SBC News

Dutch ministers have been urged to recognise the risks of imposing unnecessary restrictions on online gambling consumers, which could impact the channelisation of the KOA market.

The plea was made by NOGA, the Netherlands Online Gambling Association, which published new research by IPSOS on Dutch consumers’ sentiments and engagement with online gambling.

Striking insights were offered by the ‘Online Gambling Barometer 2024’, revealing concerns that consumers will switch to unlicensed operators if they are overburdened by new restrictions.

Of particular note, the headline finding of the Barometer reveals that “nearly half of at-risk gamblers are unwilling to show proof of income to gamble online.”

This response should concern ministers, as the Kamer continues its ongoing regulatory review of the Remote Gambling Act (KOA Act) – the legislative framework adopted in October 2021 to regulate the Netherlands’ online gambling marketplace.

NOGA maintains that the principal objective of KO..

The government of Montenegro has been urged to explain why it has authorised amendments to impose a ban on electronic payments services for gambling.

Conflicts arise in the Balkans nation as the government has confirmed that it will “enact amendments to Gambling Laws” that will prohibit the use of modern payment systems for gambling.

The controversial amendments contravene EU competition rules by blocking e-banking, IPS, and mobile payment services such as PayPal and Apple Pay.

Controversy surrounds the government of Montenegro’s action plan to strengthen its anti-money-laundering (AML) compliance framework to meet the concerns outlined by MONEYVAL, the financial intelligence monitoring body of the Council of Europe.

Montenegro had been advised to “step up efforts to investigate and effectively prosecute money laundering and strengthen the supervision of high-risk non-financial businesses and professions”.

In response, the Ministry of Finance recommended imposing amendments to Art..

Branschföreningen för Onlinespel (BOS), Sweden’s online gambling trade association, has urged the government to rethink the framework applied to its comprehensive ban on gambling on credit.

The measure proposed by the Ministry of Finance will see Sweden adopt an outright ban on all forms of credit applied to gambling transactions.

Current laws prohibit all licensed operators from processing credit card transactions, as specified by the Gaming Act of 2018, the legislative framework which re-launched Sweden’s gambling market.

Yet amendments endorsed by the Ministry of Finance have proposed that an outright ban on all forms of credit-funded payments be applied to Swedish gambling.

As such, beyond credit card transactions, licensed operators would no longer be able to process any credit-based funds such as personal loans, deferred payments, and overdrafts.

The comprehensive ban on credit transactions forms part of a package of measures proposed by the Ministry, which called for greate..

In April, IDnow, a provider of customised ID verification and KYC systems for high-risk sectors, launched its VideoIdent Flex solution in the UK.

Engineered in Munich, VideoIdent Flex is an enhanced video-led customer verification solution providing clients with built-in AI modules to gauge biometric features of customers. The solution aims to “reduce rising fraud attempts, increase inclusivity, and tackle an array of complex online verification scenarios while offering a high-end service experience to end customers.”

Roger Redfearn-Tyrzyk
Roger Redfearn-Tyrzyk, Vice President of Global Gaming at IDnow, shared insights with SBC on how VideoIdent Flex will set new standards in KYC by helping customers overcome future compliance challenges and threats.

Video identification remains the most comprehensive method for customer verification. “However, to date, systems delivered to market have been cumbersome to integrate as part of the customer experience.”

As such, VideoIdent Flex leve..

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has revoked the licence of TipBet Limited with immediate effect.

On 20 May, the MGA cancelled the licence authorisation of TipBet Limited, reference MGA/B2C/303/2015.

Founded in 1995, TipBet is one of the oldest online sports betting firms, with its headquarters in Gzira, Malta. TipBet operates as a pan-European operator with a presence in the markets of Germany, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Croatia.

The Authority used Section 9 of Malta’s Gaming Compliance and Enforcement Regulations to authorise the cancellation of TipBet’s licence.

The MGA’s order cited numerous Section 9 infringements as TipBet failed to comply with several regulatory obligations and discharge financial commitments of its operations.

