Regulation round-up 26 June 2012
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (20 June to 26 June 2012).
William Hill granted Nevada gaming licence
CEO Ralph Topping says it is a “privilege” to be first UK company to be licensed in the US.
William Hill has been awarded a licence to operate in Nevada after the state’s Gaming Commission unamimously supported its application at a hearing in Las Vegas today.
The operator has been waiting for approval in the Silver State ever since it agreed to spend US$55m on deals to acquire three Nevada-facing sportsbooks last year. The acquisitions were dependent on it obtaining a licence.
Speaking to eGaming Review last night, Hills’ CEO Ralph Topping (pictured), said getting the licence had been a “long process”. “I started filling in the forms on the day of the Royal Wedding – I started at 7am and finished at 11pm. It is a privilege to be the first UK business licence in the US.”
Approval will see Hills create a Nevada-based subsidiary William Hill U.S. Holdco Inc., under which land-based, online and mobile operations will be consolidated.
IGT and Bally receive Nevada online poker licences
Gaming machine suppliers IGT and Bally have today become the first companies to receive licences to offer real money online poker in Nevada.
Both will now undergo stringent technology and systems testing by the state’s Gaming Control Board before going live later this year.
The providers will act as interactive gaming system manufacturers and service providers, offering land-based casinos a B2B online poker solution.
Seven days in regulation:
Head of Bulgarian gambling body accused of assault
The chair of Bulgaria’s State Commission for Gambling Control Kaloyan Krastev has been accused of assaulting a member of his staff at a time when he was overseeing a redundancy drive in which 30 people have been let go from the authority since his appointment in 2010.
One of his former employees, a Mr Presian Stoev who spent nine years working for the Commission as an expert on land-based gambling regulation, verified the accusations, following an incident which saw Stoev suffer bruising around his head and neck, and scratches on his arms.
Nevada online poker hopefuls to hear fate
The first licences to provide online poker in the US could be awarded later today as IGT and Bally Technologies’ applications are heard by Nevada’s Gaming Commission.
In the same hearing, set to start at 10am PST, British bookmaker William Hill will also learn whether it will be able to operate both on and offline in the Silver State while a positive outcome would also allow the UK company to complete its acquisition of three Nevada-based sportsbooks.
Fabulous Bingo ad banned by ASA
Fabulous Bingo, one of Gamesys’ bingo white-labels launched with newspaper publisher News International, has seen its recent television advertisement banned by the Advertising Standards Authority.
The ad, which involves “[an] initially dowdy-looking character [being] transformed into a glamorous-looking model,” after signing up to a Fabulous Bingo account, was ruled to have “Directly linked the online bingo game with enhanced attractiveness.”