation is designed to favor one specific party exclusively.

Carmen Thompson

Carmen is our residential reporter always on the move and hunting down the latest scoops and rumours to explore. Nothing gets past her keen nose, especially when it comes to some serious Jelly Bean poker tournaments.

Younger Swedes Self-Exclude from Gambling

Posted on by Kat Orlov
  • Young Swedes exclude from gaming en masse
  • Voluntary exclusions are for a period determined by the customer
  • The regulator continues to warn wrongdoers about a possible license revocation

Swedish Youths Exclude from Online Gambling

At the turn of the year, Sweden legalized its online gambling industry, allowing licensed operators to start offering products in the country. Nearly half a year after the industry launched, some interesting numbers have surfaced in regards to self-exclusion.

Estimated half of all gamers are aged between 25 and 34, the latest data revealed. Spelinspektionen, the country’s gambling watchdog, posted the numbers on May 31. Along with the self-exclusion statistics, the regulator posted specific data about the state of gambling addiction in the country.

Based on Spelinspektionen data, over 35,000 today have opted into the voluntary exclusion criteria, with 40% of all participants being in the aforementioned age range. At the beginning of last month, 2,800 people rolled into the self exclusion scheme.

Sweden Curbs Its Gambling Addicts Successfully

Sweden has set an example of successfully curbing gambling addiction. After a BBC report established shortcomings in the United Kingdom’s own exclusion scheme, other countries have been wary not to replicate the mistakes of one of the largest iGaming markets in the world.

Meanwhile, the Nordic country has been using individuals’ BankID numbers to guarantee that no funds can ever be forwarded towards gambling outlets online. The exclusion scheme, Spelpaus.se,already applies to multiple verticals, including:

  • Lotteries
  • Slot games
  • Bingos

Players are allowed to exclude themselves for a period of one, three or six months. Still, there is an option allowing individuals to exclude for a custom period of time and the majority of people have opted for at least one year off the gaming grid.

All online casinos in Sweden have had to integrate Spelpaus.se as part of their license agreements. The Spelinspektionen has been very tough on wrongdoers. In Mach, Genesis Gaming and Paf Consulting were handed down stiff penalties over failure to enforce self-excluded players.

Apart from a penalty, the regulator issued a warning regarding the license of the operators. Spelinspektionen won’t hesitate to strip any wrongdoer from their privilege to operate gaming solutions in the country, the watchdog said in a statement.

No Bonuses, No Room for Addiction

Unlike other markets, Sweden doesn’t allow operators to introduce bonuses past the registration offer, which cuts operators from one of the time-tested methods to retain customers and urge them to stay on at the casinos longer.

Recently, Betway received a fine for extending additional goodies after the registration bonus, which the Spelinspektionen sanctioned accordingly. The watchdog has issued new warnings that breaking the terms and agreements of the license partnership would result in revocation of permits for wrongdoers.

Kat Orlov

Newcomer Kat is our newcomer poker aficionado whos skill not only lives on the table but flourishes on the site as through her many sources she never fails to be the first to hear of any important or exciting poker news around the world.

Florida Governor and Seminole See Eye-to-Eye on Betting

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • Florida and Seminole Tribes on their way to new compct agreement
  • Sports betting expansion possible
  • Opposition against gambling expansion mounts

Florida is still tip-toeing around the idea of fully legalizing sports betting with talks beginning during last November’s election and Amendment 3. Voters finally have the power to authorize new gambling venues, but this would take significant effort.

Will Florida Get Sports Betting in 2019?

On April 26, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met with gaming businesses representative to discuss the future of the sports betting and iGaming industries in the state. DeSantis had previously spoken to Seminole Tribe of Florida Chairman Marcus Osceola and Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen as well as the tribal gaming operator’s General Counsel, Jim Shore.

The talks mark a success in a bottle-neck that has had the Seminole tribal gaming facilities strangle any previous attempts to expand or include sports betting. Not only that, but the Tribes and the state may be coming closer to creating a new compact much like the one that expired back in 2010 that gives Seminole exclusivity on gambling verticals.

The meeting was described as cordial with the Tampa Bay Times reporting closely on the summit, citing lobbyist Nick Iarossi who said:

The governor spent over an hour intently listening and asking questions to better understand the pari-mutuels and issues related to the proposed compact.

Planning for the Future – 31 Years of Understanding

A new proposal may now be on the cards with a 31-year agreement being discussed. When the previous deal was struck, it took legislators 20 years to come up with a solution for everyone to agree.

The toughest nut to crack has always been the Seminole Tribe casinos that have insisted on exclusive rights. It’s similar today with Florida continuing to operate without a new compact while the tribes grow impatient and continue to contribute to the state’s coffers, estimated at $350 million.

This is money that Florida doesn’t want to lose, even though lawmakers already drafted a budget that excludes these contributions.

While there has bee divisions in the past and much traction, things seem to be finally smoothing out with talks about future expansion of iGaming and sports betting operations in the state.

The Seminole recently contested the issue of allowing certain facilities to operate player-banked games, thus allowing such venues to circumnavigate the tribes’ exclusivity rights over the segment.

Not Everyone Is Happy about Sports Betting

The naysayers have spoken. At the beginning of April, No Casinos in Florida, a non-for-profit group, sent a letter to Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva and to Senate President Bill Galvano, stating their opposition to legalizing sports betting and expanding it across Florida.

Interestingly, companies such as Walt Disney and Seminole have also spent copious amounts to make sure that casinos don’t arrive to the state. Yet an expansion t the present moment appears hypocritical.

