Legal & compliance – Page 9

June 21, 2023

Malta regulator cancels MKC Limited’s licence

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has cancelled MKC Limited’s licence after ruling that it breached a number of regulations.

Malta-based MKC had been operating the Betworld247 sports betting and casino site under its B2C gaming service licence. However, the regulatory decision means that it is no longer authorised to offer online gambling via this licence.

Setting out its decision, the MGA said MKC breached regulations 9(1)(c), (d), (i), (l) and 10(1)(a) of the Gaming Compliance and Enforcement Regulations.

Specific breaches included not making required licensing payments to the MGA and failure to meet other financial commitments related to its operations.

The regulator also flagged how MKC failed to meet commitments to customers in a timely manner but did not go into further detail.

“One of the grounds for suspension envisaged in regulation 9 arises and the Authority, in its sole discretion, determines that cancellation of the authorisation is the most appropriate measure,” the MG..

June 19, 2023

Sweden’s channelisation rate at “critically low” 77%

A report published by Sweden's Online Gaming Industry Association (BOS) has revealed that 77% of Sweden's online gaming market is channelised, a percentage the association called “critically low”.

Sweden’s channelisation goal – the percentage of licensed gaming offerings it wishes to have on the market – is currently set at 90%.

BOS commissioned Swedish survey organisation SKOP to analyse channelisation rates for online gaming in the country, looking at specific categories such as sports betting and online casino.

Gustaf Hoffstedt, secretary-general at BOS, emphasised the seriousness of the low channelisation rate.

“There is no doubt that the Swedish licensing system is in a serious situation,” said Hoffstedt. “Far too much power has been spent on the part of the state to force the licensed gambling companies to implement measures that have not been well received by gambling consumers.”

He added that reversing this development would require the regulator, Spelinspektione..

June 15, 2023

Vermont governor signs sports betting bill into law

Vermont has become the latest US state to legalise sports betting after governor Phil Scott signed a bill into law.

House Bill 127 was introduced earlier this year and passed through the state’s house and senate before landing on Scott’s desk last week.

Scott, a long-term supporter of sports betting, signed off on the bill yesterday (14 June), clearing the way for the market to open next year.

“I first proposed Vermont legalise sports betting several years ago and I’m happy the legislature has come to an agreement as well,” Scott said. “We know many Vermonters already participate in the marketplace and bringing it above board provides important resources and consumer protections.

“Vermont now joins many other states who have made this move, and I want to thank Commissioner [Wendy] Knight and her team, as well as members of the legislature for their collaborative approach on this issue.”

Read the full story on iGB North America

June 14, 2023

Gambling Related Harm APPG launches white paper inquiry

The Gambling Related Harm All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has launched an inquiry into the British government’s Gambling Act white paper review.

Published in April, the long-awaited white paper covered a range of major topics regarding gambling and future regulation in Great Britain.

The APPG-led inquiry, which launched today (14 June), will assess all proposed measures put forward in the white paper. The inquiry will also seek to hold the government to account and ensure reforms are taken forward quickly.

In addition, the inquiry will ensure where commitments have been made to legislate “when parliamentary time allows”, these are pursued as a priority. These include handing greater powers to the Gambling Commission to support enforcement.

Evidence deadline

The APPG will hold a series of oral evidence sessions as part of the inquiry and also accept evidence or submissions from interested parties. Any feedback must be submitted by 11 July.

The inquiry will seek opinion on opt..

June 6, 2023

Sorare: From pressure point to new regulations

Sorare has updated its operating model in France, and gambling regulator ANJ is yet to confirm whether it meets its regulatory criteria, writes Jake Pollard. However, news that the French government is working to pass new regulations for Web3 “pioneers” shows how important the sector is to the French authorities.

In a statement posted on Medium, Sorare said it had updated its product roadmap as a “temporary solution”.

This decision was taken in accordance with “the French National Gaming Authority [l’Autorité National des Jeux (ANJ)] that creates an optional alternative method of entry for users based in France only”.

Essentially, Sorare has increased free-play access to its fantasy sports leagues for players in France. Even if the French language version of the company’s statement, unlike the English text, mentioned that the new method of entry would be available to players “without blockchain cards”.

A marker of regulatory pressure

Overall, the move by Sorare is a marker of t..

June 5, 2023

Episode 17: More on Brazil plus US sports betting updates

Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden talk about the latest developments in US sports betting legislation, as well as more from Brazil, in episode 17 of the World Series of Politics.

We start by revisiting Brazil sports betting, the focus of our last episode, as the regulatory process undergoes yet more evolutions.

From a provisional measure to a bill in Brazil

Brazil sports betting looked set to pass through a provisional measure (PM) which Hugo Baumgartner outlined in episode 16.

