Month: March 2022

Isola joined the Entain board in February 2016 and served on the Audit, Remuneration and Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Committees.

Entain said Isola had left the business in order to focus on other opportunities.

A legal expert, Isola is a senior partner at Gibraltar-based law firm Isolas, having helped found and launch the business in September 1982.

Isola has also served as a non-executive director of BetVictor since May 2014 as well as at Gibraltar International Bank since June 2015.

Aside from this, he is chairman of the Fiduciary Group and commissioner of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission a part-time basis.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Peter for his significant contribution and commitment to Entain over the last six years,” Entain chairman Barry Gibson said. “We wish him well for the future.”

The departure comes after Entain earlier this month also announced revenue of £3.83bn (€4.59bn/$5.03bn) for its 2021 financial year, representing a 7.6% increase on the previous year.

Earlier this month, Entain said that it was to target growth in new markets to build on the growth it recorded in 2021.

During an earnings call to discuss its financial results, Entain CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen gave an insight into the company’s plans to expand its territory in countries such as Canada and Brazil. 

Entain recently completed the acquisition of Avid Gaming in Canada, while Brazil passed legislation to legalise land-based and online gambling in the country at the end of February.

The tournament will occur during ICE London 2022, which takes place April 12th-14th at the ExCel London.

It will take place on the Hyper X Sports Truck and will feature esports teams such as Dignitas, 00 Nation, Rix.GG and SMPR Esports.

Rocket League commentators Gregun and JohnnyBoi will host the event for those there in person and on a live stream.

Visitors will also be able to place bets on the tournament using ICE Esports Arena chips.

“Our purpose is to firstly demystify esports and secondly demonstrate how operators can tap into a global phenomenon that’s generating annual betting revenues estimated to be worth $13bn,” said William Harding, head of esports at Clarion Gaming. “Rather than provide an esports lecture we are staging a high-profile tournament, featuring top-tier teams competing for a prize pot of £25,000.”

“The production and live stream will be managed by Allied Esports and tours will be held every morning providing gambling industry professionals with exclusive and invaluable insight on how a professional esports tournament is run.”

Keynote speeches, delivered by UltraPlay and Esports Charts, will also be taking place at the Esports Arena on 13 and 14 April.

To register for ICE London 2022, click here.

The study aimed to evaluate the effects of 60-minute mandatory ‘play breaks’ as responsible gambling tools for online casino players in Britain.

European gambling operator Skillonnet provided anonymised data from a number of UK-based online casino sites between 23 July and 15 September 2021, with 2,021 players taking part in total.

The control period, where players gambled as normal without any mandatory play breaks, took place between 23 July and 18 August 2021. The treatment period, in which a 60-minute play break was enforced after the players’ tenth deposits, took place between 20 August and 15 September.

During the control period, the players produced 1,461 “events”- which the study defines as depositing money more than ten times in one calendar day. Within the treatment period, 1,533 events took place.

The study concluded that the 60-minute mandatory break impacts how customers deposit and wager after the 60 minutes is over, with 41% of players not depositing for the rest of the day and 44.9% deciding not to wager.

During the control period, an average of 73% of players who deposited at least ten times went on to deposit 11 times in a single day at some point in the measured period. For the treatment period, this percent was 32%.

The average age of players who deposited more than ten times a day at least once during the control period was 38.28 years old, and 56% were female. For the treatment period, the average age was 38.24 and 64% were female.

“This means that a mandatory play break in an online casino setting seems to prevent overspending during a short period of time,” the study said. “The results do not support previous assumptions and findings that mandatory play breaks lead to increased gambling afterwards.”

The study also looked at whether the 60-minute breaks impacted customer loyalty over a longer period of time.

For the control period, a total of 301 players deposited at least ten times in one day between 23-29 July. Of these players, 124 wagered at least once during the final seven days of the control period, 12-18 August.

In comparison, 163 players out of 333 in the treatment group wagered at least once at the end of that period.

This meant that the portion who wagered at least once was 7.7% higher at the end of the control period than at the end of the treatment period, a difference that it said was statistically significant, suggesting a small drop-off in customer loyalty from the breaks.

