Licensing Archives

April 4, 2024

Betano set for UK launch through BVGroup

Betano is to launch in the UK market through a partnership between the brand’s owner, Kaizen Gaming and technology provider BVGroup.

Kaizen said the collaboration combines Betano’s global brand recognition with BetVictor owner BVGroup’s proprietary technology and experience as a UK operator. Betano’s entry into the UK market follows its establishment in Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Betano’s move into the UK comes during a year in which it has become an official sponsor of both Uefa Euro 2024 and the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024. The UK site features the Euro 2024 logo, indicating the brand will launch in time for this summer’s European Championships in Germany.

“It is a challenge to enter one of the largest regulated online gaming markets in the world,” said Julio Iglesias Hernando, Kaizen’s chief commercial officer.

“To ensure a successful entry, you need excellent partners. A bit like competing in the Premier League. Finding the right partner has been a top priority for us. Thi..

March 21, 2024

Peru receives 145 licence applications for online gambling in 30 days

Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) received 145 requests for operator licences over the first 30 days after Law no 31557 came into effect.

Law no 31557, which regulates online gaming and sports betting, went into effect on 9 February.

Operators had until 10 March to apply for a licence. Mincetur had warned those already active in the Peruvian market that they could face a fine of up to Sol990,000 (€245,394/£212,401/$257,838) or criminal prosecution if they did not apply.

That initial application process has now closed for companies already active in Peru. The country’s minister of foreign trade and tourism, Juan Carlos Mathews, confirmed 145 requests had been received from both national and international companies. Those not previously in the Peru market can continue to apply.

peru’s sports betting and igaming regulations were approved in october

During the initial 30-day period period, 144 linked service providers were registered with seven international cert..

March 1, 2024

North Carolina issues eight online sports betting licences ahead of launch

With less than two weeks to go until online sports betting goes live in the state, the North Carolina State Lottery Commission has awarded eight interactive sports wagering licences to operators.

Sports betting will launch in North Carolina on 11 March. This is after the state’s governor, Roy Cooper, signed House Bill 347 into law last year.

Among the approved licensees are heavy-hitters such as FanDuel and DraftKings. Fanatics, Bet365, BetMGM, ESPN Bet and Underdog are also set to launch in the state.

Operators who sought approval to offer sports betting in the state had to partner with a sports team, league or venue within North Carolina. That led to a flurry of deals as operators looked to secure entry into the state.

For instance, DraftKings partnered with stock-car racing series Nascar, while BetMGM teamed up with the Charlotte Motor Speedway in the state. ESPN Bet gained entry to North Carolina by signing a major PGA Tour deal to become the official betting operators of the W..

February 16, 2024

Alabama gambling bills passed by the house

Alabama voters are a step closer to deciding whether sports betting will be legalised in the state after a bill was passed by lawmakers.

The Alabama house passed two bills on Thursday which envisage the expansion of commercial gambling in the state.

Bills HB151 and HB152, both sponsored by Representative Chris Blackshear, must still be passed by the state’s upper house. The former, as a constitutional amendment, also requires confirmation by the public and would be added to the ballot in November.

Governor Kay Ivey, who would then have to approve both bills, said in a statement on Thursday that the bills “in their current form” have her support.

“The proposal passed by the house will clean up and crack down on the rampant illegal gambling and will give Alabamians the opportunity to have their say on regulated, limited forms of gaming,” Ivey said.

What the gambling bills include

On Thursday, HB151 was passed 70-32 by the House, with HB152 passed 67-31. The House Economic Developme..

February 13, 2024

Penn to acquire Wynn’s NY sports betting licences, launch ESPN Bet in state

Penn Entertainment has agreed to acquire Wynn Interactive Holdings' New York sports betting licences, clearing the way for Penn to launch ESPN Bet in the state in 2024.

The acquisition gives Penn market access in New York state. As part of the deal, Penn will acquire Wynn Resorts subsidiary Wynn Interactive’s mobile sports wagering licences entity, WSI US, LLC, for $25m (£19.8m/€23.3m).

WSI US, LLC holds the sports betting licences issued to Wynn by the New York State Gaming Commission in 2021.

Upon relevant approvals, Penn will launch ESPN Bet in the state later this year. Penn partnered with ESPN in August last year, in a deal that saw Penn’s Barstool Sportsbook rebranded as ESPN Bet. It then launched across 17 US states in November.

Jay Snowden, CEO and president of Penn Entertainment, said this acquisition will expose ESPN Bet to the most prominent sports betting market in the US.

“This is an important development that will bring ESPN Bet to the largest regulated online ..

January 30, 2024

Caesars agrees tribal deal to launch online sports betting in North Carolina

Caesars Entertainment has announced it will launch mobile sports betting in North Carolina after expanding its relationship with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

The operator is set to go live when North Carolina launches its online sports betting market on 11 March. Ahead of the launch, the Caesars Sportsbook app will start accepting sign-ups and deposits from 1 March.

On 24 January, the North Carolina State Lottery Commission approved the launch date of online sports betting. The market will be live for those aged 21 and over in time for March Madness. Charlotte in North Carolina is set to host some of the tournament’s early-round games.

Caesars already has two land-based locations with the tribe, with Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel in Murphy. As part of the expanded deal, Caesars will now hold exclusive rights to mobile sports wagering at those two casinos, as well as on Eastern Band of Cherokee tribal lands in w..

