Gambling Commission admits faults but backs credibility of Young People and Gambling Survey

France adds new obligations to sign off gambling ad campaigns 

ARGN looks to harmonise player protection across Africa

KSA orders Casinosky shutdown

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Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gaming authority, has issued Sarah Eternal SRL with an order subject to penalty for offering games of chance without a licence on its website, casinosky.

If Sarah Eternal does not stop its illegal offering permanently, the operator will be fined €280,000 per week, with a maximum fine of €840,000.

The authority noted that its inspectors investigated the casinosky website to see if it was accessible from the Netherlands and if they could make an account, deposit funds and gamble, which they said they could.

In addition, the KSA claimed that players can play even if they clearly stated on their account that they were from the Netherlands, hence an order subject to penalty has been imposed.

“Providers who do not have a license for the Dutch market must do everything they can to ensure that Dutch players cannot come to them to gamble, for example by setting up an IP block,” stated the authority.

“Inspectors from the Ksa could indeed go to the casinosky.co..

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Brazil confirms 15% tax on player winnings

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Brazil has introduced the tax framework applied to player prizes and winnings for the well-awaited launch of its Bets market.

Earlier this week, the Federal Revenue Service (RFB) of Brazil confirmed its ruling on personal income tax (IRPF) that will be applied to ‘net prizes’ obtained via betting, lotteries and online gambling.

The RFB approved the government’s modality to impose a 15 per cent personal income tax on prizes and winnings above BRL 2824 (around €530).

For net winnings/prizes below BRL 2824, the RFB will exempt the 15 per cent tax charge. The figure is reported to be equivalent to two average monthly wages for Brazilian consumers.

Net prizes of the Bets market will be determined as the difference between the prize amount won and the total amount wagered by the customer.

Replicating the same mechanisms as state lotteries, the 15 per cent tax charge will be applied ‘at source’ by operators when crediting customer winnings.

The framework will apply changes to Brazil’s..

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BetComply: industry must do better to tackle regulatory and compliance issues

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One of the defining characteristics of the online gaming industry throughout the 2020s so far has been the increased focus on regulated markets. Around the world, governments from Latin America to Asia are establishing regulated frameworks for online gaming, while the world’s biggest operators are eager to tell the world about their operations in regulated and regulating markets.

As the importance of regulation and compliance is arguably bigger than ever, it is imperative for operators and suppliers to ensure that they are compliant with their licensed jurisdictions.

BetComply, a compliance and market entry consultancy, is leveraging its expertise to ensure that its clients are compliant with local regulations. The firm deems that regulatory compliance is not just a necessity; it’s the cornerstone of success.

Mike de Graaff, the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer, told SBC News how the compliance sector is keeping up with the fast-paced nature of regulations this decade.

“It’s crow..

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Gib regulator Lyman warns operators on ESG failings

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“ESG is all that makes us feel good, isn’t it?” Andrew Lyman, Gambling Commissioner and Executive Director at Government of Gibraltar, began in a keynote address at this week’s Ethical Gambling Forum.

Picking up where Nigel Feetham, Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, left off, Lyman took to the stage following a plea from event Co-Founder Adrian Sladdin to those organisations based in close proximity to the Sunborn held event.

“There are so many companies within a stone’s throw of this boat that I hope will actually take the message around ESG, responsible leadership from the top, and adopting the right policies to represent Gibraltar in the best light possible,” his segue noted.

Posing a starter for 10 to those in attendance, Lyman continued by asking delegates who could argue against the numerous advantages to be gained via the adoption of an array of ESG practices.

Those plus points touched upon, he elaborated, include taking measures to reduce climate change, for corpora..

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PGA of America joins AGA RG campaign following ESPN Bet partnership

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Following the announcement of ESPN Bet as the official betting partner of the PGA Championship, the PGA of America has confirmed that it has partnered with the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) ‘Have a Game Plan. Bet Responsibly’ campaign.

The partnership will feature co-branded responsible gaming content, educational materials, and strategic activations across the PGA of America’s digital and social platforms throughout next week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, KY.

