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Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs says it is carrying out “exhaustive monitoring” of loot boxes, P2E games and NFTs.

Spain.- Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs says it intends to open a dialogue with the aim of regulating loot boxes, play-to-earn (P2E) games and crypto games.

The announcement comes after Spain’s National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) published rules for the advertising of crypto assets that affect influencers, streamers and content creators.

The ministry said it is carrying out “very exhaustive monitoring of this entire series of phenomena” but did not go into more detail. However, minister Albero Garzón is known to have been working on the regulation of loot boxes for months, following a consultation last year.

Legislation would follow the lead of Belgium, which passed regulations that prohibit the acquisition of FIFA points in Ultimate Team mode in EA’s series of games.

Garzón already announced in November that the ministry had identified up to four types of loot boxes and that not all can be addressed in the amendments to Spain’s gaming legislation that are expected in upcoming weeks.

The ministry said in a statement: “Work is being done on a modification of the Gambling Regulation Law, but it is still early to anticipate the details on the formulas chosen to incorporate this type of element into the Spanish legal system.

“It must be taken into account that there are products that are very different from each other and that there are many sectors that will be affected by this regulation.”

The ministry said it understands that the most prudent approach is “first open dialogue processes” with the relevant sectors.

South Korea has also taken action on the matter, working on legislation that would allow NFTs to be taxed. It already de facto considers crypto games illegal.

However, legislation remains behind developments such as platforms like Decentraland, Axie Infinity or The Sandbox, metaverses that have seen “real estate” operations and other transactions.

Parx Casino has gained a licence for its Shippensburg Township facility.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved a licence for a subsidiary of Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment to build the Parx facility in Shippensburg Township, Cumberland County.

US.- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has voted unanimously to award a licence to Parx Casino operator Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment to construct a Category 4 casino in Shippensburg Township, Cumberland County. The operator will build the state’s fourth mini-casino.

The 73,000-square-foot casino, which will occupy about half the former big-box store, will be a scaled-down version of Parx’s casino in Bensalem, the state’s top casino by revenue.

A $65m construction project will begin next month, and the facility is scheduled to open in November, John Dixon, Greenwood’s chief operating officer, told the gaming board during a hearing in Harrisburg. The casino will contain 500 slot machines and electronic table games such as blackjack, baccarat, and roulette, but only with remote dealers. The Bensalem flagship casino has more than 3,000 slots.

The award concludes a process that began on February 22, 2018 when Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment won an auction held by the gaming board with a $8.1m bid for the Category 4 licence. The company filed an application with the board later that year to locate a newly constructed facility just off Exit 27 of Route 81 but later amended the application to place the casino at a former Lowe’s Home Supply store in the Shippen Town Center in the same municipality.

The board conducted an in-depth background investigation of the application along with the collection of public input from citizens, community groups and public officials at hearings held in Shippensburg Township on March 25, 2019, and then on May 20, 2021 following the applicant’s change of location of the proposed casino.

Prior to its vote, the Board held a final licensing hearing in which representatives of GW Cumberland were questioned by members about the project.

A Category 4 Slot Machine License permits the operation of between 300 and 750 slot machines. The operator can also request permission to initially operate up to 30 table games for an additional fee of $2.5m, with the capability of adding an additional 10 tables games after its first year of operation. That table games certificate was also approved today by the Board at its public meeting.

The facility, which will be non-smoking, expects to create 175 construction jobs. When the venue opens its doors, Parx Casino Shippensburg expects to have more than 125 full-time equivalent permanent jobs. The casino also plans to offer sports wagering in the future.

The BGC believes affordability checks should only target those who are most at risk.

The Betting and Gaming Council has described a new survey as a “wake up call” for British legislators. 

UK.- While the British gaming industry continues to await the government’s white paper on gambling legislation, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has raised concerns about a recent survey in which gamblers expressed a strong rejection of affordability checks.

The YouGov poll found that 58 per cent of respondents were opposed to affordability checks, which are being considered by the UK government as part of its review of the 2005 Gambling Act. 

