Regulation round-up 18 June 2013
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (12 June to 18 June 2013)
Analysis: Dutch incumbents fight on for bigger break
The publication of the Netherlands’ draft egaming regulations brought few surprises last month. The 20% tax rate had been widely speculated, all products were legalised as expected and the 2015 target launch date wasn’t overly aggressive. With estimates of the online market’s value ranging between 140-800m in gross gaming revenue, the opportunity for both incumbent operators and Europe’s leading brands is sizeable.
But while the Dutch opportunity is gradually beginning to take some form, the consultation period is likely to see a couple of major spanners thrown into the works by the existing operators. One such incumbent in real need of uplift in revenues is Holland Casino, the company which, despite having a monopoly in the country, posted losses of 652,000 in 2012. The firm, along with local slot machine operators and lotteries, should in theory be well positioned to take advantage of the regulation. But perhaps not as well as they had hoped.
Seven days in regulation:
Bulgaria draws up blacklist of unlicensed operators
The Bulgarian State Gambling Commission has drawn up a blacklist of unlicensed sites, with a total of 20 operators named on the inaugural list.
A number of leading European brands, including Bet365, Betfair and Ladbrokes are among those to be blacklisted, with players now likely to be blocked from accessing the sites as a result of a mandate passed by the Bulgarian parliament. Sportingbet was also added to the list, despite the operator’s acquisition by GVC Holdings and William Hill.
Denmark moves to tighten bonus legislation
The Danish Gambling Authority (DGA) has moved to enforce stricter controls on player bonuses following a number of cases involving non-compliant promotions in the market.
The regulator has published a series of guidelines, drawn up after consultations with the Danish Online Gambling Association (DOGA), legal firm Horten and Andresen Partners, and industry representatives from Unibet and Betsson. The guidelines are designed to set out “how the Gambling Authority will interpret the bonus provisions” and by extension “which practices the Gambling Authority will regard as being lawful”.
Opinion: A passage to a regulated Indian market
Sports betting is a hot topic in India right now. The final weeks of the IPL were mired by yet another spot fixing scandal and a debate has finally entered the national media over how to deal with this endemic problem. Proper regulation might seem the obvious answer but a number of hurdles face the pro gambling lobby in India.
AGCC sets up US consultancy JV with Spectrum
The Alderney Gambling Control Commission will look to provide services to regulating governments following an agreement with New Jersey-based advisory firm Spectrum Gaming Group.