acma-blocks-more-illegal-gambling-and-affiliate-websites

ACMA Blocks More Illegal Gambling and Affiliate Websites

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The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested the Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block more illegal offshore gambling and affiliate marketing websites.

The sites include:

Pokies Parlour

Ninja Spins

Pokies Online Casino

CasinoAus

Australian Casino Sites

AU Online Casino

The ACMA undertook investigations that found these sites to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling. Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 426 illegal gambling websites have been blocked.

Over 160 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal offshore gambling rules in 2017.

leap-gaming-operates-on-romanian-market

Leap Gaming operates on Romanian market

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Leap Gaming, Malta-based virtual sports, slots, and table games provider,  received a Class II license from Romanian National Gambling Office (ONJN) http://onjn.gov.ro/lista-licentiati-clasa-a-ii-a/ for gaming software provision.

The license allows Leap to provide virtual sports and casino solutions to B2C and B2B operators in Romania.

This license follows several key licensing milestones achieved in recent months, including, among others, in Sweden, Greece, and Italy.

Another step in Leap’s expansion path into regulated markets, for scalable distribution of its state-of-the-art virtual sports, slots and table games.

swedish-gambling-authority-deems-temporary-measures-“difficult-to-assess”

Swedish Gambling Authority Deems Temporary Measures “Difficult to Assess”

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The Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) has said that it is “difficult to assess” what impact temporary liability measures had on public health and consumer protection.

In evaluating online gambling restrictions put in place due to Covid-19, the regulator stated that it cannot easily attribute any developments to these temporary measures alone as the pandemic and new gambling regulation will also have played a role.

The SGA has submitted its interim report to Sweden’s government, outlining what effects liability measures may have had on problem gambling.

These measures came into force on 2 July 2020 and were eventually lifted on 14 November 2021. They were originally introduced in response to a purported rise in problem gambling due to the pandemic, and included a SEK 5000 ($525) cap on deposits at online casinos and a corresponding loss limit for slot machines.

But in determining what impact such restrictions have had on public health and consumer protection, the SGA has come up empty-handed.

While only four months have elapsed since the measures were lifted, and a more in-depth report is due later, the regulator has thus far found it difficult to distinguish which developments occurred as a result of said measures, and which were caused more by Covid-19.

“It is currently not possible to determine what effect the pandemic has had. Against this background, it is also not possible for the Swedish Gambling Authority to assess the consequences of the temporary regulation for public health,” remarked the regulator in its interim report.

“It is also not possible to determine what the development would have looked like had the provisional regulation not been introduced.”

ukgc-names-allwyn-as-preferred-applicant-for-the-fourth-national-lottery-licence

UKGC Names Allwyn as Preferred Applicant for the Fourth National Lottery Licence

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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has named Allwyn Entertainment Ltd as Preferred Applicant for the fourth National Lottery licence.

The National Lottery is one of the world’s largest lotteries and the current – third – licence is due to expire in 2024. Since launching in 1994, National Lottery players have collectively raised more than £45 billion for 660,000 good causes across the UK, transforming lives and contributing to the arts, sport, heritage and communities.

The selection of Allwyn as Preferred Applicant follows a fair, open and robust competition which received four applications at the final stage. This is the highest number of applications since the first National Lottery licence was awarded in 1994.

Alongside Allwyn, the other applicants were Sisal Spa, Camelot UK Lotteries Ltd and The New Lottery Company Ltd. Camelot UK Lotteries Ltd has been named Reserve Applicant.

Andrew Rhodes, CEO of UKGC, said: “In its lifetime, the National Lottery has raised more than £45 billion for good causes and is rightly seen as a great national asset.

“Our priority was to run a competition that would attract a strong field of candidates. Having received the most applications since 1994, it is clear that we’ve achieved just that.

“I am confident that the success of the competition will lead to a highly successful fourth licence – one that maximises returns to good causes, promotes innovation, delivers against our statutory duties, and which ultimately protects the unique status of the National Lottery.

“We look forward to working with all parties to ensure a smooth handover.”

John Tanner, Gambling Commission Executive Director and Senior Responsible Owner for the competition, said: “The Commission is grateful to all four applicants for their engagement in the competition. We were impressed by the overall standard of applications, including the range and quality of innovation proposed, and the high level of confidence and ambition demonstrated for the prospects of the National Lottery under the fourth licence.”