Disney is also running sports betting shows through ESPN, a company that it owns. Florida’s gambling and sports betting are indeed contentious issues

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Colorado Makes a Dash for Legal Sports Betting

Posted on by Sophia Rojas
  • Colorado plans on issuing 17 new sports betting licenses
  • Legislators will need to first pass the newly-proposed sports betting bill
  • All sports betting will be taxed at 10% of new revenue if the bill is passed

Colorado is making a dash for legalizing sports gambling. On Thursday, April 18, a bipartisan sports betting bill was introduced in the lower house.

Colorado Pushes for Sports Gambling Legislation

Colorado is on its way of becoming the next state to legalize sports betting or so the first signs suggest. Last Thursday, a new draft bill appeared in the Colorado House. With the legislative session nearly over now, the bill is making a bold dash for the finishing line.

To get there, this new draft will need to be vetted by both the House and the Senate and finally head to Governor Jared Polis for a final approval. Each step of the way can be treacherous. For example, online poker almost made the cut in 2018 in Michigan when the outgoing Governor decided to kill the bill at the finishing line.

A Bill to Usher in Sports Betting Quickly

If the bill is passed successfully as many as 17 properties will start offering wagers. Those would be mostly casinos in towns such as Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek. There would be 17 licensed issued to land-based properties and 17 that would go to anyone who wants to operate an online sports betting business.

Rep. Alec Garnett, a Democrat, has said that Colorado’s lawmakers were now focusing on completely eliminating the black market and taxing legal operations instead. Colorado is not all-too liberal in their approach to the issue.

For example, sports betting has been legal in the state since the 90s, but it has been kept within the borders of the three aforementioned mining town. This hasn’t dissuaded established brands from investing, with Twin Rivers saying that it would purchase three casinos and the licenses that go with them.

HB19-1327 is only now starting to gather momentum. Th time is limited, though, and lawmakers will have to move quickly.

Highlights of HB19-1327

The proposed draft bill will tax existing operations at 10% on the net proceeds. Only owners of casinos in the three aforementioned cities would be allowed to have land-based, online or both operations. The industry will be regulated by the Gaming Control Commission which would oversee the entire segment if the bill passes all legal hurdles successfully.

Sophia Rojas

Growing up around law firms, Sophia keeps our team of reporters atop any legislative developments to follow up with a welcomed dose of positive news as our house trivia nut!

Czech Ministry of Finance Plans to Hike Taxes on Gambling

Posted on by Grant Mahon
  • The Czech Ministry of Finance plans to rake up tax on certain gambling verticals
  • Lotteries, bingo, and live games will now be levied at 30% of GGR
  • Some fear that hiking taxes might bring back black markets

Amid booming gambling and poker industries in the Czech Republic, the country’s Ministry of Finance is now planning a tax hike.

Gambling Taxes to Go Up in the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic’s Ministry of Finances will introduce a comprehensive package of taxation that will affect several iGaming and gambling verticals, including lotteries, bingo, live games, and a few others less affected segments.

The country will introduce changes to specific gambling verticals, such as lotteries, moving taxation from 23% of their gross gaming revenue (GGR) to 30% of GGR. In comparison, the highest levied vertical remains gaming machines, which fetch a hefty 35% tax come what may. This comes at a time when the Czech Republic has started accepting foreign operators.

The affected segments will include bingo, lotteries, and live games. This will cut into the profitability of business, but the Ministry has argued that adding more to the public coffers takes precedence over private party enrichment.

The changes affect other industries that are historically linked, including tobacco and alcohol production. The ministry’s official statement read:

The proposed amendment to the gambling tax law divides the rate of gambling tax into three levels, according to the harmfulness of individual gambling in the same way as the government’s draft Gambling Tax Act of 2015.

The news was met with criticism from former Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek. According to Mr. Kalousek, the government was lumping terms together, not differentiating between gambling and addiction.

Another point Mr. Kalousek brought up was the fact that not all verticals should be taxed the same, particularly the less profitable ones. Taxing lotteries by 30%, Mr. Kalousek pointed out, would be unnecessary.

A Return to Black Market Times

With so many businesses potentially squeezed, some fear that the Czech Republic may start losing verticals that will then be offered by unregulated third-parties, hence boosting the black market. There have been some reports already that gambling isn’t as common.

Such concerns are not without merit, but at the same time they seem to be a little too stretched. Lawmakers and politicians have been quietly voicing a concern, but nothing too serious. Overall, the Czech Republic has been a very welcoming place for various gambling activities, including poker.

The market for the world’s most popular card game has been expanding significantly. In November 2018, Partypoker also joined the country’s only active poker operator, PokerStars.

The newly-arrived card room brand teamed up with the King’s Casino, a long-time partner of the brand and somewhat controversial because of his owner’s alleged refusal to honor wagers on account of “being too drunk”.

It wasn’t until 2017 that the Czech Republic introduced a regulated market with a number of respectable brands applying for a license, including Partypoker and William Hill. PokerStars was also among the first companies to hurry up and jump at the opportunity to expand into a new market.

Things have been moving along nicely since, but a new tax now threatens to upset some of the progress that has been made over the past few months.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

UKGC to Ensure FOBTs Measures Are Met as of April 1

Posted on by Carmen Thompson
  • UKGC to monitor if FOBTs rules are applied
  • New security measures coming in
  • Customer identity to be verified within 24 hours

The UK Gambling Commission is looking into introducing more customer protections for players in the United Kingdom, even after the Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) measures have been introduced.

The UK Gambling Commission Targets FOBTs for Extra Customer Protection

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is committed to upholding the highest security standards when it comes down to the customer. In light of the recently-introduced measures to slash the maximum betting limits on FOBTs, the watchdog is aware that some companies may overlook the rule.

