Legal & compliance Archives

June 5, 2023

Episode 17: More on Brazil plus US sports betting updates

Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden talk about the latest developments in US sports betting legislation, as well as more from Brazil, in episode 17 of the World Series of Politics.

We start by revisiting Brazil sports betting, the focus of our last episode, as the regulatory process undergoes yet more evolutions.

From a provisional measure to a bill in Brazil

Brazil sports betting looked set to pass through a provisional measure (PM) which Hugo Baumgartner outlined in episode 16.

However that PM is likely to be turned into a bill, which sets up even more legislative hurdles. Other forms of gambling such as integrated resorts may be incorporated into the process.

While this could expand the market, it could also result in the bill failing to pass. Brendan says “it’s clear as mud” as to what’s likely to happen now. There’s plenty more to discuss in a future episode of the World Series of Politics.

More pain for Missouri sports betting

Next we pivot to US sports betting, where Misso..

June 2, 2023

Administrator appointed as Tipster insolvency ramps up

Insolvency proceedings at Tipster Ltd are progressing with the appointment of lawyer Dr Jörg Gollnick as the troubled operator's provisional insolvency administrator.

Gollnick works at Cologne law firm Heidland Werres Diederichs Rechtsanwälte. He is also the provisional insolvency administrator for Tipster Service GmbH, a company that is part of the Tipster group.

Gollnick said that the restructuring hinges on the sports betting operator’s value.

“With the insolvency application for Tipster Ltd in Germany, the course has been set for the restructuring of the entire Tipster group of companies,” said Gollnick. “The group is very valuable: the annual turnover of Tipster Ltd alone was more than €250m.”

“We have set up a structured investor process in order to use a strong partner to support the business operations for the Tipster Group including its franchisees in the long term.”

Alleged Tipster raid

In April, raids took place in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bremen, Berlin, Saxony an..

June 1, 2023

North Carolina edges closer to legalising sports betting

North Carolina has moved closer to legalising sports betting, after a bill that would do so was voted through by its state senate.

House Bill 347 was introduced on 13 March. It passed North Carolina’s House of Representatives on 30 March before being moved to the senate, where it passed on its second reading.

If passed into law, the bill would allow bets to be placed on sports and horse racing in North Carolina.

Read the full story on iGB North America

May 23, 2023

MA regulator “frustrated” by DraftKings betting violations

Commissioners from state gambling regulator, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), said they were “frustrated” by DraftKings' betting violations.

DraftKings reported itself to the Commission after discovering it had offered bets on the tennis UTR pro-series, which is not an approved betting event in the state.

The MGC’s Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) looked into the case. The wagering took place over a 12-day period from 10 March to 22 March.

During this time, players placed 864 bets on three events for a total handle of $7,867. DraftKings said the reason the error took place was because of a “miscommunication” between its trading and trading compliance teams.

The fault occurred after the operator copied a list of tennis offerings from a different jurisdiction without verifying if the event was approved in Massachusetts.

After discovering the issue, the DraftKings returned stakes to the players who had placed a bet, as well as removed any winnings and return..

May 23, 2023

Underdog pens North America deal with GeoComply

Fantasy sports operator Underdog has selected fraud prevention solutions provider GeoComply as its geolocation supplier for North America.

Previously, Xpoint served as Underdog’s geolocation provider.

Under the terms of the deal, Underdog will access GeoComply’s Core suite and Solus product for its fantasy sports offering, as well as its planned sports betting operations.

GeoComply’s Core product is the supplier’s flagship geolocation service. Customers who have the licence to operate this product can also access the business’ range of fraud prevention tools to protect their operations from bonus abuse, identity theft and chargeback fraud.

The business’ Solus solution is a fantasy sports geolocation solution for web-based players. The system runs on HTML5 browsers, removing the need for players to download additional apps or plug-ins.

GeoComply praise deal

GeoComply vice-president of business development and licensing, Sam Basile, said the business was “thrilled” to be working wi..

May 12, 2023

Texas House clears online sports betting amendment bill

The Texas House of Representatives has voted through a constitutional amendment bill that would allow voters in the US state to legalise online sports betting.

HJR 102 cleared the House by a vote of 101-42 yesterday (11 May) and will now progress forward to the state’s senate for further debate.

Should it pass into law, the constitutional amendment itself would not legalise wagering, but would permit a state-wide vote to be held on the issue. This would take place at an election on 7 November this year.

Read the full story on iGB North America

May 10, 2023

Episode 16: Hugo Baungartner talks Brazilian gaming regulation

Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann step outside the US to discuss ongoing sports betting developments in Brazil, plus the all-important go-live date for the market.

The development of sports betting in Brazil has been happening over the last 20 years, with people waiting eagerly for just as long, says Hugo Baungartner, the special guest this week on World Series of Politics.