Meanwhile, 59 per cent believed that government-imposed probing of customer finances before being able to place bets would lead to “a large or substantial risk” of customers shifting to the black market. Just over half of respondents believed this would lead to a rise in problem gambling. 

Only 16 per cent of bettors said they would welcome affordability checks. The BGC described the results as a “wake up call” for the government. 

CEO Michael Dugher said: “We strongly support the Gambling Review as a once in a generation opportunity to raise standards and promote safer gambling. Ministers have said it will be an evidence-led process, and these findings are a wake-up call showing the potential dangers of introducing blanket affordability checks on anyone who likes a flutter.”

The industry standards body is in favour of enhancing affordability checks targeted at those who are most at risk and not at all bettors.

Dugher insisted that the government must “strike the right balance” between the protection of vulnerable players and ensuring that the “overwhelming majority” of bettors are not pushed towards the black market.

He said: “We believe that technology should be used to identify those showing signs of problem gambling so that swift interventions can take place. According to the Gambling Commission, the rate of problem gambling fell from 0.6 per cent to 0.3 per cent in the 12 months to September last year. But one problem gambler is one too many.

“Any changes introduced by the government must be balanced so that they rightly protect the vulnerable while not driving the vast majority who bet safely and responsibly towards the unsafe black market online, where there are none of the safer gambling measures which are used by BGC members.”

Governor Kathy Hochul has included a plan that could bring legal casino gambling to New York City in her $216.3bn budget proposal.

US.- The $216bn 2023 fiscal year budget plan presented by New York governor Kathy Hochul proposes to go ahead with plans to award up to three casino licenses this year. New York currently plays host to four casino operators located in upstate provinces. However, Hochul wants to develop three bricks-and-mortar gaming venues in New York City.

New York voters approved commercial casino gaming in the state in 2013. The first four licences were awarded to upstate sites, and the plan was for further licenses to be awarded seven years later, giving the upstate venues a chance to establish themselves before new casinos would open. The New York Gaming Facility Location Board is expected to issue a Request for Applications for three venues.

Gary Pretlow, from the Standing Committee on Racing and Wagering, highlighted the considerable financial opportunity of NYC casinos. He said:: “We can issue licenses this year and raise anywhere from $1bn to $2bn in revenues. There will be more jobs and income tax revenues. It’s a win-win-win.”

Casino operator Resorts World said in a statement: “Gaming in downstate New York is full of untapped potential and Gov. Hochul’s initiative to award additional casino licenses is a big step toward showcasing the state’s enormous promise.

“If granted a full casino license, we are uniquely positioned to immediately elevate our support for the state in a number of significant ways. On day one, we’ll be able to hire and train hundreds of new union members, generate significant additional revenue for public schools, and drive economic activity for local small businesses and the Queens community.”

There have been concerns that the introduction of casinos in downstate New York would lead to some upstate facilities closing. Besides the four full-fledged commercial casinos, there are also six VLT facilities and five Class III tribal casinos in upstate New York. The Seneca Nation of Indians operates three of those in the far western part of the state.

Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) has agreed to extend its marketing compliance partnership with Malta-based Avento Group by a further two years.

Under the agreement, GiG will continue to provide Avento with its GiG Comply automated marketing compliance.

GiG Comply enables operators to scan web pages for content, links and igaming code red words, helping to ensure they are fully compliant in jurisdictions around the world.

The software analyses advertising campaigns and delivers reports to operators about the type of content that is being used to promote their brands, allowing them to see if affiliates are fully aligned with their brand guidelines and responsible gaming requirements.

“We are super delighted to continue our agreement with GiG Comply; this shall continue to ensure our commitment at being a fully compliant company within the industry thanks to GiG Comply,” the Avento Group compliance team said.

GiG’s chief marketing officer Jonas Warrer added: “As new markets continue to regulate, there is an increased need for operators to ensure they comply with the ever-changing regulations in all jurisdictions they operate.”

“It makes us very proud to have a young and innovative partner like the Avento group, which values the importance of creating a safer and more sustainable gaming environment and continues to place trust in GiG Comply.”

