Month: November 2022

The DofE allowed employee screening firm Trustopia to access the pupils’ learnings records. The company then shared the data with a verification services business, GB Group, which partners with betting companies to ensure that customers are 18 or over when they open their account. This meant that the data was not being used for its original purpose – in violation of data protection laws.

“No-one needs persuading that a database of pupils’ learning records being used to help gambling companies is unacceptable,” said UK Information Commissioner John Edwards. “Our investigation found that the processes put in place by the Department for Education were woeful. Data was being misused, and the Department was unaware there was even a problem until a national newspaper informed them.”

Trustopia was dissolved before the conclusion of the ICO investigation, meaning that enforcement action against it was not available.

“We all have an absolute right to expect that our central government departments treat the data they hold on us with the utmost respect and security. Even more so when it comes to the information of 28 million children.”

Edwards warned that the failure was serious enough to warrant a large financial penalty – but did not impose it in this set of circumstances.

“This was a serious breach of the law, and one that would have warranted a £10 million fine in this specific case. I have taken the decision not to issue that fine, as any money paid in fines is returned to government, and so the impact would have been minimal. But that should not detract from how serious the errors we have highlighted were, nor how urgently they needed addressing by the Department for Education.”

In October 2021, the ICO voiced its support for efforts to develop a single customer view, that would allow gaming businesses to collaborate and share data on individuals customer spend.

The Daily Mail said the FA has been investigating Toney for seven months over allegations he was betting on games during his time playing in the lower leagues.

It is not thought that Toney ever placed bets on the team he was playing for at the time to lose.

FA rules strictly prohibit players, coaching staff and other club employees from betting on football matches anywhere in the world.

The FA is yet to make an official comment on the case, though Toney posted a message on Twitter to confirm he is assisting the FA with enquiries in an undisclosed investigation.

“I’m aware of a story about me in a national newspaper today,” Toney posted when the story broke over the weekend. “I have been assisting the Football Association with their enquiries and will not be making any comment until such investigation has reached its conclusion.”

The news comes ahead of the 2022 World Cup kicking off later this month, with Toney having been widely expected to be selected for the English national team. Toney was called up to the England squad for the first time in September but is yet to earn a cap for the national side.

“I am a proud Englishman, and it has always been my childhood dream to play for my country at a World Cup,” Toney added in his Twitter post.

Toney’s club Brentford also acknowledged the story and the FA investigation but said it would not be commenting on the news.

The 26-year-old striker joined Brentford at the start of the 2020-21 season, helping the team win promotion from the second-tier Championship to the Premier League, scoring 31 league goals in the process.

Prior to this, he spent two years playing for Peterborough United in League One, after a series of loan spells at other lower league clubs while he was playing for Newcastle United. 

Toney only made four senior appearances during his time with Newcastle, having joined the club from League Two side Northampton Town, where he began his career.

According to the operator, growth in sports betting primarily drove the revenue increases. Singapore Pools added five new South American football leagues to its offering, and the resumption of delayed events – notably 2021’s UEFA Euro 2020 – led to a one-time boost in revenue.

Lottery revenue also rebounded past its pre-pandemic level, but horse race betting remained below trend as a result of the continuance of Covid-19 prevention measures in the betting venues.

The money raised via betting duties and taxes amounted to S$2.1bn, which was a 30% increase from the S$1.6bn raised the previous year, but has not yet significantly increased past the pre-pandemic norm.  

The surplus paid to the Tote Board was a record S$464m compared to S$456 in 2019/20 and S$455m in 2018/19 due to higher revenues and lowers operating costs than in the prior periods.

Digital strategy

Since the pandemic, the state-owned subsidiary has faced opportunities and challenges brought about by digitisation and technological development throughout the sector.   

“The recent pandemic coupled with advancements in technology has fast-tracked digital adoption across many aspects of life,” said Singapore Pools chairman Kai Nargolwala. “Whilst this has enabled Singapore Pools to adopt greater digitalisation across its business operations to better meet customer expectations, technology has unfortunately also allowed illegals to reach out directly to more.

“In a world that is increasingly digitalised, Singapore Pools aims to remain relevant and continues in its efforts to digitalise operations under the SP2025 Strategic Plan led by the Transformation Program Office in collaboration with operating units.”

Nargolwala outlined how this strategy would interact with the organisation’s human capital efforts.

“On the human capital front, we invest heavily in people development and take a long-term view that people are the soul and passion of the organisation with deep intrinsic knowledge. I am confident that this combination of investments in talent and technology will be the success formula of Singapore Pools for years to come.”

