Legal Archives

January 6, 2023

Kentucky bill for online betting, poker and fantasy introduced

A bill that would permit online sports, poker and paid fantasy competitions in Kentucky has been introduced in the State House in the current legislative session.

House Bill 106 was introduced on 5 January 2023 and sponsored by representatives Derrick Graham, Cherlynn Stevenson and Rachel Roberts.

If passed, the bill would add 26 amendments to the current law and enact 13 new sections related to online sports, poker and fantasy gambling.

The bill would enable sports betting to be provided by online operators as well as allowing racing tracks to partner with online brands.

A licensed track can only partner up with one online operator, which can provide systems for gambling both on track and online.

Tracks may also offer sportsbooks at two separate locations that it owns or leases within 60 miles of the racing grounds that are not attached to the land of the track.

Sports that would be allowed to be gambled on include the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA, NASCAR, MLS, NCAA, NAIA and other nation..

January 5, 2023

Missouri sports betting bill introduced

A bill that would permit sports betting in Missouri has been introduced in the state house as the current legislative session begins.

House Bill 581 was sponsored and introduced on 4 January 2023. It was sponsored by representative Phil Christofanelli.

If passed, the bill would repeal three sections of the current law and enact seventeen new ones related to sports gambling.

The bill would enable land-based casinos to offer sports betting as well as to partner with suppliers to offer sports gambling online.

Number of sports betting operators in Missouri

Each land-based casino can partner up with three online sports gambling brands , with a limit of six online partners for companies that own multiple casinos.

The proposed amendments would also allow Missouri-based sports teams to partner with a digital sports gambling provider to launch an online service. Sports teams to qualify must play in the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, MLS, WNBA or NWSL.

The state has multiple sports teams that would..

January 5, 2023

Massachusetts approves Barstool betting license, but will also investigate brand

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has voted to approve Penn Sports Interactive and its Barstool brand for a sports betting license, but only under certain conditions, including cooperation with an investigation.

The decision followed multiple public meetings between Penn representatives and the MGC where the commissioners grilled the Barstool-operator on several items. Among the topics under discussion was concerns over the Barstool brand and its controversial founder David Portnoy.

In particular, there were questions over the connection between the Barstool Sports, a media organisation founded by Portnoy, and the Barstool Sportsbook, the Penn-owned betting platform.

[Read full story on iGB North America]

January 5, 2023

Genius and SoftConstruct resolve data rights legal dispute

Genius Sports has resolved its legal dispute with BetConstruct subsidiary SoftConstruct over data rights by reaching a joint settlement.

Under the agreement, SoftConstruct will purchase a multi-year licence to supply data from Genius through both its BetConstruct and FeedConstruct channels.

The new licence also will acknowledge Genius’s ownership of database rights.

“Genius invests significant time, resource, and expertise in creating and developing market-leading technology and databases to collect and supply sports data products across the industry,” Genius Sports’ chief commercial officer Jack Davison said.

“We are delighted that the SoftContruct team have recognised this value and we look forward to working in partnership with them as we move forward.”

SoftConstruct’s chief executive Armand Pinarbasi added: “This deal enables us to service our customers with the best data. We can now look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship in the years to come.”

Another Genius dat..

January 4, 2023

Bill proposed in Connecticut to ban greyhound racing

A bill has been proposed in the Connecticut General Assembly that would ban both greyhound racing within the state, as well as stop operators simulcasting racing from out-of-state locations.

Proposed House Bill 5042 – put forward by two Republican and one Democratic legislators – currently has been referred to the committee of public safety and security.

The individuals who proposed the bill are Representative Klarides-Ditria from the 105th district, Representative D’Agostino from the 91st district and Senator Somers from the 18th district.

Read the full story on iGB North America

January 3, 2023

Ohio launches legal sports betting

Legal sports betting has launched in Ohio, with a number of major brands going live on 1 January.

Ohio set out a 1 January 2023 launch date for sports betting in a bill agreed by conference between both houses of its legislature.

Among the operators going live in the state on launch day were national market leaders, FanDuel, BetMGM and DraftKings, European businesses Bet365 and Tipico and startups Betr and Prophet.

Ohio is set to represent a major opportunity to operators and suppliers as the seventh-most populous US state, with 11.8 million residents.

“Today marks a monumental day of growth for both BetMGM and the sports betting industry,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. “Ohio is home to thousands of passionate sports fans, who now have the opportunity to enjoy first-hand the excitement and benefits of wagering with BetMGM.”

Read the full story on iGB North America

January 3, 2023

Top Sport handed another fine in Lithuania

Lithuania’s Gambling Supervisory Authority has issued Top Sport with another fine after it was again found to have breached regulations in the country regarding CCTV at its retail betting facilities.

Top Sport was fined €15,000 (£13,273/$15,854) over the improper installation of a digital video recording system at a betting and slots location in Vilnius.

