Regulation round-up 4 December 2012
The biggest regulatory news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (28 November to 4 December 2012).
AAMS issues slots authorisations; completes Customs Authority merger
Italian gaming regulator completes move on same day as issuing of online slots authorisations.
Italian regulatory authority AAMS has authorised a number of egaming operators to offer online slots in the market for the first time.
The move comes as the regulator completes its merger with the country’s Customs Authority (L’Agenzia delle Dogane) as part of a cost-cutting measure first announced in June.
Among those to receive approval today are 32Red, which moved online with dot.it casino table games last week, and 888. The majority of operators are expected to receive the green light today, the first of two dates earmarked for the issuing of authorisations, with a smaller number to be approved two weeks from now.
eGaming Review understands that all major operators have been successful in their pursuit of authorisations, which were issued from 7am CET today.
Seven parties progress in OPAP bid
Greece’s privatisation agency has approved seven of the eight interested parties in acquiring the government’s 33% stake in OPAP, with only Triple Five World Group Properties failing to progress.
The remaining parties will now be invited to present their offers to the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund’s (HRADF) before submitting binding financial bids.
Triple Five World Group is a multinational conglomerate and diverse development and finance corporation. According to recent reports the company has plans to invest heavily in Cyprus with plans, among others, to buy 500m of government bonds and establish its own bank in the country.
RGA issues appeal over OPAP sale
The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) has written to the organisations responsible for the sale of Greece’s stake in monopoly operator OPAP in order to highlight the legal complaints lodged with the European Commission concerning the country’s “unfair and unworkable” egaming laws.
In a letter to the Greek privatisation agency the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF), Deutsche Bank and the Hellenic Bank, the RGA says there are currently two complaints outstanding with more being prepared which would impact the valuation of the stake.
The Greek government passed online gambling legislation in August 2011 however it has been met with significant objections from foreign operators who claim the laws protect OPAP’s market dominance.
Seven days in regulation:
OPAP consortium only Greek state lotteries bidder
In a market already dubbed “unworkable, non-transparent and non-compliant” by online gaming lobby groups, monopoly OPAP has struck another blow to private operators as the only remaining bidder for the bankrupt country’s 12-year state lotteries tender.
Announced late last week it has emerged that the incumbent’s joint bid to take over the country’s soon-to-be privatised state lotteries, alongside technology partners Intralot, Lottomatica and Scientific Games, was the only one submitted, Greece’s privatisation agency the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) has said.
If the consortium submits a binding offer by next Monday (10 December) this would leave the group as the only possible winner of the 12-year licence to run a series of the country’s lotteries which generated revenues of close to 350m in 2010.
Caesars Interactive set for Nevada licence hearing
Caesars Interactive Entertainment’s (CIE) application to become the latest online poker operator in Nevada is to be heard by the state’s Gaming Control Board next week.
The online arm of Caesars Entertainment has been actively preparing for the opening of Nevada’s real-money online gambling market through poker partnerships with 888, Microgame and Barrière, however it has had to remain patient, watching on while the likes of MGM Resorts, Boyd Gaming and South Point have received their licence.
Its application is expected to be endorsed by the board on 6 December, before being referred to the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) for final approval.
Danish authorities add TitanCasino to blacklist
The Danish Gambling Authority (DGA) has ordered internet service provider ‘3’ to block a further eight egaming domains, bringing the total up to 20.
Among those blacklisted are the dot.com and dot.dk domains belonging to TitanCasino, joining the Curaçao-licensed operator’s dot.com poker offering.
In June the authority ordered 3 to block 12 domains including titanpoker.com and bet-at-home.com, and as with the previous case the ISP has been given 14 days to enforce blocks on the affected sites.
32Red goes live in Italy
Gibraltar-licensed egaming operator 32Red has gone live with its Italian offering, eight months after being awarded a licence by the country’s regulatory authority AAMS.
The launch, which had been scheduled for an unspecified date during the fourth quarter, comes less than one week before the first dot.it authorisations for online slots are issued to existing licensees.
At present the site contains roulette, blackjack and video poker, however slots are expected to follow once permitted by the regulator.