This is why, the UKGC is stepping up its efforts to ensure that no discrepancies between law and practice occur. Starting today, April 1, all FOBTs in the United Kingdom should be re-adjusted to offer customers only £2 per spin, down from £100 in the past.

The measure was rushed after the initial timeline was set for October, but Prime Minister Theresa May’s government was accused of deliberately working with iGaming businesses at the expense and detriment of people.

New UKGC Customer Identity Measures Arrive in May, 2019

The row led to the resignation of now former Sports Minister Tracey Crouch who remains a vehement supporter of introducing more measures to safeguard British customers from malicious iGaming practices.

As to the regulator, UKGC Chief Executive Neil McArthur has reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to upholding order and investigating companies that try to color around the lines. Here’s what Mr. McArthur had to say:

Together with Government and the industry, we must continue our ongoing work to make the whole industry safer – this includes continuing to make progress with making other products safer, as customers may move to gamble in other ways following the stake cut – including online, mobile and on the high street.

Politicians haven’t been sitting idly either, with Jeremy Wright, the present Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport planning even more measures to protect customer. Mr. Wright has been focusing on restricting underage gambling which he considers to still not be addressed properly.

In a recent statement he commented:

The Government’s actions and ambitions stretch much further and we are looking at further treatment of those who have suffered from gambling-related harm, whether gambling on credit should be limited and considering what actions are necessary to tackle problem gambling online.

The Commission plans to introduce a number of measures intended at bolstering the overall security. This means that starting in 2019, casinos will be obliged to verify a customer’s age and identity before they, i.e. the customer, is allowed to access the casino’s facilities.

This includes the free to play versions that are also coming under stricter restrictions. The UKGC is also going to speed up the verification process which now takes 72 hours and ask of casinos to be done with these important checks within a 24-hour time window.

Carmen Thompson

Carmen is our residential reporter always on the move and hunting down the latest scoops and rumours to explore. Nothing gets past her keen nose, especially when it comes to some serious Jelly Bean poker tournaments.

West Virginia’s Governor Approves Online Gambling

Posted on by Aran Malik

West Virginia is officially getting its own legal online casinos, following multi-lateral support for the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act approved by the House, Senate, and the Governor himself.

  • West Virginia online bill receives endorsement by state Gov. Jim Justice
  • H 2934 passed final legislature approval on March 9
  • Online poker will be featured as part of the activities allowed in the state

West Virginia Successfully Passing Bill

West Virginia made a very determined entry into the online casino industry. At first, it was just a bill. H 2934 landed in the House of Representative in February under a friendlier name, the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act, and cleared it without a hitch.

Then came the vote in the Senate, with Senators throwing their near-unanimous support for a future online gambling industry.

Then, everyone had to wait for Gov. Jim Justice.

Governors have been unlikely disruptors in recent years, shooting bills down long after the toughest bit – passing a legislation through the House and Senate, has taken place.

Mr. Justice decided not to veto the bill and chose to endorse it a bit, giving the state a reason for hoping that West Virginia will see its first online casinos open doors for netizens very soon. So far, there are five properties where online casinos can operate from, including:

  • Hollywood Casino, Charles Town Races
  • Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resorts
  • The Casino Club, The Greenbrier
  • Mardi Gras Casino & Resort
  • Wheeling Island Hotel

All properties have said that they will pay up or a casino license and also foot a renewal fee every year to the tune of $100,000. A license to run online casino costs $250,000, but there are other associated costs.

Another $100,000 will have to go for maintaining the online platform, not to mention that suppliers will also need to obtain a license with each costing $10,000.

Readying to Launch Online Casinos in West Virginia

Online casinos will probably not arrive until 2020 in the state, though this is just a preliminary estimate. Some hope that we can see an early launch in December, much like was the case with the sports betting industry in the state.

Next year is realistic, though, given the current challenges, such as logistics, signing partnerships, and not least of all the Wire Act that the Department of Justice want to champion at the expenses of online gambling activities.

In other places, such as Virginia, the state won’t see its first online casinos open until July 2020, and this is a fairly aggressive timeline. Virginia got an approval last week, so it’s very likely that West Virginia didn’t want to be behind.

It’s also interesting to watch how the process unfolds. In Virginia, for example, the Lottery Board (which will be regulating the new industry) has requested a special report that will asses how other states regulate and approach online gambling.

West Virginia has announced no such plans, but the bill is just fresh out of the oven.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Virginia Needs a Signature to Legalize Online Gambling

Posted on by Sophia Rojas

Virginia is one signature away from giving an initial go-ahead to its online gambling industry. Even if the governor approves the bill, it will take the state’s regulator and lawmakers over a year to set up the first casinos.

SB 1126 – One Signature Away from Becoming a Law

The year started off well for Virginia. In January, 2019, the Virginia Senate General Laws and Technology Committee gave its approval to a bill that would allow online casinos to open doors in the state.

The few months since, SB 1126 has made quite the headway and today it’s perched at the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam who should decide its faith. Mr. Northam is rather non-descript when it comes to online gambling – he hasn’t been against it publicly nor has he said that he endorses it.

With his signature now needed by March 26, everyone’s on pin and needles whether the Governor would grant his approval.

A Great Future for Online Gambling: Virginia’s Regulated Industry

Virginia is one of the states where the proposed legal draft is quite specific as to where online casinos can operate in the first place. With the Virginia Lottery Board taking over regulation, there are quite a few specifics that candidates would have to meet, including:

  • Choosing a city with a specific poverty level;
  • A population of over 200,000 and a population decline of over 4% over a specific period;
  • Pre-determined unemployment rates for specific months and years.

