regulation – Page 6

March 5, 2024

GC’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain: Lottery reigns supreme

The first data from the Gambling Commission’s (GC) Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) has highlighted the prevalence of lottery among gamblers in Great Britain.

48% of respondents had gambled in the past four weeks, although that figure dropped to 27% when excluding lottery-only players. Over a fifth of all respondents had only taken part in lottery draws.

The 48% figure of respondents having gambled in the past four weeks is a slight reduction on the 49.5% number stated in the final experimental stage of the survey, released back in November.

Participation drop-off without lottery the same for land-based and online

The pattern was the same for online and land-based gambling. 38% of all participants had used the internet to gamble in the previous four weeks, the same as in the November data, although the removal of those who only play lottery saw that number fall to 16%. In-person gambling participation also fell from 29% to 18% when lottery-only players were excluded.

The ..

February 28, 2024

Georgia moves closer to sports betting after bill passes senate

Georgia looks set to have a referendum on whether to legalise sports betting after a bill successfully passed through the state’s senate.

Senate Resolution 579, which seeks to approve sports betting in Georgia, passed by 41 to 12. This was easily enough to meet the two-thirds majority needed to amend the state’s constitution through a referendum.

SR579 is led by Senator Bill Cowsert, who submitted the ultimately unsuccessful Senate Bill 172 in 2023. In a largely unchanged form, though, SR579 looks more likely to end up passing.

Earlier in February, Senator Clint Dixon’s Senate Bill 386 was adopted after passing with a vote of 35-15. Enabling legislation SB386 looked to establish a framework of regulation in the state and was amended so that the support of 38 senators was needed to pass.

Cowsert’s proposals would see 80% of tax revenue attributed to the lottery’s education fund. Some 15% would go to public education on problem gambling, while 5% would be given to the Sports Promotio..

February 27, 2024

Netherlands regulator KSA presents 2024 supervisory agenda

The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the gambling regulator in the Netherlands, has presented its supervisory agenda for 2024, citing four areas of focus.

Looking to achieve its mission of “safe gaming”, the KSA says it will increase its protection of vulnerable players in the Netherlands by looking to prevent addiction. The country took measures to do this in 2023, including the introduction of a ban on most forms of advertising.

The KSA is also looking to combat illegal online offerings, aiming for at least 90% of players to gamble with legal providers in the Netherlands. In a December article for iGB, Yield Sec chief executive Ismail Vali noted how the KSA’s current approach appeared to lack clear success in actual enforcement terms.

The KSA is vowing to further support partners, including the police and tax authorities, on investigations in the physical domain. The regulator hopes this will lead to less “undermining” between different organisations.

The KSA’s final area of emphasis is..

February 26, 2024

Affordability checks: Everything you need to know

With parliament to debate the introduction of affordability checks today (26 February), here’s everything you need to know about the proposals so far.

The long-awaited release of the Gambling Act white paper in April was the most transformative review of UK gambling in 18 years. It marked a key landmark in how the market will be regulated in the future – with affordability checks a key part of that discussion.

The government has already introduced some measures, such as the establishment of stake limits for online slots. However, other resolutions are also being worked upon as the UK government and the Gambling Commission (GC) looks to ease concerns over gambling harms in the country.

The strongest industry response to these proposals has been towards the potential implementation of affordability checks. They have met fierce opposition from operators and trade bodies.

With parliament set to debate financial checks this week, let’s take a look at how we got here.

White paper’s rele..

February 26, 2024

Ohio bans player prop bets on NCAA games

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has banned player prop bets on college sports after granting a request from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The OCCC’s decision came after NCAA president Charlie Baker sent a letter to the commission’s executive director Matt Schuler, requesting a ban to be implemented on player-specific prop wagers for its games. The letter was also endorsed by Ohio’s governor, Mike DeWine.

Bettors will no longer be able to wager on markets such as a quarterback’s passing yards or a basketball player’s points for NCAA games. Operators have until 1 March to introduce the restrictions.

In the OCCC’s announcement, the commission stated it would become the 25th state to either prohibit or limit player-specific prop bets on NCAA contests. The ban’s aim is to protect NCAA athletes against potential harassment from bettors, as well as curb match fixing.

Ohio only launched legal sports betting in January 2023. In July, the state passed a law t..

February 26, 2024

Sturgis’ review of Gambling Commission’s survey stoking the fire

The Gambling Commission (GC) recently lauded its Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), after it was endorsed by Professor Patrick Sturgis in an independent review. However, that backing is far from comprehensive, even from Sturgis himself.

Sturgis, a professor at the London School of Economics, did label the study “exemplary in all respects”. However, as has been the case in the past with the GC, its tendency to produce unreliable statistics was a noticeable theme for Sturgis, who cast doubt over the accuracy of the GSGB, which is due to be published this summer.

Sturgis said: “Until there is a better understanding of the errors affecting the new survey’s estimates of the prevalence of gambling and gambling harm, policymakers must treat them with due caution, being mindful to the fact there is a non-negligible risk that they substantially overstate the true level of gambling and gambling harm in the population.”

Hardly the glowing endorsement the GC has made out, Sturgis’ concer..

February 20, 2024

PFL strikes regulatory compliance partnership with ProhiBet

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has partnered with ProhiBet to strengthen betting compliance.

