Regulation round-up 29 April 2014
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (23 April to 29 April 2014)
PartyPoker hit by Google search penalty
PartyPoker has taken a hit to its online visibility with Google no longer ranking the bwin.party poker brand in its related search results, eGaming Review has learned.
Google searches using poker-related terms such as ‘online poker’ or ‘mobile poker’ currently fail to produce any links to the PartyPoker site, and even a search for ‘partypoker’ only returns links to the firm’s .net site.
A spokesperson for bwin.party confirmed to eGR that it was “aware of the situation” and was “working to resolve it”.
“Exciting” South African draft Bill hailed by operators
South Africa’s draft gambling Bill has been welcomed by local operators after the government outlined strict enforcement measures and a potential tax rate of just 6% GGR.
The first draft of the new Bill was published in the South Africa Government Gazette last Wednesday and detailed a range of tough punishments for unlicensed companies designed to deter operators from targeting South African-based customers unlawfully.
It threatens unlicensed operators with 10-year jail terms for first offences, which is doubled for subsequent convictions.
Seven days in regulation:
South Africa to offer unlimited egaming licences
South Africa’s new Remote Gambling Bill will not place a limit on the number of online gambling licences available, but will impose strict penalties for those targeting South African customers without a permit.
Details emerged after the first draft of the Bill was published in the South Africa Government Gazette yesterday by Democratic Alliance shadow minister of trade and industry Geordin Hill-Lewis.
Hill-Lewis proposed no limit on the number of licences issued by South Africa’s ten Provincial Licensing Authorities in order to promote “robust competition” and prevent operators from attempting to operate illegally.
Spanish regulator to hold public slots meeting
The Spanish regulator has scheduled a public meeting for next week in which it is expected to give operators more clarity regarding the impending implementation of slots and exchange betting.
The meeting will take place in Madrid on Tuesday 29 April with the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) set to discuss feedback received following last month’s legislative consultation exercise.
Spanish-licensed operators and network providers have been invited to attend the meeting at the offices of the Taxes Ministry where it is believed the regulator will also shed more light on the timescale involved in the introduction of the new products.
UK regulator monitoring BetButler over payment issues
The UK Gambling Commission has said it is monitoring UK-licensed bookmaker BetButler after having received a number of complaints regarding customer withdrawal problems.
As well as making the regulator aware of the issue, customers have been taking to social media in order to vent their frustration over the delays experienced in their receiving money.
“We are advising customers to continue to engage with BetButler over their withdrawals and be mindful of the advice offered by the Commission in relation to complaints,” a Gambling Commission spokesperson told eGaming Review.
Paddy Power Pistorius ad banned by Irish watchdog
Paddy Power’s ad campaign featuring Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has fallen foul of another regulator, with the Irish watchdog ruling that it should not be used again.
The ad, which was launched to coincide with last month’s Academy Awards, was intended to promote Paddy Power’s market on the result of the South African’s ongoing court case.
Pistorius, who had both his legs amputated at the age of 11, is currently on trial accused of the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Gibraltar fire prompts “urgent review” into infrastructure
The government of Gibraltar has launched an “urgent review” into its telecommunications infrastructure following Sunday’s fire at Waterport Power Station that forced many gambling firms offline.
The incident caused operators including William Hill, Ladbrokes, bwin.party, Stan James and Betfred offline, preventing them from accepting bets during a busy afternoon of sport.
“What I am most concerned about is the apparent failure of additional services, such as parts of the telecommunications infrastructure,” Fabian Picardo, chief minister of the Gibraltar government, told the Gibraltar Chronicle.