The Malta Gaming Authority and the Dutch Gambling Authority have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

Under the terms of the agreement, both authorities will support each other and share best practices and information. The partnership will help both authorities combat criminality, ensure fair and transparent gaming, promote social responsibility, and engage in policy discussions. 

Discussing the collaboration Kansspelautoriteit (Dutch Gambling Authority) Chairman, René Jansen, said:

“I am delighted that agreements with international regulators, like the Malta Gaming Authority, are formalised and captured in Memorandums of Understanding. These MoU’s are a solid basis to share knowledge, to cooperate, and to smoothly exchange information. At the same time operators will be receiving a clear signal that hands of regulators will be joined internationally.”

While Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) Chief Executive Officer, Heathcliff Farrugia, added:

“This MoU with the Dutch Gambling Authority is another step in the right direction, and follows other similar MoU’s which the MGA signed with other regulators over the past years.  Our relationship and cooperation with Kansspelautoriteit has already yielded tangible results in the past, and with this MoU, apart from formalising such relationship, a stronger collaboration at an international level is also ensured.”

AYO.NEWS says:

With the Netherlands set to become one of Europe’s most important regulated online gambling markets (eventually), it makes sense for the MGA to establish a partnership in advance. It might not be the best news for those Malta-based operators who’ve been in almost constant conflict with Dutch authorities over the last few years though! 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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The UK’s Betting and Gaming Council has unveiled its Sixth Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising.

Following yesterday’s ASA warning to gambling operators about age appropriate advertising, The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has unveiled strict new rules designed to prevent under-18’s from seeing online gambling adverts. 

Beyond just ensuring ads are targeted to over-25s only (unless the website can prove its adverts can be precisely targeted at over 18s), the new code states that any ads featured on search engines must be clearly labelled as for over 18s only, and users must verify their age before viewing gambling adverts on YouTube. 

Introducing the new rules BGC chief executive, Michael Dugher, said:

“We are committed to driving up standards within the betting and gaming industry. The latest edition of [the Industry Code] is further evidence of our determination to ensure standards are rising as technology continues to evolve.

“BGC members have a zero tolerance attitude to under-18s betting, and from requirements for safer gambling messages to restrictions on YouTube advertising, this new code shows how seriously the BGC, who represent regulated betting but not the National Lottery, take our responsibilities.”

The new code comes into force on 1 October 2020. 

AYO.NEWS says:

While a socially responsible approach is commendable, and gambling adverts should obviously be age-appropriate, and not targeted at under-18s, the entire “over-25” thing is insulting, ludicrous, and pandering to the misguided bleating of snowflakes and Nanny State cheerleaders. 

What makes age 25 magical? Why are under 25’s not trusted to make responsible judgments? And, if indeed under 25’s do need to be protected from something as ‘dangerous’ as gambling advertising, then why are they allowed to serve in the military, start families, take out loans and mortgages, use credit cards, make business decisions, operate dangerous machinery etc etc? 

This dangerous, creeping Orwellian lunacy needs to stop. If someone is old enough to take on adult responsibilities at 18, then they are old enough to be exposed to gambling advertising. Unfortunately, in an attempt to appease the rabid anti-gambling groups and the utterly discredited ASA, The Betting and Gaming Council is actually enabling the madness. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned gambling operators to comply with age restrictions or face consequences.

In a new report, the ASA says it identified four unnamed gambling operators running a total of 70 betting adverts on eight websites that are accessible by minors. 

According to the ASA, it employed “CCTC-style” monitoring tools to look for online advertising related to gambling, along with alcohol, tobacco, weight control, and other “adult” products and services. 

In total, 159 adverts, placed by 35 advertisers, across 34 websites and five YouTube channels, were deemed to have broken the ASA’s rules. Gambling ads were the second worst offenders, after high fat, sugar and salt edibles (HFSS). 

Discussing the findings ASA chief executive, Guy Parker, said:

“The ASA is using technology to proactively monitor online ads to help build a culture of zero tolerance for age-restricted ads appearing on websites aimed at children.

