Regulation round-up 10 February 2015
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (4 February to 10 February 2015)
British regulator introduces social responsibility measures
Gambling industry must do “much more” to make gambling safe, online nationwide self-exclusion system to be introduced in 2017
Great Britain’s Gambling Commission has published a series of new social responsibility measures including universal self-exclusion in order to “significantly strengthen” the licence conditions and codes of practice (LCCP).
The publication follows a major review into the UK’s gambling industry conducted last year, with the Commission concluding that the industry must do “much more to make gambling safe”.
New measures to be introduced include a universal online self-exclusion scheme to be in place by 2017 and the requirement that online operators provide ‘time-out’ features that enable players to take a break from gambling.
While a universal self-exclusion policy has been criticised by some, the proposal was broadly welcomed by operators during the consultation exercise, with their responses made public by the Commission.
Unlicensed operators dominate Polish market
The chief executive of a licensed Polish gaming firm has called on the country’s authorities to lower its “restrictive” tax rate and introduce blocking measures after a new report found roughly 90% of the online market to be in the hands of unlicensed operators.
Mateusz Juroszek, CEO of STAR-TYP SPORT (STS), one of only four firms licensed to operate in the Polish market, said more needed to be done to tackle the unlicensed market and make the Polish licence more attractive to foreign operators.
“It can be done by rationalizing tax rates and simultaneously by blocking websites of unlicensed operators – [this is] how it was done with good results in many European countries,” Juroszek said.
Seven days in regulation:
Spanish online market grows 11% in 2014
Spain’s online market grew 11% in 2014 after a strong end to the year from the sports betting vertical helped annual gross gaming revenues (GGR) rise to 254m.
According to the latest figures published by the country’s regulator, Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego, Q4 revenues totalled 65.6m, a 10% increase on the 59.4m posted in 2013.
Sports betting continued to dominate the market during the three-month period, accumulating GGR of 34.3m – a 52% share of the total market.
Senet Group chair to court digital operators
The Senet Group’s newly appointed independent chair Wanda Goldwag said recruiting online only operators was vital for the future of the self-regulatory body and said she plans to meet with a number of operators in the coming months.
Goldwag was announced as the Group’s chair last month and has immediately set about increasing the number of members beyond its four founding operators.
Goldwag is to travel to Gibraltar in the coming months to meet with online operators based on the British Overseas Territory to try and understand why as yet only William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral and Paddy Power have signed up.
“Several hundred” sites blocked in Singapore clampdown
Singapore has blocked access to “several hundred” online gambling websites as part of a clampdown on illegal gambling following the introduction of new legislation in the country.
Singapore’s new gambling bill was passed in October last year and prohibited foreign operators from offering gambling services in the country, with citizens found to have accessed gambling sites liable for a fine of up to $5,000 and a six month custodial sentence.
The Straits Times said Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a list of domains to be banned, thought to include several leading UK-based operators, after the country’s new legislation effectively banning foreign operators from the country came into force yesterday.
Sports betting drives 6% rise in French revenues
A double-digit increase in online sports betting revenue offset poker and horse racing decline to help the regulated French online gambling market record a 6% year-on-year rise in gross gaming revenue (GGR) last year, according to the latest figures released by the regulator.
GGR from regulated French online sportsbook operators soared 38% to 227m during a 12-month period where the overall market posted a modest 6% rise in revenue to 725m.
Figures released last week by the country’s regulator l’Autorité de regulation des jeux en ligne (ARJEL) showed that sportsbooks accepted bets totalling 1.1bn in the year ended 31 December 2014, which it said was largely driven by the FIFA World Cup.
Sportech £93m VAT appeal hearing scheduled for November
Sportech’s appeal against a ruling demanding they repay a £93m VAT refund will be heard the week commencing 2 November, the firm announced last week.
The case is to be heard by the Court of Appeal and is expected to take between one and one-and-a-half days, after which Sportech will learn whether or not September’s decision to force it to repay £93m in alleged VAT overpayments will be upheld.
Sportech was granted the right to appeal last month and a statement issued by the firm last week said it would continue to update shareholders in due course.