3-oaks-gaming-granted-isle-of-man-software-supplier-licence

3 Oaks Gaming granted Isle of Man Software Supplier Licence

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3 Oaks Gaming, the fast-growing distributor of iGaming content, has been issued an IOM OGRA Software Supplier licence by the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) following a close collaboration with Amber Gaming.

Upon securing the Software Supplier licence, the industry’s newest iGaming distributor will be in a position to supply a portfolio of online casino games, along with a suite of marketing and promotional tools, to licensed B2B gaming partners and B2C operators.

This change will see the company broaden its jurisdictional reach and offer improved speed and convenience to partner with licensed operators across the industry.

3 Oaks worked closely with the Amber Gaming team to ensure a smooth process as it looks to expand in regulated markets.

Sebastian Damian, Managing Director at 3 Oaks Gaming, added: “We are incredibly proud of this achievement as we look to deliver high-quality, innovative and exciting casino gaming content to regulated jurisdictions worldwide.

“We selected the Isle of Man due to the strong reputation of the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission and its robust licensing process, which provides the perfect foundation to engineer our expansion into regulated markets. Our aim is to become a leading content distributor within the global regulated online gaming sector, and we are excited to begin our journey as we expand our international footprint over the coming months.”

Jade Zorab, Managing Director at Amber Gaming, said: “We are proud to have supported 3 Oaks Gaming through the software licensing process and excited that they are now able to take the next step towards global growth. It is a testament to the advantages of the Isle of Man software licence to have attracted an applicant of this calibre and we are looking forward to continuing our partnership with 3 Oaks Gaming moving forward.”

Tony Ure, Head of eGaming, Digital Isle of Man added: “It is a pleasure to welcome 3 Oaks Gaming to the Island. Ensuring that the Island has a supportive ecosystem for gaming companies to operate their business, whilst maintaining our reputation as a highly regulated jurisdiction that prides itself on player protection is key to continuing the growth of this sector on the Isle of Man. I wish 3 Oaks Gaming every success with their future ventures.”

ukgc-imposes-1.17m-fine-on-sky-betting-and-gaming

UKGC Imposes £1.17M Fine on Sky Betting and Gaming

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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has imposed a fine of £1.17m on online gambling business Bonne Terre Limited, trading as Sky Betting and Gaming, for sending promotional emails to customers who had self-excluded or opted out of receiving marketing.

On 2 November 2021, the operator distributed a Sky Vegas promotional offer of “Bet £5 get 100 free spins” to 41,395 self-excluded customers and 249,159 customers who had unsubscribed from the operator’s marketing emails.

These actions breached licence conditions aimed at ensuring gambling in Britain is socially responsible.

Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive of UKGC, said: “Self-excluded customers are likely to be suffering gambling harm and should absolutely not be sent direct marketing that could tempt them back into gambling.

“We would advise all operators to learn from Sky Betting and Gaming’s costly errors and ensure their systems are robust enough to always prevent the self-excluded, and those who have clearly rejected marketing, from receiving promotional material.”

Mr Rhodes added: “This latest fine would have been a lot higher had Sky Betting and Gaming allowed any of the self-excluded customers to actually gamble, failed to cooperate, and not taken decisive action aimed at preventing a repeat.”

This latest fine from the Commission follows enforcement action in recent weeks against operators 888 and BetVictor which saw financial penalties totalling £11.4m.

gamban-to-offer-gambling-blocking-product-in-spanish

Gamban to Offer Gambling Blocking Product in Spanish

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The UK-based gambling block provider Gamban is expanding its service with a Spanish-language version of its software. It said the product can be downloaded in all Spanish-speaking countries although it’s particularly thinking of Spain where the government has been focusing closely on safer gambling and has introduced restrictions on gambling advertising.

The Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs has been seeking further new safer gambling legislation and has been working on the integration of problem gambling treatment services across Spain’s 17 autonomous regions.

Gamban CEO Jack Symons said: “Spanish has the second largest population of native speakers in the world, so this is a really important step in ensuring blocking software is accessible to as many people harmed by gambling as possible.”

