Month: March 2021

The fantasy sports-style mini game is now open, with players able to pick stables of up to 10 horses to compete across the four days of the festival.

Entries cost £5 per stable for the paid game, with all stakes to be redistributed as prizes, paying out up to 500^th position in the contest.

There is also a free-to-play version of the game, offering a selection of racing-specific prizes including annual membership for Cheltenham, tickets for the Panorama Restaurant at Cheltenham Racecourse, tickets to Cheltenham Gold Cup Day 2022 and tickets to the Leopardstown Christmas Meeting 2021.

Customers of the games will score points when one of their chosen horses wins or places, based on the quality of the race and the price of the horse. The mini game features 8 bonus races which are worth an additional 25 points for a win and 12 points for placing second.

Currently, nearly 45,000 stables are competing in the 2020/21 Jumps Season Tote Ten to Follow competition.

Since the Ten to Follow game was relaunched in 2019, £350,000 was available in prizes for the 2019/20 Jumps Season, and a further £150,000 available for the current 2020/21 Jumps Season competition.

“We know how popular Tote Ten to Follow is and so we wanted to bring it to the four fantastic days of racing at the Cheltenham Festival,” said Jamie Hart, racing director of UK Tote Group.

“With loads of prizes up for grabs, we hope as many racing fans as possible will get involved. For those already playing the jumps season game it’s an important time to consider any changes they want to make to their stables for the remainder of the jumps season. Good luck to everyone who gets involved!”

Tote’s Ten to Follow competition reopened in June as British racing returned after a period of closure as a result of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The competition was revamped in 2019 as part of a partnership with free-to-play content specialist SportCaller, following UK Tote Group’s acquisition of the operator from Betfred.

In April 2020, the Commission found Caesars breached a number of social responsibility, money laundering and customer interaction regulations related to VIP customers.

CEUK’s failings included allowing one player to spend £820,000, losing £240,000, over a 13-month period at a London casino without the operator taking sufficient action to confirm the source of funds. 

Another customer spent £800,000 and lost £795,000 despite being flagged as a high risk individual. CEUK did not obtain proof of source of funds or evidence of the individual’s wealth.

Caesars paid a record settlement of £13m (€14.7m/$16.1m) and three senior managers at the business surrendered their personal management licences (PML), but the regulator said its investigation into PML holders would continue.

Now, the Gambling Commission has announced that seven PML holders received licence warnings and two PML holders who were under review received advice to conduct letters. 

A further 18 PML holders who were not under review but were looked into as part of the investigation also received advice to conduct letters.

In addition, one PML holder surrendered their licence while under investigation, though their licence was not officially under review.

Another PML holder had their licence revoked for non-payment of fees, while a further staff member who was not under investigation had his licence revoked following an altercation with a guest.

“All personal licence holders should be aware that they will be held accountable, where appropriate, for the regulatory failings within the operators they manage,” Gambling Commission executive director Richard Watson said.

Sands will sell the subsidiaries that operate its US business to funds held by the private equity business Apollo for $1.05bn in cash and $1.20bn in seller financing, through a loan credit and security agreement.

Meanwhile, the Venetian’s real estate and related assets will be sold to VICI for $4.00bn in cash. VICI is a real estate investment trust that was spun off from Caesars in 2017 and has acquired many other casino properties.

Las Vegas Sands chairman and chief executive officer Robert Goldstein said the property had been a very important part of Sands’ history, as it helped establish the legacy of Las Vegas Sands founder Sheldon Adelson.

Adelson died in January at the age of 87, with Golstein taking over his roles at the head of the operator and its board.

“The Venetian changed the face of future casino development and cemented Sheldon Adelson’s legacy as one of the most influential people in the history of the gaming and hospitality industry,” Goldstein said. “As we announce the sale of The Venetian Resort, we pay tribute to Mr. Adelson’s legacy while starting a new chapter in this company’s history. 

