Regulation round-up 16 February 2016
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (10 February to 16 February 2016)
ESSA hatches plan to ‘kick crime out of sport’
Industry watchdog co-launches international project aimed at reducing instances of match fixing
An industry body representing the likes of William Hill, Ladbrokes and Sky Bet has co-launched a new initiative designed to clamp down on match fixing in sport.
The Kick Crime Out of Sport (KCOOS) project was launched in Brussels on Wednesday with support from ESSA, a non-profit organisation which aims to preserve the integrity of sports and betting markets.
Other notable ESSA members include bet365, BetVictor, Betway, bwin.party and Paddy Power.
The KCOOS initiative, which is also backed by Interpol, the International Olympic Committee and the British and French regulatory authorities, will develop a ‘handbook on good practices’ for operators and organise regional events where firms can share information and explore legislative tools to deal with match-fixing.
FanDuel culls 75% of Florida workforce
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) operator FanDuel has laid off dozens of employees at its Florida office amid growing legal and regulatory pressure.
FanDuel notified the state it would let go of 55 members of staff – representing around 75% of its workforce – on April 10, less than a year after hiring 40 former Zynga developers to its Orlando office.
Despite the cull, the office will remain open and will be staffed by around 20 customer service agents and members of its ‘talent team’.
Seven days in regulation:
DFS legislation suffers major setback in California
The rapid progress made by daily fantasy sports (DFS) legislation in California looks to have hit a major stumbling block after two of the state’s largest tribes raised concerns over legalising the sector.
Tribal leaders from the Morongo and San Manuel Band of Mission Indians have written letters to Assemblyman Adam Gray regarding his bill seeking to explicitly legalise DFS in the state.
“Our members are very concerned a retroactive approval of a form of gaming that is otherwise illegal, simply because it is popular, is a very dangerous precedent,” Morongo chairman Robert Martin wrote.
Pennsylvania calls on Congress to legalise sports betting
Pennsylvania’s House Gaming Oversight Committee has overwhelmingly passed a bill calling on Congress to lift current sports betting prohibitions.
The Committee voted comprehensively in favour of the resolution – HR 619 – which passed with a 23-1 vote, but it still has a way to go before being adopted as the state’s official stance on the matter.
The resolution was introduced by Representative Robert Matzie, and has the support of a further 20 lawmakers including online gaming proponent Rep. Tina Davis.
Virginia DFS bill makes progress
A bill seeking to legalise daily fantasy sports (DFS) is making good progress in Virginia after passing out of the Senate following a vote in front of the full chamber last week
The bill, SB 646, passed with a 28-10 vote in its favour, with the state joining California and Indiana in progressing DFS legislation in recent months.
The bill now heads to the House of Delegates, although a hearing date has yet to be set.
Online sports betting on the cards in Delaware
Delaware Senator Brian Bushweller has introduced legislation with the aim of allowing licensed online gaming operators in the state to offer sports betting over the internet.
The SB 183 bill has been introduced to the Senate Finance Committee, of which Bushweller is a member, although a hearing date has yet to be set.
Delaware is one of only four states permitted to offer land-based sports betting, but unlike Nevada where punters can place a single bet, Delaware bettors must do parlays of three of more games.