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The Democratic Alliance is proposing a law to regulate online gambling.

South Africa.- The opposition Democratic Alliance has announced that it will propose legislation to regulate online gambling in South Africa. It follows a long period after initial attempts to regulate the sector over a decade ago.

South African law currently allows online gambling through licences issued by provincial authorities, but the situation is ambiguous because there is no legislative framework because the 2008 National Amendment Act never came into effect. The Democratic Alliance’s new bill now aims to introduce many of the aims of the 2008 act.

The party said its bill would regulate licensing, which would continue to be carried out by provincial authorities. It would provide for procedures for objections to licence decisions and would also regulate gambling advertising, possibly introducing restrictions. The bill would also seek to protect minors and vulnerable people and ensure compliance with the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA).

The party said in a statement: ‘Online gambling is currently not regulated in South Africa. By not regulating this gambling activity, the erosion of the rule of law and criminal activity is being encouraged, while the public is not effectively protected.”

Stakeholders will be able to submit views on the bill to the speaker of the National Assembly.

Earlier this week, the auditor general’s report on South Africa’s National Lotteries Commission for the 2020/21 financial year flagged up more than R23m in irregular expenditure, leading to a qualified audit opinion about the accuracy of financial statements.

Metropolitan Gaming sells South African casino
Metropolitan Gaming has reached an agreement to sell its South African casino to a consortium controlled by Tsogo Sun. The operator bought the Emerald Resort and Casino in Vanderbijlpark from Caesars Entertainment in August 2021 along with ten venues in the UK and Egypt.

The company said it was focusing on investing and developing in its core markets of the UK and Egypt. After buying 11 casinos from Caesars in 2021, the company added London’s Park Lane Club, now the Metropolitan Park Lane, to its portfolio this June. The company said it intends to continue to expand through acquisitions and investment.

The European Gaming and Betting Association has developed guidelines to help online gambling operators comply with EU rules.

Belgium.- The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has published its first pan-European self-regulatory guidelines in a bid to strengthen the anti-money laundering (AML) efforts of online gambling operators. The EGBA guidelines introduce a set of self-regulatory standards to help operators comply with the latest EU and national anti-money laundering rules.

The EGBA guidelines propose best practice industry standards, which it says online gambling operators should apply across their EU and EEA operations. The guidelines apply a risk-based approach and include sector-specific guidance to support a high standard of compliance with EU, national and supranational AML rules.

While the guidelines are intended to complement and strengthen existing AML rules, they have also been developed with consideration towards the EU’s upcoming new rules on AML. EGBA members will be required to submit yearly reports to the EGBA summarising their progress in implementing the guidelines.

The EGBA says the guidelines include, amongst others, practical guidance on:

How to conduct customer and business risk assessments.
Customer Due Diligence and improving cooperation during the process.
Suspicious Transaction Reporting requirements.
The relationship between AML and safer gambling.
Record-keeping requirements.
The EGBA has invited interested stakeholders to submit feedback on the guidelines by October 13, following which it will publish a finalised version. The guidelines may be amended in the future to ensure they remain up to date with the latest industry best practices. The EGBA has invited companies that are not members to join the initiative.

Dr Ekaterina Hartmann, director of legal and regulatory affairs at the EGBA, said: “We’re pleased to present the first ever pan-European industry standards on anti-money laundering for Europe’s online gambling sector. Preventing online gambling from being used to hide the proceeds of crime is an important test for Europe’s gambling operators – but there’s currently very little sector-specific guidance to help operators in their compliance efforts.

“We hope these guidelines will fill this gap and lay strong foundations for the sector to achieve the highest possible standards in AML compliance. It’s important to gather expertise across the sector and we invite stakeholder feedback on the guidelines to ensure that, together, the sector can contribute positively and proactively to Europe’s fight against money laundering.”

Earlier this year, the EGBA called on operators to increase cross-border collaboration to head off the danger of stricter regulation of the sector. It says operators across Europe need to work together to improve how they’re represented in society.

The body says that only through closer collaboration across borders can operators ensure the industry is better organised, more responsible and better represented across the entire continent. It sees this as an essential goal for a sustainable industry and to avoid the risk of “ever stricter regulation” that will impact the ability to do business.

The EGBA also reported positive feedback from the first independent monitoring of its pan-European responsible advertising code. The monitoring was conducted by the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA), a Brussels-based association that represents European self-regulatory organisations for advertising.