Read the full story on iGB North America

In the lawsuit filed with Illinois District Court, plaintiff Andrew Melnick, alleged that when placing in-play bets on college basketball games via the FanDuel mobile app, real-time information on the games was not accurate.

He had primarily wagered on ‘totals’ and ‘unders’, betting that the combined score of the two teams would be less than a certain amount by the end of the game in question.

Melnick claimed after losing $50 of the $100 he had deposited, he discovered the real-time information provided by FanDuel was “repeatedly false and materially so”.

According to Melnick, FanDuel “understated” the amount of time elapsed in the games, while the live scores were not up to date when he placed a bet, which in turn impacted the outcome of his wagers.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

i3 Interactive has previously stated that it would rebrand as International Game Technologies, but will instead adopt the Interactive Games Technologies name from the start of trading on 4 March on the Canadian Securities Exchange.

The provider said shareholders will not be required to take any action as a result of the name change, while outstanding share and warrant certificates will not be impacted.

Confirmation of the rebrand comes after the provider in December announced that it had completed the acquisition of a controlling interest in an unnamed Indian entity that owns and operates an online poker brand in the country.

First announced in August last year, the agreement was completed by a trio of entities, involving a private British Columbia corporation (B.C. Corp.) and a subsidiary of the Canadian business (Subco) alongside i3.

Headed by i3 Interactive chief executive Chris Neville, B.C. Corp. and Subco are now operating as a combined corporate business, with the operation running as a subsidiary of i3 Interactive as i3 India Holdings Corp.

Free-to-play predictive games will mark the beginning of FuboTV’s gambling roadmap, it said, which it believes will enhance the sports streaming experience while providing a bridge between its video service and sportsbook.

The acquisition of Vigtory allows FuboTV to accelerate the launch of its Fubo Sportsbook. The brand has secured its first market access deal in Iowa through Casino Queen.

It has also signed agreements with Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) to become an authorised gaming operator of each league.

The agreements mean Fubo will have access to official data and may include MLB and NBA league marks and logos within the Fubo Sportsbook when it is rolled out.

FuboTV plans to launch its free-to-play predictive games in the third quarter of 2021, first to FuboTV subscribers and later to all consumers.

Its sportsbook brand is expected to launch in the fourth quarter.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Based in Spain, Alfieri will lead commercial projects, product development and a recruitment drive, focusing on growing Salsa’s presence in Europe and Latin America.

Alfieri has spent 12 years working in the igaming market, starting out in product and player protection roles at bet365, before going on to lead the CRM strategy and department at Mr Green.

Alfieri also spent time in chief operating officer and chief executive roles with Redbet/Evoke Gaming, Bet.pt, Vivagol and Gamingtec.

“Salsa Technology’s expansion has been exceptional and I’m honoured to be able to play a major role in the company’s next chapter,” Alfieri said.

“Focus will be on strengthening Salsa’s market leading position in LatAm and accelerating European progress through the omni-channel platform and Game Aggregation Platform which includes proprietary content.

“We will also boost the range of tools we can offer to our clients to ensure player protection across our products.”

The appointment comes after Salsa last month also named Josh Tromans-Jones as its new chief technology officer.

Total consolidated revenue in the 12 months through to December 31 amounted to $3.12bn (£2.23bn/€2.57bn), down 22.7% from $4.03bn in the previous year, with IGT seeing declines across both its global lottery and global gaming businesses.

With IGT now split into two divisions – global gaming and global lottery – the latter made up most of the supplier’s revenue and was more resilient.

Global lottery revenue dropped 5.6% year-on-year to $2.16bn, though IGT said this decline demonstrated “remarkable resilience”, considering the impact that Covid-19 had on the segment. Global same-store sales remained stable, while double-digit North America same-store sales growth drove recovery in H2.

Services revenue accounted for $2.04bn of global lottery revenue, down 6.4% on last year, while the remaining $121.0m came from product sales, with this up by 10.0%.

