Regulatory Updates in iGaming Industry for November 2020

The month of November brought numerous changes in the iGaming industry, with the United States being the most dynamic part of the world. Europe and Asia witnessed some significant modifications as well.

Which US states legalized sports betting? What happened in Europe and Asia? Our insightful retrospective brings all the answers, so stay with us to find out!

Updates from the United States of America

Let’s start with Colorado, where PointsBet introduced its online sports betting platform in the state on 18 November 2020. Also, International Game Technology (IGT) has announced that the brand’s PlaySports platform will power the world-class retail sports betting at Maverick Gaming’s three Colorado casinos.

As for Massachusetts, the State Lottery approved Pollard Banknote a five-year contract to provide instant game services.

At least 52 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes…

…greenlighted the legalization of sports wagering in the statewide referendum. Once the state legislature has developed and enacted regulations to govern the activity, all parishes which approved the measure will be permitted to offer sports wagering.

In Michigan, the Senate ed the legislation to permit interstate online poker. The bill, SB991, which would allow licensed operators to open up player and liquidity pools with other states who have also legalized the activity, progressed to the House for consideration.

Voters in the statewide referendum in Nebraska approved a ballot proposal to permit casino gaming at the state’s six licensed racetracks. However, the measures still require approval in the legislature.

Senator Paul Sarlo…

… introduced a bill to put the question of authorizing betting on college sports play-off or championship fixtures on the 2021 ballot in New Jersey. Moreover, senator Vin Gopal presented legislation to permit fixed-odds betting on horseraces held in the state. If ed, the bill could be implemented before the start of the 2021 horseracing meet at Monmouth Park.

Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, the State Lottery awarded Scientific Games a 10-year central system and instant game management contract.

As for South Dakota…

… the majority of voters in the state approved the ballot question to authorize sports wagering at casinos in Deadwood. The approval also means the state’s tribal casinos will be permitted to offer this activity on tribal land. Legislators must now establish detailed regulations to govern the activity including the possibility of online gambling.

Tennessee launched online sports wagering on 01 November 2020 with DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Tennessee Action 24/7 all going live. Also, the Lottery Board confirmed that three more operators, William Hill, BetAmerica, and Wynn, have applied for licenses and are expected to launch in the coming weeks.

In Wyoming, the Northern Arapaho Tribe announced plans to operate retail sports betting at its three casinos in the state in the coming months. The tribe intended to launch this activity ahead of the 2021 Superbowl on 07 February 2021.

Regulatory Modifications from Europe

Following the introduction of the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in Lithuania, the Gambling Supervision Service published new know-your-customer (KYC) guidelines for gambling and lottery companies, including enhanced customer identification. Particular emphasis is put on consumers considered as politically vulnerable, or persons residing in high-risk third countries identified by the European Commission.

In , the Ministers of the country’s 16 landers gave their final approval to the new Interstate Treaty on Gambling following its ratification by the European Commission.

As for Spain…

… the Ministry of Consumer Affairs confirmed a ban on gambling companies entering sponsorship agreements with sports teams. Also, the Council of State greenlighted the country’s new advertising rules (The Royal Decree on Commercial Communications of Gambling Activities). The new restrictions were scheduled to come into force over the coming months.

The Government of Sweden unveiled plans to extend the online gaming restrictions imposed due to the current situation until 01 July 2021. Just to remind, there’s a weekly deposit limit of SEK5k and a maximum bonus limit of SEK100 on online casino games.

Nationale Loterij of the Netherlands announced customers will be required to separate s for lottery and sports betting products from 01 March 2021 to comply with the regulations set out in the Remote Gambling Act.

What’s the Situation like in Asia?

The Ministry of Finance announced the China Welfare and Sports Lotteries would discontinue high-frequency, quick-open lottery games (Keno). All Keno games will be completely removed after the 2021 Spring Festival holiday (18 February 2021).

The Cyberspace istration body launched a 45-day campaign to reduce the number of mobile apps accessible in the country that contain illegal content such as gambling.

In Macau, the DICJ stated it was conducting studies into the possibility of introducing interactive gambling. The statement came in response to a question posed by a member of the Legislative Assembly regarding permitting the activity to economic recovery from the current situation.

As for the Philippines…

… PAGCOR was reportedly considering proposals to allow land-based casino operators to offer online gaming platforms with a tax rate of 42.5% on the industry.

The Rest of the World

The Ontario Government included plans to liberalize its online gaming market and provide for the licensing of commercial interactive gambling operators in its 2020 Budget. As far as the Gaming Commission confirmed, it would work with key stakeholders to develop a regulatory framework to govern the introduction and operation of the new iGaming market.

In Russia, legislation was introduced to establish a new, unified, gambling regulator. If approved by the State Duma, the bill would establish a new body to develop, implement, and enforce regulations to govern the entire entertainment industry in the country.

As for Puerto Rico, the Department for Economic Development and Commerce confirmed that the regulations to regulate slot machines outside of casinos have come into effect. Up to 30,000 slot machines in small businesses can be licensed, despite objections from the casino industry that this would take revenues away from their business.

Source:

“H2 Gambling Capital”, November 2020.