The Dutch government has published key regulations of the Remote Gaming Act as online casino and sports betting edges closer to legalisation.

Part of the Remote Gaming Decree, the regulations set out how gambling operators should conduct themselves, and what standards need to be met in order to qualify for a license – which will be valid for up to five years.

As the regulator responsible for processing license applications, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has said it will approve or disapprove applications within six months of being submitted.

The Netherlands will be issuing licenses for online betting, including peer-to-peer casino games like poker, casino games in which players bet against the house, horse racing, and sports betting. However, betting on youth and amateur sports will be prohibited, as will betting on specified events that the KSA considers easy to manipulate.

Gambling advertising will only be permitted after 9pm, but Sander Dekker, the Justice Minister, has written to parliament advising against tighter advertising restrictions.

However, Dekker did also say he would consider adding six months to the two-year ‘cooling off period’ – this is a period during which gambling operators who have previously targeted Dutch players while being unlicensed, would not be allowed to enter the market.

Members of Parliament will now consider the regulations and give their feedback. If everything continues on course, online gambling is now expected to go live in the Netherlands on 1^st July 2021.

AYO.NEWS says:

Though it seems like things are now on track, it wouldn’t surprise us if Dutch politicians find some way to delay things yet again! The additional six months to the cooling off period, proposed by Dekker, could be frustrating for several operators who’ve felt the KSA’s wrath over recent years for targeting Dutch players. But, on the bright side, it looks like advertising restrictions may not be as draconian as feared. 

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) has launched a new responsible gambling campaign called Have a Game Plan™, Bet Responsibly.

It has already gone live in Capital One Arena, Washington DC, and T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, and will launch across other legal sports betting markets soon.

The campaign focuses on four responsible sports betting principles:

• Set a budget and stick to it.
• Keep it social: play with friends, family, and colleagues.
• Be informed: learn the details of the games you’re playing.
• Play with trusted licensed, regulated operators.

Through the campaign, the AGA says it is leading the gaming industry in responsible sports betting promotion, with president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, Bill Miller, explaining:

“This is a watershed moment for sports betting in the United States. Roughly 100 million Americans will be able to legally wager on sports in their state by the end of this year. It’s more important than ever that the gaming industry, and our new partners in the sports betting ecosystem, are proactive in equipping patrons with the tools they need to engage in these offerings in a responsible manner.”

While president, business operations and chief commercial officer at Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Jim Van Stone, added:

“When it comes to legal sports betting, nothing can be more important than responsibility. Monumental Sports is proud to support the AGA’s Have a Game Plan™ campaign in Capital One Arena and establish a high bar for responsibility, even before legal sports betting launches in Washington, DC.”

And, Vegas Golden Knights President, Kerry Bubolz, commented:

“The Golden Knights are pleased to work with the American Gaming Association to extend our state’s longstanding commitment to responsibility by encouraging all of our fans to Have a Game Plan™, Gaming should always be enjoyed responsibly. We look forward to working with the AGA on educating our fans and reinforcing this messaging during our home games at The Fortress.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Its good to see the AGA taking a lead on this issue so early. If the European experience is anything to go by, it will likely be far more effective to get the responsible gambling message ingrained in operators’ and customers’ minds early on, rather than waiting until the industry is huge and then trying to change perceptions.

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

According to the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA), operators licensed in the country generated a total turnover of SEK 24.8bn (€2.34bn) in 2019.

Based on preliminary figures provided by the Swedish Tax Agency, the SGA gave a brief outline of the year.

Online gaming and betting, and games on ships, generated the highest turnover, contributing SEK 14.03bn for the year, while state lottery and vending machines added SEK 5.9bn to the total.

For Swedish-licensed operators, Q4 saw the highest turnover generated, at SEK 6.7bn, up 12% on Q3. Meanwhile, estimates from H2 Gambling Capital suggest around SEK 580m – 690m was bet with unlicensed operators during the quarter.

By the end of the year, over 48K people in Sweden had self-excluded through the SGA’s Spelpaus scheme – up 16% in the final quarter alone.

AYO.NEWS says:

Of course, the SGA is saying that the regulated Swedish market (which now has 96 active license holders) performed significantly better in its first full year of regulation than in 2018. But, given that no official figures exist for the unlicensed operators prior to regulation, and the obvious agenda the SGA has in promoting Swedish licenses, it’s difficult to take this claim too seriously!

Staying in Sweden, last month we reported the regulator had rejected the latest attempt to revive the Ninja Casino brand in the country.

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

GVC Holdings, one of the world’s largest sports betting and gaming groups, saw revenue grow 2% in 2019 to £3.66bn ($4.73bn), but posted a £140.7m loss, with more than 96% of group revenue coming from regulated or regulating markets.

