regulation Archives

April 12, 2024

ASA reiterates ad guidelines ahead of Euro 2024 and warns against targeting minors

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned operators against targeting minors with advertising ahead of the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament.

Euro 2024 gets underway on 14 June, with sports betting activity likely to skyrocket during the tournament in Germany. Ahead of the event, the ASA has reiterated to operators their guidelines on what will be prohibited in their advertising.

The ASA highlighted the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code). The CAP Code stipulates that gambling operators must not feature anybody under the age of 25 in their advertising, including footballers. However, there is an exception for websites where bets can be placed directly.

The ASA also warned that ads mustn’t involve any player deemed to have a strong appeal to those under 18.

ASA reiterates other guidelines

The ASA has cautioned that operators shouldn’t mislead audiences by implying official endorsement from players and teams. The ASA did also sta..

April 12, 2024

Charting Nigeria’s online gambling growth amid regulatory battles

One of the most exciting emerging global online gambling markets is Nigeria, boasting a youthful population that H2 Gambling Capital forecasts to lead it to gross gaming revenue (GGR) of €675.1m (£576.8m/$717.2m) by 2025. With a legal battle over regulation ongoing, though, how exactly is it achieving its success?

Firstly, it’s imperative to note the demographics of Nigeria, which is the most populous country in Africa with well over 200 million inhabitants. According to a report from The Economist, that population is predicted to grow to 400 million by 2050, surpassing the US as the third most-populous country on the planet.

Looking closer at Nigeria’s data reveals a hugely youthful population, with figures from the World Factbook outlining that approximately 41% of people in the country are aged between 14 and under, with the average age of a person in Nigeria just 19 years old.

Taking those demographics aspects into account it’s clear to see why there is excitement over how Niger..

April 11, 2024

Kajuru to lead parliamentary inquiry on Brazil sports betting

Senator Jorge Kajuru has been chosen as the president of a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) on Sports Betting to investigate match-fixing accusations in Brazil sport.

Kajuru, a senator for the Brazilian state of Goiás, will be supported by Senator Eduardo Girão, who will serve as vice-president. Romário, a former footballer who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994 before becoming a senator, will be rapporteur of the CPI.

The CPI will meet weekly and investigate complaints made by players, managers and betting companies. If it finds that games have been manipulated, the CPI will request the court system to ban from football the person responsible.

The CPI was first introduced in December. It will consist of 11 sitting senators, as well as seven substitutes.

“I’m sure that this CPI has some objectives and we will achieve them,” Romário said. “We know the problems that our football has experienced.

“Here are people who definitely want to set the record straight. They want to o..

April 11, 2024

Jdigital labels Spain ad restrictions annulments “very positive” but urges caution

The Spanish Digital Gaming Association (Jdigital) says the Supreme Court’s decision to partially uphold its appeal against Royal Decree 958/2020 is positive for the industry, although it is also calling for further dialogue with the regulator.

On Wednesday (10 March), the supreme court partially upheld a Jdigital appeal. The ruling annulled several measures included in the Royal Decree 958/2020, which entered into force in November 2020. The supreme court deemed a number of articles in the Royal Decree to lack the necessary legal basis.

Among the overturned measures was article 13, which relates to targeted advertising towards new customers. Operators will again be able to market to players who have had an account for less than 30 days. They will also be able to advertise in establishments with public accessibility and designated for the sale of lottery games.

The supreme court’s ruling also means that celebrities can appear in advertising again. Additionally, the ban on gambling ad..

April 10, 2024

Spain Supreme Court overturns gambling ad restrictions

Spain’s Supreme Court has partially upheld a Spanish Digital Gaming Association (Jdigital) appeal against Royal Decree 958/2020, with restrictions such as bans on celebrity advertising annulled.

The Spanish Royal Decree 958/2020 entered into force in November 2020. The regulations looked to reduce minors’ exposure to gambling advertising in Spain by banning aspects such as sponsorship deals with operators.

The measures faced backlash from the industry, with the Spanish Digital Gaming Association (Jdigital) launching an appeal against the Royal Decree. This appeal was rejected in November 2023 by the Spanish Constitutional Court.

In reviewing the law, however, the Supreme Court has now annulled several of the measures outlined in the Royal Decree, partially upholding the appeal.

As a result, multiple measures have been overturned, including article 13, which relates to targeting advertising towards new customers.

This means that Spanish operators will be allowed to market to playe..

April 10, 2024

France regulator ANJ notes “significant progress” in problem gambling prevention

L'Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), the gambling regulator in France, has noted “significant progress” in reducing problem gambling in its review of operators’ action plans.

Since a 2019 ordinance, all operators in France must submit an annual plan to prevent “excessive” and underage gambling. The ANJ then reviews those action plans. The aim is to increase dialogue between operators and the regulator on the issue.

