Overview of Newest Gambling Regulations for August and September 2019

As you have witnessed yourself, the iGaming industry is never at rest, particularly regarding the US market, with so many countries approving various forms of gaming activities gradually. Asia is also in the process of complex changes, mainly regarding the ongoing events related to IRs, as well as the turbulence in the Philippines.

We try our best to keep you up to date with all the innovations but knowing how convenient is to have some recapitulation as a reminder, we decided to arrange them for you on a monthly basis. Here’s the newest compilation of gambling regulations worldwide.

Retrospective of US Regulations

Among the main highlights from the US was The DoJ’s decision to file a Notice of Appeal against the ruling of the District Court on June 2019. As a result, the revised opinion of Wire Act issued by the Department was rejected. Should they accept the appeal, the case could progress to the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

Meanwhile in Illinois…

… Churchill Downs Inc (CDI) and Rush Street Gaming proposed to open a new casino in Waukegan, following the recently enacted gaming expansion bill. In addition to this, The Illinois Gaming Board has launched a public consultation on the state’s sports betting regulations regarding the Sports Wagering Act Rulemaking Process. The board is seeking comments from the public, betting industry and other stakeholders.

Sports wagering in Iowa was launched on August 15…

… with The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission approved a partnership between DraftKings and Wild Rose Entertainment on 22 August. The result of the agreement is to launch retail and mobile sports betting in Wild Rose Entertainment’s three casinos in the state.

Bet365 has soft-launched its New Jersey betting and casino sites…

…marking the operator’s entry into the US market. Moreover, The Fox Bet sportsbook opened in New Jersey at the very end of August. Besides this, Roar Digital, the t venture between MGM Resorts and GVC Holdings, launched its BetMGM online sports betting and gaming app in NJ.

ing forces with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, made it possible for Unibet to go live in NJ as well, which was marked with launching its first online sportsbook in the US.

Thanks to the partnership with Caesars Entertainment…

…The Oneida Indian Nation went live with retail sportsbooks at its Turning Stone Resort and Pont Place Casinos on 1 August 2019. The Tribe also announced it intended to launch a sportsbook at its Yellow Brick Road Casino in time for the start of the NFL season on 5 September 2019, which was successfully performed.

The Gaming Commission set out the scope of a wide-ranging review of the state’s gambling industry. The Commission issued an RFP for a company to assess the current performance of the state’s gambling industry as well as the possible impact of several proposals including:

• Allowing OTB and VLT operators to offer sports wagering
• Permitting interactive sports betting, lottery games, and slots
• Awarding three (3) additional certificates for venues
• Amending the VLT and commercial casino tax rates

North Carolina’s legislature ed a bill to conduct a study into expanding sports betting and the establishment of a new regulatory body in the state. The bill must still be ratified by Governor Roy Cooper before ing into law. The research will be conducted into the effects of creating a gaming commission and expanding sports betting beyond tribal lands.

Upon partnering up with The Greenbrier in West Virginia, FanDuel announced the launch of its first sportsbook app using the company’s proprietary technology. DraftKings launched its mobile betting app in West Virginia and will offer real money sports betting and daily fantasy play. The launch was made possible through the DraftKings-Penn National Gaming agreement announced in December.

Media in Brazil reported that President, Jair Bolsonaro, met with tourism officials to discuss the possibility of legalizing casinos in the country. The President reportedly stated his for the legalization of the industry. pointing out that states should be permitted to develop their regulations rather than a federal regime. Initial press reports suggested Brazil’s Ministry of Economy will set a 1% turnover tax on sports betting, with operators required to pay £600,000 for a license lasting nine years.

Latest Updates from Asia

AGTech’s subsidiary Beijing AGTech GOT Technology won the contracts to supply sports lottery terminals in the provinces of Jiangsu and Heilongjiang. The terminals will be supplied to the sports lottery istration centers of both regions, the company said its successful bids further strengthened its leading position in China’s sports lottery hardware market.

It came as a huge surprise when Las Vegas Sands (LVS) has announced that it is no longer interested in pursuing an integrated resort (IR) in Osaka but instead will focus on an IR in Tokyo and Yokohama. In response, MGM Resorts has reiterated its commitment to pursuing an IR in Osaka.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism published the draft of the regulatory framework for the development of the three (3) integrated casino resorts. The publication of the document was scheduled to end on 3 October 2019. The draft received provisional approval from the country’s ruling Cabinet in March.

Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) ordered operators, gaming concessions and junkets…

…to notify the Bureau of any “transfer of information about gaming activities or operations, including customer personal data” to third parties within Macau or anywhere outside of the region. DICJ said exceptions were possible, but only when “the consent or power of attorney of the interested parties were obtained and “authorization from DICJ for each concrete transfer act” would be mandatory.

PAGCOR announced it had stopped accepting applications for POGO licenses until it had addressed the issues raised by the Chinese embassy earlier in August. Victor Padilla, senior manager of PAGCOR’s policy and offshore gaming licensing division, claimed that Philippines-licensed sites were not active in any country that prohibits online gambling, per PAGCOR regulations.

The Philippines Central Bank and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said they would look into the potential economic impact of curtailing offshore gaming in the country following growing pressure from China to clamp down on the industry.

President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed that he did not intend to prohibit interactive gambling. Whilst PAGCOR had temporarily ceased accepting new POGO applications whilst it conducts a review of the current regime, the President made it clear that he would not completely ban the activity.

Finance Secretary, Carlos Dominguez, ordered the country’s Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to shut down the operations of Philippines Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) that failed or refused to pay income tax. Moreover, The Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) has simplified the process for offshore gaming industry employees to apply for work permits.

Tackling Match-Fixing

The Macolin Convention came into force on 1 September…

…setting out a legal framework to tackle match-fixing in sport. Besides, it should create legal definitions for issues such as conflicts of interest, illegal betting, and controls to address poor governance and the handling of confidential information.

Source:

“H2 Gambling Capital updates, August/September 2019”