UK regulator targets ‘challenging’ prop bet markets.
The UK government appoints a new gambling minister.
Jontay Porter pleads guilty to illegal betting.
Twitch continues its battle with gambling-related content.
We sit in the same room, side by side.
False accounting
The more I see the less I believe: In soccer, the referee’s decision is final. In the micro-betting world, things are not so straightforward, prompting concern from UK regulators about the rise of player-specific markets and the accuracy of in-game data.
UK Gambling Commission deputy chief executive Sarah Gardner has warned of “new challenges for consumers as they can engage with much more subjective micro-markets”.
Translated, this means punters are increasingly questioning the official statistics operators use to settle prop bets and other in-game, player-specific bets.
Discrepancies across the agencies who record them, and the likelihood of refereeing errors that may come to light after a bet has been settled, are the main flashpoints.
Burning buildings: The rise and accessibility of team-level and player-level data in sports betting has triggered a boom in bet builders and in-play markets in recent years, Gardner said, noting how popular niche markets such as attempts on goal or aspects of foul play have become.
Human error: “Once we introduce concepts which require a human being to make a subjective judgment, we introduce debate and argument,” she told an audience at KPMG’s recent Gibraltar seminar. “I’m not saying these micro-markets should not exist,” she added.
“But we have seen a notable increase in disputes from consumers where already higher-margin, multiple-selection bets now have elements which one person might see differently, especially when it makes the difference between winning and losing.”
She hinted that the regulator will turn its gaze to “compilers and providers of data”; the third party firms whose technology describes events that punters place money on with bookies.
Wrong place, wrong time: Earlier this year, the commission held talks with operators in the UK market over claims that incorrect in-game statistics were being recorded around events such as numbers of tackles or shots on target.
A number of punters claimed they had been victims of wrong decisions made by referees in-game and were unable to appeal, and online forums have logged such cases going back several years.
More than 300 people appealed their football data bets to the Independent Betting Adjudication Service last year.
Most bookmakers favor data agency Opta for match statistics, however numbers from the Press Association or sport governing bodies such as FIFA and UEFA can also be used, which do not always synchronize.
Take on me: Further complicating the issue are the players themselves; Brazilian star Lucas Pacqueta has been charged by the British football authorities for allegedly betting on himself to receive a card for foul play.
Gardner said the issue “will need serious thought by both the industry and its regulators.”
New gambling minister
Ruffle the feathers: The newly elected Labour government has appointed a new gambling minister. Stephanie Peacock MP has been handed the parliamentary under-secretary of state for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society brief.
She takes on the portfolio with immediate effect, but should be no stranger to issues such as the White Paper reforms, having served as shadow gambling minister until the election.
In her response to the publication of the White Paper, Peacock hinted that advertising restrictions don’t go far enough. Peacock will answer to Lisa Nandy, who was named secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport.
GuardDog, powered by Underdog, is a pioneering investment fund dedicated to fostering innovation in responsible gaming.
GuardDog supports and accelerates early-stage startups focused on building new and creative solutions to address problem gaming and further responsible gaming.
Ready to be one of the underdogs of responsible gaming?
Visit to apply: https://underdogfantasy.com/guarddog
+More
North Carolina: A bill implementing a ban on prop bets on college athletes has stalled in the legislature. According to SportsHandle, the bill is unlikely to move following the state legislature adjourning last week.
Australia: Casinos, along with big houses, fast cars and expensive watches, remain money launderers’ favored methods, according to Australia’s dirty money watchdog. Austrac said, while “the exploitation of digital currencies is increasing,” criminals still prefer to launder ill-gotten gains “via traditional methods.”
The findings were revealed in a new national risk assessment, prompting ministerial talk of tougher standards to govern the most at-risk sectors.
Nevada regulators are mulling an update to the state’s sports-betting regulations, which would speed up the ability of sportsbooks to cancel bets placed after an event has started. This proposed regulation change would allow sportsbooks to rescind wagers without needing prior approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board chair.
It is hoped the tweak will resolve arguments between operators and punters, addressing the rapid pace of sports betting.
Macau: Junket licenses will once again be capped at 50 in 2025, the same total as this year despite less than half of the available licenses actually being in use, according to the Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
The Philippines is hoping to see the country removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s anti-money laundering gray list by January, according to a senior AML official.