Virginia will also initiate a series of city-based referendums where the people will have to decide whether they want to give their go-ahead for casinos.

Virginia is one of the most complicated states to navigate when it comes to passing online gambling, not only in terms of mustering up the legal support, but also making sure that eligible cities exist and that locals will in fact endorse such an initiative.

Casinos on the Clock in Virginia

There’s plenty of reasons to be excited – online gambling and poker are coming to Virginia. However, there are a handful of constraints that the Virginia Lottery Board, the body that would be overseeing the industry, would need to comply with.

For starters, any casino that wants to operate in the state would need to successfully pass a city referendum by January 2021.

The Lottery Board will have to prepare an initial working version of the draft by January 2020 and all regulation must be finalized by June 2020. The first license in the state cannot be issued prior to July 1, 2020.

Virginia – A Promising Endeavor for Online Gambling

Virginia may come with its own whimsical sides, but the online gambling and online poker industries here have a very good chance of taking root. SB 1126 will give a chance to one of the United States’ largest states to introduce online gambling en masse.

Virginia will also exercise a somewhat closer control over its casinos which means that all properties will be introduced strategically across the state for maximum efficiency.

Sophia Rojas

Growing up around law firms, Sophia keeps our team of reporters atop any legislative developments to follow up with a welcomed dose of positive news as our house trivia nut!

New UKGC Customer Identity Measures Arrive in May, 2019

Posted on by Grant Mahon
  • Online casinos in the UK are adopting new verification measures
  • Young gamers to be protected as per the new regulations
  • The measures are coming into effect on May 7

The United Kingdom is finally pushing ahead with a new spate of verification measures designed to bolster customer protection.

The UK Gambling Commission Tightens Verifications Checks

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has approved a new set of measures designed to further enhance player protection in the United Kingdom. As a result, online casinos in England, Scotland and Wales will no longer be able to accept deposits until players have verified their identity. The UKGC has long stressed the importance of the process.

The new measures are coming into effect on May 7, as part of a broader sweep to improve the overall security across online casinos. Come May, casinos will have to run immediate checks and verify a player’s legal name, as well as address and date of birth before any deposits can be placed.

Similarly, anyone who wants to play at the free-play versions of the casino games will still have to confirm their identity in order to do so.

UK Casinos to Verify Identity in 72 Hours

Casinos will have to adapt quickly, with an influx of players looking to have their accounts verified immediately. This will add some strain on the KYC and Due Diligence teams hired by the casino to confirm the identity of individual players.

The move is welcomed by UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Jeremy Wright who is confident that the new measures will help protect younger gamers even further:

By extending strong age verification rules to free-to-play games we are creating a much safer online environment for children, helping to shut down a possible gateway to gambling-related harm.

To avoid confusion, operators will now have a serious task at their hands. They will need to act quickly and verify customers identities, but most importantly, they will have to stress the importance of users submitting documents.

The UK Gambling Commission Recommends New Measures

Many gamers are not in the habit of verifying their accounts until they have tried to deposit. This often causes confusion and negative feedback, but most importantly – it allows players to game unchecked for a long while.

With the latest measures, the UKGC is directly going to clamp down on irresponsible gambling. The UKGC also noted that the confusion that the verification process entailed had forced the commission to sort through a large number of complaints pertaining directly with this specific issue.

Helping Vulnerable Players Stay Safe

Not so long ago, the national exclusion scheme, GamStop, was proven a bit faulty by a BBC investigation. As a result, industry leaders and the regulator have stepped up their efforts to restrict players who exhibit addiction symptoms but are allowed to play.

Requesting a verification at the start would help casinos to quickly single out self-excluded players and stop them from playing or running into financial trouble.

Gambling Commission chief executive Neil McArthur also expressed his confidence that the youngest gamers would be protected:

“These changes will protect children and the vulnerable from gambling-related harm, and reduce the risk of crime linked to gambling.”

With the UKGC continuing to step up its efforts on regulating the industry, the gambling market in the UK is changing significantly and many think it’s for the better, even if it’s a bit fiddlier.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

West Virginia Almost Done with Online Gambling & Poker Bill

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • WV clears H 2934
  • Governor signature needed
  • The state’s Lottery to regulate online gambling

West Virginia is getting exceptionally close to signing online gambling into law. All that is needed is the signature of the state’s governor, following a successful passage through all levels of legislature.

West Virginia Can Soon Have Online Gambling

All scaremongering about the Wire Act and the Department of Justice’s high-handedness aside, West Virginia has been pushing towards full legalization of its online gambling industry. On February 12, Delegate Jason Barrett introduced House Bill 2934, which was expedited through the various stop-checks of the legal process in WV.

Minor patches were applied, but no large defiance came. The final approval was secured on March 9 when 78 delegates threw their unanimous support behind the bill with 18 people against and four choosing not to take sides.

WV’s H 2934 has been the quickest legislation to transition from a concept to proposition to now being what is one-signature away from becoming a law. Should the governor ratify the document, WV will be joining four states where online gambling is legally allowed, including Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

What Does WV Legal Gambling Bill Say?

The West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Ac allows companies interested in providing online gambling services to do so for a period of five year because re-application/renewal is needed. The license comes at a cheap cost of $250,000 and tax rate of 15% of GGR.