“We expect advertisers and the parties they contract with to use the sophisticated tools available to them to target their ads responsibly. This is just one part of a wider set of initiatives we’re undertaking to ensure children are protected online and we’ll report on our further work in this area in the coming months.”

The ASA did not state if the offending gambling operators were licensed with the UK Gambling Commission or not, but said it will be contacting each of the companies in question and warning them that it will not tolerate any future infractions. 

A further three such monitoring exercises are scheduled to take place over the next year. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Out of all the ‘Nanny State’ agencies in the UK, the ASA has most frequently demonstrated a flagrant disregard for logic, fairness, and consistency in its comments and rulings, so it’s incredibly hard to take anything it says seriously anymore.  

One of the major issues here is how the ASA defines “accessible by minors” – because pretty much EVERY single website is accessible by minors. And, we have to remember, this is an agency that thinks under 25’s should be virtually classified as ‘minors’ when it comes to gambling! 

Furthermore, given the complete lack of understanding of all things internet and website-related the ASA has demonstrated in the past, we can’t even be certain if the operators in question were targeting minors at all, or if the ads were simply mistargeted due to technical issues. 

In reality, if the offending parties aren’t even UK-licensed, there’s probably not going to be much the ASA can do about it, except roll around on the floor, throwing a tantrum like the snowflakes they are. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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The CEO of Europe’s biggest low-cost airline, Ryanair, has likened Bitcoin to a Ponzi scheme. 

Talking to The Times about a crypto scam called “Bitcoin Lifestyle”, Michael O’Leary, boss of the Dublin-based airline, said:

“I have never, and would never, invest one cent in Bitcoin, which I believe is equivalent to a Ponzi scheme. […] I would strongly advise everyone with any shred of common sense to ignore this false story and avoid Bitcoin like a plague.” 

Apparently, “Bitcoin Lifestyle,” which claims to be an automated Bitcoin trading system, had falsely claimed to be endorsed by O’Leary. 

Specifically, in what can only be described as a rather imaginative, if bogus, promotional campaign, those behind “Bitcoin Lifestyle” published an article on a fake news outlet claiming that O’Leary had wowed audiences on the Late Late Show, hosted by Ryan Tubridy, by revealing how much money the scheme had earned him. 

For added flair, the fraudsters even said the ‘National Ireland Bank’ had been so spooked they had tried to get the show pulled. Of course, the ‘National Ireland Bank’ doesn’t exist. 

Entrepreneurs and celebrities increasingly hijacked to promote crypto scams

As we’ve been reporting recently, crypto crooks are increasingly using fake endorsements from celebrities, politicians, and entrepreneurs to lure unsuspecting victims. The sophistication of the scams is also increasing, as exemplified by YouTube and Twitter hackers who take over or clone genuine accounts, and then use them to persuade people to part with their crypto. 

Just last month, Twitter suffered an unprecedented security breach, when Bitcoin (BTC) scammers hijacked scores of high-profile accounts, including those of Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, former US president Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, rapper Kanye West, and the corporate accounts of Uber and Apple. 

By the end of the month the suspected hackers, who conned people out of around $100,000 worth of Bitcoin, had been arrested and charged. They included a 19-year-old British man from Bognor Regis, a 22-year-old American from Orlando, and a 17-year-old boy from Tampa. The hackers are facing multiple felony charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and the international access of a protected computer. 

In the same month, Indian YouTuber Ajey Nagar, who has over 6.7 million subscribers also saw his account hijacked by a ‘Bitcoin giveaway scam,’ while in June, Elon Musk and SpaceX fell victim to YouTube crypto scam hijackers. 

Meanwhile, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and 17 others are suing YouTube over cryptocurrency scams. 