As part of its on-going commitment to ensure that ICE London continues to meet the needs of the international gambling industry in all of its forms, organisers Clarion Gaming are running a total of eight visitor focus groups during September.

Press release.- The research programme conducted with an invited sample of first-time visitors to the 2022 edition of ICE London, will be completed by the end of the month and the insight shared with the development, content and marketing teams responsible for the delivery of ICE 2023 which takes place across 7-9 February at ExCeL London.

Over 200 first-time ICE attendees have agreed to share their insight and experiences in the moderated sessions which are scheduled to last 60-minutes. Each focus group has its own dedicated topic with participants selected based on a range of criteria including geography and specialist interest. The eight topics comprise: Gambling’s Emerging Markets, Content and Game Development, Payments, Mature Markets, North America, Gambling Industry Start-Ups, Sports Betting and Adtech/Martech.

Stuart Hunter, managing director, Clarion Gaming underlined the brand’s key objectives of meeting the business needs of visitors and ensuring the ICE proposition remains fresh and topical. He stated: “Industry professionals attend in-person events for a number of reasons but the events that are regarded as ‘must attend’ are those that deliver business solutions and, in the process, help enterprises of every size from start-ups to global brands to plan for the future.

“As part of this process, we are providing a curated platform to listen to and learn from our stakeholders posing questions such as what markets should ICE focus on next in terms of bringing regulators and policy-makers to London.

“We want to explore additional ways in which we can deploy the ICE brand to help solve challenges in both new and mature markets, how we can help further support start-ups on their journey, what our research groups believe we should be showcasing in areas such as payments technology, cashless solutions, game content, sports betting, advertising, marketing and much more. We will also include some moderated questions on perceptions of the ICE brand and their experience as first-time attendees.”

“I am extremely grateful to the 200+ industry professionals who have agreed to participate and whose insight will play such a key role in helping us to ensure that ICE remains a world-class event for the world industry.”

Amusnet Interactive is also sponsoring the annual SBC Awards ceremony.

Press release.- Amusnet Interactive is thrilled to join the SBC Summit Barcelona, September 20-22 at Fira Barcelona – Montjuic. The company will showcase its latest entertaining slots, advanced keno games and cutting-edge live casino platform.

The team is looking forward to meeting with partners and friends at booth F8 to discuss business opportunities and share the company’s upcoming products and innovations. In addition, you will learn more about Drops of Water’s developing process – the provider’s first charity game in support of charity: water. The slot is a pilot project for Amusnet Interactive dedicated to supporting a cause that has a chance to inspire the industry for charity initiatives.

Moreover, Amusnet Interactive is sponsoring the annual SBC Awards ceremony, which will take place on the final day of the SBC Summit Barcelona on Thursday, 22 September 2022, at The Palau Nacional, Barcelona. It is a great recognition for the provider to be nominated in the Slots Developer of the Year, Live Casino Supplier and Innovation in Mobile categories.

Ivo Georgiev, managing director of Amusnet Interactive, commented: “We are excited to join SBC Summit Barcelona. Our teams work hard to deliver some of the finest video slots on the market. We look forward to meeting with our partners and new contacts to showcase our new products and talk about our rebrand to Amusnet Interactive.”

The recovery in land-based casino made up for a drop in online gambling revenue.

Denmark.- Danish gambling revenue came in at DKK1.69bn (€227m) for Q2, an increase of 7.4 per cent year-on-year. Revenue from online gambling and sports betting fell, but the reopening of land-based casinos after Covid-19 restrictions last year pushed overall revenue up.

The national regulator Spillemyndigheden reported that land-based casino revenue was up 163.4 per cent at DKK97m. Land-based slots revenue rose 95.4 per cent to DKK319m. However, online casino revenue, the largest source of gambling revenue, slipped by 1 per cent to DKK708m and sports betting revenue dropped 14.1 per cent to DKK565m.

Spillemyndigheden reported that 33,648 people registered on Denmark’s Register of Voluntarily Excluded Players (ROFUS). Earlier this week, the regulator commented on the results of a study into its gambling helpline, StopSpillet, which it launched in 2019. It said the results showed that the helpline was reaching its targets and meeting requirements.

The study shows that 87 per cent of callers are men and 35 per cent men between the ages of 18 and 25. It found that half of callers began gambling before they were 18, which the regulator said backed up other research that had found a correlation between gambling at an early age and developing an addiction.