Pro forma underlying EBITDA dropped 10% to £678.3m, but after adjusting for the estimated impact of the Triennial Review, which included the much-reported 98% reduction in fixed-odds betting terminal (FOBT) stake limits in the UK, and incremental taxes, it was up 14%. Online underlying EBITDA was up 20% after adjustment.

Underlying operating profit fell a significant 20% to £490.1m, and on a reported basis, though the group’s net gaming revenue of £3.66bn represented a 23% rise, and underlying EBITDA was up 19%, group loss after tax came in at £140.7m.

The loss was explained by £630.1m in costs related to the group’s acquisition of Ladbrokes Coral and Bwin, and a non-cash impairment of the group’s Australian online business.

Reflecting on the results CEO of GVC, Kenny Alexander, said:

“Our first full year since the Ladbrokes Coral acquisition has been a good one and the performance has continued to be underpinned by our unique and highly effective operating model.

“We are delighted with the progress being made on the Ladbrokes Coral integration. In the US, the launch of BetMGM on the GVC platform in New Jersey was an important milestone for our business and enables us to remain on track to deliver on our ambitions in this exciting market.”

Staying with GVC, last month we reported that following a vote at an Extraordinary General Meeting held in Gibraltar on 6^th February, the group is set to relocate from the Isle of Man to the United Kingdom. While, in December 2019, the company consolidated all of its Italian operations to a new Rome office.

AYO.NEWS says:

Despite the dramatic impact the reduction of FOBT stake limits from £100 to £2 has clearly had on the UK retail betting space, causing GVC itself to announce plans to close around 900 betting shops, the group has been moving to an online dominated business model for some time now. However, the group’s online business in the UK market could also be adversely impacted if the UKGC implements a proposed £2 stake limit for online casino games.   

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

FanDuel will be offering live streaming of NHL games through its sportsbook app, after extending its partnership with IMG Arena.

Up to two live streams per day will be offered during the NHL season, viewable to customers in states with legalised sports betting who have deposited or wagered on an event. This means it will reach customers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana, and West Virginia.

In mid-February we reported that London-based sports betting service and content hub IMG Arena had secured live streaming rights for NHL games.

Commenting on the news GM and SVP of FanDuel Group, Niall Connell, said:

“As we continue to innovate and expand nationwide, the ability to further enhance the live game and live betting experience is increasingly important to our customers.

“Our goal is to become a one-stop-shop for all sports betting content, and live streaming professional sports like hockey is one of the many ways we are reaching that goal.”

While Managing Director of IMG Arena, Freddie Longe, added:

“The NHL is a highly-valued asset in our portfolio. We are proud to expand this successful partnership to offer one of the largest US sports to our growing customer base of sportsbooks.”

FanDuel was the first sports betting app to offer live streaming in the US, thanks to a deal with Sportradar in April 2019.

The NHL now has sports betting partnerships in place with FanDuel, MGM Resorts International and William Hill.

Staying with the NHL, just last week we reported the NHL Gaming World Championship is returning for 2020 with a substantially increased prize pool.

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Daniel Sturridge, the former Liverpool striker and England international, has been found guilty of breaking betting rules and banned from all football-related activity.

Sturridge was found guilty of supplying inside information for betting, asking his brother to bet on a possible move to Spanish club Sevilla. The 4-month ban follows a Football Association (FA) appeal over an initial 6-week ban. Sturridge’s fine was also doubled to £150,000 (€173,000).

There is a global betting ban on anyone involved with football, from Premier League level to level eight, from betting either directly or indirectly on any football-related matters. The ban also prohibits passing inside information to other bettors.

Reacting to the decision of the independent appeal board, the FA released a statement saying:

“The Regulatory Commission misapplied the FA’s Rules in relation to the use of inside information and made findings of fact which could not be sustained.”

Sturridge himself, who has now had his contract with top-flight Turkish club Trabzonspor terminated by mutual consent, responded to the decision in a YouTube video:

Meanwhile, in Laos…

Staying with football betting controversies, on the other side of the world the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has issued lifetime bans to two Laos national team players for match-fixing.

An AFC  disciplinary panel found Khampheng Sayavutthi and Lembo Saysana guilty of match-fixing and banned them from taking part in any football-related activities under its jurisdiction for life. The AFC has also said it will be asking world governing body FIFA to extend the bans worldwide.

AYO.NEWS says:

The Sturridge case is a tricky one. Whilst on the one hand, there has to be a zero-tolerance approach to corruption in football, and all sports, to safeguard the integrity and sustainability of the betting industry. On the other, it must be incredibly stressful and difficult for individual players to go through life having to watch every word they say at all times for fear of having their careers ruined.

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.