Squeal of fortune
Meta makes a move on pig butchering scams
Meta blitzes 2 million scam accounts linked to gambling.
BC.GAME denies bankruptcy claims.
BGC chief says UKGC survey data “doesn’t tally” with operator data.
A bill to end all gambling ads is introduced in the Netherlands.
Big man, pig man, ha-ha, charade you are.
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Butcher’s hook
Butcher’s tale: Social media giant Meta has purged more than 2 million accounts this year connected to gambling and pig butchering scams conducted from Southeast Asia and the United Arab Emirates.
In its latest security report, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp detailed its efforts to fight criminals, working with law enforcement and other technology companies.
Typically, the victims are snared on messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp and Telegram, or on dating sites, where a fraudster attempts to gain their trust before convincing them to put money into cryptocurrencies or gambling sites, some of which are shams.
The scammers themselves are often human-trafficking victims forced to work in compound centers, mainly located in Asia.
Butcher by golly wow: Cambodia and Myanmar are currently standout hotspots, with UN researchers noting an increase in Chinese criminal gang activity in the regions. This year alone, more than 53,000 Chinese citizens have been arrested in Myanmar as part of a military-led crackdown on gangs of scammers.
However, leaders acknowledged that many of the gangs evade capture by fleeing deeper into the Southeast Asian country.
The story has snowballed over the last 12 months following a series of reports into an “explosion” of crime linked to illegal online gambling and crypto across the region.
Taking a stand: Amid fears Chinese criminal enterprises are running riot across the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced in July a ban on offshore gambling operations (POGOs) during his State of the Nation address.
That embargo was enacted earlier this month following widespread political backing for the move.
Between 250 and 300 offshore gambling firms operate without licenses in the Philippines, according to government figures.
One born every minute: The FBI estimates more than $4bn is lost to crypto scams in the US alone each year, although the real amount is likely to be much higher given many victims don’t report the crimes.
Officials believe stablecoins such as Tether are central to the nexus of illegal casinos, junkets and cryptocurrencies fueling transnational organized crime across much of Asia and beyond.
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DraftKings and bet365 are pushing for the dismissal of the lawsuit filed by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), according to Bloomberg.
The pair are reported to be arguing that the use of publicly available images and names is not a violation of rights, and falls under the newsworthiness exceptions of most state laws.
FanDuel settled with the association last week and Fanatics secured a licensing agreement last month.
Google is to allow social casino apps to offer targeted advertisements to customers on its platforms, starting December 4. Other online casino apps are still prohibited from offering targeted ads under Google’s personalized ads policy.
A former Light & Wonder employee is alleging he was asked by a superior to falsify financial documents. The allegations come in a Michigan state court filing.
Argentina: The Chamber of Deputies will discuss a proposal banning all gaming ads and sponsorships later this week. The bill was fast-tracked after receiving support from multiple opposition groups in the legislature.
William Hill is collaborating with Epic Global Solutions to work with the Scottish Professional Football League to educate players and coaches about gambling-related risks.
French gambling taxes are set to increase after the country’s senate approved the measures late last week. Worst hit will be OSB rates, which go from 10.5% to 15%.
Australia: The introduction of measures to change the rules related to gambling ads have been delayed once again, until early next year, according to reports in local media.
Patience: The new regulatory authority in the UAE is focused on making deliberate choices in awarding licenses, and more names will only be considered over the next five to 10 years, according to chair Jim Murren.
The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority has to date awarded licenses to Wynn Resorts and lottery operator The Game.
A vendor license has also been awarded to Astra Tech, alongside Aristocrat and Smartplay International.
Game face
Crypto-based operator BC.GAME has denied a declaration of bankruptcy of holding companies Blockdance and Small House emanating from a Curaçao court, which also said the companies have unpaid debts and player fund losses totalling $2m.
In a statement, the company said it has been involved in legal actions brought by “some players” who accuse it of misconduct and “system issues,” which led to them suffering losses.
It added that it “strongly denies these allegations" and asserted they lack substantial evidence and “fail to demonstrate any violations by the platform.”
The statement went on to say that its own internal investigations have revealed “several inconsistencies in the cases,” with many of the claims “failing to hold up under legal and technical scrutiny.”
Mass limits
Give me what I want: The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has asked operators to hand over player data as it investigates wagering limits imposed by betting companies.