The Authority believed that ‘failure of the operator was imminent’. TipBet also failed to meet commitments to players in a timely manner and did not pay amounts due to the Authority on time. The Authority determined that there was material and suffici..

DGOJ, Spain’s General Directorate of Gambling, has started discussions on data administration policies and practices needed to establish a ‘common data registry’ for gambling information.

The discussions on the framework to set up a centralised registry for customer data from all gambling operators licensed in Spain began on 16 May 2024.

Director General Mikel Arana led the initial proceedings, hosting the Sectoral Commission, the advisory body for Spain’s General Assembly on policy-making and the development of federal projects and directives.

The command to establish a common data registry was approved by the General Assembly in March 2023 as part of The Decree on Responsible Gambling Environments.

The registry is recognised as the central mechanism for how the DGOJ will implement its new regulatory approach to monitor the activities of gambling licensees, their conduct, and engagement with customers.

New compliance duties will require Spanish gambling operators to monitor and k..

GambleAware has defended its reputation and independence as the UK’s leading charity fighting gambling addiction and minimising problem gambling harms.

The charity issued a stern response this weekend to a damning article by iNews (DMG Media), which accused GambleAware of promoting the interests of the gambling sector.

iNews ‘exclusive article’ revealed that the Charity Commission had opened a ‘regulatory compliance case’ following a complaint submitted by the Good Law Project. A non-profit organisation, led by Will Prochaska, the Good Law Project claims that GambleAware has failed in its regulatory duties as a UK-licensed charity due to a significant conflict of interest, being directly funded by the gambling sector.

The Good Law Project’s complaint further questioned GambleAware’s treatment services, educational materials, advertising, and self-help tools, alleging they normalise gambling, promote incorrect advice, and stigmatise those with gambling harms.

Issuing a response, Gam..

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) stands by its long-term strategy to combat illegal online gambling, as a regulatory objective of the Gambling Review’s White Paper.

“The Commission’s approach is to identify and undertake high-impact interventions to disrupt unlicensed operators targeting consumers in Great Britain, all with a view to making it difficult to provide illegal gambling at scale,” stated CEO Andrew Rhodes at the Westminster Media Forum on 13 May 2024.

The strategy has involved the Commission engaging with the National Crime Agency (NCA), Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to increase intelligence-led disruptions that impede unlicensed operators from engaging with British consumers.

Cooperation with regulatory counterparts is highly effective, as the Commission has eliminated illegal Facebook lotteries, working in tandem with HMRC and imposing penalties of £600,000 on unlicensed organisers.

Combating illegal gamb..

UK gambling’s land-based venues and stakeholders have been warned to prepare for a summer of changes, adopting new rules to comply with the commitments of the Gambling Review’s White Paper.

Addressing delegates of the Bingo Association AGM – Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), stressed that the White Paper’s consultation phase will be followed by the Commission swiftly applying changes, impacting all gambling disciplines, whether land-based or online.

The Commission maintains progress on the consultation phase of the White Paper, fulfilling the remit of the UKGC’s new corporate strategy to secure ‘better data and better evidence’ supervising and governing UK gambling activities.

Of significance to land-based stakeholders, Rhodes noted that the White Paper’s third consultation phase will be focused on land-based elements and feedback.

“Later this year and likely this Summer, we will be publishing the next round of consultation responses and then movi..

What does it take to convince C-level that the numerous components that comprise ESG are intrinsically linked to revenue? For Leah Carnegie, Chief People Officer at Lottoland, the answer is a simple one – drop the acronym.

The moderator of ‘why ESG is your business bottom line’ at the Gibraltar Ethical Gambling Forum instead suggested that a basic shift in mindset, and language, could ultimately lead to gaining attention at a higher level internally.

“As soon as I use the word ESG in a boardroom, I get sleepy eyes,” she said. “But if I use the words accountability, responsibility and sustainability, I will get some action. I don’t know whether ESG has been forced.”

Rather than proceeding down the current path, Carnegie suggested that influence should be adopted from approaches taken across other jurisdictions, notably the US, where she noted that she has witnessed the industry “talking more generally” about the aforementioned trifecta of issues.

“I think until we change our mindset..