In March, Singapore Pools signed a six-year deal with International Game Technology (IGT) subsidiary IGT Global Services Limited in order to provide the operator with the busines’s Aurora central lottery system.

The claim, filed by law firm Maurice Blackburn, alleged that in the period between 29 March 2016 and 16 March 2022, Star made a series of misleading representations.

These were in reference to Star’s systems and processes for compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing obligations, that it failed to disclose relevant information it had about those matters to the market and conducted its affairs contrary to the interests of the members of Star as a whole. 

The claim, Star said, is “substantially similar” to the separate securities class action filed by Slater & Gordon in March of this year.

Star said it intends to defend the proceedings but did not make any further comment on the case.

The latest lawsuit comes after Star last week was also issued show cause notices for its two Queensland casinos by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR).

The notices come in the wake of the Gotterson Review, which concluded last month. The report uncovered a host of institutional failings, resulting in the state government declaring that the casino was “unsuitable” to hold its licence.

The show cause notices give Star until 25 November to give evidence that may prevent the implementation of enforcement action against the operator.

Star’s controversial activities spanned multiple states and several of its venues. During New South Wales’ investigation into whether Star could hold a licence in the state, the operator was found to be an unsuitable licensee. 

The investigation found that the casino misled banks and regulators on the purpose of Chinese UnionPay transactions, sought out individuals linked to organised crime, and looked into the company’s historic dealings with junket operators.  

Star’s existing social responsibility, as well as anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing strategies, were also shown to be inadequate.

The reactions come following a New York court ruling that media giant Fox must pay $4.16bn if it wishes to acquire a 18.6% stake in FanDuel, which is owned by Flutter Entertainment

While the court ruling settled the question of the value of the stake that Fox had the option to buy, it left the question of a FanDuel spin-off up in the air until next year. The tribunal will determine early next year the conditions under which Fox may be able to participate in a FanDuel IPO, which Flutter had raised the prospect of before the legal dispute began.

Analysts at Barclays said that this factor was “dampening the enthusiasm” of the main ruling.

“The path to a FanDuel IPO is not yet clear with FOX stating that ‘Flutter cannot pursue an IPO for FanDuel without FOX’s consent or approval from the arbitrator’,” Barclays said. “Meanwhile, Flutter states that it has agreed to await the tribunal’s decision or an agreement between both parties should it wish to proceed with an IPO with a binding decision expected in early 2023. Therefore, the path to IPO lacks visibility and there is also no apparent forthcoming exercise of the option by FOX to crystallise value (and reduce Flutter debt).”

However, Morgan Stanley’s analysts argued that the lack of clarity on a FanDuel IPO was not a major concern because they “remain ambivalent on its potential to create shareholder value”. They said that valuation trends appeared to be shifting more towards large consolidated groups like Flutter rather than more focused parts of a wider group like FanDuel.

“While Flutter management has highlighted potential advantages to an IPO in the past (incentivisation for FanDuel employees,visibility with retail investors, currency for US-facing deals), we see simplification as one of the major opportunities for the stock, with a shift in the valuation lens back towards consolidated multiples,” Morgan Stanley said.

Crystallising value

Davy research, meanwhile, examined what the true value of an 18.6% stake in FanDuel would be to Fox. It said that – without a spin-off – it may prove to be too illiquid an asset for the media giant to see much benefit in exercising the stake.

“It remains to be seen whether FOX will choose to exercise the option,” Davy said. “In addition to onerous licensing requirements, it would in effect be acquiring a stake in a private company below FanDuel parent company level. 

“In December 2020, Fastball was willing to dispose of the same stake at an almost 50% discount to fair value, reflecting its preference for price certainty and an accelerated exit of its full stake, but also highlighting the unclear liquidity position of its holding at the time. Crystallising value in any investment may prove equally challenging for FOX.”

Barclays took a similar view, arguing that “little has changed” through the ruling.

Elsewhere, Peel Hunt also examined the UK Gambling Act review, which could have a major impact on Flutter’s brands. It noted that claims by the minister responsible for the review, Paul Scully, that the review would come “in the coming weeks”, were “vague enough to allow for further prolonged delay”.

“We reached the point where almost any clarity from government would be better than the creeping goalpost-shifting the industry is currently enduring,” Peel Hunt said.

Sächsische Spielbanken has a monopoly on the land-based casino sector in the state of Sachsen.

The operator will offer online slots to players in Germany via the Sachsenlotto.de website.

Issued by the Sachsen-Anhalt state administration office, the licence will allow Sächsische Spielbanken run operate online slot games legally across the country.

