Slovakian gambling regulator creates online gambling whitelist

Slovakia’s Office for the Regulation of Gambling intends for the list to help players identify which online gambling sites are licensed.

Slovakia.- The Office for the Regulation of Gambling has announced the launch of a whitelist of online gambling websites run by licensed operators. The regulator already has a public blacklist of unlicensed sites, but the creation of a positive whitelist is intended to make it easier for players to check if a site is licensed.

The regulator also noted that keeping the blacklist up to date was a constant challenge since new sites spring up all the time. The whitelist, however, should prove a lot easier to keep up to date.

General director Dávid Lenčéš said: “We prevent one illegal website from operating and another one is created immediately. The operators’ creativity has no limits. They often try to motivate players with irresistible bonus offers, modern visuals, unlimited deposits, and in the case of foreign operators the perfect Slovak language.

“If players do not check the mandatory details of the website, they may have no reason to suspect that it is illegal content operating from outside our country. However, by playing on the illegal website, they are depriving themselves of the possibility of getting their winnings and their legal protection under the laws of the Slovak Republic.”

Lenčéš added: “In the section ‘legal websites’, we will publish all of the licensed websites of licensed entities. This means that all others not included in this list are illegal. Illegal websites can deprive players of their stakes and winnings and are available to risk groups for whom gambling can harm mental health.

“By providing more easily accessible information about the legality of a website, we are able to highlight the scope for playing online gambling under the control of valid Slovakian legislation.”

He also stressed that licensed operators are subject to remote supervision and face sanctions or even the revocations of their licences if they breach regulations.

Last month, Slovakia’s Office of Gambling Regulation announced the publication of a “Concept of Responsible Advertising” document with which it intends to improve gambling advertising standards. The document will introduce new standards for gambling ads in all media.

The document is intended as a “starting point” that operators and media bodies can use to introduce new self-regulatory and control mechanisms to ensure a safe gambling market for consumers and prevent crime and gambling harm.

Last year, Slovakia banned Twitch after a user streamed himself playing poker online. The US streaming platform is used by professional gamers, allowing fans to watch them play in real-time while interacting and giving them their opinions and advice.

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