Existing land-based casinos in the state can now – on condition the governor approves the bill – start building their online brands that will be affiliated or borrow the name directly. This includes the following properties:

  • Hollywood Casino
  • Mountaineer Racetrack and Casino
  • Delaware North’s Nitro and Wheeling
  • Justice Greenbrier Resort

All activities will be regulated by the Lottery with the state about to figure out a way to address how to leverage funding coming from the gambling industry to use on public causes. Another issue that remains to be addressed is exercising control over gambling addiction and trying to narrow down its potential impact.

WV is a fairly unpopulated state for the needs of expanding the online gambling industry at a larger scale across the United States. However, the state is also among the first to try and push ahead with legalization of its segment and hopefully fetch extra customers from across the state border, while Kentucky, especially Ohio, and Indiana are still dithering over a decision. Connecticut is also spearheading its own expansion.

WV’s success can serve as inspiration to other states that are debating whether to push ahead with kickstarting their own industries. It’s worth noting that WV had solid political backing and not the history of divide common in other places that have tried to legalize online gambling.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Connecticut Pushing Ahead with Sports Betting Legislation

Posted on by Carmen Thompson
  • Joe Verrengia puts forth a new online sports bill
  • HB 7331 seeks to create a compact with tribes
  • Operators need to pay $100,000 non-refundable fee
  • Licenses issued for a two-year period

Connecticut is back in the center of events with a new sports betting proposal fired up for the state’s lawmakers to consider. Sponsored by the chairman of the Connecticut House Public Safety and Security Committee, Joe Verrengia, the new bill will seek to introduce wagering on both land-based and online betting activities.

Connecticut Takes a Shot at New Online Sports Betting Opportunities

Joe Verrengia, chairman of the Connecticut House Public Safety and Security Committee, has introduced a new bill, HB 7331, which will effectively seek to introduce sports betting to both land-based operators and licensed online businesses.

Control will be enforced by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Mr. Verrengia has outlined very mild entry costs for any business that wants to start operations in Connecticut. Every operator will need to pay an initial non-refundable fee of $100,000 to start the process.

Shortly after the initial payment, a $500,000 two-year license would need to be paid for as well. Sports betting is not the only license that interested parties would be able to acquire, including a sports wagering vendor licenses going for $300,000 and sports wagering lottery sales agent licenses available for another $250,000.

In each case, an initial fee of $100,000 will have to be paid.

The Essence of Connecticut’s Bill

The new Connecticut bill proposes important changes and builds on previous proposals. As a result, Mr. Verrengia has worked on establishing important aspects of the legislation, such as the legal gambling age as well as the available tax rates and to whom the money would be going to:

  • Legal gambling age – 21
  • Tax rate – 9.89%
  • Money allocated to – Connecticut General Fund, Sports Wagering Account
  • Regulated by – the Department of Consumer Protection

There’s also a legal wrinkle that explains that at the end of each year, 0.5% will be donated directly to CT five Regional Behavioral Health Action Organizations, which will be addressing issues, such as gambling addiction. The other 0.5% will be deposited directly into the General Fund.

The Tribes Are Welcome to Join and Work Together

Enjoying the support of CT governor, HB 7331 is also offering private operators to partner up with the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribal casinos available in the casino. This would necessitate to change the existing compact that the tribes have formed by themselves. Mr. Verrengia by themselves.

Integrity fees are also part of the offer, but Mr. Verrengia wants to see the Connecticut Commissioner of Economic and Community Development collaborate with main sporting bodies so any proceedings from sports betting can be used in a meaningful way. True, there are still hurdles, but the prospects seem promising altogether.

With the basic plan paid out, what follows is for Mr. Verrengia to push the bill successful through the House Public Safety and Security Committee which he presides himself. The next steps will be in the House, the Senate and finally in the governor’s office.

Carmen Thompson

Carmen is our residential reporter always on the move and hunting down the latest scoops and rumours to explore. Nothing gets past her keen nose, especially when it comes to some serious Jelly Bean poker tournaments.

MGA and Spelinspektionen Work on iGaming Regulation

Posted on by Aran Malik

Sweden and Malta are going to collaborate in order to introduce a better control over the iGaming industry, the countries’ national regulators have said.

  • The MGA and Spelinspektionen sign a MoU
  • The regulators will exchange vital information
  • Sweden warns operators to comply with bonus policies

Sweden and Malta Collaborate on iGaming

The Spelinspektionen and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining the terms of a new cooperation.

The partnership will see the national watchdog focuses on exchanging key information across vital areas, allowing them to better enforce regulatory policies as well as uphold industry standards.

The move makes perfect sense since many companies offering iGaming products on the newly-regulated Swedish market also hold Maltese gaming licenses or have their technical hubs operating from the country.

Spelinspektionen Director Camilla Rosenberg commented on the new partnership and the opportunities to achieve better collaboration in the sector:

This is the beginning of a broad and long-term cooperation, and our plan is to initiate corresponding collaborations with more gambling authorities in Europe.

MGA Chief Executive Heathcliff Farrugia was no less enthusiastic about the new opportunity. According to him, the MGA was in a constant process of adding new and trustworthy process to help it carry out its regulatory mandate in full.

The MGA Suspends Bet Service Group License

Mr. Farrugia also noted that the nature of iGaming is increasingly cross-border, which means that regulators will have to find new ways to collaborate and exchange data quickly in order to effectively and efficiently provide guidance and apply penalties where necessary.

“This MoU, signed with the Swedish Gambling Authority, is an important step towards achieving both our respective regulatory goals in vital areas of mutual interest,” Mr. Farrugia explained.

Spelinspektionen and Bonus Rules

With the Swedish national dog looking to expand its efficiency, the Spelinspektionen has been cautioning companies over the use of bonuses. Sweden is taking a very sparing approach about promotional offers available at casinos.