Global gaming revenue fell 45.3% to $951.0m, with this part of the business the most hit by Covid-19. IGT noted the impact of pandemic-related casino closures and operating restrictions, but was slightly helped by a rise in digital and betting service revenue.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Mattingley (pictured) succeeds Claire Milne, who was named interim chairman in April 2020 after Alan Jackson indicated he would not stand for re-election.

He had served as non-executive chairman of 888 since 2016, but announced in September 2020 that he could step down later this year.

“I’m very pleased to be joining Playtech, at such an exciting time in the Company’s development,” Mattingley said. “Playtech is ideally placed to continue to build on its market leadership position and I look forward to working with everyone at Playtech to drive forward its strategy and capitalise on the opportunities ahead.”

Mattingley joined 888 in 2005 as a non-executive director and served as chief executive from 2012 until 2016. In 2019, his re-election as chairman faced serious opposition, as some shareholders questioned the length of time spent on the board.

Mattingley has also worked for Gala Group, Ritz Bingo, Kingfisher Plc and Dee Corporation, including as chief executive of Gala Regional Development prior to Gaa being acquired by Ladbrokes.

“In selecting the new chair, we wanted to appoint an individual with significant online gambling experience and a track record of delivering high levels of corporate governance and stakeholder engagement in a highly regulated and fast-growing industry,” Milne said. “Over the course of the last 30 years Brian has delivered strongly in these areas and has been at the forefront of the development of our industry. 

“We are delighted that someone of Brian’s calibre is joining the Board and look forward to benefitting from his experience to support our continued progress and growth.”

Playtech senior independent director John Jackson thanked Milne for her work as interim chairman.

“On behalf of the board of Playtech I would like to express our thanks to Claire for serving as interim chairman,” Jackson said. “Claire has provided continuity and stability during the pandemic, helping to enable Playtech to deliver a strong performance in 2020.”

Mattingley will be paid £338,000 per annum.

888 Holdings, meanwhile, has announced that Lord Jon Mendelsohn, former director of general election resources for the Labour Party, will take over as chair from Mattingley on 31 March. The operator previously announced that Mendelsohn would be its next chair when Mattingley stepped down.

“It has been a great privilege to chair 888 and serve its stakeholders during more than 15 years with the group,” Mattingley said. “I am personally very pleased that someone of Jon’s experience and calibre will succeed me as chair and I look forward to following the progress of the group.”

Mattingley will act as a consultant to 888 for the two months between stepping down as chair at the end of March and joining Playtech at the start of June.

Mendelsohn is currently a non-executive director of 888. His past experience in the gambling industry includes co-founding Oakvale Capital, an M&A and strategic advisory boutique that focuses on the gaming, gambling and sports sector

“I would like to thank Brian for his extensive contribution to the group, and for the time we have spent together to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities, and I wish him well in his new opportunity,” Mendelsohn said. “I am looking forward to continuing to work with the board and the management team to deliver the group’s growth strategy and generate further stakeholder value.”

Playtech also announced today that it has agreed a deal with Inspired Entertainment that will see more than 100 Inspired games integrated into the Playtech Games Marketplace.

“Inspired’s growing portfolio of innovative online and mobile games content will undoubtedly strengthen our games offering,” Playtech commercial manager Andrew Muir said. “We have a growing list of customers across numerous markets whose content requirements differ significantly, from varying themes and graphics to mechanics and general gameplay. 

“Inspired’s content covers multiple bases that will boost our customers’ games rosters across all our regulated markets. We’re thrilled to be adding Inspired to our flourishing list of distinguished content partners.”

AUSTRIA
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Licences for sports betting and horse race betting are available for private operators on a regional basis within Austria, whereas poker, casino, bingo and lottery are controlled by the monopoly, Casinos Austria, which has exclusive rights until 2027.
Status: The CJEU has held that the Austrian casino monopoly is incompatible with EU law in a number of cases, although national courts continue to reach conflicting decisions on the compatibility of Austria’s current gambling legislative framework with EU law and the position remains unclear.

