Regulation round-up 15 November 2016
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (9 November to 15 November 2016)
Raise your game or face the penalty, UK operators warned
Gambling Commission CEO says firms must quicken pace at which they are putting customers at heart of business
Operators could have their British licence revoked if they fail to quickly improve the quality of service and protections they provide customers, Gambling Commission chief exec Sarah Harrison has warned.
In a speech given at the Commission’s first Raising Standards Conference in Birmingham yesterday, Harrison said that while she had seen improvements in some standards among operators, they must accelerate the pace at which they were putting consumers at the heart of business decisions.
Harrison highlighted progression in areas such as the development and implementation of harm reduction strategies and gambling management tools for consumers.
“But you need to raise your ambitions and your sights higher,” Harrison insisted.
Australia introduces bill to crackdown on offshore operators
New legislation to combat Australia’s offshore gambling industry was introduced into Parliament today as the federal government continues to crackdown on unlicensed operators.
The Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 was unveiled by Minister for Human Services, Alan Tudge, and aims to clarify rules requiring operators targeting Australian customers to hold a local licence.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will be given new powers to enforce the law, including handing out infringement notices, injunctions and fines of up to AU$1.35m (£0.84m) per day for individuals and $6.75m (£4.2m) for companies.
Seven days in regulation:
UK affiliates face fines over misuse of personal data
Egaming affiliates could face fines of up to £500,000 as part of an investigation by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) into the use of personal data by the industry.
The non-departmental public body today said it was looking into the practices of more than 400 companies and the ways they use personal details to promote egaming sites.
The ICO has written to a number of affiliates to find out how they obtained and are using personal data for marketing texts following reports of spam texts from consumers.
Spanish Q3 egaming revenues climb 22%
Spain’s online gambling market grew 22% year-on-year during Q3 2016 following double-digit growth in casino and sports betting revenues, the country’s regulator has announced.
According to figures from the DGOJ, total gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the three months ended 30 September was 102.9m, up from 84.2m in the same period last year.
Online casino was the standout vertical during the quarter, with revenues increasing 56.7% year-on-year to 28.4m as the vertical continues to benefit from the addition of slots to the market.
Unregulated Swedish market grows 22% in Q3
Gross gaming revenues (GGR) from Swedish offshore operators rose 21.5% during Q3 2016, while Svenska Spel’s double-digit online growth helped grow the regulated market.
According to figures released by the Swedish gaming regulator Lotteriinspektionen, GGR from offshore operators totalled SEK 1.4bn for the period ended 30 September 2016.
State-owned operator Svenska Spel reported a 12% increase in online revenues during Q3 amounting to SEK 457m after previously noting its improved digital performance was driven by sales via mobile devices.
Head of Spanish gambling regulator departs
The head of Spain’s gambling regulator, Carlos Hernandez Rivera, has stepped down from his role after more than four years at the regulatory body, it was announced this weekend.
Hernandez Rivera had worked as director general of La Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) since June 2013 having previously been appointed deputy director general at the Ministry of Finance in April 2012.
Prior to joining the DGOJ, he also worked as a government lawyer at the Spanish National Court.