The study was undertaken by Mark Griffiths and Michael Auer. Griffiths acted as an advisor for Allwyn’s successful bid for the UK National Lottery tender, and has helped shape Entain’s responsible gambling strategy.

Paid fantasy sports games were legalised in New York in 2016, after the state Attorney General had taken action against FanDuel and DraftKings for unlawful gambling in 2016.

As New York’s constitution prohibited gambling apart from certain specific exceptions such as tribal gaming, the law said that these games are “not prohibited gambling activities because contestants use significant skill to select their rosters”.

However, soon afterwards, a group of four individuals who all said they had been affected by gambling harm launched a lawsuit against then-governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Gaming Commission challenging the law. The plaintiffs called for a permanent injunction to block the law from coming into effect, and a declaration that it was constitutionally invalid.

The case first went to the state Supreme Court, which said that these contests would indeed be considered gambling under the state’s Penal Law. However, it went on to say that the legislature “acted within constitutional bounds to exclude IFS contests from the scope of the Penal Law provisions regarding gambling”.

Following appeal, the Appellate Division came to a similar conclusion.

The plaintiffs then appealed to the New York Court of Appeal, questioning whether the legislature may simply declare certain activities to not be gambling.

The Court of Appeal had a different interpretation of whether fantasy contests were gambling, arguing that the two prior judgements’ claims on the matter had been “in error”.

It argued that determining if a game was gambling under the constitution, it must determine if chance was the “dominating” factor. On the other hand, in the definition of gambling under the Penal Code, chance only needs to affect the game to a “material degree”.

As a result, it said, that “the legislature’s factual determination that [fantasy sports] contests are a game of “skill,” not of “chance” – and therefore are not ‘gambling’ – has resounding support”.

The court noted that skilled players consistently win fantasy sports events and that rosters chosen by skilled players outperformed randomly chosen rosters 80% of the time.

As a result, it said, fantasy contests do not meet the constitutional definition of gambling.

“Participants draw from their knowledge of the relevant sport, player performance and histories, offensive and defensive strengths of players and teams, team schedules, coaching strategies, how certain players on opposing teams perform against each other, statistics, strategy, and the fantasy scoring system in order to exercise considerable judgment in selecting virtual players for their rosters. Although participants are not able to influence athlete performance in actual sporting events, their skill nevertheless plays a substantial role in the outcome.”

Since the case began,the framework of legal gambling in New York has changed significantly. Retail sports betting first launched in 2019, before the launch of mobile sports betting earlier this year, with nine permitted operators.

In addition, the state is currently working to issue licences to operate three casinos in the downstate region of New York, which includes New York City and the surrounding area.

The two organisations had initially collaborated on an anti-match-fixing investigation. The investigation ultimately led to FC Floresti being demoted from the top division of Moldovan football, the Moldovan National Division.

“We are delighted to continue working with Starlizard Integrity Services, who have shown themselves to be a valuable partner and important ally in the fight against match-fixing,” Evgheni Zubic, FMF’s integrity officer, said. “We have already benefited enormously from their deep understanding of betting markets and their expertise in identifying both suspicious betting patterns and team or player behaviour. 

“The renewal of the agreement with SIS will enable us to build on our successful collaboration and further strengthen our efforts to keep Moldovan football clean.”

Under the new agreement, SIS will provide am alert service to the FМF, which will notify the governing body of suspicious betting patterns or questionable performances by teams or players in Moldovan football. SIS will also assist with investigations of specific allegations of match-manipulation in Moldova.

“The FMF are committed to safeguarding the integrity of Moldovan football and we are privileged to be supporting them again in this endeavour,” Affy Sheikh, head of Starlizard Integrity Services added. “It is another example of our successful working relationships with sports governing bodies around the world, where we provide our monitoring, analysis and alert services free of charge as part of our own commitment to ridding football and sport in general of match manipulation.”

The deal will allow IGT to deploy its Aurora Navigator, Data Connector and Aurora Anywhere technology for Singapore Pools’ use.

