Regulation round-up 12 June 2012
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (6 June to 12 June 2012).
Schleswig-Holstein licences under threat
Seven licences could be cancelled just a month after being awarded after the state’s new coalition government declared its intentions to seek a return to the country’s controversial state treaty.
Licences in Schleswig-Holstein are under threat of being cancelled just a month after being awarded after the state’s new coalition government declared its intentions to seek a return to the country’s controversial state treaty, sources close to the matter have told eGaming Review.
Following their narrow election victory two weeks ago over Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) three of Germany’s political parties have formed a coalition in order to assume overall control and agreed a return, “in principle”, to the state treaty.
The Social Democrats, Green party and South Schleswig Voter Federation that represents the area’s Danish speaking population outlined their proposals earlier this week. According to local legal sources this included a paragraph stating the coalition would look to join the state treaty alongside the country’s other 15 Länder and examine options to “dispose of licences without being liable” for any compensation from the seven existing licensees.
The translated statement read: “The government aims to put in place gambling regulation which is harmonised across all Länder and to join the State Treaty on gambling. The government will examine how the SH gambling law may be repealed without giving rise to compensation claims and how it may be possible to amend the [Schleswig Holstein] gambling law in line with competition law in order to stop the issuing of licenses.”
Online slots to launch in Italy
Italian regulator AAMS has opened up the licensing process for operators to apply for approval to operate online slots in the market, with the first firms to go live on two fixed dates at the beginning of December.
In new guidelines released by AAMS today, the regulator explains the launch of online slots will be “limited to the first (3rd) and third Monday (17th) of December 2012,” and from January 2013, companies will be able to launch the first working day after securing approval.
The decision to set a fixed launch date mirrors the regulation of cash poker and online casino, both of which were approved in February 2011, but did not launch until July of the same year. This was seen as a way of ensuring all operators had a period to prepare for the launch and to avoid giving large European operators a competitive advantage over their Italian counterparts.
Opinion: Italian slots finally get green light
Giulio Coraggio of DLA Piper Italy examines the motives behind the Italian regulator’s decision to legalise online slots, and discusses the effect the launch will have on already-declining licensed products.
With most of the online operators focused on Spain, Italy might have felt a bit neglected and AAMS did not miss the opportunity to bring back the light on them adopting the major regulatory change of this year.
Following considerable delays, AAMS authorized operators to file applications to have online slots approved. However, in order to avoid first movers having a considerable advantage over other operators, they set a 3 December launch date.
Gambling Commission considering social gaming regulation
The UK Gambling Commission has reportedly launched an investigation into social gaming, examining whether the sector should be regulated in a similar fashion to real-money gambling.
Financial news site This is Money reports that amounts spent by players on virtual currency, with no way of verifying player age, has prompted the Commission’s move, with its corporate affairs manager John Travers telling the site: “The key question is, is it gambling or not?
“We are monitoring developments and assessing any wider implications for licensing objectives,’ he explained, saying that social gaming was “at the perimeter” of current legislation.
Seven days in regulation:
Italian regulator resigns
The Director General of the Italian gambling regulator Amministrazione autonoma dei monopoli di Stato (AAMS) Raffaele Ferrara has resigned from his role, sources in Italy have confirmed to eGaming Review, amid reports that he has requested to be moved to a different department within the country’s Ministry of Finance.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that a number of operators had complained about Ferrara’s management of AAMS, though it is unclear whether this is linked to his decision to step down.
Ferrara leaves after almost four years with AAMS, overseeing the expansion of the Italian egaming market including the regulation of new products such as cash poker and casino games, with a ministerial decree for the legalisation of exchange betting approved by the European Commission late last month. AAMS is yet to make an official announcement on Ferrara’s departure or replacement, and a spokesman for the regulator declined to comment when contacted by eGR.
Bally recommended for Nevada’s first online licence
Bally Technologies has received a recommendation from the Nevada Gaming Control Board (GCB) for the first online gaming licence in the US.
The GCB’s recommendation on Wednesday was unanimous and is scheduled to be reviewed by the Nevada Gaming Commission on 21 June, when a final decision will be made.
The licence would enable the company to provide online operations for licensed land-based casinos in Nevada to offer internet poker.
Hills and IGT receive Nevada recommendations
William Hill and International Game Technology (IGT) have become the latest Nevada licence applicants to have their applications recommended for approval by the Silver State’s Gaming Control Board (GCB) following separate hearings last night.
The two parties follow Bally in receiving approval from the GCB, with the gaming machines manufacturer announcing yesterday that it had become the first to pass this step in the licensing process.
Both Hills and IGT will now go before the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) at its June 21 meeting, which is also when the application from Bally will be discussed.
Nevada Gaming Policy Committee set for online poker discussion
The Nevada Gaming Policy Committee will hold its next meeting this Thursday in Las Vegas, in which it will discuss the future of online poker in the Silver State.
It is the third time the committee has met since being revived by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval in November after a hiatus of more than 20 years.
Among the speakers at the forthcoming meeting is Frank Fahrenkopf, president and chief executive of the American Gaming Association (AGA), who will give a presentation on the nationwide gaming industry.
California exchange betting delayed until 2013
Betfair’s plans to open a betting exchange in the US have been scuppered after the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) delayed a vote on whether to allow the product until next year.
The delay represents a blow to Betfair, which acquired horse racing TV and wagering network TVG for US$50m in 2009 with a view to launching a betting exchange in California as soon as it became legal to do so. It had anticipated being given the green light this year.
A spokesman for Betfair said the company was “extremely disappointed” with the decision of the TOC board.
California introduces amended online poker bill
California politicians have amended their egaming bill in an attempt to appease the state’s tribes and regulate online poker to the Golden State this year.
Following a number of influential tribal groups and card rooms voicing their opposition to SB 1463 the bill’s sponsors, Senators Roderick Wright and Darrell Steinberg, removed the provision to allow non-poker games after two years and limited licence applicants to casinos and card rooms which already offer poker.
Spanish poker networks begin to take shape
Three of the leading poker network providers have revealed the makeup of their Spanish-facing operations in the week the country’s General Directorate of Online Gaming (DGOJ) began awarding egaming licences.
GTECH G2 has announced the launch of the Spanish Poker Network (SPN) with members including land-based operator Orenes and Gaming Media Group brand PokerHeaven.
Sportingbet Serbia deal precursor to market opening, JAKTA claims
The Serbian association of operators, technicians and games manufacturers (JAKTA) has backed Sportingbet’s partnership with the country’s national lottery Državna lutrija Srbije (DLS), claiming it will act as a precursor to the opening of the licensing process for private operators.
Speaking to eGaming Review, JAKTA president Mirjana Acimovic explained that despite protests from the Serbian Association of Gambling Providers (UPIS), the lottery was within its rights to select Sportingbet to provide its pre-match and in-play betting platform under the terms of the “Right to Organise Games of Chance over the Internet’ “ an act passed through the country’s parliament in 2004 giving Državna lutrija Srbije the exclusive right to offer egaming products in the market. Under the terms of Article 22 of the act, the State Lottery has “the right to engage another corporate body to operate internet gambling games,” according to Acimovic.
NeoGames awarded Danish licence
Online scratchcard business NeoGames is poised to enter the Danish market after being awarded an operator’s licence in the jurisdiction.
The company, which signed a licensing deal with CryptoLogic in February this year, claims to have already signed deals with media and marketing companies with a view to launching a Danish-facing website.