Regulation round-up 25 September 2012
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (19 September to 25 September 2012).
Double blow for OPAP with tax rise and monopoly challenge
Higher than expected levies see share price plunge – new legal opinion says OPAP’s monopoly in Greece pursues an “expansionist commercial policy”.
The share price of Greek operator OPAP fell by almost a fifth after the government confirmed plans to set a new 30% levy on gross earnings from all its games and a flat 10% rate on all player winnings from 1 January 2013.
Meanwhile, in a double blow for OPAP, an advocate general at the European Court of Justice has released an opinion which states that the operator should not be allowed to continue its monopoly in Greece because it is using its protected position to expand.
The hike in taxes was agreed with the European Commission and represents at least a 50% hit on OPAP’s earnings, and comes after a series of complaints from other operators that the Greek tax regime was biased towards OPAP’s monopoly and therefore contravened EU competitiveness laws.
RGA backs OPAP monoploly challenge
Lobby group comes out in support of CJEU Advocate General’s questioning of “manifestly inconsistent” Greek gambling legislation.
Egaming lobby group the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) has come out in support of comments from Jan Mazak, advocate general of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), accusing OPAP of using monopoly status to pursue an “expansionist commercial policy”.
Recalling Mazak’s references to Greek gambling legislation being “manifestly inconsistent,” RGA chief executive Clive Hawkswood explained: “Although it is referring to the old legislation, we welcome the opinion of the Advocate General as it demonstrates once again that this regime was blatantly in breach of EU law.”
The RGA has opposed more recent egaming regulatory proposals in the EU member state, accusing the proposals in October 2011 of being in breach of EU State Aid rules, however these claims were knocked back by OPAP with the operator describing such comments as being “Misleading and exclusively aimed at creating impressions”.
Seven days in regulation:
GameAccount to launch slots in Italy with Eurobet
Software provider GameAccount Network has become one of the first companies to launch slot games for the Italian market in a deal with Eurobet Italia.
Initially launched on an instant play, non-download basis only, the Crown Jewels slot is part of a full suite of casino games along with blackjack and roulette on the operator’s website.
While slots are yet to fully be launched in the dot.it market, a quirk in the country’s legislation means non-spinning slots are already permitted, with GameAccount and Net Entertainment among the first to take advantage of the law and go live in the jurisdiction.
Three more applicants gain Nevada licences
WMS Gaming, American Casino and Entertainment Properties (ACEP) and PokerTrip Enterprises have become the latest recipients of Nevada egaming licences following a meeting of the state’s gaming commission.
PokerTrip is the first affiliate to receive clearance to serve the Silver State’s online poker market, while WMS and ACEP have earned manufacturer/service provider and operator licences respectively.
The approval granted to WMS comes two months after the company – whose background is as a land-based slot machine manufacturer – agreed a deal with 888 to offer the European-facing operator’s poker product to bricks and mortar casinos on an initial freeplay basis, with scope for a real-money transition following the receipt of relevant licences.
Lipparelli to leave Nevada Gaming Control Board
Mark Lipparelli is to step down from his position as chairman of Nevada’s Gaming Control Board at the end of the month.
His departure on 28 September after almost two years in the role has been confirmed, however there is as yet no indication as to what his next move might be.
Since his appointment as chairman of the GCB by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval in January 2011 “ the first change in the panel’s chairmanship since 2001 “ Lipparelli has been an instrumental figure in placing Nevada at the front of the pack in terms of online gambling regulation in the United States.
Former WSOP host Binion’s applies for Nevada licence
Vintage Vegas Gaming, the company that owns the first casino to host the World Series of Poker (WSOP), has become the latest operator to apply for an online poker licence in Nevada.
The firm has filed an application to be an operator, manufacturer and service provider, mirroring the likes of Stratosphere Casino owner American Casino & Entertainment Properties (ACEP) Interactive and Fertitta Interactive who have also applied for all three licences in Nevada. It is unknown whether Vintage Vegas Gaming will build its own online poker platform or partner with a supplier at this stage.
Vintage owns Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel in Las Vegas which hosted the WSOP between 1970 and 2004, when Harrah’s Entertainment, now Caesars Entertainment, won the right to stage the tournament.
Credit card companies will not need Nevada licence
The likes of Visa and MasterCard do not need to apply for an online poker licence in Nevada under changes made to state regulation, while operators will be held responsible for any errors or fraud in payment processing.
Revisions of regulations adopted by the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) last week specify the different service providers which must be licensed for online poker in the state, but these do not apply to credit card companies.
The changes, a draft of which was published earlier this month, define specific classes of service providers which do not operate or maintain software and hardware.