Legal & compliance – Page 18

May 4, 2023

New York greenlights $455m racing Belmont development

On 2 May, New York State lawmakers approved the FY2024 budget, which included funding for a $455m (£362.0m/€412.2m) loan to renovate and upgrade the Belmont Park race track.

Non-for-profit racetrack operator the New York Racing Association (NYRA) is charged with developing the project to build the new thoroughbred racing facility at Belmont Park.

The NYRA said that the “significant” construction development would have no cost to tax payers, due to being funded through loans that the operator is obliged to pay back to the state government.

Belmont Park’s existing grandstand and clubhouse are to be replaced with a new building, designed to “reflect the evolution” of racing and wagering since the site was last redeveloped in 1968.

In keeping with the declining popularity of racing in New York, the new construction is to be smaller, with the current 1.25 million square foot facility set to be replaced with a 275,000 square foot structure.

According to the NYRA, the new building is to..

May 2, 2023

German regulator classifies DFS as illegal gambling

German regulator Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) has classified “certain forms” of daily fantasy sports (DFS) as illegal gambling in Germany.

The classification occurred after GGL reviewed several forms of DFS, and concluded at a hearing that they could be classified as illegal gambling.

The regulator referred to Germany’s Fourth State Treaty on Gambling, which states that gambling must only be operated with the strict permission of the GGL.

GGL said that a “well-known” DFS provider ceased to operate in Germany after the hearing occured.

Ronald Benter, GGL board member, said that the decision had been made to protect German players from addiction and illegal gambling offerings.

“We find that our decisions are accepted by the providers and implemented promptly,” said Benter. “This protects consumers from illegal offers and the risk of betting and gambling addiction.”

GGL CEO Benjamin Schwanke added that keeping illegal gambling offerings at bay is a joint effort th..

April 27, 2023

What’s covered in the Gambling Act white paper?

After years of delays and speculation, the most transformative review of gambling in the United Kingdom in 18 years has finally been published.

The publication of the Gambling Act review white paper signifies a landmark upheaval of how gambling will be regulated in the UK going forward, in an age of smartphones and 24/7 internet access.

To say the review has been much anticipated would be an understatement. Industry trade bodies, operator groups and industry critics alike have waited eagerly for the white paper’s publication.

It has been an eventful two years and four months since the UK government announced the review – one that has encompassed the resignations and appointments of two prime ministers, the declaration of a cost of living crisis and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

While the white paper document outlines much of what the industry expected, it contains a few unexpected additions – including the addition of a gambling ombudsman, to give customers one point of contact for..

April 25, 2023

Spain sanctions 20 operators over illegal gambling in H2

Spanish regulator Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) sanctioned 20 online operators over illegal gambling activities in the second half of 2022, imposing more than €35.0m (£31.0m/$38.6m) in fines in the process.

According to the ministry of consumer affairs, 20 operators were contacted about “serious or very serious infractions” across online betting and gambling during the six-month period, in relation to breaches of Regulación del Juego (LRJ) gambling law.

Of the operators contacted, seven were flagged for “very serious” infractions and banned from offering online gambling in the country for a period of two years. Each operator was also fined €5.0m, with these penalties totalling €35.0m in H2.

The DGOJ also detected “serious” violations across the other 13 operators, issuing financial penalties that amounted to €560,000.

Nine of these violations were related to a failure to comply with rules on advertising and marketing gambling in Spain, with each operator fined ..

April 21, 2023

Police raid German sports betting operator

Police in Germany have carried out raids and arrested six people as part of an investigation into an unnamed sports betting operator.

The German sports betting raids took place yesterday (20 April) and followed two and a half years of undercover investigations related to the operator, with allegations including suspicion of forming a criminal organisation, offering illegal gambling and withholding wages in reference to undeclared work.

Raids were carried out by police from the German regions of North Rhine-Westphalia, Bremen, Berlin, Saxony and Bavaria, as well as authorities in Malta and Croatia. Raids took place at premises across all these regions, although the focus of the effort was Cologne.

In a joint statement issued by the Prosecution of Organised Crimes (ZeOS NRW) and the State Criminal Police Office for North Rhine-Westphalia, investigating authorities executed over 100 search warrants and six arrest warrants during the raids.

More than 100 private apartments, betting sho..

April 14, 2023

Episode 15: A win in Kentucky, plus Texas, North Carolina and more

Last week the World Series of Politics asked where all the regulatory wins were in the 2023 legislative session, and, around a day after it went live, Kentucky sports betting was signed into law.

As Brendan Bussmann says, gaming tends to be the last issue for lawmakers to consider in the session and this year is no different. Earlier in the session Kentucky looked like a “sleeper state”, Brandt Iden says, making it a great win for the session.