A law that could legalise sports betting in Brazil is said to be imminent

“It’s the giant,” he says. “Everyone is talking about it. Everybody wants to come to Brazil.”

He notes that law has been in place to allow sports betting in Brazil since 2018, but that there has been no regulation yet, and nothing was made official by then-president Jair Bolsonaro.

But this regulation is imminent, Hugo insists, with ministers working for Brazil’s newest president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva preparing a law that could be signed in the coming days.

What can Brazil expect?

Hugo says Brazil’s government will impose a 15% tax ..

May 9, 2023

85% of Americans support end of federal sports betting ban

New research commissioned by the American Gaming Association (AGA) has found that 85% of American adults agree that the Supreme Court was right to strike down the federal sports betting ban in 2018.

Nearly five years to the day when the US Supreme Court decided to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a majority of Americans believe that justices were correct in their decision, according to the AGA.

The ruling – which paved the way for the state-by-state legalisation of sports betting – is more popular than it was in the past. A huge 85% of those polled believed it to be the correct course of action, compared to 63% in 2019. Meanwhile, 77% of US consumers also support legalisation in their state of residence.

aga president and ceo bill miller

“American adults have always enjoyed betting on sports, and overwhelmingly value the ability to bring their action into a legal market, close to home,” said AGA president and CEO Bill Miller.

“The rapid spread ..

May 4, 2023

New York greenlights $455m racing Belmont development

On 2 May, New York State lawmakers approved the FY2024 budget, which included funding for a $455m (£362.0m/€412.2m) loan to renovate and upgrade the Belmont Park race track.

Non-for-profit racetrack operator the New York Racing Association (NYRA) is charged with developing the project to build the new thoroughbred racing facility at Belmont Park.

The NYRA said that the “significant” construction development would have no cost to tax payers, due to being funded through loans that the operator is obliged to pay back to the state government.

Belmont Park’s existing grandstand and clubhouse are to be replaced with a new building, designed to “reflect the evolution” of racing and wagering since the site was last redeveloped in 1968.

In keeping with the declining popularity of racing in New York, the new construction is to be smaller, with the current 1.25 million square foot facility set to be replaced with a 275,000 square foot structure.

According to the NYRA, the new building is to..

May 2, 2023

German regulator classifies DFS as illegal gambling

German regulator Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) has classified “certain forms” of daily fantasy sports (DFS) as illegal gambling in Germany.

The classification occurred after GGL reviewed several forms of DFS, and concluded at a hearing that they could be classified as illegal gambling.

The regulator referred to Germany’s Fourth State Treaty on Gambling, which states that gambling must only be operated with the strict permission of the GGL.

GGL said that a “well-known” DFS provider ceased to operate in Germany after the hearing occured.

Ronald Benter, GGL board member, said that the decision had been made to protect German players from addiction and illegal gambling offerings.

“We find that our decisions are accepted by the providers and implemented promptly,” said Benter. “This protects consumers from illegal offers and the risk of betting and gambling addiction.”

GGL CEO Benjamin Schwanke added that keeping illegal gambling offerings at bay is a joint effort th..

April 27, 2023

What’s covered in the Gambling Act white paper?

After years of delays and speculation, the most transformative review of gambling in the United Kingdom in 18 years has finally been published.

The publication of the Gambling Act review white paper signifies a landmark upheaval of how gambling will be regulated in the UK going forward, in an age of smartphones and 24/7 internet access.

To say the review has been much anticipated would be an understatement. Industry trade bodies, operator groups and industry critics alike have waited eagerly for the white paper’s publication.

It has been an eventful two years and four months since the UK government announced the review – one that has encompassed the resignations and appointments of two prime ministers, the declaration of a cost of living crisis and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

While the white paper document outlines much of what the industry expected, it contains a few unexpected additions – including the addition of a gambling ombudsman, to give customers one point of contact for..

April 25, 2023

Spain sanctions 20 operators over illegal gambling in H2

Spanish regulator Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) sanctioned 20 online operators over illegal gambling activities in the second half of 2022, imposing more than €35.0m (£31.0m/$38.6m) in fines in the process.

According to the ministry of consumer affairs, 20 operators were contacted about “serious or very serious infractions” across online betting and gambling during the six-month period, in relation to breaches of Regulación del Juego (LRJ) gambling law.

Of the operators contacted, seven were flagged for “very serious” infractions and banned from offering online gambling in the country for a period of two years. Each operator was also fined €5.0m, with these penalties totalling €35.0m in H2.

The DGOJ also detected “serious” violations across the other 13 operators, issuing financial penalties that amounted to €560,000.

Nine of these violations were related to a failure to comply with rules on advertising and marketing gambling in Spain, with each operator fined ..

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Tag: Legal & compliance