“As the PGA of America welcomes ESPN BET as the Official Sports Betting Sponsor of the 106th PGA Championship, it is core to our values to ensure golf fans have the right tools in their bag to bet responsibly,” said PGA of America Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Price. “Activating AGA’s Have A Game Plan campaign during this year’s PGA Championship and beyond will be an integral part of our strategy as interest in golf wagering grows.”

Introduced by the AGA in 2019, the Have a Game Plan campaign ai..

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Player Protection Symposium: Combating responsible gambling’s identity crisis

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Does responsible gambling have an identity problem? And if so, is that identity problem holding it back?

At the SBC Summit North America Player Protection Symposium, experts suggested the answer to both questions is yes.

“In the U.S., many people don’t engage with responsible gambling because it’s associated with problem gambling,” said Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Shatley in a panel session entitled Conscious Commerce: The Interplay of Branding & RG.

“They think ‘I’m not a problem gambler, I don’t need these tools.’ But it’s for every single customer.”

Shatley and her other panelists, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG)‘s Director of Policy, Research and Strategy Aaron GlynWilliams and Kindbridge Behavioural Health CEO Daniel Umfleet, stressed that removing those misunderstandings and that stigmatization of responsible gambling is critical to improving the health of all players and the industry on the whole.

“It’s abou..

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Player Protection Symposium: NCAA highlights March Madness harassment

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According to NCAA Managing Director Mark Hicks, the organization has a pretty clear understanding of the scope of bettor harassment on social media. Speaking to Entain’s SVP of American Regulatory Affairs & Responsible Gambling Martin Lycka as part of the SBC Summit North America Player Protection Symposium, Hicks cited data from ethical data group and NCAA partner Signify collected during March Madness earlier…

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SBC North America: DGE AG issues federal intervention warning

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The SBC Gaming Regulation and Compliance Forum gazed into the crystal ball this week, providing a closer analysis of what the future holds for igaming regulation, while urging operators to take a leadership role when it comes to social responsibility.

Moderated by James Kilsby, Chief Analyst at VIXIO, the panel entitled ‘Regulation 2030: Anticipating Future Compliance Challenges’ emphasised the importance of collaboration as the framework around social responsibility evolves and the potential for federal intervention increases.

Painting a picture of her ideal outcome for the industry Cathy Judd-Stein, the Former Chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, emphasised her optimism that regulators will embrace further collaboration with operators as ambitions to eradicate the threat of the black and grey market are realised.

Louis Rogacki, Assistant Attorney General, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, echoed this sentiment as he urged operators to be more forthcoming with s..

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Legal Eye: UK Gambling braced for its defining summer test series

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Harris Hagan dissects the affairs of a busy opening to May, in which the Gambling Commission published its Summer 2023 Consultation Response providing its timelines to test key proposals of the Gambling Review’s White Paper.

The spotlight glares on the compliance of UK gambling, entering a transformative phase as the Commission seeks to apply comprehensive changes from financial vulnerability assessments to game design, aiming to bolster consumer protection and ensure responsible gaming environments.

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On 1 May 2024, the Gambling Commission published the response to its Summer 2023 Consultation on Proposed Changes to the LCCP and RTS (the “Summer 2023 Consultation Response”), confirming widespread changes to the rules that regulate licensed gambling operators in Great Britain, including in relation to financial vulnerability checks and financial risk assessments; remote games design; direct marketing; age verification and personal management licences.

Meanwhi..

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Gibraltar Minister: No operator is too big to fail

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Set against the backdrop of the glorious Gibraltar sunshine, the third intention of the Ethical Gambling Forum sprung into action this week aboard a superyacht whose name will be familiar to many across the industry. The sublime Sunborn.

Beginning proceedings, Co-Founder Adrian Sladdin promised “something a little bit different”, before a tentative “be prepared” word of warning was offered as the ESG focus, noted as “something the as should all embrace”, of the two-days came to the fore amid a shifting landscape across the industry.

“The pace over the last seven months has been relentless,” opening keynote Nigel Feetham, Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, who officially assumed office on October 13, 2023, began his opening address.

In a wide-range ten minute speech, attention was first reserved for that of the significance of the country’s licensing regime, overall value of the industry to Gibraltar and potential expansion that could be looming on the horizon.

“The underly..

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