BELGIUM
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: All products are available to private operators except for lotteries, which are reserved exclusively for the monopoly provider. However, online operators need to partner with a land-based licence holder in order to satisfy a local establishment requirement; alternatively, apply for one of the retail licences that can be extended to cover online.
Status: There remain valid arguments that the existing regime is incompatible with Belgium’s EU Treaty obligations. Active enforcement measures against operators and players are in place. A mandatory, weekly deposit limit of €500 for all customers of licensed operators is in effect. A draft law to introduce an advertising and sponsorship ban has been submitted to parliament.

BULGARIA
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery (excluding raffles and instant lottery games).
Operator type: All products are available to private operators except for lotteries, which are to be reserved exclusively for the monopoly.
Status: Any operator from an EU/EEA jurisdiction or the Swiss Confederation can apply for a licence. The Bulgarian regulator has awarded approximately 30 licences to date, including to a number of international operators. The government has adopted amendments to the country’s gambling legislation to establish a monopoly on lotteries in Bulgaria, with any existing lottery licences to be revoked with immediate effect following the amendment’s entry into force.

CROATIA
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: All products are available to private operators except for lotteries, which are reserved exclusively for the monopoly provider. Private operators can only be licensed to offer online gambling if they obtain a land-based casino or betting licence.
Status: Attempts by the Ministry to update its gambling legislation have been subject to criticism in respect of EU incompatibility issues (including the requirement that only holders of land-based licences can offer online gambling). Regulatory reforms appear to have stalled in the country.

CYPRUS
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting and lottery.
Operator type: OPAP has a monopoly over lottery operations; betting licences are available to private operators.
Status: Cyprus regulated online betting in July 2012, although a licensing regime was not established until 2016. ISPs are obliged to implement blocking measures to prohibit Cypriot residents from accessing unlicensed gambling websites. A betting law, which entered into force in March 2019, replaced the 2012 Betting Law. The provisions of the 2019 law are substantially the same, with minor amends introduced to address EU incompatibility concerns under the previous law (such as the requirement to have a local branch in order to obtain a betting licence). An overhaul to player protection measures has been proposed by the betting regulator.

CZECH REPUBLIC
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: EU and EEA-based operators are able to apply for licences.
Status: The gambling regulatory regime, which entered into force in the Czech Republic on 1 January 2017, allows EU/EEA companies to enter the market. ISP-blocking measures are active in the jurisdiction. Tax rates reportedly increased to up to 30% of GGR for certain online gambling activities from January 2020.

DENMARK
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, fantasy sports, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Licences for all gambling products are available to private operators save for lotteries, which are controlled by the state monopoly.
Status: The Danish online gambling regime went live on 1 January 2012. ISP-blocking measures are active in the jurisdiction and the Danish Gaming Authority (DGA) has been granted an injunction to block operators and suppliers that have been targeting Danish customers without the requisite licence. As of 1 January 2020, licensed operators are required to ensure that customers have set deposit limits before they are allowed to gamble, although it is understood this applies to online casino only. The DGA introduced new marketing regulations, effective from 1 April 2020. On 1 January 2021, the rate of tax increased from 20% to 28% of GGR for online gambling activities.

ESTONIA
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Licences for all gambling products are available to private operators save for lotteries, which are reserved exclusively for the monopoly operator.
Status: Operators seeking to accept business from players in Estonia must be issued an activity licence for the type of gambling they wish to offer, then an operating permit to provide the services online. A blacklist of operators is maintained and updated by local authorities and ISP and payment blocking is in force. Though some operators argue that the regime is still not compatible with EU law, no notification alleging incompatibility has been issued by the EC since the requirement for licensees to maintain servers in Estonia was removed.