However that PM is likely to be turned into a bill, which sets up even more legislative hurdles. Other forms of gambling such as integrated resorts may be incorporated into the process.

While this could expand the market, it could also result in the bill failing to pass. Brendan says “it’s clear as mud” as to what’s likely to happen now. There’s plenty more to discuss in a future episode of the World Series of Politics.

More pain for Missouri sports betting

Next we pivot to US sports betting, where Misso..

June 2, 2023

Administrator appointed as Tipster insolvency ramps up

Insolvency proceedings at Tipster Ltd are progressing with the appointment of lawyer Dr Jörg Gollnick as the troubled operator's provisional insolvency administrator.

Gollnick works at Cologne law firm Heidland Werres Diederichs Rechtsanwälte. He is also the provisional insolvency administrator for Tipster Service GmbH, a company that is part of the Tipster group.

Gollnick said that the restructuring hinges on the sports betting operator’s value.

“With the insolvency application for Tipster Ltd in Germany, the course has been set for the restructuring of the entire Tipster group of companies,” said Gollnick. “The group is very valuable: the annual turnover of Tipster Ltd alone was more than €250m.”

“We have set up a structured investor process in order to use a strong partner to support the business operations for the Tipster Group including its franchisees in the long term.”

Alleged Tipster raid

In April, raids took place in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bremen, Berlin, Saxony an..

June 1, 2023

North Carolina edges closer to legalising sports betting

North Carolina has moved closer to legalising sports betting, after a bill that would do so was voted through by its state senate.

House Bill 347 was introduced on 13 March. It passed North Carolina’s House of Representatives on 30 March before being moved to the senate, where it passed on its second reading.

If passed into law, the bill would allow bets to be placed on sports and horse racing in North Carolina.

Read the full story on iGB North America

May 23, 2023

MA regulator “frustrated” by DraftKings betting violations

Commissioners from state gambling regulator, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), said they were “frustrated” by DraftKings' betting violations.

DraftKings reported itself to the Commission after discovering it had offered bets on the tennis UTR pro-series, which is not an approved betting event in the state.

The MGC’s Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) looked into the case. The wagering took place over a 12-day period from 10 March to 22 March.

During this time, players placed 864 bets on three events for a total handle of $7,867. DraftKings said the reason the error took place was because of a “miscommunication” between its trading and trading compliance teams.

The fault occurred after the operator copied a list of tennis offerings from a different jurisdiction without verifying if the event was approved in Massachusetts.

After discovering the issue, the DraftKings returned stakes to the players who had placed a bet, as well as removed any winnings and return..

May 23, 2023

Underdog pens North America deal with GeoComply

Fantasy sports operator Underdog has selected fraud prevention solutions provider GeoComply as its geolocation supplier for North America.

Previously, Xpoint served as Underdog’s geolocation provider.

Under the terms of the deal, Underdog will access GeoComply’s Core suite and Solus product for its fantasy sports offering, as well as its planned sports betting operations.

GeoComply’s Core product is the supplier’s flagship geolocation service. Customers who have the licence to operate this product can also access the business’ range of fraud prevention tools to protect their operations from bonus abuse, identity theft and chargeback fraud.

The business’ Solus solution is a fantasy sports geolocation solution for web-based players. The system runs on HTML5 browsers, removing the need for players to download additional apps or plug-ins.

GeoComply praise deal

GeoComply vice-president of business development and licensing, Sam Basile, said the business was “thrilled” to be working wi..

May 12, 2023

Texas House clears online sports betting amendment bill

The Texas House of Representatives has voted through a constitutional amendment bill that would allow voters in the US state to legalise online sports betting.

HJR 102 cleared the House by a vote of 101-42 yesterday (11 May) and will now progress forward to the state’s senate for further debate.

Should it pass into law, the constitutional amendment itself would not legalise wagering, but would permit a state-wide vote to be held on the issue. This would take place at an election on 7 November this year.

Read the full story on iGB North America

May 10, 2023

Episode 16: Hugo Baungartner talks Brazilian gaming regulation

Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann step outside the US to discuss ongoing sports betting developments in Brazil, plus the all-important go-live date for the market.

The development of sports betting in Brazil has been happening over the last 20 years, with people waiting eagerly for just as long, says Hugo Baungartner, the special guest this week on World Series of Politics.

A law that could legalise sports betting in Brazil is said to be imminent

“It’s the giant,” he says. “Everyone is talking about it. Everybody wants to come to Brazil.”

He notes that law has been in place to allow sports betting in Brazil since 2018, but that there has been no regulation yet, and nothing was made official by then-president Jair Bolsonaro.

But this regulation is imminent, Hugo insists, with ministers working for Brazil’s newest president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva preparing a law that could be signed in the coming days.

What can Brazil expect?

Hugo says Brazil’s government will impose a 15% tax ..

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Tag: Legal & compliance