Sports betting regulation Archives

November 22, 2023

Brazil sports betting tax rate set at 12% as attempt to remove igaming fails

A reduced 12% tax rate for Brazil sports betting was confirmed after the country's Economic Affairs Commission (CAE) approved Bill 3,626/23 today (22 November) while an attempt to remove igaming from the legislation was rebuffed.

The approval of the bill text by the CAE greenlights the bill to go to the Senate plenary. The Senate plenary vote will take place on 29 November, during which sports betting – alongside igaming – could be given the all-clear in Brazil.

If the Senate alters the bill text, it will go back to the Chamber of Deputies for review. The lower chamber approved Bill 3,626/2023 in September.

However it faced opposition from senators including Eduardo Girão and Carlos Portinho. Attempts to remove igaming from the legislation also failed during today’s session, after online casino was unexpectedly added to the sports betting bill in September.

The vote was set to take place yesterday before it was postponed by the CAE. According to the Senate agency on Senado Not..

November 21, 2023

Nearly half of German players still using black market, says study

A new study from the University of Leipzig has warned that close to half of all online gambling in Germany still takes place with unlicensed operators.

The study was commissioned by the German Online Casino Association (DOCV) and the German Sports Betting Association (DSWV). It was authored by economist Gunther Schnabl of the University of Leipzig.

The report states that the State Treaty on Gambling, which came into force in July 2021, is missing its key target of ensuring that all online gaming takes place on licensed sites.

As a result, the DOCV and DSWV have called on Germany’s gambling regulator (GGL) to make regulated casinos a more competitive proposition. The GGL came about as a result of the Fourth State Treaty.

The study: in numbers

The study defines an illegal site as being based on several key criteria. The first is that the offer can be reached from a German IP address, without using a VPN. The second is that the offer is available in German and the third is that, wh..

November 20, 2023

GC’s Andrew Rhodes walks the tightrope on affordability checks

Fifty-year UK industry veteran, David Brown, evaluates the tightrope being walked by the Gambling Commission on affordability checks.

During the “largest ever gathering of industry leaders” on 10 November, Andrew Rhodes, the Gambling Commission’s (GC) chief executive, attempted to walk the tightrope on affordability checks.

The story of affordability checks has created the most united front between punter, racing media and bookmaker that the UK has seen.

To his credit, we can certainly say that Rhodes has arguably done more to bring the industry together than anyone ever before.

However, that united front is now against him and the Gambling Commission, especially following his speech on 8 November.

The challenge that the GC now faces is the need to balance player protection while keeping the industry sustainable.

The speech: what went wrong

Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes has a tightrope to walk WITH AFFORDABILITY CHECKS

The GC has a precarious tightrope to walk. Howev..

November 13, 2023

Kenya Gambling Control Bill 2023 proposes new regulator and sweeping reform

Kenya has introduce a Gambling Control Bill in an effort to establish a new Gambling Regulatory Authority.

The Gambling Control Bill 2023, currently before parliament, establishes a new Gambling Regulatory Authority. Once approved, it will replace the current Betting, Control and Licensing Board (BCLB).

KENyA GAMBLING CONTROL BILL 2023 TO INTRODUCE NEW AUTHORITY

Incorporating the board’s present mandate, the new Authority will also be responsible for both licensing and regulation.

“The bill seeks to regulate betting, casinos and other forms of gambling, including the authorisation of prize competitions, public lotteries and media promotions,” the bill states.

The state-backed Gambling Control Bill is sponsored by National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah.

Cracking down on unlicensed and underage gambling

The newly-introduced Gambling Control Bill is designed to greatly enhance the board’s original mandate.

This follows previous statements in 2022 that the majorit..

October 30, 2023

Tribal sports betting ballots filed in California

Two ballot initiatives that would give tribes exclusive rights to offer retail and online sports betting in California have been filed with the state's attorney-general.

Both ballots name Reeve Collins, co-founder and CEO of Pala Interactive, as the contact for media inquiries. Pala Interactive was founded by the Pala Band of Mission Indians in 2013 and was acquired by Boyd Gaming in November 2022.

The ballots were submitted on 27 October.

One of the proposed ballots, entitled The Sports Wagering Regulation and Tribal Gaming Protection Act, gives full detail as to how sports betting would work under tribes in California. Amending Article IV, section 19 of the California constitution, the proposal would mandate tribes to submit 15% of its adjusted sports wagering gross gaming revenue (GGR) into the tribal sports wagering revenue sharing trust fund.

Tribes would also have to contribute 10% of their adjusted sports wagering GGR into the California homelessness and mental health f..

October 19, 2023

North Carolina sports betting rules outline pick’em ban

The North Carolina State Lottery Commission's (NCSLC) Sports Betting Committee has published its proposed sports betting rules – which would include a ban on pick'em-style daily fantasy sports (DFS) games.

The state’s Sports Betting Committee instigated the rulemaking process on the proposed rules on 17 October. It also opened up a process to accept public comments on the rules, which will close on 1 November.

Sports betting was officially legalised in North Carolina after its governor, Roy Cooper, signed House Bill 347 into law in June. This came after a number of attempts to bring sports betting to the Tar Heel State, which had increased in the months leading up to the June signing.

The bill stipulated that North Carolina had to publish its sports betting regulations before 8 January 2024. The state must also authorise all sports betting operators to start taking wagers by 14 June 2024.

Now, North Carolina joins a number of recent states – including New York – in turnin..