Aurora Navigator keeps all lottery applications in one space, where they can be managed and administered, while Data Connector offers data integration and analysis. Aurora Anywhere expands lottery gameplay by connecting external applications to the core Aurora lottery system.

“Set up to provide a legal, safe and trusted avenue for people to place bets, Singapore Pools requires the sophistication, reliability and innovation that IGT’s Aurora central system provides to support the lottery’s significant number of daily transactions,” said Jay Gendron, IGT chief operating officer of global lottery. “IGT’s service-oriented Aurora incorporates a suite of flexible solutions designed to manage, transform and further grow the Lottery’s business.”

“This best-in-class technology coupled with IGT’s longstanding lottery leadership will ensure Singapore Pools continues to channel its surpluses to good causes while offering a secure and responsible gaming environment for all.”

IGT said its Aurora central system will handle Singapore Pools’ high volume of lottery transactions in a way that builds profit and ensures reliability.

“IGT’s positive reputation and its global success in providing performance-driving solutions gives Singapore Pools the confidence that our lottery operations are powered by industry-leading technology,” said Lam Chee Weng, CEO of Singapore Pools.

“We have trusted IGT’s technology since 1986 when Singapore Pools became the first computerized lottery in Southeast Asia, and we look forward to continuing our long-time partnership for the next six years.”

Earlier this month IGT extended its agreement with Mexico’s national lottery, La Lotería Nacional.

Gambling in Singapore is set to be undergo major reforms following the passage of two bills through Parliament. The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore Act 2022 will create a single gambling regulator while the Gambling Control Act prohibits certain gambling activity including proxy betting.

The brand will offer both online casino and sportsbook services, using Aspire Global’s platform but featuring what it called an “immersive front-end design”.

LynxBet chief executive Jeremy Taylor – who has previously served as managing director of Genting Casinos UK and group marketing director at Betsson Group – told iGB that games on the LynxBet site will be housed within a virtual world.

“As a first-time visitor, you enter a fantastical world with a moon in the background at night, which changes to a sun in the daytime,” he said. “The day/night mode setting is dynamic based on your time zone but also customisable via a toggle.

“There are four floating islands; an island for casino, an island for bingo, an island for lottery and an island for sports. Each island has its own creative theme which runs through the product verticals across the website and, across emails and advertising creative. It’s creating that sense of escapism.”

Taylor explained that the concept for the site was heavily influenced by the idea of the metaverse, and could even prove to be a springboard towards a greater metaverse commitment in the future.

“[The metaverse] was already growing two years ago and even more so now than when we started out about a year ago,” he explained. “When I started, that was the kind of creative field that I wanted to tap into inspirationally and that’s basically what we’ve done. 

“Will we actually go into the metaverse, as it’s called, and the various different platforms that are being created out there? We’ve talked about it with investors as that is their area of expertise. But we already have a solid starting point with LynxBet.”

LynxBet operates under a Tier 1 Isle of Man gaming licence, but will mostly target South American customers. It said it will offer a number of localised services such as customer support in local languages and a wide range of currency options including cryptocurrency.

““Following months of hard work behind the scenes, introducing LynxBet to the marketplace is an exciting moment for JNS Gaming,” Taylor said. “We understand how competitive and saturated the igaming industry is, which is why we devised an immersive platform that offers something alternative for players to explore. 

“Simply put, JNS Gaming is an igaming startup like no other. We are very ambitious and truly believe that our unique user journey will captivate players worldwide. Over the coming months, we will be revealing more developments that will illustrate our desire to propel LynxBet to new heights.”

Aspire Global will provide its back-end offering to support the launch. This will include its player account management tool, managed services, the Pariplay aggregation platform and the BtoBet sportsbook.

“JNS Gaming has done a remarkable job in developing such an immersive digital environment with its new LynxBet brand,” Aspire Global chief executive Tsachi Maimon said. “While the group has focused on developing a fascinating online portal that will resonate with a wide audience, Aspire Global provides the new operator with a complete igaming solution and significant B2B and B2C experience to build from.

“We look forward to supporting LynxBet’s growth in the near future including more new markets, with our cutting-edge solutions set to form a crucial role in its expansion.”

