Being there
In Massachusetts, operators learn the art of turning up
Full complement of operators discuss bet limits with Massachusetts regulator.
Competing lobbyists set out Missouri battle lines.
EGBA has Finnish quibbles.
Singapore allows cashless gambling, but not crypto.
Australian PM keen on partial ad ban.
Something in my consciousness told me you'd appear.
The art of turning up
Is that it? Operators in Massachusetts managed to turn out in force for a discussion on the practice of bet limits in front of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission after previously snubbing a friendly invite in May.
In contrast to the single operator that appeared before a Commission committee, a full complement of the leading lights sat down on Wednesday.
Sledgehammer meet nut: The meeting finally got around to discussing complaints from sportsbook customers within the state and media reports about operators limiting winning players.
The operators were quick to point out the issue only affected a very small minority of consumers.
Sarah Brennan, senior director of compliance for BetMGM, said as few as 1% of consumers were affected.
Hands tied: Vice-president for product and new market compliance at FanDuel, Cory Fox, said an “extraordinarily small” percentage of wagers struck in Massachusetts would have a maximum bet size imposed.
But he claimed that without the ability to limit certain players, FanDuel would be forced to reduce its betting offer.
Alex Smith, senior vice-president for regulatory compliance at Fanatics Betting and Gaming, noted that more than half of those who had limits imposed were losing bettors.
“The notion that if you win you’ll be banned is not statistically correct,” he said.
Asked about the processes that are in place before limits are imposed, it became apparent that courtsiding was perhaps the single biggest reason for an operator to intervene.
Commissioner Eileen O’Brien suggested operators should find a technical solution to the courtsiding issue to allow users who are watching a game on television and those who are in attendance to place in-game bets without an advantage.
But this elicited a response from the operators who pointed out that latency issues in relation to third-party betting feeds were outside their scope.
Distraction: However, attempts to suggest bet limits were part and parcel of operators’ responsible gambling procedures were knocked back by other experts in front of the committee.
Joe Brennan, executive chair of Prime Sports, said it was something of a smokescreen.
“I do have a concern when we’re having a specific talk about player limitations and responsible gaming issues have been so quickly cited by operators as a reason for engaging in these practices,” he added.
No rush: Massachusetts Gaming Commission interim chair Jordan Maynard wound up the three-hour meeting by saying more discussion would follow.
“I know that patrons and those who follow the Commission’s work are eager for quick determinations,” he said.
“But we are a deliberative body and we will not sacrifice getting an issue right just for expediency sake.”
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The US Inland Revenue Service marked NFL kickoff day with a warning to taxpayers that illegal sports gambling can result in criminal charges ranging from money laundering to tax evasion. The annual revenue from the illegal sports-betting market in the US is estimated at more than $700m, IRS officials said.
Technology consultancy Burendo has partnered with safer gambling experts Mindway AI to improve safer gambling practices across the industry. Each will refer clients and prospects to the other under the agreement.
Online casino players in the UK have a new dispute resolution service. Affiliate CasinoReviews.com is now aiding Gambling Commission licensees, following its work in managing complaints for the Malta Gaming Authority.
Following regulatory approval, Comtrade Gaming now has a license to distribute iGaming content to Romanian punters from its CG Games supplier division.
Norfolk City Council has finally approved a development agreement between the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and Boyd Gaming. Construction of a temporary casino in February will start next year with the expectation it is completed by October 2025.
Underdog Fantasy has been granted permission to launch its Pick’em Champions contests by Arizona’s Department of Gaming.
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Missouri battle
All to fight for: Winning for Education Missouri has released a campaign ad urging voters to support Amendment 2, which would legalize sports betting and channel the tax dollars generated into Missouri schools.
Know thy enemy: The Winning team is up against a political action committee called Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment or MADOGA.
“This deceptive measure was written by and for the financial benefit of its out-of-state corporate sponsors and funders,” said a MADOGA spokesperson.
“We are building a broad coalition and are prepared to wage a vigorous campaign to educate voters across the state and ensure the measure is defeated.”
Is that deductible? MADOGA claims the tax benefits of regulating sports betting are overstated by Winning for Education Missouri.
The PAC pointed out that with operators able to deduct promo expenses from their tax bills, the tax take will be minimal.
Not the Finnish line
Beware the backfire: The changes proposed by the Finnish government to end the monopoly of Veikkaus and open the market to competition “marks a significant milestone” for the country’s gambling sector, but the plans need fine-tuning.
So says the European Gaming and Betting Association, which this week suggested the marketing restrictions envisaged, including a ban on affiliates, “might backfire.”
“These channels play a key role in guiding consumers to licensed, regulated platforms,” said the Association’s secretary general Maarten Haijer in an open letter.
Push and pull: EGBA is also worried that the proposed blanket ban on bonusing will “simply make any newly licensed operators less competitive against unlicensed ones.”
“This risks pushing players towards unregulated sites, undermining the very consumer protections the legislation aims to establish and strengthen,” Haijer added.
Some suggestions: To improve the planned legislation, EGBA has put forward two specific proposals. One is to bring affiliates into the regulated fold and allow social media advertising.
“Both are valuable tools for channeling players towards licensed operators,” said Haijer.
By implementing clear guidelines, Finland can “harness the power of these marketing channels while maintaining high standards of consumer protection.”
Behave: The second suggestion is that, instead of a blanket ban on bonusing, the authorities might look to implement guidelines for responsible use.
“A nuanced approach could involve prohibiting bonuses for players showing signs of problematic behavior,” the EGBA said.
“This strategy would allow operators to compete more effectively with unlicensed sites who will undoubtedly use bonuses to try to entice Finnish players away from regulated websites.”
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Cashless in Singapore
Here comes the Sun: Singapore has amended regulations to allow cashless gaming at the nation’s two casinos, Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands.
No crypto: However, the use of cryptocurrencies is still outlawed due to money laundering concerns, according to the Minister of State for Home Affairs and Minister for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling.
Sun said, despite Singapore’s wish to promote “cashless gambling,” cryptocurrencies would remain banned in casino activities.
The bill gives the Gambling Regulatory Authority the power to approve new betting tools, however the Minister for Home Affairs will be authorized to approve the main shareholders of casino operators.
In other recent updates to Singapore’s gambling laws, the country has fixed casino entry levies for locals at S$150 ($114) per day.
Albanese’s preference
Just a little bit: Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese veered towards favoring a partial ad ban during a question time session in parliament on Wednesday.
Not right: The country is weighing up the findings of a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry into the impacts of gambling in Australia, which recommended a series of sweeping reforms including a total ban on advertising to be phased in over three years.
With cross-party pressure mounting on Albanese to make a call, the premier told lawmakers he does not believe the state has an “absolute right to determine the behavior of individuals across the board.”
Broken links: Albanese said sports and gambling have become too close, and the connection “needs to be broken.”
“What I do believe, though, is we have a responsibility to restrict the damage that harmful advertising can have,” he added.
“I think we need to act, and part of what we’re looking at is when the ads are available, [that] is a major factor here.”
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Events calendar
Sep 10-13: European Conference on Gambling Studies, Rome
Sep 24-26: SBC Player Protection Summit, Lisbon
Oct 7-10, G2E, Las Vegas
Nov 5: Gaming in Germany, Berlin
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