Regulation round-up 21 May 2013
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (15 May to 21 May 2013)
Draft New Jersey egaming regulations published
Draft bill released “ publication will be followed by 60-day public comment period
New Jersey’s draft egaming regulations will be officially published on 2 June followed by a 60-day public comment period, the state’s Department of Gaming Enforcement has confirmed.
The DGE has been working on the regulations, which will permit online versions of any game currently played in Atlantic City casinos, since Governor Chris Christie signed a bill into law in February. A draft version has been made available on New Jersey’s legislative website.
After the 60-day public comment period the DGE will progress to final adoption following review and response to all comments.
Announcing the news of the imminent regulations, DGE director David Rebuck said New Jersey has “once again proven to be in the forefront of casino gaming with the development of Internet wagering regulations for all casino games”. “I commend Division staff for their commitment and diligence to developing regulations that ensure both effective oversight and the integrity of operations.”
The regulator revealed in March that it is aiming for a 16 November launch date for the online gambling market.
New Pechanga-backed California bill circulated
A new draft bill to legalise online poker in California has been sent to tribal leaders and is backed by eight tribes including Pechanga, Agua Caliente and Borona.
The draft legislation proposes tribes and card rooms that have held approval to operate land-based businesses for at least five years can apply for 10-year online licences. The bill also calls for a ‘bad actor’ clause to block any operator that continued to operate in the States after the passage of UIGEA in 2006, and excludes racetracks from applying for a licence.
A source close to the matter told eGR the draft bill was finalised on Monday this week following months of talks. He also said the legislation remains a work in progress, with no sponsor on board and finer details such as a rate of taxation and licence fee yet to confirmed.
Seven days in regulation:
Analysis: Denmark and Italy lead way in dot.country switch
The Danish and Italian regulated online gaming markets are both providing a successful argument for dot.country regulation, with both now capturing more than 80% of online gambling spend.
According to eGaming Review‘s data partner H2 Gambling Capital, the introduction of the dot.dk market drove up total Danish player gambling gross win by nearly 20% to DKK9.51bn (1.28bn) in 2012. This means more than 80% of the country’s interactive market is expected to captured by the onshore scheme during 2013.
Aristocrat granted Nevada licence
Aristocrat has been granted an online poker licence in Nevada and has become the latest service provider to have its application approved by the state Gaming Commission.
Opinion: Is tax reduction the best tool for Italy
The Italian gambling authority, AAMS, published the data on the Italian online gaming market for the first quarter of 2013 which show a minor reduction of spending of 0.2% compared to the same period of 2012, but what looks very interesting is that almost 50% of the spending in the market is generated by casino games and cash poker games. And casino games and cash poker games are the sole games currently subject to a gross profit tax regime.
Analysis: New California poker bill could end tribal standoff
As details emerged yesterday of a new California online poker bill backed by eight tribes including the highly influential Pechanga, a key message was sent to the state’s tribes and politicians.
Nevada governor in interstate poker talks
Governor Brian Sandoval has confirmed that Nevada has entered into discussions with other state governors in a bid to secure an interstate online poker compact.
South Australia to ban in-play advertising
The South Australian government will ban the advertising of live odds during sporting broadcasts, becoming the first state in the country to do so and potentially initiating a country-wide ban.
Partouche to leave dot.fr market
Partouche Interactive is to leave the French online poker market following a review of its online operations earlier this year.
“Banned territories” concerns prompt PokerVIP player checks
Playtech’s iPoker network has ordered its licensees to perform know-your-customer (KYC) checks on all players referred by affiliate PokerVIP.
New Illinois gambling bill set for hearings
The legalisation of several forms of online gambling is set to be debated by the Illinois legislature after proposals were circulated by bill sponsor Senator John Cullerton on Tuesday.
Payments business PugglePay has become the first responsible invoice solution to secure accreditation from the Maltese Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA). The company, set up by Klarna veteran Kristofer Ekman Sinclair and former Kambi sales manager Johan Friis, can analyse customers’ financial health before deciding whether to approve a deposit.
PugglePay will initially focus on the Nordic market, and Ekman Sinclair said “We look forward to going live with a line-up of signed companies on an almost weekly basis before the summer.”