The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) suspended 11 licences and cancelled another 14 during 2019. 

The MGA’s Annual Report and Financial Statements for the financial year ending 31 December 2019 reveals the authority issued 20 warnings, 89 notices of breach, and 23 administrative fines, along with the 11 license suspensions and 14 cancellations, during the period. 

Reflecting on the year MGA CEO, Heathcliff Farrugia, said:

“Overall, 2019 was a very challenging but at the same time a rewarding year for the MGA. The increased focus on compliance and enforcement which was prevalent throughout the year has yielded tangible results for the Authority.

“This focus led to internal restructuring for the better achievement of the MGA’s objectives, and was also pivotal in the Authority’s drive towards the setting up of the Sports Integrity Unit, tasked with increasing the commitment towards the fight against the manipulation of sports competitions.

“In its first months, this unit has already signed important collaboration agreements with international sport bodies in order to tackle betting-related corruption and ensure the integrity of sports.

“Such collaboration, both at a local and international level was high on the agenda in 2019, and will continue being crucial in 2020, as a key determining factor in the ongoing fight against crime, corruption and money laundering.”

In terms of new licenses, 2019 saw 89 applications, with 44 being rejected or withdrawn and 53 granted (some of those approved had been submitted in 2018).

2019 and 2020 has seen the MGA take a stricter line regarding integrity, behaviour, and compliance, and the authority has strengthened its relationship with the Malta Police Force to improve cooperation and the exchange of information.

The MGA also hosted delegations from eight different jurisdictions during 2019, helping boost international collaboration. 

AYO.NEWS says:

The MGA is clearly trying to improve the reputation of Malta as a licensing jurisdiction – which isn’t easy when the country is perceived as extremely corrupt by much of the international community. Something the MGA itself hasn’t helped by hosting a delegation from Zimbabwe, one of the world’s most corrupt countries, earlier this year. 

Still, the MGA should be applauded for the progress it’s made, and the real action it is taking, especially in building partnerships with international sporting bodies, including the World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association (WPBSA), International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU). 

‘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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Today saw the first meeting of the new French gambling regulator, the ANJ, presided over by the authority’s President, Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin.

Sanctioned by 2019’s legal revisions, the new gambling regulatory authority (ANJ) has now launched, with a significantly extended regulatory scope and powers compared to its predecessor, ARJEL. 

The ANJ is responsible for all components of the legal gambling market, both online and offline, including sports betting, horse racing betting, poker, and casinos (with the exception of anti-money laundering issues and the integrity of games offered, which remain the responsibility of the Ministry of Home Affairs). 

While ARJEL only regulated 11% of the French legal gambling market, the ANJ now regulates 78% – a market worth more than €50 billion in bets. 

The ANJ has four stated objectives:

• To prevent excessive or pathological gambling and protect minors;
• To ensure the integrity, reliability, and transparency of gaming;
• To prevent fraudulent and criminal activities, as well as money laundering and the financing of terrorism;
• To ensure the balanced, fair development of various types of games, in order to avoid any economic destabilisation of the sectors concerned.

Commenting on the launch of the new regulator, Chairwoman of the ANJ, Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, said:

“The ANJ is not an enlarged ARJEL, it is a new project that requires rethinking regulation. It has to adapt its intervention to monopolies (FDJ and PMU) and to players gambling mostly anonymously in points of sale. I would like to set up a regulation that combines support and control in order to better serve and protect players”.

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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has formed a ‘Lived Experience’ advisory group on gambling harms. 

According to the UKGC, the new advisory group consists of ‘Experts by Experience’ (EbE) – individuals who have suffered from a wide range of gambling harms, including recovering gambling addicts, family members, and those who have lost children to gambling related suicides. 

The formation of the new group follows workshops in March that involved a range of public health, civic, gambling and technology experts, and focused on policies related to VIP customers, advertising technology, and ‘safe game’ design. 

The UKGC says the new advisory group will broaden its advice, recommendations and evidence with regards to policy making, and better help it understand gambling’s impact on society. 

Commenting on the news UKGC CEO, Neil McArthur, said:

“We will work with the interim group to co-create a formal Advisory Board, which will allow us to involve Experts by Experience more closely in the development of our regulatory framework.

“It is early days and we are learning along the way to ensure that feedback and advice is utilised in the most effective way.  This week we looked at the subject of affordability and we’ll be focused on other areas of player protection online in the weeks ahead.”

While a spokesperson for the EbE group added:

“The role that is too often allocated to Experts by Experience (EbEs) of telling our stories and commenting on narrowly defined questions is ineffective, so the establishment of the group is long overdue.

“We are determined that EbEs should play a continuing and much more active role in the deliberations and decision making across the whole remit of the Commission as part of the National Strategy to reduce gambling harms. We bring a new and vital perspective on key issues of regulation and even how the Commission itself works.”