During an inspection, the Authority found that the image quality of videos was poor and the actions of employees working at the cash desk in the facility were not clearly visible in the footage.

The Authority also said that the way the video cameras were installed meant it was not always possible to see how much money was being paid in by and out to customers.

This, the regulator said, was in breach of Article 15, Paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Lithuanian Law on Gambling.

In addition, the Authority said certain parts of video recording at the betting facility were not saved, which constituted a further breach of regulations, namely P..

December 21, 2022

Industry insiders say New York Times series paints unfair picture

State lawmakers and stakeholders in the gaming industry have taken aim at the New York Times for its critical reporting on the expansion of US sports betting just as the industry met in Las Vegas to discuss best practices related to responsible and problem gaming. By Buck Wargo.

In late November, the New York Times, in a year-long investigation, outlined how the industry lobbied state officials with gifts and contributed millions in campaign donations to spur expansion after the repeal of PASPA in 2018.

The series depicted how ads on television and websites for making bets had become unavoidable and outlined the consequences to public health, taxpayers and the sports world.

The Times wrote that lawmakers gave out tax exemptions, which ultimately subsidised operators’ luring of patrons with free bets and other promotions, and found promises of tax revenue haven’t materialised.

When it comes to responsible gaming, the New York Times said the industry has been “creative in devising wa..

December 19, 2022

Player receives €14,000 in German illegal sports betting reimbursement case

The Köln Regional Court has confirmed that a player has been reimbursed for €14,000 (£12,195/$14,845) after placing bets with unlicensed sports betting operator Brivio Limited.

The plaintiff had participated in sports betting on Vulcanvegas.com between 2020 and 2022. This website is operated by Brivio Limited, which is based in Cyprus.

The plaintiff’s losses were estimated to be €14,000.

Unlike previous cases, which dealt with activity before the Fourth State Treaty on Gambling came into effect in Germany, this case included activity up to 2022.

Brivio Limited did not have a licence to operate before or after the Treaty took effect, meaning that its post-treaty activity was also illegal.

Reimbursement

The court said that the operator had violated the State Treaty on Gambling as it did not have a licence to operate.

The judgement was made by default as Brivio Limited did not defend itself against the lawsuit in court.

As well as being ordered to pay the losses, Brivio Limited m..

November 28, 2022

Kahnawàke council launches legal challenge against Ontario igaming laws

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawàke (MCK) has launched a constitutional challenge against iGaming Ontario and the attorney-general of Ontario, arguing that the province’s regulation of gambling is unconstitutional.

The Council – which runs its own gambling licensing regime – said that the Ontario regime did not meet the requirements for gambling outlined in Canada’s constitution.

As a result, it has filed a motion in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to challenge the legality of Ontario’s igaming framework, which it said was “illegal and unconstitutional”.

Ontario igaming legal status

Commercial betting and gaming are legal in Canada only if it is “conducted and managed” by a provincial government. While in most provinces that offer online gambling, the government runs a monopoly, Ontario instead launched a licensed regime this year, with more than 30 different licensed operators so far.

While a specific definition of conducting and managing is not provided, the Mohawk Council of ..

November 28, 2022

Dutch operators under tax investigation for pre-2021 activities

The Dutch government has published a memo revealing that – as of last year – eight operators were under tax investigation for their activities in the country before it regulated online gambling, with authorities planning to look into seven more.

The memo was dated 28 October 2021 – four weeks after the Dutch online gambling market launched. The memo was written by the Corporate Service for Professional Technology (CD VT) within the Tax and Customs Administration and was sent to “Dutch online gambling companies”.

It was revealed last week following a freedom of information request.

The memo said that – prior to the launch of regulated online gambling – a number of operators made money from the Netherlands that should have been subject to tax, but that these taxes were not paid.

These companies, it said, were in practice based in the Netherlands but on paper were listed as being from other countries in order to escape taxes.

In particular, the companies with unpaid tax bills were t..

November 22, 2022

Industry slams NYT sports betting coverage

On Sunday, the New York Times (NYT) published an article on sports betting lobbying efforts, which has been criticised by industry trade groups and individuals as including “several mischaracterisations”.

Titled “Cigars, Booze, Money: How a Lobbying Blitz Made Sports Betting Ubiquitous”, the article makes the argument that the gambling sector “got their way with lawmakers after showering them with donations, gifts and dubious arguments”.

This assertion has been criticised by a number of US-based trade organisations, who pointed to the already stringent regulatory environment and the industry-wide commitments to responsible gaming.

Criticised by trade bodies

In a statement published on LinkedIn, the American Gaming Association (AGA) said that the NYT had made “several mischaracterisations” in the article, and emphasised that there is a high standard for obtaining gaming licences in the US.

“As unapologetic advocates for our industry, the AGA engages with the New York Times and any..

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Tag: Legal