The regulator wants to know the percentage of players that are limited, how many players are being limited and exhibit winning behavior, and how many players are being treated as VIPs and exhibit losing behavior.
Industry reps have previously argued that an “extraordinarily small” percentage of wagers struck in Massachusetts would have a maximum bet size imposed.
However, the regulator has said it intends to carry out a thorough probe, and was unhappy at the near no-show of operators at a session it called earlier in the year to establish facts concerning the practice of capping payouts to winning punters.
Iowa block
Don’t want it: The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is mulling a petition to block a casino license permit application lodged by Peninsula Pacific and the Linn County Gaming Association.
Elite's Riverside Casino and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation have filed objections to the proposed Cedar Crossing Casino, arguing the regulator doesn’t have the power to grant the license.
They believe language in a ballot measure passed by Linn County voters in 2021 does not allow new gaming in the county.
The Commission said it will hold a meeting to specifically address the petition, but no further details have been made public.
A bill in the upcoming Iowa legislative session is said to propose a moratorium on new casino licenses, and may feature provisions for online gaming.
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The Hurst locker
Say it loud: The new head of the Betting and Gaming Council, Grainne Hurst, said the industry is concerned the results of the UK Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey of Great Britain are skewed and claimed they do not tally with operator level data.
In an interview with Bill Barber from the Racing Post, Hurst said it was “not just hearsay” and, looking at the “hard operator data,” she claimed it was clear the “numbers aren’t comparable.”
Specifically, she said there is an overestimation in the GSGB around participation levels and that this then has a knock-on effect on the levels of problem gambling.
Number blindness: Hurst went on to complain about the nature of the Commission’s guidance on the use or misuse of the statistics.
Recall, the Commission came in for criticism after it said the new statistics set “should not be used” to provide direct comparisons with results from prior gambling or health surveys.
Hurst said the BGC and its members “would like [the media guidance] to be clarified” so that it is “more obvious” what the GSGB can and can’t be used for.
Hey you, don't watch that, watch this: Separately, Dan Waugh from Regulus said that, last month, the BGC was asked by the Commission to stop using the old “gold standard” Health Survey stats and start using the GSGB version instead.
Waugh said the BGC “politely declined” the request, saying it has greater faith in the numbers produced by the NHS – which are accredited by the UK Statistics Authority – than the Commission’s own stats, “which are not.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Hurst said the BGC would be “louder and prouder” about the gambling sector’s benefits to the UK economy and would further highlight the “clear blue water” between the regulated space and the black market.
Citing the Racing Post’s long-running campaign against the introduction of affordability checks, she added that the consumer voice was central to her task.
The BGC is “seeing progress” with the new Labour government to ensure advancement of the elements of the White Paper that are yet to be implemented.
Houdini: One bullet that was dodged was the threat of a near doubling on remote gaming duty, which Hurst characterized as an “existential crisis.”
“I’m pleased we didn't see any of the punitive tax rises that were mooted,” she said.
“But I don’t think anybody should think that the industry got off lightly in the Budget.”
Dutch ad ban to intensify
No bill stickers: A bill in the Netherlands parliament that will order a complete wipe out of all gambling advertising has been introduced by the Christian Democratic Appeal party, which also puts forward further limits on deposits and user play time.
The draft bill will target ads hosted on on-demand streaming services and social media as well as direct mail promotions.
MP Dirk Boswijk’s motion was signed by fellow gambling hardliners Diederik van Dijk, Nicolien van Vroonhoven, Michiel van Nispen and Mirjam Bikker. A vote on the bill is expected later today, Tuesday 26.
No fun: Among the other proscriptive measures included in the proposed legislation are further limits on deposits, user time on site, a full ban on the use of credit cards for deposit purposes and an increase in the operators’ responsibilities with regard to player data protection.
No help: Meanwhile, Gaming in Holland reported on a response from minister of finance Eelco Heinen to a parliamentary question where he suggested the proposed increase in gambling tax to 37.8% from 30.5% puts the business case for Holland Casino in doubt.
Heinan said that state aid is “not on the agenda,” even though he suggested options to compensate for the tax increase will need to be investigated.
These include cost cutting and a reorganization.
Meanwhile, he said he would update MPs on the potential to privatize Holland Casino and the Nederlandse Loterij next summer.
No go: Lastly, the Netherlands gambling regulator has fined Blue High House €1.1m for continuing to offer unlicensed online gambling in the country. Blue High House operates the BetOnline.ag website.
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