FINLAND
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: All gambling products are under the exclusive control of monopoly provider Veikkaus Oy.
Status: Despite the existence of a national monopoly, EC enforcement action was dropped subsequent to various changes to Finnish laws. Active enforcement measures are in place (restrictive marketing for offshore operators in particular) and the government is exploring measures to further restrict the offshore supply of gambling services. In January 2021, the government opened a consultation on a number of proposals to reform Finland’s gambling legislation. It is expected that the finalised proposals will be debated in parliament in summer 2021.

FRANCE
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Private operators can obtain online licences for sports betting, horse race betting and poker. The monopoly has exclusive rights to bingo and lottery.
Status: A regulated market since the introduction of a licensing regime in 2010, following which the EC withdrew its infringement proceedings. A new regulatory authority, L’autorité Nationale des Jeux, took over from ARJEL in June 2020. Responsible gambling advice has been issued to operators and players during the Covid-19 crisis, with a warning against using bonuses to attract new players to poker.

GERMANY
Regulated gambling products: Schleswig-Holstein, a small northern-German state, regulates sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino and bingo. The other 15 states of Germany currently permit only sports betting and horse race betting, though online poker and virtual slots are currently ‘tolerated’ pending the implementation of a new regulatory regime.
Operator type: Private operators can no longer obtain casino licences in Schleswig-Holstein under the existing regime, although S-H has approved legislation to reinstate existing licences until 2021 (with operations allowed to continue in the interim). S-H has also introduced a quasi-licensing regime for sports betting (intended to be of a transitional nature). In the other 15 states, horse race betting licences are available at a regional level. Sports betting licences can be applied for by private operators as of 1 January 2020. Operators that comply with the requirements of the toleration regime in place pending the introduction of legislation in 2021 may offer online poker and virtual slots until that time.
Status: The main legal framework for gambling regulation in Germany has been the subject of much debate and has been heavily criticised by the EC and interested parties/states within Germany for a number of years. Discussions to reform the existing legislation resulted in the approval of the 3rd Amendment Treaty which entered into force on 1 January 2020. The 3rd Amendment Treaty removes the limit on the number of sports betting licences and re-introduces a sports betting licensing process. The ban on online casino remains in place, although there is an exception to the prohibition for S-H. On 12 March 2020, the German prime ministers approved the new Interstate Treaty on Gambling which proposes to bring new licensing options for private operators for online poker and virtual slots (although stringent restrictions, such as stake limits, are expected to be implemented). The Treaty, which has been notified to the EC and is scheduled to enter into force from 1 July 2021, has been approved by state leaders but still needs to be ratified by at least 13 of Germany’s 16 state parliaments by the end of April 2021in order to become law on the scheduled date (so far 4 states have ratified the Treaty). In October 2020 a toleration regime was introduced which permits operators to offer online poker and slots provided they comply with the toleration regime’s requirements and certain restrictions (such as stake limits).

GREAT BRITAIN
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: All licences are available to private operators save for lottery, which is reserved exclusively for the monopoly provider, Camelot.
Status: Any operator that transacts with, or advertises to, British residents requires a licence from the Gambling Commission (GC). Licensed operators are required to source gambling software from GC-licensed businesses. In December 2020, the government launched a “major and wide-ranging” review into the current gambling legislation in Great Britain.

GREECE
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting and lottery.
Operator type: All products are exclusively reserved for the monopoly providers pending the implementation of an open licensing regime, although certain private operators are permitted to operate on a transitional basis.
Status: In 2012, a ‘transition period’ commenced, whereby the Greek government granted 24 transitional licences to operators, enabling them to provide services to Greek residents. Legislation, which introduced an open licensing regime for online betting and “other online games”, including casino and poker, entered into force on 30 October 2019. However, the regulations implementing the new legal regime were not published until August 2020. Operators holding a transitional licence may continue to offer services until a decision is made to grant a permanent licence (provided also a further application was submitted prior to 6 September 2020). The opening of the new online market is currently expected in the first half of 2021.

