Has Swedish Minister for Public Administration Ardalan Shekarabi been lying about an increase in online gambling during the COVID-19 crisis?

Shekarabi has been one of the loudest advocates for further emergency gambling restrictions on licensed operators, despite an industry-wide consensus that such measures would make it impossible for legitimate sites to compete with unlicensed offshore sites. 

Now, Swedish news site Di.se is saying Shekarabi has been reported to the country’s “Parliament Constitutional Committee” by the opposition for allegedly lying about the increase in online gambling during the crisis at a press conference on 23 April. 

AYO.NEWS says:

As we have said before, we strongly suspect Shakarabi’s support of further draconian restrictions on the gambling industry are ideologically driven, rather than pragmatic, so it really wouldn’t surprise us if it does turn out that he lied to drum up support for his proposals. 

‘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

Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gaming Inspectorate, has ordered 10 unlicensed gambling operators to stop targeting Swedish players. 

According to Spelinspektionen, the 10 operators are running a total of 45 brands targeting Swedish players by offering Swedish language content, allowing payments in kronor, and marketing to Swedes both directly and via affiliates. 

It seems that most of the offending operators are operating under Curaçao licenses, though some are also licensed in Cyprus and Malta. 

So far Spelinspektionen has only issued formal warnings to the operators, though it also has the option to apply for court orders to block payments, issue fines, and even involve law enforcement if companies do not comply. 

Since last year, 21 operators have now been ordered to withdraw from the Swedish market. 

The latest action from Spelinspektionen comes as operators holding Swedish licenses are in open revolt against plans for further COVID-19 related emergency restrictions, including mandatory deposit limits, capped bonuses and playtime limits. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Though licensed operators will welcome the action against unlicensed companies, and Spelinspektionen is certainly talking tough, it’s doubtful the regulator will really be able stop Swedes from turning to offshore operators – who are unencumbered by Sweden’s latest ideologically-driven gambling restrictions. 

‘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

Spanish gambling operators can breathe a sigh of relief after the government lifted temporary advertising restrictions.

Article 37 of Decree Law 11/2020, which was introduced due to the COVID-19 induced state of emergency in the country, has been rescinded with the publication of Royal Decree Law (RDL) 21/2020 in the Official State Gazette. 

It means La Liga football clubs will no longer be forced to remove or cover their gambling sponsorships – something which had looked likely for the restart of the season, which kicked off yesterday when Sevilla hosted Real Betis behind closed doors. 

Spain is set to lift further COVID-19 restrictions on 21 June, when the country’s state of emergency is lifted. 

AYO.NEWS says:

This is fantastic news for sports clubs and betting operators alike, but everyone should remain cautious. There is increasing talk of a second wave of infections, and the need for further lockdowns.

Indeed, just yesterday it emerged that the US city of Houston, Texas, is close to reimposing a lockdown, with a top official warning “we may be approaching the precipice of a disaster.” In the UK too, advisors have been warning of the likely need to reintroduce lockdowns sometime during the next few months – going as far as saying it will likely lead to mass civil unrest, as growing inequality, frustration, and an emerging economic catastrophe pushes society to breaking point.

Overall, it’s pretty clear that both gambling operators and sports clubs should remain prepared for further lockdowns and restrictions. 

‘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

Crypto scammers have used YouTube to steal USD $150K worth of Bitcoin from victims, by impersonating SpaceX and Elon Musk. 

According to a 9 June report on Bleeping Computer, scammers hacked genuine YouTube accounts and added branding to make them look like Elon Musk’s official SpaceX channel. 

Archived footage of Musk was then used to put on fake ‘live events’, in which people could scan a QR code to pay Bitcoin (BTC) and ‘join the live conversation’. 

Capitalising on the interest surrounding SpaceX, following its recent launch of the world’ first private manned spacecraft, it’s not surprising the event proved popular. 

In fact, at least 80,000 people watched the ‘live stream’, presumably fooled by the con, and 15.31 BTC was handed over by victims. One Bitcoin address received 29 transactions consisting of 4.08 BTC, worth nearly $40K, while the other received 84 payments consisting of 11.23 BTC, worth nearly $110K. 

It’s not the first time Musk has been impersonated in crypto scams, and in February he took to Twitter to urge people to report scams as soon as they saw them. However, things aren’t so easy, with scammers becoming ever more sophisticated and seemingly one-step ahead of the platforms. 

Musk isn’t alone in being used by crypto scammers either. It is an increasingly troubling issue for many celebrities and high-profile business people. In February, Qatari billionaire Wissam Al Mana launched legal action against Facebook in response to his image being used on crypto scam adverts appearing on the social media platform. Last year Kate Winslet, Andrew Forest, Bill Gates, and Richard Branson were also hijacked by crypto scammers behind the audacious fake Bitcoin investment scheme known as “Bitcoin Code” or “Bitcoin Profit.” 

AYO.NEWS says:

It really does seem that the major social media platforms are failing to stem the tide of sophisticated crypto scams, so it’s critical that people employ their own due diligence before parting with crypto. 

‘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

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has clarified rules regarding operators accepting credit card payments through money services businesses (MSBs). 

UK gambling operators have been prohibited from accepting credit card payments since 14 April 2020, but many have continued to accept payments via MSBs, like e-wallets. 

Now, the UKGC has made it clear that before accepting payments via MSBs, gambling operators must ensure the service in question has a system in place to prevent customers topping up their e-accounts or e-wallets with credit card deposits. 

In a statement, the UKGC said the rules were in place to “maximise the levels of friction during the process of accessing and using borrowed funds for gambling, in order to reduce the risk of consumers experiencing harm from gambling with borrowed money.”

AYO.NEWS says:

It’s unclear exactly how many services this will affect, and there is the real danger that these rules will simply push those wishing to use credit cards for gambling to use unlicensed offshore sites – leaving them extremely vulnerable to harm. 

‘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

Kindred Group has launched the “Fair Sports 4 All” project in partnership with the European Football for Development Network (EFDN). 

Fair Sports 4 All aims to increase awareness of match-fixing among players, managers, and other sports stakeholders. The online educational tool will also provide training on how to resist offers and temptations to engage in match-fixing, and information on how to report match-fixing to the appropriate authorities. 

Discussing the initiative CEO of Kindred Group, Henrik Tjärnström, said:

“Match-fixing is a threat to the fundamental idea of sports. Billions of people around the world enjoy participating in or consuming sport, and if the unpredictability of sport events is taken away, this fundamental idea is in severe jeopardy. 

“Match-fixing is also a threat to the gambling industry. If people lose faith in the honesty of sports event, they will lose faith in betting products as well. Therefore are we excited for the Fair Sport 4 All-project where we can, together with EFDN, truly make a difference and together fight this very important battle.”

While CEO of EFDN, Hubert Rovers, added:

“Sport can be such a powerful tool in teaching life skills, promoting social cohesion and fostering values of respect and inclusion. However, this positive power cannot be used if the principles of sports get undermined by match-fixing. 

“Therefore, we are joining forces to protect the integrity of our sport. We are proud to launch the programme together with Kindred, a competent partner with a sustainability-driven approach for sponsorships and community initiatives.”

In 2019 Kindred teamed up with EFDN as the first commercial Community Partner of the network – which is working to promote the power of football as a tool for social development.

AYO.NEWS says:

Hats off to Kindred for taking a leading role in combating the scourge of professional sports by supporting the EFDN and initiatives like this. After all, reporting, monitoring, and reacting to match-fixing is all well and good, but it’s far better to prevent the fixing in the first place. And, to do that, it all comes down to equipping stakeholders with the knowledge and confidence to stop it gaining a foothold. 

‘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