Regulation round-up 19 July 2016
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (13 July to 19 July 2016)
Gambling Commission presses ahead with licence fee revamp
Great Britain’s regulator proposes new fee structure which could see biggest firms pay more
The Gambling Commission has launched a consultation on a series of proposed changes to its British licence fee structure which could see leading firms in the market pay more than double their current fees.
The consultation, which was released in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, proposes an increased number of sub-divisions based on gross gaming yield to calculate licence fee payment.
The Commission said the proposed structure, which should be in place for April 2017, would better reflect the size of a business with smaller operators likely to see reduced fees but larger firms pay more.
The new structure would also, according to the Commission, reflect a more proportionate recovery of regulatory costs and remove a barrier to entry and business expansion.
Brazilian sports betting monopoly a “blessing in disguise”
Brazil’s plans to create an online sports betting monopoly could prove to be a positive development for the egaming industry, according to a leading Sao Paolo gaming lawyer.
Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported that stand-in president Michel Temer supported the creation of a state-run online sports betting company which would then be privatised to raise cash for the government.
While it looks to be a blow to the more liberalised tax-and-regulate model that many experts predicted Brazil would adopt in the next two years, Brazilian lawyer Luiz Felipe Maia suggested it could be a blessing in disguise.
Seven days in regulation:
Sportsbet’s in-play product faces Federal Police probe
Sportsbet’s in-play service has been referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) by the country’s communications regulator, despite the operator maintaining the legality of its Bet Live product.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) recently referred a complaint it had received to the AFP, the latest development in Australia’s long-running live betting saga.
Rival operator William Hill was also referred to the AFP last year for offering live betting via its ‘click-to-call’ service but the case was not pursued by the federal police agency.
Marathonbet online Cheltenham ad ruled “misleading” by ASA
Marathonbet has been reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after a promotion on its website during the Cheltenham Festival was deemed “misleading”.
The operator found itself in trouble for a lack of clarification on whether a portion of winnings would be paid out in free bets for new customers, if Willie Mullins was named top trainer during the Festival at the enhanced odds stated.
The advert, seen on 9 March, displayed text stating: “NEW CUSTOMER OFFER … 2/1 WILLIE MULLINS TOP TRAINER …”.
Opinion: Why local expertise will be crucial in the Netherlands
The news that the lower house of the Dutch parliament had passed the Remote Gaming Bill was a long time coming, and the sighs of relief from stakeholders in the Netherlands were audible.
Although the bill must still be passed by the Senate, this should be a formality, and with a bit of luck we could see an open and regulated gaming market operating by the end of 2017.
While the new legislation is not ideal, I believe it is very workable. As many warned last year, the decision to impose a flat 29% tax on gross gaming revenue across the online and land-based industries could be damaging to the nascent online sector – particularly in terms of channelling players away from unlicensed operators and into the new framework.
Australian media giant slams “draconian” ad restriction proposals
Australian media business, Seven West Media, has slammed proposals to further restrict sports betting TV advertising at a federal level as “draconian and unnecessary”.
The Sydney-listed media giant has issued a statement arguing against measures put forward by senator Nick Xenophon and other anti-gambling campaigners to ban bookmakers from advertising during live sports broadcasts.
Xenophon, anti-gambling MP Andrew Wilkie and campaigner Tim Costello all propose to prevent sports operators from advertising in G-rated – suitable for everyone – time slots on TV.