As far as current law goes, iGaming operators may only offer a bonus to their customers the first time they sign-up, with no subsequent offers being permitted. However, the Spelinspektionen has established breach of that provision, prompting it to issue a warning against operators.

There has been also a pushback that the law concerning bonuses was ambiguous, giving some websites teeth to try and color around the lines.

What Will Closer Cooperation Between Malta and Sweden Mean?

Having the MGA and the Spelinspektionen work closely together is an important deterrent against future violation of existing iGaming provisions. If the two regulators work as one, their effectiveness increases while letting operators know that they are under more scrutiny.

Collaboration between regulators is important and it can bring online casino companies in line. In Australia, the country’s watchdog threatened companies operating without a proper Australian license that they would be reported to their respective regulators.

It worked and most of the big brands left along with what was over 30 illegal operators. More regulation is not always a bad thing, especially if done right.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

William Hill Promises Stronger Profits by 2023

Posted on by Kat Orlov

William Hill is not giving up on pursuing double-profits by 2023 despite a most recent slump in the operator’s financial results. Not all is as it looks and William Hill is seemingly well on track to achieve the targets it has set out for itself.

Despite Losses, William Hill to Double Profits by 2023

William Hill is challenged on multiple fronts. The operator registered net loss to the tune of £721 million and had to settle some regulatory proceedings in 2018. However, William Hill is on point with achieving double profit results by 2023.

Looking at the current performance results, the operator is not far from the mark, as the losses it reported for 2018 were strictly a write-off occasioned by the reduction of FOBTs maximum stake. While UK’s model took some adjustment, William Hill has been becoming a bit of a digital pioneer in the United States, reporting excellent results on digital and mobile.

William Hill to Add Markets with Mr. Green Acquisition

The operator has already been posting solid returns in terms of revenue, managing to generate 2% higher revenue year-over-year in 2018. An expansion with the acquisition of Mr. Green has also signaled the company’s readiness to bring its profits up to $300 million by 2023.

As a reference, the US arm of the sportsbook generated solid EBITDA $48 million last year. William Hill is growing in a highly-contentious legal context. With a round of new controls introduced back at home, the United Kingdom may no longer be the gambling haven of the past years.

Operators Focusing on the United States Again

Operators are now re-aligning their offer to the United States. William Hill Chief Executive Phillip Bowcock addressed the burgeoning potential of the United States as a potential market:

This is a major new market opportunity that William Hill is very well placed to pursue as we are the US’s leading sports betting company. We aim to maintain our market leadership and intend to enter every state that regulates sports betting.

Mr. Bowcock shed more light on the difficulties that William Hill was presently facing, explaining that thee were a mix of legal and technical challenges. Deploying a large network across multiple in the United States has been an ambitious undertaking and one that would certainly take time.

Beyond this, there has also been the changing regulatory context in the United States with the reversal of the Department of Justice’s Wire Act Opinion of 2011, making the use of cross-state serves punishable by law.

Mr. Bowcock didn’t mention PASPA while reporting on the company’s latest results and future goals, which means that William Hill’s building and expansion strategy may not be contingent on the good graces of the DOJ. There has been some doubt aboutthe British top brands,

This is a good course of action as too much reliance on government regulation can easily send the value of an entire business plummeting as we have seen in recent months.

Kat Orlov

Newcomer Kat is our newcomer poker aficionado whos skill not only lives on the table but flourishes on the site as through her many sources she never fails to be the first to hear of any important or exciting poker news around the world.

Indiana’s SB 552 Clears the State’s Senate, Heads to the House

Posted on by Grant Mahon
  • Senate Bill 552 clear Indiana’s Senate
  • House Speaker Brian Bosma skeptical of the bill
  • NCAA betting still debated

Indiana’s Senate has re-considered its stance on sports betting, pushing through a bill that can potentially lead to establishing a legal framework for sports betting on mainstream sports contests.

Senate Bill 552 and Indiana’s Sports Betting Future

Indiana is edging closer to a legalized sports betting industry with the Senate clearing SB 552, a document that would potentially establish a legal context in which wagers on sports contests can be placed.

By clearing the Senate with an overwhelming support of 38-11, the Senate will now have to rely on a vote in the House to see the bill sped along the legislative process. SB 552 has been vetted and approved by not only the Senate but also the Senate Public Policy Committee.

SB 552 is the brainchild of Senators Mark Messmer and Jon Ford who first introduced the bill in January, 2019. Speaking at the time of the vote on Tuesday, Sen. Messmer described the bill as a “once-in-a-generation-opportunity”.

House Blues for Indiana’s Sports Betting

Enjoy a strong support, SB 552 has definitely gathered much-needed momentum. However, the House could prove a challenging hurdle, particularly with Speaker Brian Bosma openly expressing his surprise at the news that the Senate had passed the bill.

Mr. Bosma described the bill as the “largest expansion” since 2007 and therefore something that must be examined carefully:

It’s difficult to find a place where a large expansion like that can pass. I’m surprised it had passed the Senate.

It’s indeed going to be an expansion and Mr. Bosma may be having second thoughts. Question is, is he going to oppose the bill to the point where he tilts the vote against it?

What’s Going to Happen to Indiana’s Sports Betting If SB 552 Passes?

The most debated side of the bill is the relocation of the two Gary casino licenses, which will be moving to Terre Haute. Similarly, Senators have said that the bill doesn’t constitute an expansion, because it simply re-positions the existing pawns on the board.

College sports betting is another issue that the state is rather against and the current language of the bill presupposes exclusion.