Sächsische Spielbanken is the latest new licensee in Germany, following Interwetten and Novomatic-owned Admiral, both of which secured online slots approval last month.

Other approved operators include Tipico and Rootz.

The online slots market in Germany was introduced as part of the Fourth State Treaty on Gambling – the GlüNeuRStv – in July 2021.

The 2022 US midterm elections, while important in so many ways, contain few issues directly related to gambling regulation. 

Rather, they represent an opportunity to extract a thorn that has irritated the body politic and coloured the consideration and adoption of more gaming legislation, whether it be sports betting legislation or casino regulation.

Only in two states does gaming appear directly, or indirectly, on the ballot: California and Georgia.

California

In California, a statewide ballot measures voter approval for constitutional changes, through Propositions 26 and 27. 

Prop. 26, permits Native American casinos and four horse racetracks to offer in-person sports betting. It also allows tribal casinos to add roulette and dice games to their casinos. The tracks and most tribes strongly support the ballot measure. 

Prop. 27, on the other hand, aims to open retail and mobile sports betting to commercial gaming companies as well as tribes. 

Tribes are adamantly opposed to Proposition 27, arguing it weakens their monopoly on gaming granted to them via state compacts. Spending on these measures is approaching $500m (£435.6m/€500m) and has spawned a number of groups either for or against each measure. 

This degree of competing messages and few significant endorsements from editorial boards has resulted in voter confusion and lack of support. 

Both measures are likely to fail: 31% of the electorate support Proposition 26, with 42% opposed, while 27% are in favour of Proposition 27 and 53% against.

This provides further proof that if gaming measures are to be successful, they must garner unified support among all pro-gaming stakeholders. Fragmented messaging is a death knell.

Georgia

New gaming legislation does not appear directly on the ballot in any other state in the midterm elections. However, in Georgia the tight gubernatorial race has emerged as a proxy. 

A constitutional amendment to permit casino resorts has been considered for decades in the Peach State. Focus has turned to sports betting in recent years.

Various attempts to legalise sports betting have failed. Nathan Deal, the former governor, and then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp expressed strong opposition to casino resort legislation.

Kemp, now as governor, has equivocated by saying he will work with the legislature should it decide to proceed on sports betting. 

Kemp’s Democratic gubernatorial opponent, Stacey Adams, has expressed support for both Georgia’s sports betting and casino resort legislation. 

Democratic candidate backs gaming expansion

Abrams has recognised that both measures boast significant support among the electorate. In the tight race for governor, Abrams sees this issue as potentially giving her the edge.

She may be right – sports betting is supported by 57% of the electorate, according to polling, while 64% approve of casino resort gaming. With an Abrams win, the likelihood of sports betting and casino resorts in Georgia increases. 

In both cases, however, opposition from conservative lawmakers would still need to be overcome. Even if Abrams is elected neither is imminent. 

Legislation calling for a constitutional amendment to be put to voters would still need to be passed. That ballot would have to be successful, and enabling legislation formulated.

At each step opposition from the anti-gaming constituency must be overcome. In a best-case scenario it will be 2025 before sports betting becomes a reality and likely several years after that (best case 2027) before any casino resort could open its doors.

Sports betting will resurface as an issue in 2023 and beyond. But the 2022 midterms are less of a determining moment and more of an event marker that clears the decks of political concerns and allows legislators to focus on the merits of the issue. 

Texas

Perhaps the most significant event marker will appear in Texas. Governor Greg Abbot (up for re-election in 2022) indicating his openness to support casino resorts reflects several coalescing factors. 

First, Texas has for decades flirted with the concept of casino gaming. The proposition has naturally met concerted opposition in this highly conservative state. However, the issue has gained attention and acceptance, to the extent that 57% of the public support casino gaming and 43% back sports betting. 

Second, Texans are well aware that to gamble they must travel to casinos in Louisiana and Oklahoma where their gambling dollars support the tax base in these states. 

Third, Texas is a sport-obsessed state and home to numerous professional sports franchises that have publicly and vocally supported sports betting. 

Sands pushing for Texas casinos

Finally, the Sands Corporation, through the Texas Sand PAC, is lobbying hard to pass gaming legislation, earmarking $2m to that effort in 2022. While Abbott, the likely gubernatorial winner, has indicated he is willing to consider casino resorts, it is by no means a foregone conclusion. 

As in Georgia, legislation calling for a constitutional amendment needs to be passed. That amendment needs to be adopted by the electorate and gaming legislation must be passed. All in a highly conservative state. 