The EbE group is set to advise the UKGC for six months, after which it will be replaced by a permanent advisory group. 

No members of the advisory group have been disclosed by the UKGC. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Though this is not a politically correct thing to say in this emotionally charged and irrational era, putting an undisclosed group of ‘Experts by Experience’ in a position of influence is a recipe for disaster. It is absolutely critical that regulatory bodies, in any sector, remain objective and are not emotionally-driven. 

Quite obviously, anyone who has been harmed by gambling will categorically not have an objective viewpoint, and the more harm they have experienced, the more they will be driven solely by emotion and passion.

The fact that the advisory group is complete opaque is also very troubling and does nothing for trust or confidence. 

Staying with the UKGC, last week the regulator launched a consultation about proposed changes to the rules covering VIP promotions and high value customers. 

‘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 Gambling Commission (UKGC) has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the rules covering VIP promotions and high value customers.

With the Gambling-Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) now calling for a ban on all VIP schemes, along with a blanket ban on advertising and other draconian restrictions, the UKGC has challenged operators to make faster progress in raising standards regarding VIP incentives, responsible product and game design, and online advertising.

According to the Commission, the incentivisation of high value customers poses two key regulatory challenges:

1. HVCs are more heavily engaged gamblers in terms of their gambling spend, the frequency with which they gamble, or both. Heavily engaged gamblers are at greater risk of gambling-related harm.

2. The disproportionate financial value of HVCs to licensees means regulatory compliance can conflict with short-term commercial objectives.

Today, the Commission published a report on the progress made by the industry so far, and setting out the next steps. It says the proposed changes to the Licence Codes and Conditions of Practice (LCCP) are aimed at focusing operators’ attention on making gambling fairer, safer and crime free when transacting with high value customers.

Got views on this subject? Take part in the consultation here. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With high value customers being so critical to the current business model of many operators, we’re sure the UKGC will hear a lot of arguments against more restrictions. But, with such strong political and mainstream media support for action against the gambling industry, it really does seem like it’s almost the end of the road for VIP incentives in the UK. 

‘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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Sports betting operator ATG has been warned by the Swedish Consumer Ombudsman over self-exclusion failures. 

Konsumentverket (KO) has scolded AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) for sending direct marketing messages to 77 people who had registered with Sweden’s Spelpaus self-exclusion service, and for sending a further 1,900 marketing messages to people who had opted not to receive direct marketing.

Additionally, KO warned ATG for failing to include the appropriate age requirements on certain advertisements. 

Though KO has only issued warnings, it has made it clear that any subsequent failure to comply with the strict self-exclusion regulations will lead to a SEK3 million (approx. €285,000) fine, and further age requirement failings will land it a SEK1.5 million penalty. 

KO has been investigating ATG since February, when it received complaints about marketing from individuals who had self-excluded, and a complaint about missing age restrictions from fellow gambling operator Kindred Group. 

In response ATG has said it accepts KO’s decisions, and that the messages sent out were not marketing, but rather account information, and had been sent by mistake. It also explained that age notifications were only missing from messages that were sent to players who had already been verified as of legal age. 

AYO.NEWS says:

ATG getting away with yet another failure is sure to make other Swedish-licensed operators roll their eyes, with many feeling the former betting monopoly gets special treatment from the authorities.

In December 2019, ATG got away with a mere slap on the wrist after offering betting on unregistered horse racing, and in March 2020 the operator dodged a fine after offering illegal bonuses to several customers. 

‘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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Major online sports betting operator Betway has withdrawn markets relating to player transfers.

The move coincides with yesterday’s resumption of the English Premier League (EPL), following its suspension due to the COVID-19 crisis. Betway says its decision to stop offering odds on the movement of players via ‘football transfer’ or ‘player next club’ markets, will help improve responsible gambling and integrity. 

Betway’s action follows two high-profile incidents involving England international footballers this year. In March, Daniel Sturridge was suspended from all football for four months after it emerged he had divulged inside information about a possible transfer. While in May, Kieran Trippier also landed in hot water, being charged with misconduct by the Football Association (FA), for allegedly passing on insider information.

Explaining its decision Betway said it believes “betting on football should be about what happens on the pitch”, and that it is happy to see markets with so many grey areas shut down. The company also called on other operators to follow its lead. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With UK gambling under an unprecedented level of scrutiny, and powerful forces now calling for a complete advertising ban along with other draconian restrictions, Betway’s pre-emptive action to avoid more negative publicity is probably a smart move. Of course, whether other operators will follow suit remains to be seen.

Staying with Betway, earlier this week the operator announced a partnership with esports production company Beyond the Summit, and its sponsorship of CS_Summit 6. 

‘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