Kazakhstan has tightened the country’s gambling and lottery regulations. A new law has been signed into effect by rulers that introduces restrictions on bookie advertising and sweepstakes.
It has also banned the distribution of lottery tickets and the installation of lottery terminals in residential buildings, dorms, religious buildings, buildings and structures of cultural organizations, and social facilities, including within a 100-meter radius.
Compliance Director – Brazil
Responsible Gaming Manager – Malta
Compliance Analyst – Malta
Porter pleads guilty
Court side: The NBA’s Jontay Porter had pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy crime after admitting on Wednesday that he schemed to take himself out of games for gambling's sake. Porter had already received a lifetime ban from the game following the revelations.
The former Tronto Raptors player said: "I know what I did was wrong, unlawful, and I am deeply sorry.”
Porter acknowledged that he agreed to withdraw early from games so co-conspirators could win bets on his performance. He did it, he said, "to get out from under large gambling debts.”
Porter is free on a $250k bond while awaiting sentencing set for December 18.
Prosecutors estimate his sentence will be three to four years.
The disgraced star told the court he has undergone inpatient rehab for a gambling problem and remains in therapy.
In a press release issued when the scandal broke, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said: “There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport.”
He added that was why Porter’s “blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment.”
Getting Twitchy
Censored: Amazon-owned live streaming platform Twitch has continued its long-running battle with gambling-related content. The latest change means no content under the gambling category will be visible for logged-out users.
The change follows a site-wide tweak to Content Classification Labels (CCLs). Broadcasters on the Twitch platform must now flag their streams if they feature the following:
Sexual themes
Drugs, intoxication or excessive tobacco use
Gambling
Violent and graphic depictions
Significant profanity or vulgarity
Mature-rated games
Not quite sex, drugs and rock and roll: Despite CCLs applying across six broad categories, only gambling and sexual themes will be off by default for logged-out users. During the ‘boom’ of slots streaming on Twitch, it was not uncommon to see multiple slots players plastered on the front page due to the sheer popularity of content.
Violent and graphic depictions; drugs, intoxication or excessive tobacco use; significant profanity or vulgarity; and mature-rated games have all made the cut, however, to still feature for users without an account.
KYC? For users under the age of 18, all of the categories will be filtered out (by default) except for mature-rated games. Users over the age of 18 will have the opportunity to apply filters to each of the above categories, to decide if they’re exposed to any such content when they’re logged in to the portal.
What difference will it make? Devil’s advocate would suggest a 13-year-old without an account could still happily watch a streamer playing Grand Theft Auto, wielding a fully automatic rifle and playing roulette in the game’s in-built casino.
Similarly, the KYC process of ‘making up your date of birth’ is sufficient to bypass the Twitch age restrictions.
Objection
A clear warning: The UK’s Advertising Standard Authority has warned games publisher Electronic Arts over a paid-for Facebook ad for the publisher’s Golf Clash game, which included what the watchdog decided was a not sufficiently clear disclaimer that it contained loot boxes.
Armalytix is making it simple for you to spot the customers you shouldn't be dealing with and keep the others playing.
You’ve got to do AML checks today. Enhanced financial risk checks are coming on top of existing affordability checks. Get them sorted and stop customer drop-off with simple, effective checks you can use immediately in your existing workflows.
Sustain your most loyal and valuable customer base and meet existing and future regulations.
Dane law
Should have known better: Denmark’s gambling regulator has chided online casino provider Spillehallen for alleged anti-money laundering failings. Spillemyndigheden said it found discrepancies in the operator’s written accounts for compliance with the Danish Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Spillehallen’s risk assessment for the period to 10 December 2023, concerning processes for countering money laundering and financing of terrorism, was not up to scratch, the regulator said.
It specifically noted weak identification of potentially risky customers.
Recent amendments to Denmark’s Gambling Act gave the regulator more powers to intervene and issue sanctions where it deems an operator’s compliance processes are below par.
Calendar
Jul 17-20: National Council of Legislators from Gaming States, Pittsburgh
Sep 24: Player Protection, SBC Summit, Lisbon
An +More Media publication.
For sponsorship inquiries email scott@andmore.media.