Kentucky sports betting’s passage was “a classic case of bipartisanship”, he adds, with the governor, Republicans and Democrats coming together to make it happen.

Missouri and North Carolina sports betting set for photo finish?

Next up is North Carolina, a state with tribal sports betting already live, where a bill to expand the market is working its way through the legislature.

Brendan is increasingly bullish on the Tar Heel State. He says attitudes on gaming are changing as more southern states look at legislation, with more efforts to..

April 6, 2023

Missouri sports betting efforts stall in senate

Efforts to authorise sports wagering in the Missouri hit a brick wall on Wednesday as proponents of video lottery terminals (VLT) sought to introduce a number of poison pill amendments to the bill.

Senate Bill 30 – which has the support of both casinos and major professional sports teams – seeks to legalise sports wagering in Missouri.

All of the state’s neighbours have either authorised sports betting, or are in the process of doing so. Last week, the Kentucky governor, Andy Beshear, signed House Bill 551 into law, paving the way for state-wide sports betting, and making Missouri one of the final states in the region to legalise the activity.

The proposed law – introduced by Senator Tony Luetkemeyer – is the companion bill to House Bill 556, which was sponsored by a bi-partisan coalition of Republicans and Democrats.

Casinos in Missouri – many of which are casino boats – will be able to partner with up to three operators

The legislation would allow each licensed casino in the sta..

April 3, 2023

Kentucky governor signs sports betting bill into law

Kentucky’s Democrat governor, Andy Beshear, has signed into law a bill that will legalise sports betting in the Bluegrass State.

House Bill 551 will make nine racetracks eligible to offer on-site retail sports betting, while each track will also be able to partner with up to three online operators, meaning up to 27 licences may be issued by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC).

The bill also establishes a two-tier system to taxation, with online operators to be taxed at 14.25% of gross gambling revenue, compared to the 9.75% imposed on the retail offerings.

Read the full story on iGB North America

March 31, 2023

Kentucky sports betting bill heads to governor’s desk

House Bill 551 – which would authorise sports wagering in the Bluegrass State – is heading to Governor Andy Beshear’s desk after clearing the Senate just hours before the deadline.

Beshear, a Democrat, has stated his intention to sign the bill, meaning that the outlook looks optimistic for legalised sports betting in Kentucky.

Lawmakers approved the legislation 26-12, with a 23-vote threshold for passage. The two-thirds majority requirement is a result of state rules regarding revenue generating laws being passed in a session not devoted to the budget.

There is a long tradition of horse racing in Kentucky

“After years of urging lawmakers to legalise sports betting, we finally did it! Today’s result shows that hard work pays off,” said Beshear on Twitter. “Kentuckians will soon be able to place their bets here and, for the first time, we are going to keep those dollars to support our roads and bridges, schools and communities.”

Read the full story on iGB North America

March 28, 2023

Mississippi governor signs sports betting study bill

Mississippi sports betting task force given all clear after governor Tate Reeves signed House Bill 606 into law.

The law – introduced by Republican representatives Casey Eure and Kevin Felsher – initially had a far more expansive goal of legalising mobile sports betting state-wide by allowing each of the state’s 26 land-based casinos to partner with an online sportsbook, but was significantly cut down in committee.

While in 2018 the state became one of the first in the country to legalise in-person sports betting following the Supreme Court striking down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) – which paved the way for sports betting authorisation – mobile sports betting has faced a much slower route to completion.

In 2018, Mississippi became one of the first states to legalise in-person sports betting after the Supreme Court struck down PASPA

As of 2023, only one online operator – BetMGM – has launched their app in the state. Players can only access the applicat..

March 22, 2023

Oklahoma tribal sports betting bill clears House

The Oklahoma House of Representatives has voted through a bill that would allow tribes in the US state to add legal sports betting to their existing gaming compacts.

House Bill 1027 passed yesterday (21 March) by a vote of 66-26 and will now move forward to the Senate for a further committee progress, where it could face additional amendments.

The final version of the bill would need approval from both the House and Senate before it could be passed to the governor for final sign-off.

Read the full story on iGB North America

March 21, 2023

Missouri House votes to approve sports betting bill

The Missouri House of Representatives has voted to approve a bill that would legalise sports betting in the US state.

While the vote is a step forward in the authorisation of sports betting in the Show-Me State, a formal roll call vote is required in the House before the bill is sent to the state Senate for final confirmation.

House Bill 556, which would allow for retail and online sports wagering in Missouri, is being co-sponsored by Republicans Dave Hinman and Adam Schwadron, as well as Democrats Keri Ingle and Ashley Bland Manlove.

The bill was introduced to the House at the start of the year and approved last night (20 March). Following a formal roll call, which is expected to take place later this week, the bill will then progress to the Senate for further discussion.

Read the full story on iGB North America

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Tag: Legal & compliance