He added: “We’ve gone from strength to strength since we launched in 2015, setting the standard in gambling blocking software. Gamban’s used by thousands of people worldwide and we’ve received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback with some users informing the team that it has literally saved their life.

“Taking the first step continues to be the hardest challenge and much of our time goes into making Gamban as simple and straightforward to install as possible.”

betvictor-hit-with-2m-ukgc-fine

BetVictor Hit with £2M UKGC Fine

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BV Gaming Limited, trading as BetVictor, is set to pay a total of £2 million ($2.7 million) in regulatory action after an investigation led by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) revealed fairness, social responsibility and money laundering failures.

The operator, which runs a series of sites – betvictor.com, betvictor.mobi, hbingo.co.uk, heartbingo.co.uk and parimatch.co.uk – will pay the money as part of a settlement with the Commission.

The settlement money will go to the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms.

Leanne Oxley, Gambling Commission Director of Enforcement, said: “As a gambling regulator our focus is on ensuring that gambling in Britain is fair, safe and crime-free, and BetVictor failed consumers by breaching rules aimed at achieving these objectives.

“Non-compliance – no matter what the reason – will never be a viable business option for gambling businesses. We will always be tough on operators who fail in this way.”

acma-blocks-more-illegal-gambling-websites

ACMA Blocks More Illegal Gambling Websites

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The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested the Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block more illegal offshore gambling websites.

The sites include Zebet, Zeturf, Slot Vibe, Arlekin Casino, Johnnie Kash Kings, Lucky Star, Horus Casino, Tangiers Casino, 7 Reels, 21 Dukes, Winward Casino and Thebes Casino.

The ACMA undertook investigations that found these sites to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling. Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 399 illegal gambling websites have been blocked.

Over 160 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal offshore gambling rules in 2017.

adesso-certified-in-accordance-with-wla-standard-as-it-service-provider-for-the-lottery-industry

adesso certified in accordance with WLA standard as IT service provider for the lottery industry

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Impressive milestone for adesso’s lottery segment: after passing the recent WLA security audit, the IT service provider is now certified in accordance with the highly respected Security Control Standard 2020 (WLA-SCS:2020) of the World Lottery Association (WLA). adesso is one of the first software manufacturers to meet this essential security standard for the industry and to offer this certification to its customers. ​

adesso has been supporting lottery companies around the world for over two decades and is very familiar with the challenges digitalization poses for the gaming market. The WLA-SCS:2020 (Level 2) standard of the World Lottery Association is the seal of quality for outstanding information, security and integrity measures in the industry. Level 2 is the highest level of certification and comprises a demanding set of criteria that must be fulfilled not only by lottery and sports betting operators in their international business, but also by their technology service providers and suppliers if they want to remain competitive.

During the certification audit, adesso’s processes as an IT service provider to the industry underwent a comprehensive, smooth assessment and met the requirements for WLA-SCS:2020, Level 2, without any reservations.

The WLA standard is a key benchmark of security, risk management and integrity for the sector. It describes a security management process that is aligned both with international standards and with a common security baseline that represents good practice for lottery and sports betting operators. The standard comprises a large number of controls and requirements for lottery and sports betting operators and their suppliers.

Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Striemer, Senior Vice President Lottery at adesso, views the certification as a way of building trust: “Trust is a vital currency in an industry where lotteries and sports betting operators handle vast sums of the public’s money. Excellence in processes and solutions is the foundation for building trusting relationships with industry stakeholders, national supervisory authorities, and especially players. As a long-standing partner to the sector, adesso is naturally one of the first movers and delighted to receive this certification.”

In the past two decades, adesso has successfully implemented numerous projects at German and international companies in the gaming industry, giving it both a deep knowledge of the sector and a unique position on the market. The IT service provider offers lottery companies organization development along the entire value chain, from strategy consulting and the development of suitable business models in project and process management, through to the roll-out of proven IT solutions. Only last year, adesso caught the industry’s attention with compelling innovations such as LotteryForce, the modular iGaming platform of the future, and adessoDraws, a revolutionary blockchain-based electronic drawing system for digital lotteries.

adesso is a member of the World Lottery Association (WLA), which represents the interests of some 140 state lottery companies worldwide and organizes the World Lottery Summit, as well as of the European Lotteries (EL) and the Asian-Pacific Lottery Association (APLA).