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 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. In June 2021, the Austrian Supreme Court held in favour of a player who brought a claim against an operator licensed elsewhere in the EU for a refund of losses on the basis that their contract with the operator was invalid. In February 2021, the Finance Minister of Austria announced a wide-ranging set of proposals to reform gambling in Austria. Proposals include the establishment of a new independent regulator and the introduction of both website blocking and greater player protection measures. A draft law formally setting out the proposed reforms had been expected to be published during 2021 but this did not happen, although recent comments by the Austrian Finance Minister suggest that preparatory work remains ongoing.

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 for the monopoly provider. Online operators need to partner with a land-based licence holder in order to satisfy a local establishment requirement – or apply for a retail licence 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 although a draft royal decree adopted in July 2021 will reduce the limit to €200 once it enters into 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 reserved 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 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 new betting law, which entered into force in March 2019, replaces the 2012 Betting Law. The provisions of the new 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). In July 2021 the local regulator introduced new rules and restrictions on gambling advertising.

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 new gambling regulatory regime entered into force in the Czech Republic on 1 January 2017, allowing 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. In August 2021 the self-regulatory ‘Gambling Advertising Board’ was established.

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 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 main 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). In January 2022, amendments to Finland’s gambling law entered into force which grant the Police Board new powers to take administrative action against private operators that target the Finnish market. Provisions concerning payment blocking measures are scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 2023.

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: Sports betting, horse race betting, virtual slots, online poker and table games.
Operator type: 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. Since 1 July 2021, private operators have been able to submit licence applications to operate virtual slots and online poker. Online table games (such as roulette, blackjack and live dealer casino) are reserved to land-based casinos, most of which are state operated although in August 2021 the states of Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia notified the European Commission of their intention to hold a tender process to issue licences to operate such games to private operators. In February 2022 the new pan-German gambling regulator – the Joint Gambling Authority of the States’ – launched its website. The regulator is due to formally commence operations in January 2023.
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 removed the limit on the number of sports betting licences and reintroduced a sports betting licensing process. The ban on online casino remains in place, although there is an exception to the prohibition for S-H. In March 2020, the German prime ministers approved the new Interstate Treaty on Gambling which brings new licensing options for private operators for online poker and virtual slots (although stringent restrictions, such as stake limits, shall apply). 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) pending the entry into force of the Treaty on 1 July 2021.

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. Last December, the government launched a “wide-ranging” review into the current gambling legislation in Great Britain. It is anticipated that any proposals for reform will be published in a white paper that is expected in the short term.

GREECE          
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Under the permanent licensing regime, two ‘Types’ of licences are available to private operators: (i) Type 1 for online betting; and (ii) Type 2 for other online games (which includes poker and casino games). However, certain entities which were previously state-owned have the exclusive right to offer bingo, lottery and pari-mutual betting or fixed-odds betting on horse racing.
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 in 2019. However, the regulations implementing the new legal regime were not published until August 2020 and it wasn’t until July 2021 that the permanent licensed market launched.

HUNGARY      
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Only the state monopolies 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. However, in February 2022 Hungary notified the European Commission of two draft bills, one of which seeks to liberalise the local sports betting market by affording operators within the EEA the opportunity to apply for a local licence.

IRELAND         
Regulated gambling products: Online betting has been regulated since 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. Interim reform measures intended to modernise the regulation of gambling in Ireland entered into effect on 1 December 2020.  In February 2021 draft legislation was published (by an opposition party) which, if passed, would restrict most forms of gambling advertising. In October 2021, the General Scheme of the Gambling Regulation Bill was published which covers, among other things, the planned introduction of a B2C and B2B licensing regime and the establishment of the Gambling Authority of Ireland.

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, has issued sanctions against operators and media companies for violation of the gambling advertising ban (introduced in 2018). Measures to combat unlicensed gambling, including payment blocking measures, entered into effect in October 2019. It is understood that Italian authorities are currently preparing a draft law on a 2023 licensing tender process that will reduce the number of available online licences to 40.

