Regulation Round-Up 29 November 2011
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (23 November to 29 November 2011).
Belgium to draw up 100-site blacklist next year
Unlicensed sites such as bwin, with a significant Belgian player base, are likely to be main targets of the crackdown.
The Belgian Gaming Commission (BGC) will begin drawing up a blacklist of unlicensed sites in the new year with a view to imposing fines on “[P]ersons and operators facilitating illegal games of chance”.
This follows the finalisation of agreements with internet service providers and banking institutions, meaning the first 10 names on the list will be revealed at the same time as the country issues its first wave of official online licences.
Peter Naessens, head of the regulatory unit at the BGC, has told eGaming Review that banks and ISPs are being encouraged to end their professional relationships with unlicensed sites and, if necessary, open up new relationships with the eight sites currently licensed in the EU member state.
The commission currently estimates that between 30-40,000 Belgian players are using licensed sites, compared to 150,000 using unlicensed sites, however initially only those sites with a high number of Belgian customers will be targeted.
Exclusive: Swedish egaming legislation unlikely before 2014, minister admits
Sweden is unlikely to agree a framework for a regulated online gambling market until 2014 at the earliest, eGaming Review understands.
An announcement regarding potential online gambling legislation was expected to be made at the pelmarknadsansvaret 2011 (Gambling Social Responsibility), conference, held in Stockholm yesterday.
Johanna Lybeck Lilja, state secretary for the Ministry of Finance, revealed that consumer power and social issues were the key stumbling blocks, rather than financial reasons, and that the government planned to “come back” to the issue.
Gustaf Hoffstedt, Nya Moderaterna Party MP for Gotland, told eGaming Review that a decision to regulate the Swedish market is now unlikely until the end of the current government’s four-year term in 2014.
Seven days in regulation:
Exclusive: Morten Rønde new DOGA chief executive
Former legal advisor to the Danish Gambling Authority (DGA) Morten Rønde has been appointed as the chief executive of the newly-formed Danish Online Gambling Association (DOGA), eGaming Review can exclusively reveal.
Rønde left his position as legal advisor on Tuesday after 11 years with the DGA to join the Remote Gambling Association-backed lobby group, whose formation was announced last week.
Its founding members are Unibet, Bet365, Betfair and Sportingbet, with former Danish monopoly Danske Spil the latest operator to join. The organisation will have its inaugural meeting on 29 November to finalise the group’s structure and by-laws.
Exclusive: Danske Spil calls for operator bodies to unite
The CEO of the Danish gambling monopoly has denied joining the country’s new online lobby group and urged it to merge with competing organisation the Danish Gaming Association (DanGaming).
Following Morten Rønde’s announcement that Danske Spil had become the latest operator to join the Danish Online Gambling Association (DOGA), CEO Hans Christian Madsen this morning denied the claim, and called on DOGA to merge with competing operator body DanGaming.
RGA and EGBA challenge Greek legislation
The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) and the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) have filed a complaint with the European Commission regarding the “protectionist” Greek online gambling legislation, criticising a number of “anti-competitive and unjustified restrictions” being placed on operators looking to enter the market.