Nevertheless, given its sheer size, Texas will be the focus of much attention in 2023.

Some of the other states where 2022 election outcomes could influence gaming issues in 2023 include:

Minnesota

In addition to statewide offices, all 201 legislative seats are up for grabs in November. Many prominent legislators have announced they will not seek re-election, allowing a shakeup in the legislature. 

Minnesota tribes dominate the gaming issue, and their support will be crucial as legislators consider legalisation. In 2022 tribes backed a sports betting bill in the House. However the legislation faltered in the Senate, where the inclusion of racetracks as approved operators threatened tribal exclusivity. 

Once the midterm election is over lawmakers will debate the issue once again, though a resolution on the issue of exclusivity may remain elusive. A recent poll found that while retail and online sports betting attracted majority support, tribal exclusivity only garnered support from 7% of respondents.

Should Republicans do well in November it could strengthen the case for inclusion of the tracks. However it is debatable if any legislation, including sports betting, that includes non-tribal entities will gain approval.

(Point of interest: You may see mention in Minnesota of the DFL. This not a sports league, fantasy or otherwise, but stands for the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. Formed by a merger between the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1944, it currently controls both the House and Senate and is generally supportive of sports betting under the aegis of tribes.)

Kentucky

In early 2022, polling showed widespread support for sports betting across the political spectrum: 69% of Democrats; 58% of Republicans and 81% of independents. 

Both the House and Senate are controlled by Republicans. Despite opposition from anti-gambling groups in this inherently conservative state, a bipartisan bill passed the House in 2022 but ultimately failed in the Senate. 

Half the Senate and the entire house is up for re-election in 2022. Given the state’s horse racing background, widespread public support and a commitment form the sitting governor (a Democrat who is not up for re-election until 2023) to sign a bill, the prospects of progress seem positive for 2023. 

This however could be threatened by a rule requiring two-thirds support in the legislature for a constitutional amendment to take effect. Any gaming legislation will need to attract even greater support among Republicans. Nevertheless, with strong support from the public and the governor, sports betting has a strong chance of passage in 2023.

Missouri

Missouri has failed to pass sports betting legislation several times since 2018. In 2022 a sports betting bill permitting retail and online sports betting passed the House but failed in the Senate. 

This year’s bill faltered due to State Senator Denny Hoskins’ desire to increase the tax rate from 8% to 21%. He also included the legalisation and regulation of video lottery terminals (VLTs) – already present in the state – in the bill. 

Senator Hoskins embarked on a filibuster on the floor of the Senate after these elements were not included. This doomed sports betting for another year.

Ironically, Senator Hoskins later dropped his objections but by then it was too late in the session. 

Expect Missouri sports betting to be back as an issue in 2023. It is strongly supported by the state’s professional sports teams and its numerous casinos. Leaders from both parties in the House and Senate have vowed to make sports betting a priority in 2023. 

The likelihood of sports betting legislation passing in Missouri in 2023 seems strong as proponents enviously point to its success in neighboring Kansas.

North Carolina

North Carolina sports betting bills narrowly failed in the House in 2022. This has been associated with the inclusion of wagering on college sports, which would be a massive part of the sports betting firmament in North Carolina. 

The vote in the House was close and Governor Roy Cooper (D) has indicated he would sign a sports betting bill should it make its way to his desk.

Efforts will resume in 2023 and odds for passage appear reasonable if the collegiate sports wagering issues can be resolved.

South Carolina 

South Carolina sports betting did not progress in 2022. The odds of passing sports betting regulations in 2023 appear slim. 

Governor Henry McMaster (R), who is opposed to sports betting, is up for re-election in November.

His opponent, Joe Cunningham (D), is supportive though McMaster holds a significant lead in the polls. Nevertheless, with the election in the rearview mirror expect the conversation to continue.

Oklahoma 

The marquee issue in the midterms for the Sooner State centres on the governor’s race. Governor Kevin Stitt (R) faces off against Joy Hofmeister (D).

Stitt was well ahead in the polls but that gap narrowed significantly during September and October. The two are now essentially in a dead heat. 

The closing of the gap in what is a reliably red state can, in part, be attributed to the unprecedented endorsement of Hofmeister from Oklahoma’s Native American tribes in early October. 

Tribes could prove to be a key factor in governor’s race

Stitt and the tribes have had a highly contentious relationship. This dates back to his inauguration, and claims that the tribal-state compact expired on 1 January 2020. In Stitt’s view this paved the way for negotiating individual compacts with four tribes outside the model compact governing the state’s relationship with numerous tribal governments. 