HUNGARY
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Only the state monopolies (Szerencsejáték Zrt. and Magyar Lóversenyfogadást-Szervezo Kft) and local concession companies can apply for a licence.
Status: Amendments to Hungarian gambling law came into force on 1 October 2015 and allow only two land-based casinos to hold remote casino concessions. The regulator has since issued fines, a number of which have been challenged, against unlicensed operators that continue to target the market. In June 2017, the ECJ determined Hungary’s gambling regime to be incompatible with Article 56 TFEU. A subsequent ECJ decision in February 2018 ruled against the Hungarian requirement that online gambling operators must have a land-based licence to offer online gambling services to Hungarian citizens, further strengthening arguments that the current regime is incompatible with EU law.

IRELAND
Regulated gambling products: Online betting regulated since August 2015. Online gaming is not specifically accounted for in Ireland’s outdated legislation and as such is currently unregulated.
Operator type: Private operators can apply for a betting licence.
Status: Ireland has contemplated updating its legislation, which will create a comprehensive igaming regime, for some time. The Gambling Control Bill – the legislation which promises to specifically regulate online gambling – has been subject to continued delay and legislative progress is not expected in the short- to medium-term. Interim reform measures intended to modernise the regulation of gambling in Ireland entered into effect on 1 December 2020 and in February 2021 draft legislation was published which, if passed, would restrict most forms of gambling advertising. It is expected that an independent Irish gambling regulator will be established in 2021.

ITALY
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Fully regulated market, although lotteries are the subject of a state monopoly.
Status: Remote gambling licences are granted within specific application windows. The last tender process for applications closed on 19 March 2018. AGCOM, the Italian communications regulator, recently issued its first sanction against an operator for violation of the advertising ban (introduced in 2018). New measures to combat unlicensed gambling, including payment blocking measures, entered into effect in October 2019. A new tax, which amounts to 0.5% on turnover, was introduced in 2020 on all bets on sporting events (including virtual sports) and is expected to remain in place until 31 December 2021.

LUXEMBOURG
Regulated gambling products: Lottery.
Operator type: Monopoly.
Status: The general prohibition on gambling appears sufficiently wide to cover all forms of online gambling.

MALTA
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Private operators can apply for a local licence (except for lottery products).
Status: In 2018, Malta approved a new Gaming Act that replaced all existing gaming legislation with a single piece of legislation, supplemented by secondary legislation. The Gaming Act, with directives and regulations, became effective on 1 August 2018.

NETHERLANDS
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Monopoly for all products.
Status: The Remote Gambling Bill, intended to introduce a new regime, was expected to enter into force on 1 January 2021, with a six-month window for licence applications; however a delay until 1 April 2021 is now anticipated. The Dutch regulator has published draft policy rules and licensing permit documentation in relation to the application process. It is understood that operators that have directly ‘targeted’ the Dutch market will face a 30-month cooling-off period before being eligible for a licence. Full implementation of a licensing regime is not expected until 1 October 2021. In the interim, the regulator is expected to continue to implement enforcement measures against operators targeting Dutch players.

NORWAY
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting and lottery.
Operator type: Online gambling is reserved for the two monopoly providers, Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto.
Status: The monopoly has extended its offering to include live betting, online bingo and casino games in an attempt to redirect traffic from unlicensed sites. The Norwegian regulator continues to step up enforcement efforts against unregulated operators, local banks and payment service providers. The government has passed amendments to try and stem the flow of gambling supply from offshore, including enhanced enforcement powers to prevent gambling advertising from abroad. Expanded payment blocking provisions entered into effect on 1 January 2020. Draft legislation consolidating Norway’s various gambling laws is currently being considered.

