Regulation round-up 24 September 2013
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (18 September to 24 September 2013)
B2B poker providers will require UK licence
Gambling Commission proposes network operators must ensure all its network partners with UK customers hold gaming licence
All UK-facing poker network providers will need to obtain a licence from the Gambling Commission by April 2014 if they wish to continue to operate in the country, the regulator has proposed.
The news comes after the Commission released a number of proposed amendments to licence conditions as part of a move to step up its regulation of poker and other networks.
As well as applying for a licence, the regulator proposes B2B network providers such as Microgaming, Playtech and Ongame must ensure third-party operators that bring British players to the game are also licensed by the Commission.
In addition, it will be the responsibility of network providers to ensure those that bring non-British players to the game must also have the relevant licences or permissions needed to operate in the country in which they are incorporated.
First Bulgarian online sports betting licence awarded
The Bulgarian Gambling Commission has awarded the country’s first online sports betting licence to Malta-based Eurofootball.
The operator will become the first licensed sportsbook under the Eurofootball.bg domain once it has paid the licence fee of around 20,000.
Bulgaria’s gambling regulator had been expected to begin awarding online operator licences last year following the passage of legislation in the Bulgarian parliament in March 2012.
Seven days in regulation:
Spain eyes global poker liquidity in 2014
Spanish regulator Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) has stated its desire to introduce global liquidity to poker to dot.es domains by the middle of 2014.
Recently installed DGOJ president Carlos Hernandez told Poker-Red.com he is working towards the goal of international poker liquidity in order to boost a vertical which is domestically dominated by Pokerstars and 888Poker.
“We remain quite favourable to the international liquidity. I say this because yes there are doubts whether the change of CEO has [meant] a rethinking about it. There has not been,” Hernandez said.
Italian regulator adds new football markets
Italian gambling regulator Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (AAMS) has added a number of new football markets to its rapidly expanding schedule of permitted bets.
The 23 new betting markets to have been added are a mixture of pre-match and live in-running offers and follow the 22 bets incorporated by the regulator in August.
The widening of the official schedule will be welcomed by operators under the dot.it regime which are only permitted to offer bets which have been given the green light by the regulator.
Prohibition of cross-border gambling breaches EU law, says court
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has confirmed the EU’s principles of freedom of establishment and freedom to provide services also apply to cross-border gambling.
According to the CJEU, member states cannot restrict the national gambling market to protect the commercial interest of incumbents or for any other economic reasons.
As such, national laws which prohibit cross-border gambling, irrespective of the form in which that activity is undertaken, will be in breach of EU law.
In particular, the ruling confirmed: “National legislation which in fact precludes all cross-border activity in the betting in gaming sector, irrespective of the form in which that activity is undertaken [“¦] is contrary to Articles 43 EC and 49 EC.”