Tag: Sustainable Gambling

Weekend Report: former Premier League footballer jailed for match-fixing, Zeal celebrates anniversary

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB looks at the news that you may have missed across Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week: former Premier League footballer jailed for match-fixing, Veikkaus pens Finnish Ice Hockey Association extension and Zeal reaches 25-year milestone.

Former Premier League footballer faces 20 years in jail

A former Chinese footballer who played in the English Premier League for Everton has been jailed for 20 years for match-fixing.

Li Tie, who also managed China’s national team, pleaded guilty in March to taking over $16.0 million (£12.7 million/€15.2 million) in bribes. The BBC reports that Li also admitted to both accepting and offering bribes.

The court said the offences occurred while Li was an assistant coach at the Hebei China Fortune Club, which previously played in the Chinese Super League but was declared defunct last year. Li worked for the club from 2015 until 2021, when he quit as national coach.

Li would accept bribes to select certain play..

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Sweden government confirms country will sign Macolin Convention

Sweden is to join the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, also known as the Macolin Convention, the country’s government has confirmed.

Sweden first announced its intention to join the convention in October last year, with several ministers declaring their support. The government has now confirmed it will proceed with these plans.

In declaring its support, Sweden becomes the thirteenth European Union country to ratify the Macolin Convention. Belgium, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Moldova, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine have all previously ratified the convention. It has also been signed by 39 other European states and signed by three non-EU countries; Australia, Morocco and Russia.

The convention remains the only international legal framework on match-fixing and sports manipulation. It sets out a framework for public authorities to corporate with sports governing bodies, betting operators and competition operator..

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Weekend Report: footballer and tennis official banned for betting breaches, Omnigame secures Danish licence

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB looks at the news that you may have missed across Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week: bans issued to Irish footballer and Bosnian tennis official for breaching betting rules, Omnigame picks up Danish licence and Yolo makes new senior appointments.

Irish footballer faces ban over betting charge

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has issued a six-month ban to Finn Harps FC player Ryan Rainey after he was found to have breached betting rules.

Breaches are connected to a number of League of Ireland and Men’s FAI Cup games that took place between 2021 and 2024. The FAI said Rainey also placed a “significant” number of bets on football worldwide in 2024.

After a disciplinary hearing, an Independent Disciplinary Committee ruled Rainey should face a ban. This has since been confirmed by the League of Ireland, in which his team, Finn Harps FC, plays.

Rainey, who previously played for English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, to..

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UK darts players handed lengthy bans for match-fixing

The UK's Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) yesterday (2 December) banned players Leighton Bennett and Billy Warriner after they were found guilty of and admitted to charges of match-fixing.

Bennett has been suspended from darts for eight years and Warriner 10 years. The British players have also been ordered to pay £8,100 (€9,762/$10,271) each in costs.

The DRA ruling follows an International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) report for suspicious betting activity released in September 2023. This relates to matches played in the Modus Super Series.

The matches in question saw Bennett play Mindaugas Barauskas and Benjamin Drue-Reus, both on 6 September 2023. Two more games took place on 8 September 2023, with Bennett facing Ryan Harrington and Barauskas for a second time.

Working with the Gambling Commission Sports Betting Intelligence Unit, the DRA launched a full investigation into the matter.

The DRA ruled both players had cases to answer for “serious” breaches of its rul..

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Argentina chamber of deputies approves bill to ban online betting ads

The chamber of deputies in Argentina has approved a bill to ban online betting advertising, with the hopes it will protect children from gambling harms.

In a special session on 27 November, the chamber passed the federal bill by 139 votes to 36. There was also 59 abstentions from the vote in Argentina.

The bill will now go to the senate, which will take into account the views of stakeholders such as Argentinian football clubs before deciding whether to progress the bill further.

Article 8 of the bill bans advertising, promotion and sponsorship of online betting on all communication platforms. This includes digital platforms like social media and outdoor spaces such as public roads.

Additionally, Article 8 prohibits online operators from sponsoring sports teams or athletes. This also includes the use of the company’s name to identify sporting venues such as stadiums or training centres. The promotion of online gambling on signage at such venues would also be banned.

Influencer adv..

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State of the Union: DraftKings under fire, AGA reports record Q3 for gaming revenue

Welcome to iGB's State of the Union, a look at the biggest North American sports betting stories we've covered over the week and briefs on others we found interesting.

DraftKings under fire in MA, OH

On Wednesday (20 November) the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) levied a $425,000 (£335,028/€408,042) fine on DraftKings for two separate violations. The OCCC said DraftKings took college-player prop bets, which are banned in the state. It also said the company allowed accounts to be funded at “unauthorised” locations.

With regard to the college-player prop bets, DraftKings took bets 14-19 March, after the ban went into effect 1 March. In terms of account funding, the OCCC revealed that DraftKings took $2.5 million – on 40,985 deposits – at “non-gaming retail locations”.

Following the violations, the OCCC said DraftKings removed player-prop bets from its Ohio bet menu and stopped taking deposits at unapproved locations. The commission is requiring DraftKings to train i..

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Could a 1% consumption tax topple Peru’s betting ambitions?

