Regulation round-up 3 June 2014
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (28 May to 3 June 2014)
Bet365 makes Bulgarian play with licence submission
Operator looks to enter newly re-regulated market after submitting application to local regulator
Bet365 has submitted an application for a Bulgarian operating licence to the local regulator as it looks to re-enter the newly re-regulated market, eGaming Review has learned.
If approved, bet365 would become the biggest licensed sportsbook operator in the country and see the company’s domains removed from Bulgaria’s State Commission on Gambling’s blacklist.
Bet365 would also become the sixth egaming licence holder in the ring-fenced Bulgarian market, joining most notable incumbents Betfair and PokerStars who both gained permits earlier this year following changes to the country’s tax requirements.
On 1 January 2014, Bulgaria moved from a tax regime based on a 15% levy on stakes to a more attractive 20% rate applied to gross gaming revenues.
Coral ad banned for seduction link
Coral Interactive has been forced to withdraw a TV advert by the Advertising Standards Association (ASA) after the watchdog found it guilty of linking “gambling to seduction”.
The 30-second ad featured an “attractive” female character dressed in a jockey outfit who enters a barber’s shop as two men prepared to place a bet via the Coral app on their mobile phones.
The character attracts the attention of the shop’s staff and customers, closes a man’s gaping jaw with her whip, holds a sign displaying the latest odds and touched a customer’s phone with her whip before leaving the premises.
Seven days in regulation:
New California internet poker bill expected this week
A single streamlined internet poker bill could be ready to submit to the California legislature as early as this week, boosting the chance of progress in the current legislative session.
A group of the state’s most influential tribes, including coalitions led by San Manuel and Pechanga, met last week to put the finishing touches to draft legislation.
The meeting focussed on the licensing of subcontractors and parameters of eligible entities, and comes after the tribes reached consensus on some of the main sticking points last week, including the number of branded sites a licensee could offer.
Pennsylvania internet poker bill expected in weeks
New legislation which proposes the regulation of online poker but omits casino games will be introduced in Pennsylvania this month, according to a senior politician in the state.
State Senator Edwin Erickson announced his intention to submit his bill “ SB 1386 “ to the legislature “in the coming weeks” on the Pennsylvania State Senate website.
The poker-only bill would award online licences to the state’s existing land-based casino operators with licence fees set at US$5m each and taxes at 14% of gross gaming revenue.
Poll results: Universal self-exclusion is inevitable
UK-facing operators will have to get to grips with the operational challenges of an inevitable universal self-exclusion scheme, the majority of respondents to last week’s eGaming Review poll say.
eGR revealed in April that the UK Gambling Commission was working on a scheme that would enable customers to block themselves from all UK licensed sites at once through a single UK licensee, effectively preventing them from legally betting online.
Such a scheme would require close coordination from all UK licensees, but 60% of respondents considered its introduction to be an inevitable move as part of the Commission’s recent efforts to improve responsible gambling measures.