Legislators have introduced a bill that seeks to eliminate the opportunity to deduct bonus payouts from Virginia’s sports betting tax.

US.- A bill introduced by representative Mark Sickles seeks to prohibit sports betting operators in Virginia from discounting bonuses from promotional and tax revenue after the first 12 months of gaming activity. It would amend Virginia Code Sections 58.1-4030 and 58.1-3037, clarifying that from 12 months after rollout, operators must tax their income without deducting bonuses.

The bill would also remove an allowance to carry forward adjusted negative gross income to the next month and deduct it from the operator’s tax liability for that month. This currently applies as long as the negative amount is not carried over to more than one month within 12 months of being incurred.

According to the new bill, sports betting will continue to be taxed at 15 per cent of revenue. House Bill 1103 is awaiting a committee referral.

Sports betting launched in Virginia on January 2, with FanDuel’s sportsbook the first sportsbook to go live. Sports betting was legalised last April following the implementation of governor Ralph Northam’s amendments to the bill.

Virginia’s sports betting volume reached $427.3m in October, setting a new state record and making Virginia the quickest US state to reach $2bn in lifetime wagers. However, gross gaming revenue slipped 2.5 per cent to $30.2m, down from a record $30.9m in September. In November, operators in Virginia paid $4.2m in taxes. Revenue for the month was $29.9m, while the total promotional spend was $15m.

Fontainebleau Development and partners Koch Real Estate Investments say the project is 75 per cent complete.

US.- Fontainebleau Development has confirmed that it is targeting the fourth quarter of 2023 for the opening of its x 67-storey Las Vegas casino resort. Fontainebleau Development and partners Koch Real Estate Investments held a gold-shovel ceremony in November after acquiring the property in February 2021. The project is now reported to be 75 per cent complete.

The casino spans 25 acres and approximately 9 million square feet at the Strip’s north end, adjacent to the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. It will have 3,700 rooms and convention space upwards of 550,000 square feet, pools, shops and restaurants, a spa, and nightlife offerings. Upon opening, Fontainebleau Development will be the sole hotel operator.

Jeffrey Soffer, Fontainebleau Development chair and chief executive officer, said: “We are grateful to have the opportunity to finish what we started and finally introduce the iconic Fontainebleau brand into one of the world’s largest hospitality destinations. We are excited to make this dream a reality.”

Jake Francis, president of Koch Real Estate Investments, said: “Our goal at Koch Real Estate Investments is to partner with best-in-class management teams that have the drive and vision to bring unique solutions to each community in which we have a presence, and we’ve done that here with the Fontainebleau Development team.”

Brett Mufson Fontainebleau Development president, added: “The Las Vegas tourism industry has shown incredible resilience throughout the last two years, and we believe our target opening date allows us to perfect our vision while positioning Fontainebleau Las Vegas for success in a new era of growth and visitation.

“This represents not only an investment in real estate, but also an investment in the community, and we look forward to having a positive presence and impact on Las Vegas for generations to come.”

Macau will continue to allow six casino operators, with each granted a ten-year concession, under a gaming overhaul bill that the special administrative region’s Executive Council has sent to the Legislative Assembly.

The Executive Council approved a bill to be sent to the legislature, after the Bureau of Gaming Supervision (DICJ) published responses to an initial consultation on changes at the end of last year.

Under the new rules, six concessions to operate casinos in Macau would be permitted. While this would be an increase from the three full concessions currently available, sub-concessions would no longer be permitted.

As three sub-concessionaires are allowed to operate under the current system, the new rule would effectively keep the number of permitted operators in Macau at six.

While the Macau government in its initial proposal said it was looking into a reduction in concession numbers, public responses to its initial consultation showed strong support for keeping the number of operators at six.

In the consultation, 217 responses dealt with the question of the number of concessions.

Of these responses, 22 indicated they wished to see no more than six concessions issued. A further 95 said they would prefer exactly six concessions, while 36 supported there being more than six concessions. The remaining responses did not have a clear preference.

These concessions would last for ten years, down from the 20-year concessions granted when Macau opened its gaming market, but can be extended for up to three years under exceptional circumstances.