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: Private operators can apply for licences for all gambling products save for lottery.
Status: The Remote Gambling Act, which entered into force on 1 April 2021, set the framework for the Dutch licensing regime and market which opened on 1 October 2021 with the grant of 10 licences. Operators may now submit applications for a licence under the new regime. However, operators that have previously directly ‘targeted’ the Dutch market will face a 33-month cooling-off period before being eligible for a licence and may be liable to penalty for continuing to make their services available to Dutch players (even passively) until such time as they are licensed.

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 and further strengthening the regulator’s powers to address unlicensed gambling (such as through website blocking) and the advertisement of the same was submitted to Norwegian parliament for debate and approval in June 2021, together with related consultations in September 2021.

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 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. 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 for an online gambling licence. Lottery and land-based fixed-odds sports betting are reserved for the 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 implemented changes to the current taxation rates applicable to selected gambling products offered online. The Portuguese government has instituted legislation that imposes a partial or total ban on online gambling for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic. The legislation does not state the specifics on the limitations, but it is understood that it will apply to online casino only (if implemented).

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 are 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. After some delay, 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.

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 as of 1 March 2019 and for sports betting licences from 1 July 2019. Lottery and bingo remain reserved for the monopoly provider.
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. In September 2021, draft amendments to the Gaming Act were published by the government that seek to address the Act’s compatibility with EU law. The amendments are currently under discussion in parliament.

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. In January 2022, the Swedish government announced proposals to strengthen the regulation of gambling in the territory by introducing, for example, a B2B licensing regime and further restrictions concerning the promotion of illegal and unlicensed gambling.

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.

Louisiana opened its regulated market on January 28 following the launch of retail sports wagering in October of last year.

Penn National Gaming and its Barstool Sportsbook, Caesars, DraftKings, Rush Street Interactive and its BetRivers Sportsbook, and Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel Group in partnership with Boyd Gaming all went live with online sports betting on opening day.

A total of $40.5m was wagered by consumers during the first four days of regulated online betting in the state in January.

Revenue from the first full month of online sports wagering amounted to $16.7m, though this included $11.7m in revenue from promotional wagers. Excluding these offers, revenue was $2.7m.

Football betting was the main source of revenue for online operators, generating $9.8m, ahead of basketball on $5.1m and parlay betting at $4.4m.

Looking at retail betting, players staked $27.4m during February, down 44.4% from $49.3m in January and the lowest monthly total since legalisation last year.

Retail revenue reached $642,663 for the full month, which was 88.0% down from $5.3m in January and also the lowest monthly amount so far in Louisiana’s regulated market.

Breaking retail revenue down by sport, parlay bets generated $647,128 in revenue and basketball $492,568, but a $696,314 loss in football wagering drove the total figure down.

When combining online and retail, the state’s total handle was $238.4m. Revenue including promotional bets was $17.3m, while after excluding these offers, total revenue was $5.6m.

Research and development will be crucial to the gaming industry’s future as it gets to grips with new technologies, replaces legacy solutions and taps into new demographics. But there are practical and ethical factors to consider as the industry moves into this brave new world.

On 23 March, at 4pm GMT, 5pm CET and 12pm EDT, Tech Futures Survey: The view on innovation and disruption in 2022, aims to highlight the technologies that will drive industry growth and evolution, while also analysing how this may spark changes to processes such as player protection and data security.

The session, run in partnership with YouGov, represents a collaboration between the webinar audience and an expert panel of investors and technologists. iGB and ICE365 readers can contribute by filling in the Tech Futures Survey, with the findings to be revealed exclusively during the webinar.

This will contribute to a session in which viewers will learn:

The key findings: The products that are already being adoptedWhat comes next: Tomorrow’s technology revealedStyle over substance: Which tech is overhyped?Transformational technology: Will new solutions force changes in operating practices?

You will hear from:

Stefan Kovach, founder, Rarerthings (moderator)Oliver Rowe, global sector head, leisure & entertainment; director, reputation & business research, YouGovLloyd Purser, chief operating officer, FunFair TechnologiesCristina Turbatu, chief technology officer, SharedPlay