October 17, 2023

G2E 2023: Like Covid never happened

The dog days of the pandemic feel long in the past and the gaming industry was in a bullish mood at G2E 2023, Buck Wargo writes. Despite potential economic headwinds, international expansion and high hopes for igaming mean many left Las Vegas with the sense the industry is in good health.

It was like the pandemic never happened.

The Global Gaming Expo returned to Las Vegas last week, upbeat and optimistic about igaming’s future.

The industry faces headwinds in the coming months from the US economy and a potential Culinary Union strike in Las Vegas, but attendees at the show remained positive.

G2E attracted more than 25,000 people over its four days, just shy of 2019’s record 27,000 turnout. Attendance continued to bounce back after 2020’s cancelled event and a 2021 edition that drew only 13,000 delegates.

A greater return of international visitors and exhibitors – more than 125 countries were represented – helped boost attendance numbers. There were 368 exhibitors, up from 350 a y..

October 11, 2023

Episode 22: A home run for sports betting in Missouri?

On the 22nd episode of the World Series of Politics, Brendan Bussmann and Robin Harrison are joined by Mike Whittle, senior vice-president and general counsel of the St Louis Cardinals, to discuss the development of sports betting in Missouri.

Multiple attempts to legalise sports betting in Missouri have fallen flat over the years. Two of the most recent attempts involved Senate Bill 30 and House Bill 556, which progressed somewhat before being struck down or fizzling out.

But change could be on the horizon. The St Louis Cardinals is part of a coalition of professional sports teams in Missouri that filed new petitions last month to bring sports betting to the Show-Me state.

“We’ve been trying and using our best efforts to move this thing along in the legislative process for some time now,” says Whittle. “It was pretty much on the league level initially to push it in the early years.

The St Louis Cardinals, along with other professional sports teams, filed petitions in Missouri last..

September 28, 2023

Envisioning a world beyond bonuses

With the industry’s most tried-and-tested incentives being curtailed by regulators across Europe, many operators are looking at new ways to attract and retain players. Among the alternative options being considered is free fantasy football, writes Jacob Kalms, CEO and co-founder of 20Shots.

Bonuses have long been one of the most relied-upon tools in online gambling operators’ armoury, and with good reason.

There’s no denying that bonuses are a proven way to both attract and retain players. But across Europe, rightly or wrongly, there seems to be a growing view among regulators that they might be working a bit too well for gambling companies and that this is to the detriment of players.

We’ve already seen countries such as Spain, Sweden and Denmark bring in restrictions on what bonuses operators can offer. France indicated last year that it intends to follow suit. The publication of the UK government’s Gambling Act review white paper, and now the Gambling Commission’s ongoing consult..

September 27, 2023

Waterhouse VC: Ordem e progresso

In his latest column, Tom Waterhouse of Waterhouse VC analyses the burgeoning sports betting market in Brazil after the country's recent regulation.

“Order and Progress”– The national motto of Brazil, inscribed on the Brazilian flag.

The motto is an allegory for Brazil’s new reforms to regulate the country’s US$1.5bn (£1.23bn/€1.41bn) wagering industry.

With 214 million people and 217 indigenous languages in addition to Portuguese, Brazil is a large and complex market. It is also one of the largest online sports betting markets in the world, with 42.5 million unique users. Wagering operators are generating significant revenues in Brazil by leveraging influencer marketing and numerous sports sponsorship deals.

Brazil’s historic and forecasted wagering revenue across online casino, online lottery and online sports betting. Source: Statista

Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies recently passed a gambling regulation act. This act allows online gaming and omnichannel wagering, with operato..

September 14, 2023

Sweden gambling regulator nets funding boost

Sweden’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, is set for a funding boost to ensure it meets Europe-wide commitments to counter match-fixing.

The government plans to increase Spelinspektionen’s (SGA) budget over the next three years. It is to receive SEK10.8m ($970K/€900K/£780K) in increased funding in 2024. It will then receive SEK15.6m in 2025 and SEK18.6m in 2026.

The grant will ensure Sweden meets the requirements of the Macolin Convention of the Council of Europe regarding the manipulation of results in sports, the government said.

The increased budget will also assist the body in restricting illegal gambling, with plans unveiled to work more closely with the Finansinspektionen financial supervisory authority.

The government intends to propose an increase in Finansinspektionen’s allocation by SEK4.5m starting in 2024. This cash will strengthen the authority’s cooperation with SGA in order to block payments to illegal gambling operations.

The proposals are based on an agreeme..

September 8, 2023

Iowa athletes plead guilty to reduced charges

Five current or former Iowa State athletes have submitted guilty pleas to underage gambling as part of a state investigation into sports betting.

The pleas by quarterback Hunter Dekkers and offensive lineman Jake Remsburg, plus former players Dodge Sauser and Aaron Blom and ex-ISU baseball player Gehrig Christensen, were to reduced charges of underage gambling.

The original charge collectively dropped for the quintet – tampering with records – would have carried a maximum penalty of two years in prison. However, each athlete will now pay a $645 fine. None will face further criminal action.

Reduced charges

“The original records tampering charge against these young men never fit this case, either legally or factually,” attorney Mark Weinhardt, who represents Dekkers, Remsburg and Sauser, said in a statement.

“Hunter, Jake and Dodge are not and never were guilty of that charge. The charge has nothing to do with gambling. Other than the fact that Hunter, Jake and Dodge placed some bet..

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Tag: Sports betting regulation