This only continued with acrimony over criminal justice issues which ultimately went to the Supreme Court twice. Initially the tribes prevailed but Stitt prevailed in the second case, weakening the original precedence.

Nothing will happen with regards to Oklahoma sports betting as long as the tribes and the governor are at loggerheads. 

This is no small consideration given the Oklahoma gaming market contains 138 casinos. Statewide GGR is an estimated $1.69bn and the Sooner State is close to a massive population base in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas. 

Governor Stitt attempted to include retail sports betting in his ill-fated compacts with the four tribes. In early 2022 a sports betting bill in the House failed to get a vote, though it did overwhelmingly pass a committee vote. 

Should Hofmeister and the tribes prevail, this issue (both retail and online) could become more viable through a compact negotiation process, though not imminent.

Preparing for the future, rather than immediate changes

It is unlikely that the 2022 midterm elections will result in a step-wise increase in the adoption of gaming across the US, save for the improbable event of one of the California propositions passing. 

Rather, the midterms will seed the political environment for the ongoing spread of sports betting in 2023 and beyond – though with fewer low-hanging opportunities the speed of adoption is sure to slow.

Remember to register for iGB’s webinar discussing the midterm elections. Taking place on 10 November at 5PM BST; 12PM EST and 9AM PST, Brendan Bussmann of B Global Advisors will moderate an expert panel, which will cover all the developments from 8 November.

Register now to hear analysis of the election’s key developments from Brandt Iden of Fanatics Betting & Gaming; Staci Stern of Underdog Fantasy; John Pappas of Corridor Consulting; MGM Resorts’ Ayesha Khanna Molino and Brianne Doura-Schawohl of Doura-Schawol Consulting.

Kindred will integrate Gamban with its flagship brand Unibet. On top of the existing responsible gambling tools owned and offered by Kindred, Unibet players in France will be able to make use of Gamban software.

Gamban is a tool designed for players who might be at risk of losing control of their gambling activity. The software acts as a solution by blocking online gaming sites on all personal devices. Kindred said that Gamban is one of the most effective solutions to help gamblers at risk stay in control.

“At Kindred, we want gambling to remain a fun source of entertainment, Mathieu Drida, general manager for France at the Kindred Group,” said. “As an online gambling operator, we take our responsibility towards our players very seriously and want to provide them with the most effective support tools on the market.

“This is what the partnership between Unibet and Gamban is all about, and we encourage all gambling operators to adopt this solution in order to make it more widely available in France.”

Gamban was previously not available in French, but Kindred helped and funded its development and localisation to make it available to French players. Despite it being possible to self-exclude oneself from the 17 French licensed operators through other tools, Gamban provides a wider coverage, that makes it possible for players to block 60,000 licenced and unlicensed gambling sites.

Stephen Aupy, VP of partnerships at Gamban stated, “We are very excited to be assisting Kindred on their journey to derive 0% revenue from harmful gambling. Kindred’s voluntary commitment to offer Gamban for free in France means accessible blocking software can further protect those harmed by gambling from unlicensed operators outside the scope of regulation.

“Kindred’s commitment to best practice has led to them choosing Gamban to partner with, which illustrates the reliability of our solution to protect players and work toward the sustainability of the industry.”

Win streaks hold winning symbols in position and blast away blocker symbols for more wins. Brave the weather and enter the free spins mode to land Bonus symbols and trigger some mega treasure!

Play the demo of Cannonade! here.

Go-live date (expected):28/11/2022Game special features:– Gamble feature
– Free spins
– Buy bonus
– Win streaksNumber of paylines:7,776Number of reels:5×6RTP% (recorded/theoretical):96.0%, 94.0%, 90.5%, 86.0%Variance/volatility:Super highNumber of symbols to trigger feature/bonus:3+Can feature be retriggered?NoNumber of free spins awarded:6/9/12 for 3/4/5 scattersStacked or expanding wilds in normal play?NoStacked or expanding wilds in feature play?NoNumber of jackpot tiers:N/AAuto-play function?Yes, except for markets where it’s banned

The ugly duckling is about to transform into a beautiful swan in Greentube’s exciting new high-volatility casino game, Diamond Tales: The Ugly Duckling! This fairytale slot is available for Greentube’s B2B partners from 22 November!

Discover more about Diamond Tales: The Ugly Duckling here!

Go-live date (expected):22/11/2022Game special features:– Snap Drop feature
– Diamond Tales feature
– Turbo modeNumber of reels:5RTP% (recorded/theoretical):95.00-95.01%Variance/volatility:High