Indiana’s efforts to legalize sports betting, though, won’t end up with several relocations, as the state will seek to introduce mobile sports betting as well. In addition, various casinos, racing tracks and off-track betting facilities would be allowed to apply for a license.

No Love for Electronic Spots

Surprisingly, Indiana has it out for esports betting, or staking wagers on the outcome of video games. Indiana will also consider restricting individual sports wagers at the behest of users or at regulators discretion. This could help balance the landscape between businesses and customers.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

West Virginia’s House Judiciary Okays Sports Betting Bill

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • West Virginia House Judiciary Committee votes in favor of H 2934
  • The tax rate changes from 10% to 15%
  • WV is serious about expanding online sports betting through independent contractors

The West Virginia House Judiciary Committee has decided not to put a stop to an advancing sports betting bill. As per the new agreement, businesses that want to start running activities in the state will have to pay a slightly steeper tax rate, too.

H 2934 Gets the Go-Ahead in West Virginia

House Bill 2934 is the most advanced hope for sports betting in West Virginia. The bill outlines the tax rate and binding licensing conditions and now the WV House Judiciary Committee has agreed to push the legislation forward.

Originally set at 10%, the new proposed tax law will see operators pay 15% as a result of the renegotiation in the Committee.

However, the Committee didn’t alter any of the other pillars of the bill, including the proposed license fee nor their period.

Licenses will still cost $250,000 (far less than Pennsylvania where they can reach $10 million) and a renewal fee would need to be paid every five years to the amount of $100,000.

A Controlled Expansion of Sports Betting in WV

So far, WV doesn’t plan on pushing with multiple properties state-wide. Legislators want to establish a vibrant industry and make sure that tax revenue is gathered. With this in mind, only four brands would be allowed to operate in the state, including:

  • Hollywood Casino
  • Mountaineer Racetrack
  • Casino and Delaware
  • Greenbrier Resort

The bill will indeed focus on land-based operations and try to concentrate power in the hands of the aforementioned, but this doesn’t preclude the existence of other operations.

For example, there will be special licenses for companies that want to pursue online gaming independent of the land-based properties. This will come with a fair priced license and renewal fee at $100,000 each.

The renewal fee will have to be paid every year as opposed to what land-based properties are paying. An interesting addition to the bill is that everyone who wants to be employed in the sector will need to acquire an occupational license priced at $100.

In the United Kingdom, for example, regulators are not hesitating to go after individual people as well as company licenses if they suspect that customers have been mislead on purpose.

The introduction of a license would give business accountability and thus bolster player security. H 2934 is not the only bill presently trying to alter the spots betting climate in the state for the better.

H 2178 was another initiative put forth by Rep. Shawn Fluharty and Joe Canestraro in January. In its outline, the bill tries to change the 1931 Code of West Virginia to allow online gaming and casinos in the state.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Robinson Introduces Bill to Shut Online Lottery Ticket Sale in Florida

Posted on by Sophia Rojas
  • Rep. Will Robinson introduces bill to cancel all online lottery tickets
  • Mr. Robinson cites security concerns
  • Florida is likely to accept the bill

Florida has a no-go policy on casinos and gambling in general. Advertised as a family holiday destination, this is not surprising. Now, State Rep. Will Robinson wants to make sure that lottery tickets can only be sold at retail shops as opposed to online websites.

The Wire Act, Florida and the Lotteries

Florida is indeed a little gung-ho when it comes to its gaming laws, and the current legislative development originating in the Department of Justice (DOJ) isn’t going to make the climate any milder.

While New Jersey and Pennsylvania are contesting the DOJ and the ham-fisted approach to the online gambling industry in the United States, Florida seems a little more accommodating.

DOJ Could Consider Flip-Flopping on Its 2011 Decision

State Rep. Will Robinson wants to make sure that no ticket is ever sold online and his newly introduced House Bill 629 might just hit the mark. Mr. Robinson is a man with a plan, and he intends to uproot the “illegal sort of fraudulent online vendors that sell tickets” – more or less:

These fraudulent websites are, in my view, illegally advertising when they are not related to the lottery system at all.

Mr. Robinson is not wasting any time either. His bill will appear before the Gaming Control Subcommittee on Wednesday.

Why Is Florida Against Online Lottery Ticket Sales?

The argument is not without merit. In 2018, Aura Dominguez Canto from Panama bought a ticket from TheLotter.com, an Israeli-based online ticket website.

TheLotter.com had bought the ticket from a local retailer, and then re-sold it to Ms. Canto who eventually won the $30 million pot.

Despite an initial opposition to pay out the winnings, Ms. Canto’s jackpot was honored. Though this alone cannot be the basis for calling websites illegal, it certainly goes to indicate that online vendors can lead to some confusion.

In light of this, Mr. Robinson has set out to ensure that online tickets would no longer be valid, should his Bill manage to clear the upcoming legal hurdles.

New Hampshire Is Not Quite Happy

Florida has its reasons to not like online gambling, not least of all because the state is cosy with the tribal operators which have contributed billions to the economy.

Meanwhile, New Hampshire is preparing to take things to court, challenging the DOJ’s newly-revised Opinion on the Wire Act.

Back in Florida, Mr. Robinson remains adamant against the sale of lottery tickets online. Since the state doesn’t offer the activity officially, all websites that extend lottery tickets are in fact illegal. As the senator himself noted, Florida is nowhere near switching to online sales.

He also further noted the risk that carrying out transactions over the Internet posed with many such vendors using the lottery’s logo to lure in financial details from customers.