The reintroduction of a betting consumption tax looms over Peru, raising concerns that double taxation and a rise in black market activity could dampen growth.

It has been a huge year for gambling in Peru and industry commentators expect, thanks to recent online regulation, that it could become the third largest online betting market in South America. An amended Law No 31557 to regulate online sports betting and igaming in the country came into effect on 9 February, after initially being signed off by President Pedro Castillo in 2022.

The country’s gambling regulator, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), started taking online licence applications in February and the market’s potential encouraged top tier operators such as Betsson, Rush Street Interactive and Stake to apply. By 21 March, 145 applications had been received.

The regulatory framework set out in Law No 31557 has been described as favourable for operators as it features a respectable 12% tax on gross gami..

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Weekend Report: Paddy Power customers turning to NFL betting, Evolution edges closer to Galaxy Gaming acquisition

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB looks at the news that you may have missed across Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week: NFL popularity on the rise among Paddy Power customers, Evolutions moves closer to Galaxy Gaming acquisition and Victoria launches Gambling Harm Awareness Week.

NFL betting popularity on the rise with Paddy Power

First, Paddy Power has revealed increasing interest in NFL betting. American football is now the third most popular of all sports among customers in the UK and Ireland.

Data from the operator shows only football and horse racing have been more popular than the NFL in 2024. This is in contrast to 2021 when NFL ranked seventh in popularity, also behind golf, boxing, rugby union and darts.

In the past year, the NFL jumped from fifth to third on the most popular sports list at Paddy Power. The operator puts this down to several reasons including better coverage on television and an improved offering on its own sportsbook.

“Organic growth in NFL i..

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Betting with benefits banned in Brazil pending final approval

Minister for Brazil's Federal Supreme Court Luis Fux has filed an injunction to ban betting via Brazil's Bolsa Familia social welfare cheque. The measure will be put to an emergency session of the Brazilian chamber of deputies today with plans to enforce it effective immediately.

The decision was made after a two-day hearing at the Federal Supreme Court (STF), initiated on Monday 12 November, sought to investigate the impacts of betting in Brazil and determine whether the law governing the upcoming legal market is constitutional.

The STF hearing was called following a request from Brazil’s third biggest trade union, the National Confederation of Trade in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC), filed an ADI (Ação Direta de Inconstitucionalidade) which is a legal action in Brazil intended to overturn a law that conflicts with the country’s Constitution.

Brazil’s betting sector, which is preparing to receive initial licences shortly, has faced significant backlash from politicia..

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Brazil forms parliamentary betting commission to address gambling concerns

The parliamentary inquiry commission (CPI) on betting was formed in Brazil yesterday (12 November) ahead of the legal market launch on 1 January 2025, so senators can discuss their concerns with the industry.

The betting CPI was initially proposed on 8 October, with Senator Soraya Thronicke requesting its creation to investigate the “growing influence of online virtual gambling games on [Brazilian families’ financial spending]”.

Thronicke’s request received the 27 signatures needed but the group’s formation was delayed amid uncertainty over who would serve on the inquiry.

Thronicke was assigned the CPI’s lead, while Senator Dr Hiran Gonçalves will chair the commission with Senator Alessandro Vieira as vice chair.

The CPI will have 11 members and seven substitutes, with an initial 130 days in which to carry out its work and its next meeting will be next Tuesday (19 November), although Thronicke did not disclose the names of the first witnesses.

Dr Gonçalves ended the meeting by sa..

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ANJL: Brazil black market will grow if betting law is deemed unconstitutional

The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) has said Brazil's black market activity would increase if the Supreme Court deems its betting law unconstitutional.

On Monday (11 November), the ANJL shared its thoughts at the ongoing Federal Supreme Court (STF) hearing which will determine whether Law No 14,790/2023 for legalised sports betting in Brazil is considered unconstitutional.

The two-day public hearing this week is investigating the impacts of betting in Brazil, with a number of big industry names speaking at the event. It was initiated after Brazil’s third biggest trade union, the National Confederation of Trade in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC), requested the betting law be declared unconstitutional.

The union filed an ADI (Ação Direta de Inconstitucionalidade), which is a legal action in Brazil that seeks to uphold a law or act that goes against the constitution.

The rapporteur of ADI 7721 is minister Luis Fux, who said on Monday the STF must assess t..

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Weekend Report: Ex-Tory leader warns over gambling political donations, WWE drops interest in sports betting

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB looks at the news that you may have missed across Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week: former Tory leader warns over gambling donations, WWE loses interest in US sports betting and Betway details responsible gambling initiative with South Africa’s Premier Soccer League.

Former Tory leader warns against donations from gambling sector

First, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former leader of the Conservative party, has told political parties in Great Britain to stop taking donations from gambling companies.

Smith urged colleagues dealing with “utterly rapacious” betting companies to “sup with a very long spoon”, the Telegraph reported on 8 November. The MP for Chingford & Woodford Green chairs the all-party parliamentary group on gambling reform.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Smith was asked if the gambling industry is a big political donor. He replied: “Yes, this is always a problem really. You have got to detach that sort of thing from ..

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