Spillemyndigheden has confirmed that it will be involved in a new initiative against money laundering in the country. Led by the Ministry of Justice, the strategy will also involve Denmark’s Financial Supervisory Authority, Bar Council and the Danish Business Authority.

The Money Laundering Secretariat and Police Intelligence Services have identified currency exchange and money transfer, high-value goods, neo-banks, cryptocurrency, the gambling sector and some areas of the non-profit sector as those that pose the greatest risk for money laundering and terrorist financing.

In July, Spillemyndigheden reprimanded the online gambling operator Casumo for breaching the Danish Money Laundering Act through failings in its risk assessments. The regulator found that until March 11, Casumo did not have adequate identification and risk assessment of customer types.

Its risk assessments also failed to include separate identification and risk assessment for different types of products. The operator also failed to identify and risk-assess delivery channels as required because it had no risk assessment of its mobile app.

The regulator says the helpline is meeting requirements and reaching its target groups but that more awareness was needed.

Denmark.- The gambling regulator Spillemyndigheden has reported the results of a study into Denmark’s gambling helpline, StopSpillet, which it launched in 2019. It said the results showed that the helpline was reaching its targets and meeting requirements.

The study shows that 87 per cent of callers are men and 35 per cent men between the ages of 18 and 25. It found that half of callers began gambling before they were 18, which the regulator said backed up other research that had found a correlation between gambling at an early age and developing an addiction.

The regulator added that many callers had experienced gambling-related harm for an extended period of time – two-and-a-half years on average. As for the types of gambling, 62 per cent of callers used online gambling, compared to 26 per cent who tended to use land-based gambling. Other types of gambling accounted for 12 per cent.

Men spent the most money on gambling – DKK13,200 (€1780) per month on average. Women callers spent an average of DKK9300 per month but spent more time gambling, citing 30 hours per week compared to an average of 19 hours per week for men.

As for callers who made contact because relatives were experiencing gambling-related harm, 66 per cent of callers were women, with women aged 46 to 55 the largest group.

The regulator said: “The study shows that gambling problems are generally increasing, both among adults and young people. The figures in the survey indicate that more people could benefit from knowing about and using StopSpillet.”

Spillemyndigheden has confirmed that it will be involved in a new initiative against money laundering in the country. Led by the Ministry of Justice, the strategy will also involve Denmark’s Financial Supervisory Authority, Bar Council and the Danish Business Authority.

The Money Laundering Secretariat and Police Intelligence Services have identified currency exchange and money transfer, high-value goods, neo-banks, cryptocurrency, the gambling sector and some areas of the non-profit sector as those that pose the greatest risk for money laundering and terrorist financing.

In July, Spillemyndigheden reprimanded the online gambling operator Casumo for breaching the Danish Money Laundering Act through failings in its risk assessments. The regulator found that until March 11, Casumo did not have adequate identification and risk assessment of customer types.

Its risk assessments also failed to include separate identification and risk assessment for different types of products. The operator also failed to identify and risk-assess delivery channels as required because it had no risk assessment of its mobile app.

The sports betting handle came in below the $1bn mark for the second straight month.

US.- New York’s online sports betting handle came in below the $1bn mark for a second month in August. Players spent $872.2m, which was 8.9 per cent higher than the $800.8m wagered in July. Gross gaming revenue was $99.6m, up 35.3 per cent from $73.6m in July.

Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel Group remained the market leader with $46.6m in revenue from $374.6m in bets, ahead of DraftKings ($25.9m in revenue from $244.5m in wagers). Caesars Sportsbook recorded revenue of $12.7m from $117.6m in bets. BetMGM registered $8.8m in revenue and a $73m handle and PointsBet $2.5m from $23.8m.

Rush Steet Interactive registered $2.2m in revenue from $26.5m in player bets, Wynn Interactive $492,014 from a $6.7m handle. Resorts World recorded $352,785 in revenue and $4.5m in wagers. In its first full month in New York since launching in mid-July, BallyBet posted $97,502 in revenue and a $1m handle.

Lotto.com expands to New York, Texas and Colorado
Lotto.com expanded in the US and is now available in New York, Texas and Colorado. Customers can order official state lottery tickets, either online or at one of three locations. Previously, Lotto.com was only available in New Jersey, where it launched in June 2021.

In each state, players can visit the Players Café to purchase lottery tickets and scratch cards. In New York, the venue is located in Manhattan’s West Village, while the Texas Players Café is in Cedar Park and the Colorado venue is located in Edgewater. Players can purchase tickets for games, such as Powerball and Mega Millions.