Sophia Rojas

Growing up around law firms, Sophia keeps our team of reporters atop any legislative developments to follow up with a welcomed dose of positive news as our house trivia nut!

UKGC to Further Step up Security Measures with ADRs

Posted on by Kat Orlov
  • UKGC plans to seek industry experts’ opinions to introduce ADRs
  • The Commission is seeking to step up the overall customer protection in the country

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is tightening the control over online gambling companies. All of the recently proposed changes are sensible and for the better. Still, the UK’s governing gaming body wants to hear other opinions.

The UKGC to Consult Businesses and Experts about Planned Changes

No big change in the UK gambling climate is ever random or ill-considered. It requires a lot of coordination between business, regulators and politicians. True, the UKGC is not in the habit of always making its intents known beforehand, but it’s not trying to suffocate business either.

However, the UKGC is committed to protecting customers and that often means a rather more gung-ho approach towards bookmakers, lotteries, casinos and card rooms. So, who’s the UKGC reaching out to? Pretty much anyone with a skin in the game, including:

  • Consumers
  • Businesses
  • Industry experts

The Commission will discuss several proposed measures related to alternative dispute resolution (ADR), interaction, as well as new rules as to who can deposit & play and under what circumstances. The legal deadline to vet a customer is also going to be reduced as per the UKGC’s latest rules.

It’s Time to Add a Middleman

The Commission is actively seeking to brush up on the existing measures when it comes to handling complaints as well as introduce an ADR provider who will be able to sort through any disagreement between business and physical parties in the gambling segment.

The UKGC also wants to see operators offer other helpful tools, such as gambling blocking software, which would allow customers to completely opt out of certain gaming practices.

In the official statement the Commission released, UKGC Executive Director Paul Hope had the following to say:

We would like as many people as possible to have their say on these two consultations and the call for evidence. The proposed changes are intended to accelerate progress in protecting consumers and preventing them from experiencing gambling related harm.

The Commission recently announced another set of measures intended at tightening the security measures in the United Kingdom when it comes to gambling.

The Commission has been overhauling the existing regulation not least of all because the national self-exclusion scheme had been found to lack in certain ways, allowing customers to still bet after they had excluded themselves.

The UK Gambling Commission Recommends New Measures

“Making gambling fairer and safer is at the heart of how we regulate and better customer interaction, higher ADR standards and facilitating readily available blocking software are all part of this,” Mr. Hope added.

Toughening Legal Context This Year

The industry will undergo some significant changes this year. The Remote Gambling Duty (RGD) will go up to 21%, which is the break-line between lucrative businesses and struggling minnows.

The Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) will also take a tumble down, to £2 per maximum bet in a bid to discourage people from burning life-ruining amounts of money. The measure has been welcomed by the government.

While the RGD will be changed in November, FOBTs will be re-adjusted in April.

Kat Orlov

Newcomer Kat is our newcomer poker aficionado whos skill not only lives on the table but flourishes on the site as through her many sources she never fails to be the first to hear of any important or exciting poker news around the world.

Brazil Gets a New Casino Bill, Approval Awaited

Posted on by Sophia Rojas
  • New bill introduced in a bid to legalize gambling
  • The combined legal and illegal market in Brazil hits R$50bn annually
  • A total of 32 casino properties could open in Brazil should the bill be voted and approved

Brazil is getting closer to a fully regulated sports betting industry that would potentially cater to millions of sports betting enthusiast in one of the largest untapped markets in the world. Now, a new bill targeting casinos is on the cards.

Land-Based Casinos a Reality in Brazil

Brazil is almost done regulating and establishing its sports betting industry, and now that this is sorted, casinos are next on the line. Brazilian Chamber of Deputies Member Paulo Azi has submitted a new bill titled PL530/2019.

The purpose of the document is to see the casino industry in the country fully legalized, albeit with a few wrinkles that would need to be observed. The bill suggests the expansion of Integrated Resorts (IR), similar to what Japan is currently planning on building.

On the territory of integrated resorts, businesses would be allowed to run casino gaming, which would account for 10% of the available space. As is customary for such projects, more properties will be introduced, including shopping centers, theme parks, spas, and more.

Reading the Bill Up Close

Presently, the bill envisages such resorts to be built based on the population of individual states. As per PL530/2019:

  • States with population <15 million – A maximum of one IR
  • States with population 15 -25 million – A maximum of two IRs
  • State with population >25 million – A maximum of three IRs

In total, the Bill would allow 32 such properties to open, offering plenty of wiggle room for potential investors to make up their minds. Each IR would be granted a license for 30 years of operation and obtaining such a license would be allocated through a tender process.

In terms of tax, the law is rather accommodating towards the casinos with only 10% of their Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) being paid as tax. The proceedings will be divvied up between Brazil’s General Tourism Fund and the National Public Security Fund.

Curbing Illegal Gambling

Mr. Azi has explained that the rise of gambling in Brazil was undeniable. The industry is already relevant to the country, but laws have so far failed to establi a working framework. Based on his statement, the combined illegal and legal gambling markets in the country account for R$50 billion each year.

He believes that stopping illegal gambling would lead to boosting the overall finances of the government. Furthermore, a legalization of the industry would mean new job opportunities in cities hosting the Integrated Resorts, Mr. Azi explained.

Should Mr. Azi’s plan garner governmental support, it will become the second important development for the gambling industry in the country. In December, the outgoing President Michel Temer signed PL846/2018 opening up the way for sports betting in the country.

Sophia Rojas

Growing up around law firms, Sophia keeps our team of reporters atop any legislative developments to follow up with a welcomed dose of positive news as our house trivia nut!