Certain requirements for concessionaires have also been tightened. For example, 15% of shares in any business granted a licence must be held by a managing director that is a Macau resident.

In addition, concessionaires must also have a minimum share capital of MOP5bn (£454m/€543m/$621m).

According to the Executive Council, the new proposals will also “strengthen the mechanisms for verifying and supervising the suitability of concessionaires, individuals and companies that participate in gambling activities”. This, it said, would involve increasing the scope of suitability checks.

It also promised that the social responsibilities of concessionaires would be more thoroughly defined.

While further details on this were not provided, the initial consultation said that licensees should take on a number of specific social responsibilities, including supporting small and medium-sized local businesses, protecting labour rights and taking part in philanthropic ventures.

Although the initial consultation proposed adding government representatives to the board of each concessionaire, there was no mention of this in the Executive Council’s summary of the bill that will be sent to the Legislative Assembly.
The Assembly will vote on this bill, which is set to come into force the day after it is published.

Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen said it would have “no objections” to the country’s government putting in place new temporary restrictions for online slots, but warned the impact of the measure was still unclear.

Earlier this month, Sweden’s government launched a consultation on a new, lower deposit limit for online casinos of SEK4,000 (£324/€388/$443) a month, with this set to come into force from February.

The aim of the new measures, which would be implemented from 7 February until 30 June, would be to minimise gambling-related harm and risks amid the ongoing pandemic. 

The player protection argument was also used as justification for the previous online casino deposit cap of SEK5,000, which was in force between 2 July 2020 and 14 November 2021. 

While originally intended to be a short-term measure, the cap was repeatedly extended and kept in place throughout the pandemic.

Responding to the latest consultation, which is due to close today (17 January), Spelinspektionen said that while it would not oppose the re-introduction of temporary measures, given the resurgence of Covid-19 in Sweden, it is still too early to know the impact these rules have on players.

Spelinspektionen was previously critical of the SEK5,000 deposit limit that was put in place in mid-2020, arguing that there was not enough evidence to support such measures. 

The regulator said its position on this has not changed and more data is required if such measures are to remain place for the longer term.

However, the regulator also said it was pleased that greater clarification had been given in terms of how operators manage players who set their deposit limits higher than SEK4,000 a week, but later lower this limit.

Spelinspektionen added that is still in the process of evaluating the impart of the existing temporary measures and will report its findings back to the government no later than 15 March.

Oklahoma lawmakers are looking to legalize sports betting in the state in 2022.

US.- Oklahoma lawmakers have filed a sports betting bill in hopes of bringing legalised sports wagering to the state. Introducing gambling laws to legislative sessions is nothing new, but as more states approve sports betting legislation, some legislators think 2022 may be the year. 

Rep. Ken Luttrell announced this week that he filed House Bill 3008. The bill would bring in-person sports wagering to the state’s tribal gaming compact. Luttrell said besides creating over 3,000 new jobs, legalising sports wagering would be an economic boon to the tribes, the state and public education. 

“Illegal sports betting occurs throughout Oklahoma, and figures I obtained from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) show 11 offences recently with tens of thousands of dollars seized,” Luttrell told the local press. 

“This reflects only a fraction of what actually occurs in our state. The Oxford Economics Group estimates that legal sports betting would generate $240m in revenue for Oklahoma and create over 3,000 direct and indirect jobs. This legislation just makes sense,” he added.

Matthew Morgan, chairman of the Oklahoman Indian Gaming Association, said: “Oklahoma with its gaming industry would make sense that it’d be something that our attention turns to, but again I think that the conversation really gets down into the details and does it make economic sense.”

He said that tribes would expect to have exclusive rights to offer sports betting under the state’s tribal gaming compacts. Voter-approved compacts have long granted Oklahoma’s tribes the sole right to operate casinos in exchange for paying the state exclusivity fees ranging from 4 per cent to 10 per cent, depending on the game.

The effort has been defeated in the legislature several times before. Lawmakers have until January 20 to introduce bills and joint resolutions. The next upcoming session starts on February 7.