The responsible gambling charity plans to revamp the helpline.

UK.- The industry-supported responsible gambling charity and grant making body GambleAware has published its commissioning intentions for the National Gambling Treatment Service (NGTS).

It said it plans to revamp the helpline and introduce more integrated regional services, more support for residential treatment and more cooperation between service providers and local partners.

The NGTS is a network run with GamCare and Gordon Moody. It offers free support and treatment for those experiencing gambling harm, those at risk and those affected by others’ gambling behaviours. Together, the participating organisations provide telephone, online and face-to-face support.

However, the network’s future was put in doubt when the NHS said it would no longer accept funding from GambleAware, citing concerns about its neutrality. And late last year, GambleAware said it was concerned about the low takeup of the NGTS.

Now a new plan has been published following a strategic review that included experts, treatment providers, lived experience representatives, local authorities and the NHS. GambleAware says the resulting outcome framework and delivery model will enable the delivery of “more targeted support to greater numbers of people in need”.

Chief commissioning officer Anna Hargrave said: “We are excited to announce our new commissioning plans which will build on the success of our current prevention, support and treatment programmes.

“In the context of rising costs-of-living and increasing numbers of people at risk of gambling harm, we want to ensure our commissioning strategy can respond to the changing environment and the needs of the most vulnerable communities and groups.

“We have built up a wide pool of expertise and knowledge around gambling harms from years of working with our partners and we will continue to use this insight to improve and inform our work and ensure we are able to make a lasting impact to people’s lives.”

West Virginia saw a sports betting handle of $33.9m and $327.6m in online casino handle.

US.- Both the West Virginia online gaming market and sports betting market had significant rises in both revenue and handle for August compared to July according to the figures released by the West Virginia Lottery.

The igaming handle showed a 18.2 per cent rise compared to the previous month. The handle was $327.6m, up from nearly $277.3. for July. Revenue in August for West Virginia was $10.7m representing a 27.1 per cent increase from the $8.5m in the July revenue report.

Some of the most popular West Virginia online casino platforms include Caesars Casino Online, BetMGM Casino Online, FanDuel Casino Online, and DraftKings Casino Online.

AGCOM has warned that media and affiliate owners must abide by the rules in Italy’s Dignity Decree.

Italy.- The media and communications watchdog AGCOM has issued a warning to both foreign and domestic media and affiliate companies over gambling ad rules in Italy’s Dignity Decree. AGCOM noted it was fully authorised to penalise foreign media owners following European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings in favour of state agencies’ authority on gambling adverts.

The agency issued the warning after imposing a record €750,000 fine on Google due to gambling content shown on YouTube video channels. AGCOM found that YouTube had breached Article-9 of the 2018 Dignity Decree, which prohibits all gambling advertising, both direct and indirect, from being shown to Italian audiences.

It held YouTube liable for not taking action to remove the prohibited content distributed on its platform by a third party, namely the Malta-based affiliate marketing agency Top Ads Ltd. The agency chastised YouTube for authorising Top Ads as a verified partner, which meant its channels could post gambling content without scrutiny.

Top Ads itself was fined €700,000 for posting prohibited content promoting gambling offers on SpikeSlot.com across five separate YouTube Channels.

AGCOM said “This is the first measure taken by the agency against a video hosting service provider for allowing the distribution of banned advertisements for games with cash winning.

In July, Google updated its content guidelines for how ads are displayed in search results on its eponymous search engine. Gambling operators and affiliates will no longer be able to use a format that Google terms Rich Results to mark up products in search results.

The change applies as of this month as part of a wider policy on the listing of “high-risk products“, which also covers firearms and other weapons, tobacco, vaping and recreational drugs. The Rich Results function allows advertisers to instantly display certain product information such as price, availability and star rating on a product’s keyword search results.

Meanwhile, an Italian MEP has sought clarification of the EU’s position on esports events after Italy’s customs and monopolies agency, ADM, which regulates gambling in the country, closed down three esports venues in April.

He fears the ADM’s actions may hinder free-market competition between companies from different EU states. The ADM’s clampdown, which has been dubbed LAN-gate, has been criticised by organisers. They say it was triggered by Sergio Milesi, chief executive of Italian amusement arcade operator LED SRL, in a bid to stifle competition while the company prepares to launch its own venues.