The PFL will use ProhiBet’s technology to help improve sports integrity and ensure compliance with state-specific betting regulations.

The partnership aims to prevent PFL individuals, such as athletes and coaches who are banned from placing bets, from wagering on the league’s events. ProhiBet will use its cross-monitoring and notification platform to achieve this.

Matt Heap, managing director of ProhiBet, said the deal would see the PFL and ProhiBet strengthen compliance within sports betting.

“We are thrilled to partner with the PFL,” said Heap. “The combination of ProhiBet’s state-of-the-art encrypted data transfer system and the PFL’s dedication to upholding the integrity of sports will undoubtedly enhance the transparency and trustworthiness of sports betting activities.”

ProhiBet’s role with the PFL

ProhiBet is a joint venture between US Integrity and Odds On Compliance. US I..

February 19, 2024

Brazil ban on celebrity sports betting ads to be considered

A potential ban in Brazil on celebrities being used in betting advertising is ready to be included on the senate’s agenda in 2024.

Brazil is expected to finally have a regulated sports betting market in 2024. This is after Brazil’s chamber of deputies voted to approve Bill 3,626/2023 in December. There have been plenty of ups and downs and the topic of advertising is still proving contentious in the country.

Bill 3,405/2023 seeks to prohibit the use of celebrities in sports betting advertising, with Senator Eduardo Girao, who has long been against gambling in Brazil, presenting amendments that would ban anyone considered to have influence being involved in marketing of gambling.

In Girao’s view, Bill 3,405/2023 would protect Brazilian citizens from the risks of gambling harms, both emotional and financial.

Similar advertising bans worldwide

sports betting advertising is coming increasingly under fire

In August 2023, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario announced a ban on athl..

February 15, 2024

Minnesota governor vows to pass betting bill at start of 2024 session

Minnesota governor Tim Walz has confirmed he would approve the legalisation of sports betting if lawmakers can progress legislation during the 2024 session.

The legislative year began at the start of this week, and a first reading of Senate Bill 3803 has already taken place. The Minnesota Sports Betting Act 2.0, proposed by Representative Jeremy Miller, would allow Native American tribes, racetracks and teams to offer in-person wagering at their facilities.

According to the bill, which has been referred to the State and Local Government and Veterans Committee, a state commissioner would oversee betting in Minnesota. The commissioner would issue up to 11 sports betting operator licences, up to 11 platform provider licences and sports betting supplier licences.

Licence holders would also have the option to operate retail betting on the premises of horse racing tracks or professional sports stadiums in Minnesota, pursuant to a partnership agreement with the track operator or sports te..

February 7, 2024

Episode 27: Representative Dina Titus on the Gaming Caucus and GRIT

The World Series of Politics welcomes its very first congresswoman, with Representative Dina Titus joining Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann.

As representative for Nevada’s 1st congressional district and co-chair of the Congressional Gaming Caucus, she is a crucial industry advocate at federal level.

Tackling the excise tax

Representative Titus is also leading the charge to repeal the 0.25% federal excise tax on sports betting handle.

Dina Titus serves as US Representative for Nevada’s 1st congressional district

The money is deposited into the General Fund, rather than being used to tackle illegal gambling. Why not cut the tax and allow legal businesses to better compete against offshore operators by offering a more attractive product, she asks.

Listen to the World Series of Politics on Apple Podcasts

GRIT is not the solution

However the representative is an opponent of the Gambling Addiction Recovery, Investment and Treatment Act (GRIT Act), which aims to reallocate that ta..

January 31, 2024

IBIA reports 35% decrease in suspicious activity for 2023

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has reported a 35% year-on-year decrease in suspicious alerts related to sporting corruption in 2023.

The IBIA, which identifies potential sports corruption through detecting suspicious betting activity, received 184 alerts in 2023. This was a significant decrease on 2022’s revised number of 285.

The IBIA accounts for over $137bn (£108bn/€126bn) of global betting turnover per annum, making it the largest operator-run integrity monitoring body.

Football and tennis were the sports most affected, with 63 and 54 alerts respectively. While tennis alerts have decreased over the last five years, football alerts have now risen for the last three years.

Europe was the area with the most alerts in 2023, accounting for 61% of reports. The UK had the most alerts with 31, while the Czech Republic was second with 18. Brazil and Spain tied for third with 11.

The IBIA’s work saw 74 matches proven to be corrupt, with 21 sanctions handed out. O..

January 26, 2024

Online sports betting bills filed in Mississippi

A fresh bid to legalise online sports betting in Mississippi has been launched, with two new bills introduced this week.

Sports betting was legalised in Mississippi in 2018, following the repeal of the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). However, the only online sports betting currently available is through geofenced sportsbooks on land-based casino properties.

Bill HB271, filed by Rep Cedric Burnett, and Bill HB635, introduced by Rep Jay McKnight, are both bidding to change that, allowing bettors to wager on sports through their mobile devices in the state regardless of whether they are in a casino.

This latest attempt to introduce online sports betting in the state is the sixth, with House Bill 606 signed into law last year. The bill authorised a Mississippi sports betting task force to “undertake a comprehensive analysis” of sports betting in the state.

The bill was initially far more expansive, aiming to allow all of the state’s land-based casinos to pa..

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Tag: regulation