POLAND
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, casino and poker.
Operator type: Betting licences are available for companies with a representative in Poland. Casino and poker are reserved for a state monopoly.
Status: Legislation enacted on 1 January 2012 permits betting. Online gaming (including poker) is no longer prohibited as of 1 April 2017, although the exclusive rights to offer such products are reserved for a state monopoly. Provisions that provide for the establishment of a blacklist of unlicensed operators and ISP and payment blocking came into force on 1 July 2017 and in February amendments to such provisions were the subject of parliamentary debate. The blacklist contains more than 1,000 domain names. 

PORTUGAL
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Any EU/EEA operator can apply to be granted a licence for online gambling. Lottery games and land-based fixed-odds sports betting remain reserved for a monopoly.
Status: A regulated market since 2015. Although operators can apply for licences, their Portuguese revenue streams are subject to comparatively high tax rates, particularly in sports betting. Portugal’s 2020 Budget will implement changes to the current taxation rates applicable to selected gambling products offered online. 

ROMANIA
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Any operator from an EU/EEA jurisdiction or the Swiss Confederation can apply for a licence. Lottery games remain reserved for the monopoly.
Status: The Gambling Law (as amended) introduced a legal framework for a fully regulated online gambling market and requires licences to be held by online gambling operators, as well as software providers, payment processors, affiliates and testing labs. The secondary legislation that fully implemented the new licensing regime came into force on 26 February 2016. The gambling regulator actively polices the regime and notifies ISPs to block blacklisted websites. A legislative proposal to further amend the Gambling Law was submitted to the Romanian Senate in September 2020.

SLOVAKIA
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Private operators can apply for licences for online casino and for sports betting licences. Lottery and bingo remain reserved for the monopoly provider.
Status: The Gambling Law came into force on 1 March 2019. The Gambling Law allows private operators outside of Slovakia to apply for licences for sports betting and casino, although sports betting licences did not take effect until 1 July 2020.

SLOVENIA
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Online gambling must be operated by land-based casinos or lotteries and, as a result, only the monopoly holds online licences in Slovenia.
Status: The requirement that only land-based Slovenian operators are eligible for licences is considered by certain industry stakeholders to be incompatible with EU law. Draft amendments to the Gaming Act were published in 2015, which aimed to remove the current local establishment requirement. However, the proposal does not appear to have been submitted to parliament to date. Whether any proposed amendments will ultimately introduce an open licensing system remains unclear.

SPAIN
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Private operators can apply for licences for all gambling products save for lottery.
Status: Operators must hold a general licence and a specific licence, both issued by the National Gambling Commission, for each activity. Remote gambling licences are granted within specific application windows. The last tender process for applications closed on 18 December 2018. In November 2020, Spain introduced significant restrictions on gambling advertising, sports sponsorship and welcome bonuses. 

SWEDEN
Regulated gambling products: Betting (including sports, horse race, pool, exchanges), casino, poker, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Licences are available for private operators.
Status: As of 1 January 2019, Sweden is a fully regulated market. All gambling operators that wish to offer their services to Swedish residents will be required to obtain a licence in order to validly do so (either a ‘betting’ licence or a ‘commercial online games’ licence, depending on the product(s) being offered). Active enforcement measures are in place. Temporary regulations, which were introduced on 2 July 2020 in response to the Covid-19 crisis, restrict, among other things, deposit and loss limits (applicable to casino only) and total login time. The measures were due to be lifted by the end of 2020 but in December 2020 the Swedish government decided to extend the restrictions until at least the end of June 2021. In January 2021, the Swedish government opened a consultation on certain proposals, such as the prohibition of gambling advertising between 6am to 9pm and the introduction of a B2B licensing regime.  

Wiggin is a law firm dedicated to supporting the media, entertainment and gaming sectors. Its market-leading betting and gaming group provides specialist legal services to an array of gambling industry stakeholders. We advise many of the world’s leading gambling operators and suppliers and also enjoy helping entrepreneurial, interactive start-up businesses. If you’d like to hear more, contact us at gambling@wiggin.co.uk.