Regulation round up 7 August 2012
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (1 August to 7 August 2012).
California: one month to save egaming future
Legislative session ends on 31 August “ discussions between tribes and bill’s sponsors continue.
California’s hopes of joining Nevada and Delaware as the only states to pass online gambling legislation rest on just one month of negotiations, as politicians and stakeholders continue to work towards a deal.
Since online poker bill SB 1463 was dramatically pulled from the Senate Governmental Organisation Committee by its primary sponsor Senator Rod Wright in June, talks have continued behind the scenes “ and many feel that progress is being made.
But with just 31 days to go, time is running out. If the legislature is to pass an internet poker bill, acceptable amendments need to be filed before the Senate reconvenes on August 6. Wright will then have 20 days to move SB 1463 before the legislature adjourns.
Tribal leaders have been critical of Wright in recent months, claiming he has not been flexible enough in negotiations. Among other sticking points, the Senator has been steadfast in his opinion that Advance Deposit Wagering firms should be eligible to apply for an online poker licence, a provision which Michael Lombardi, the chairman of the Augustine Gaming Commission, calls a “deal killer”.
Only “handful” of local operators live in Spain
Only a handful of the Spain’s 26 local egaming licensees have gone live since the market opened on June 1 this year, eGaming Review has learned.
A number of sources close to the regulator told eGR the delays were due to suppliers not having adequate resources to manage the 26 Spanish casinos and media brands preparing to debut their dot.es online sites.
“Despite the six-month delay they have miscalculated the amount of work needed to launch each customer, one source told eGR suggesting that suppliers have had enough time to organise land-based casinos and inexperienced non-gambling brands in preparation for launch.
The same cannot be said for international brands, the majority of which were already established in Spain but under dot.com sites, the source said.
Seven days in regulation:
South Point and Monarch set for online poker licence hearing
South Point Poker and Monarch Interactive could be the first operators to receive online poker licences in Nevada, following the news they will appear on the state’s Gaming Control Board (GCB) agenda next week.
Michael Gaughan, the South Point casino owner and Vegas stalwart, said last month that his newly launched interactive arm, South Point Poker, would be the first online poker operator to go live.
He told eGaming Review North America that his gaming platform had already progressed to the second stage of systems testing with one of Nevada’s independent testing labs (ITLs) and “will be live in September”.
Maryland gears up for egaming push
Online gambling is back on the legislative agenda in Maryland after the state’s house speaker alluded to the development of the industry in a memo ahead of a special session next week.
Democrat Michael Busch wrote that next Thursday’s session should help ensure that Maryland has a sustainable gambling programme in order to compete with surrounding states.
Its state neighbour New Jersey intends to pass online gambling regulation this year, while Delaware politicians approved online lottery, poker and casino-style games in June. Nearby Illinois has already made online lottery ticket sales legal and will make a second attempt to pass broader egaming laws later this year.
Spanish land-based operators form egaming body
Spanish operators Codere, Cirsa, Grupo Acrismatic and Top Rank Egasa Spain have been named as founding members of a new operator group focusing on the country’s online gambling market.
Empresarios de Juego Online Asociados (EJOA), which is distinct from existing body JDigital, is expected to announce up to five further members according to reports in the Spanish press.
JDigital, set up in February this year to replace former operator association AEDAPI, has a membership largely comprised of operators and service providers whose primary focus is online, as the egaming subsidiary of Spanish ecommerce body La Asociación Española de la EconomÃa Digital (adigital). Its members include Betfair, Gtech and PokerStars, and it is headed up by Betfair Iberia general manager Sacha Michaud.
Greece appoints new OPAP chief
The Greek government has appointed former finance minister Konstantinos Louropoulos as the new chairman and CEO of OPAP, replacing Ioannis Spanoudakis, who leaves the role after almost three years in charge of the gaming monopoly.
Key management changes at Greece’s state-linked companies often occur following a general election “ which took place in June, won by the Néa DimokratÃa party “ and the appointment of a new chief executive for OPAP was widely anticipated.
The sale of OPAP is likely to remain the key focus for economist Louropoulos, with the process expected to start in early autumn. The Greek government intends to sell a 29% stake in the betting operator “ thought to be worth as much as $1bn “ leaving it owning just 5%.
Bodog withdraws from 20 more countries
Bodog is set to withdraw its poker offering from 20 Eastern European and Asian countries, the operator has confirmed to eGaming Review.
Players from the affected jurisdictions, which include various Balkan and former Soviet countries, have been advised to withdraw their balances before 30 August, at which point Bodog will cease to process transactions from the territories in question. eGR is awaiting confirmation as to whether other products besides poker will be affected by the decision.
A spokesperson for the operator told eGR: “We feel it is better to concentrate on our strengths & where we can offer the best product. The Bodog brand is known for its high level of customer service & spreading ourselves too thinly to try and cover a huge amount of smaller markets was proving logistically difficult. Bodog.co.uk will concentrate on growing existing markets.”
Muckleshoot Tribe invests in social betting game
The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of Washington State has entered into an equity partnership with social betting game Bookie Mania.
Bookie Mania was founded by ex-Chiligaming director Robin Malholtra and is set to go live on Facebook in September, with other platforms and languages to follow.
It will act as a social betting exchange, allowing players to buy virtual currency so that wagers can be made between friends on anything from sporting events to the weather.