Regulation round-up 16 June 2015
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (10 June to 16 June 2015)
Great Britain’s Gambling Commission names new CEO
Sarah Harrison has been appointed to succeed long-serving Jenny Williams who stands down in September
Great Britain’s Gambling Commission has named Ofgem senior partner Sarah Harrison (pictured) as its new chief executive, ending a near nine-month search to find a successor to the outgoing Jenny Williams.
In a statement, the Gambling Commission said Harrison would join the regulator on 7 September before assuming full CEO responsibilities on 1 October with Williams set to remain in her role for the next few months in order to ensure a smooth transition.
“I am very pleased to be appointed chief executive of the Gambling Commission, and look forward to the challenges of keeping gambling fair and safe and regulating an industry which is changing rapidly with technology,” Harrison said.
“Working with the staff, industry, stakeholders and partners in government, I welcome the opportunity to build on the strong foundations laid by the Commission over the last decade,” she added.
French trade association calls for urgent market overhaul
The French online gambling trade body Association Francaise de Jeu en Ligne (AFJEL) has called for a review of the country’s legislative framework to happen “as quickly as possible” in order to improve conditions in the heavily taxed market.
AFJEL, whose members include Betclic, Unibet and France Pari, released a report earlier this week on the market’s performance since regulated and highlighted four priorities it claimed could create up to 2,000 new jobs.
The four points include broadening the number of sports betting markets and games available in online poker, the legalisation of online casino gaming, switching taxation from turnover to gross gaming revenue and implementing a more competitive tax structure.
Seven days in regulation:
Italian regulator Rodano abandons IGT move
Italian regulator Francesco Rodano has abandoned plans to join gaming giant IGT and will instead see out the remainder of his contract with the Italian government.
Last month eGR revealed gaming director Rodano was set to leave Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (AAMS) after being offered a role as senior director of market strategies and development at IGT’s London offices.
However, Rodano will now remain in his current position until the end of his fixed-term contract, which runs for at least another 12 months.
Belgian foreign live dealer ban due next month
The Belgian Gaming Commission (Kansspelcommissie) will implement a ban all foreign remote live-casino suppliers from 1 July as its extended compliance deadline for operators comes to an end.
Earlier this year the regulator announced all operators would be required to use only live dealer suppliers based in Belgium and gave operators until the start of February to provide the regulator with details of their dealer set-up.
Kansspelcommissie later extended the deadline date for a total of seven operators, but those which haven’t made the switch by next month could be subject to financial penalties imposed by the regulator.
Dutch media groups agree to advertising blackout
The Dutch regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has reached an agreement with eight of the country’s biggest media companies to ban advertising from unlicensed operators.
Among the media groups agreeing to the deal are Fox Netherlands, RTL Netherlands and the media and marketing division of the Eredivisie, the country’s top football league, with the KSA saying it will look to expand the number of companies in the future.
The deal blocks advertising across print media, radio, TV and online from operators who fail to gain a licence when the Remote Gambling Act passes into law. Currently adverts for online gambling are not sanctioned by the regulator.
Hungarian legislation could face European challenge, says EGBA
Hungary’s online gambling framework is open to a possible European Commission infringement procedure, according to a senior legal advisor at the European Gaming & Betting Association (EGBA).
Earlier this month Hungary notified the Commission of an amendment which maintains the state-owned sports betting monopoly and requires those offering online casino to also have a land-based presence.
And this morning Ekaterina Alexandrova from EGBA said that the Commission would be “consistent in its approach” if it opened an infringement procedure against Hungary over the requirements.
Danish regulator signs agreements with British and French counterparts
The Danish Gambling Authority, Spillemyndigheden, has signed cooperation agreements with its French and British equivalents as it moves towards greater European integration.
The two agreements announced earlier this month with ARJEL and the Gambling Commission cover the “promotion of cross-border cooperation” and the adoption of common principles between the European regulators.
“The agreement, organised in respect of personal data protection rules, will enhance the efficiency of regulation carried out by both authorities in strategic regulatory areas,” Spillemyndigheden said in a statement.