AYO.NEWS says:

The fact that Michael O’Leary condemned Bitcoin as a ‘Ponzi scheme’ clearly demonstrates he knows absolutely nothing about the cryptocurrency. Because, while certain cryptocurrencies and tokens do indeed share some alarming similarities with Ponzi schemes (“HEX Token”, cough, cough), Bitcoin couldn’t be further from a Ponzi scheme.

We guess it’s safe to assume that O’Leary is simply as ignorant of the cryptosphere as he is of the average legroom required by a fully-grown adult human being, and that he’s simply lumping all things crypto – the good, the bad, and the ugly – in as ‘Bitcoin.’ You know, like your grandmother, or most politicians would.  

However, as for ‘Bitcoin Lifestyle’ – well, that’s about as legit as OneCoin or AirBit Club. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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Sweden’s Gaming Inspectorate (Spelinspektionen) has warned the country’s new casino deposit limits are effectively impossible to enforce. 

The ‘temporary’ restrictions, which include strict deposit limits, were introduced in response to a supposed explosion in online gambling due to the COVID-19 crisis, but are widely seen as nothing more than a political stunt by anti-gambling politicians, notably Iranian-Swedish politician Ardalan Shekarabi. 

A fairly obvious loophole

In July, Swedish online gaming trade association BOS said the emergency restrictions were causing “chaos” for operators, and last week Spelinspektionen joined the fray, saying the new rules were impossible to enforce. 

The regulator argues that, because the limits apply per license, users with accounts at more than one licensee can easily circumvent the SEK 5,000 weekly spending limit and SEK 100 bonus limit restrictions. 

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that problem gamblers are more likely to exploit this loophole than casual bettors – meaning the sum total of the ‘protective measures’ are likely to be nothing more than slightly inconveniencing problem or determined gamblers, while seriously frustrating casual gamers. 

Well, duh. 

Big brother wants to ‘protect’ you

As if the entire episode wasn’t already farcical enough, things then took a sinister turn when the totally non-creepy team at Jämlikhetskommissionen (Swedish Equality Commission) took it upon themselves to suggest the creation of a centralised database of gamblers. 

This would allow the Party’s Thought Police, sorry, ‘Equality Commission’, to see exactly how much each individual player spends across all licensed platforms – presumably it would also give them access to a raft of other behavioural information, all in the name of ‘safer gambling,’ of course. 

To its credit Spelinspektionen did respond with a small volley in defence of freedom, reminding the Equality Commission that ‘equality’ means equality for everyone (not just politically-approved minorities, the variously offended, identity confused, and their woke cheerleaders), and that even gamblers have privacy rights. 

Indeed, the regulator even reminded the Equality Commission that there are actual national and EU laws protecting privacy, data, and human rights… who’d have thought it, eh?

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The Brazilian government has appointed an agency to finalise the legislative and regulatory framework for sports betting.

Decree 10,467, signed by President Jair Bolsonaro, has appointed social development bank BNDES to work with the Ministry of the Economy to help speed the launch of the long-awaited regulated marketplace. 

Brazil’s Minister of the Economy, Paulo Guedes, has apparently instructed his department to finalise the key requirements and conditions for the bidding process for concessions. While BNDES, which report directly to Brazil’s Council of Investment Alliances Program, will be responsible for “executing and monitoring the privatization process.”

The legal sports betting marketplace has also been added as a directive of the Investments and Partnerships Program (PPI) – a federal government project set up during the country’s 2016 financial crisis, tasked with delivering an economic recovery. 158 projects, distributed over 13 policy areas, are now covered by the PPI, including state-owned instant win operator LOTEX. 

Several major international gambling operators, including 188Bet, Betfair, and Betsson AB have already started to establish a presence in Brazil, in anticipation of what could end up being one of the most lucrative sports betting markets in the world. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Brazil was still reeling from its recent financial crisis before the COVID-19 crisis hit, and is now finding itself facing unprecedented challenges to keep the economy afloat, let alone recover. However, the crisis does seem to have made authorities much more enthusiastic about collecting gambling tax revenues, so operators may find the market now opens up a lot quicker, and easier, than it would have otherwise.

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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