The ANJ observed that the market has made palpable progress on preventing excessive gambling. Actions have been taken to raise awareness, such as messages to players and dashboards.

Protection standards for identification and support for problem gamblers has increased. The number of at-risk players identified and then supported has risen. The majority of operators implementing improved support measures and excluding players who have been identified as most vulnerable to commercial rewards has also gone up.

ANJ: Problem gambling still too high in France

fdj submitte..

April 8, 2024

Belgium report warns of impact of over-regulation on channelisation

A report from Belgium-based operator Gaming1 has highlighted concerns over the effect of over-regulation on channelisation.

On 1 July 2023, Belgium introduced a near total ban on gambling advertising. This was after a consortium of sports teams and gaming operators were defeated in a last-ditch legal bid challenging the royal decree.

The ban faced backlash, with Belgium gambling trade body Bago highlighting the government’s decision to act against the advice of the country’s Gambling Commission when imposing the ban.

Gaming1’s report has now outlined the impact of the royal decree on channelisation towards legal operators in Belgium.

Gaming1 pointed to surveys conducted by Nepa in 2023. The studies found a 6% rise in online players using an illegal website in the past three months following the royal decree, as well as a 4% increase on deposits made on illegal gaming websites.

In its report, Gaming1 highlighted the results of two major studies. The first from the Belgian Gaming Co..

April 5, 2024

PNR Tecnologia and Lema request Loterj accreditation amid IBJR criticism

PNR Tecnologia and Lema have become the latest gambling companies to seek accreditation from the Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (Loterj), which is coming under fire from the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR).

On Wednesday (3 April), PNR Tecnologia delivered documentation seeking to operate sports betting and online games with Loterj accreditation. On Friday (5 April), Lema visited the Loterj headquarters.

This was to carry out a proof of concept and evaluate its compliance with Loterj regulations. This was after Lema had previously presented its platform to operate sports betting and ilottery in March.

In March, Caesars Sportsbook-licensee BIG Brazil announced it was looking for Loterj accreditation to offer both sports betting and lottery. Loterj has since been criticised for its attempts to operate in Brazil outside its state of Rio de Janeiro.

PNR Tecnologia director Yuri William threw his support behind Loterj’s initative. He stated: “Loterj has a lot to add to t..

March 28, 2024

GST leaves India out of its depth

The decision to impose a 28% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on turnover in India delivered a blow to a burgeoning, exciting gaming market overnight. But with so much industry pushback, and attempts to stay GST-related court orders, can India turn back the tide on GST?

Dust off your time machine and travel back to 1867, when India’s Public Gaming Act was enacted.

This piece of legislation regulated some forms of gambling with extremely strict parameters. It legalised lotteries and horse racing but banned the operation of public gaming houses. At the time, anyone caught running a public gaming house faced a fine of ₹200.

Obviously, the original legislation couldn’t have taken online gaming into account. This left the practice in a state of uncertainty, despite a ready-and-waiting base of gambling and sports fans.

In more recent years, attempts have been made to legalise both online gambling and sports betting. In 2016, the Supreme Court backed calls for legalised betting, referring to..

March 25, 2024

India government cracks down on celebrities advertising offshore gambling

India’s ministry of information and broadcasting has warned celebrities and influencers against advertising offshore online operators on social media, stating they could face penal action for doing so.

The ministry’s advisory explained that those with influence in India are prohibited from advertising illegal gambling operators in a surrogate manner. Those who do risk facing “rigorous scrutiny”.

Under the current system, the Indian government can issue notifications to intermediaries such as social media platforms to remove access to posts advertising illegal operators.

Beyond that, celebrities and influencers could also face proceedings under the 2019 Consumer Protection Act. This could lead to social media accounts being disabled, while further penal action can also be administered under applicable statutes.

The advisory highlighted the “significant financial and socio-economic implications of online betting” as reasons not to promote offshore operators.

CCPA warns celebrities o..

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 15, 2024

ATG calls on banks to help combat “worrying” Sweden channelisation rates

Aktiebolaget Trav och Galopp’s (ATG) channelisation report for Q4 has shown a continuation of worsening channelisation rates in Sweden.

ATG’s report estimated channelisation rates for gaming to be between 69%-82% in Sweden during Q4. This falls well behind the Swedish’s government’s target of 90% channelisation to legal operators.

The channelisation rate has fallen since the third quarter of 2023. ATG believes there is little sign of the trend being halted.

ATG found visitor traffic to unlicensed operators has increased tenfold since 2019. The research also highlights that out of 20 unlicensed sites with the highest Q4 visitor traffic, 19 shared the same platform providers as licensed operators.

Additionally, of the 20 black-market sites included in the report, none were on the Swedish regulator Spelinspektionen’s banned list.

“It is a very worrying development and our investigation shows that more still needs to be done to keep the unlicensed companies away,” ATG chief executive ..

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Tag: regulation