October 23, 2023

GAN Sports set for Nevada entry

GAN is set to launch its sportsbook services in Nevada after being granted regulatory approval by state authorities.

The North American B2B gambling technology provider – whose board is considering its sale – said it will commence field trial operations of its GAN Sports betting platform with its Nevada customers after the platform is certified and approved.

It expects to launch in the coming months, with the platform to serve both mobile applications and retail sports betting.

Seamus McGill, chairman and interim chief executive, said: “We are very pleased and humbled to have received regulatory approval from the State of Nevada to hold a gaming licence. We are excited that we will be launching our leading-edge GAN Sports product in Nevada in the next few months.

“The Las Vegas Locals market is one of the largest and most recognisable gaming markets in the world and we are incredibly excited to be entering it.

“This is the third state where our B2B sports betting technology and ..

October 11, 2023

Sportradar and Genius slapped with patent suit

Panda Interactive has filed two separate lawsuits in the Texas Eastern District Court accusing Genius Sports and Sportradar of patent infringement.

The suits claim Sportradar and Genius, which are both Panda competitors, implemented the company’s video streaming technology patents without authorisation.

Panda said it had developed several patents in the live data and content streaming verticals. These include technology that allows viewers to see live odds and place a bet while watching sports.

The company say competitors have “widely copied” its patents in the streaming market generally, and even more so in the online sports betting market.

“We have made substantial investments in the development of our technology and cannot tolerate having our patented technology used unfairly by others and against us,” said Panda chairman Donald Schupak.

“No one wants to see their own arsenal used against them in battle.”

Sportradar and Genius accused of patent infringement

The filings also..

September 18, 2023

West Flagler files motion to stay ahead of Supreme Court appeal

West Flagler Associates filed a motion in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit to keep Hard Rock Bet shut down ahead of its appeal to the Supreme Court.

The filing by the two Florida pari-mutuel betting operators is the latest twist in the fraught legal battle questioning whether the Seminole Tribe are permitted to offer statewide online sports betting through their compact with the state.

West Flagler lost its case against secretary of the interior Debra Haaland in June, clearing the compact from federal objections. Following this loss, it appealed for a rehearing, which the court rejected.

In the motion West Flagler confirmed they would be seeking to appeal the case to the Supreme Court, confirming previous speculation.

If the court opts to deny the motion, then the Seminoles could launch online wagering through its Hard Rock Bet platform as early as tomorrow. Despite this, the tribe may prefer to wait and see how the case will proceed in the Supreme Court to remove legal a..

September 14, 2023

Brazil lower house approves gambling bill

Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies has approved the government’s gambling bill, which regulates both sports betting and online casino.

The passage of the bill marks one of the final hurdles in the long journey to regulate online gambling in Brazil, the 10th largest economy in the world.

Bill 3,626/23 – which will replace the provisional measure (PM) president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued in July – was amended several times from the original bill that the rapporteur, deputy Adolfo Viana, presented yesterday.

However, the bill still legalises online casino in addition to sports betting. Betting on fantasy sports will remain illegal due to a specific exemption from the new rules.

deputy adolfo viana presents amended bill

The bill will now head to the Federal Senate, which has 45 days to comment on the bill.

Foreign operators barred from licensing

Unlike the PM, the proposed law excludes foreign companies from offering regulated gambling. Only businesses incorporated under Brazilian ..

September 12, 2023

West Flagler mulls Supreme Court appeal after rehearing denied

After the DC Circuit Court of Appeals denied West Flagler's rehearing motion, the plaintiff will weigh up whether to appeal the matter to the Supreme Court.

In a one-sentence response to West Flagler’s petition the court denied the motion, in the latest twist for the two pari-mutuel betting operators seeking to challenge the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s compact with the State of Florida.

“Upon consideration of appellees’ petition for rehearing en banc, the response thereto, and the absence of a request by any member of the court for a vote, it is ORDERED that the petition be denied,” read the court’s statement.

West Flagler had been seeking an en banc rehearing, meaning the case would be heard by the entire bench of the court, as opposed to the panel of three that ruled in the original case, West Flagler Associates Ltd vs Haaland.

The outcome of the case saw the Seminoles permitted to offer mobile sports betting statewide by confirming the federal legality of the state’s “hu..

September 1, 2023

DOI blasts West Flagler over Florida sports betting rehearing request

The US Department of Interior (DOI) has hit back at West Flagler’s “strawman arguments” over its request for a rehearing in the Florida sports betting case.

In a 25-page response, the DOI criticised the en-banc hearing request by two Florida pari-mutuel betting operators, after the businesses lost their case in the DC Circuit Court challenging the Seminole Tribe’s compact with the State of Florida.

The compact, through its “hub and spoke” model, grants Seminole the exclusive right to offer online sports betting in the Sunshine State. The tribe plans to launch the offering through its Hard Rock Bet brand.

the original ruling cleared the compact’s “hub and spoke” model from federal objections

‘Rehearing is unwarranted’

The department pushed back against the “erroneous assertions” of the pari-mutuels. It argued the compact does not legalise the placing of bets. As evidence, it highlighted that the court’s decision does not prevent the plaintiffs from challenging the compact in the s..

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Tag: Licensing