Texas Rep. Richard Raymond has managed to get his fantasy sports legalisation bill HB 1457 before a House committee which sits today (Monday) despite a year-old opinion by the state AG that such activity constitutes gambling under state law (see previous reports). In a local press interview over the weekend, Raymond – a Democrat – …
Michael Pollock, the managing director of the respected US gambling consultancy Spectrum Gaming Group, said in an op-ed article over the weekend that the online gambling legalisation approach most likely to succeed in the significant US market lies in partnerships with land casino operators as has been the case in New Jersey’s Atlantic City. Outlining …
Australia’s six states and two on-shore territories (Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory) have been holding meetings with federal government Treasurer Scott Morrison in an attempt to harmonise taxation across the country on categories such as general sales tax and, importantly for the …
The Hong Kong Playground Association has published the results of an independent study of 725 ‘youngsters’ (presumably individuals under age 18), warning that there is an urgent need for parents and teachers to educate the young on behaviour, law enforcement and the pitfalls of using the internet. The study of the randomly chosen sample took …
Minister for Human Services says research will explore the impact of betting restrictions imposed by Australian licenced bookmakers, cited as a factor in decisions to gamble offshore. Alan Tudge, Australia’s minister for human services, has issued a press release advising that A$75,000 is being invested in research into online wagering restrictions and their impact on …
More detail on the report of the task force charged with making recommendations regarding the liberalisation of Sweden monopolistic gambling industry (see previous reports) is now available following the publication of the voluminous review and recommendations at: http://www.regeringen.se/rattsdokument/statens-offentliga-utredningar/2017/03/sou-201730/ A few cliff notes: * Regulator Lotteriinspektionen should be the authority to regulate liberalised online gambling activity, …
The Macau regulator was as usual quick off the mark with gambling revenue numbers as March drew to a close, releasing the latest figures Saturday which showed that revenue rose 18 percent year-on-year in March, besting expectations and making its eighth consecutive monthly improvement. Revenue reached 21.2 billion patacas ($2.6 billion) as the regulator noted …
Online gambling games developer ELK Studios is about to launch its latest internationally-themed online slot (the release date is April 5), titled Hong Kong Tower. The five reel, 99 ways-to-win game takes as its theme the internationally famous Hong Kong city night sky, featuring a dazzling display of coloured light from the super-modern towering office …
The Betsson boad of directors has announced a change in dividend policy designed to complement the company’s growth profile, advising in a stock exchange statement: “Betsson AB’s new dividend policy is applicable as of the financial year 2017. “The Board’s ambition for the ordinary distribution to shareholders is, provided a continued attractive capital structure, to …
Lotteriinspektionen director general Håkan Hallstedt, who led an 18-month review of Swedish gambling, has delivered to government the task force’s conclusions and recommendations, in general confirming earlier Reuters insider reports published this week (see previous reports). Important recommendations from the panel include a proposal that Svenska Spel’s current monopoly over online gambling should be discontinued …
Rep. Richard Raymond, a member of the Texas House of Representatives, told local media reporters this week that he has high hopes for his daily fantasy sports legalisation bill, which he claims has the support of everyone with whom he has discussed the issue. Raymond, who plays fantasy sports, introduced HB 1457 in the week …
The controversial Australian Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 will remain inactive for the next few weeks following the House of Representatives recess, which began Thursday. The House reconvenes on May 9 for a week of budget debate, where the bill is widely expected to be approved.
The much-discussed new tax rates for Antigua-licensed online gambling operators contained in Gambling Amendment Bill 2017 were passed with little dissent in the Antigua Upper House this week. The official Opposition argued briefly that the tax rates should have been higher in order to benefit athletes and address social issues on the island, but the …
UK Gambling Commission chief executive Sarah Harrison addressed the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Betting and Gaming this week, advising MPs that the Commission is reviewing the point-of-consumption tax on online gambling operators following two years of experience with the tax measure. The Commission’s mandate is to study how effectively the tax administration framework and purpose …
A daily fantasy sports legalisation bill almost made it through the political gauntlet in the US state of Georgia this week, passing the House but languishing in the Senate when the state legislature adjourned Thursday until next January. The publication Legal Sports Reports claims that supporters of the bill in the Senate were unsure of …
The burgeoning Kenya gambling industry has likely been stopped dead in its tracks, and operators are reeling from Thursday’s 2017-2018 budget revelations imposing punitive taxes on gambling companies. Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich appears to have ignored earlier advice from Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner John Njiraini, who has repeatedly warned lawmakers that over-taxing the industry …
Yahoo Sports reports that six US National Football League franchises have “severed ties” with daily fantasy sports market leaders DraftKings and FanDuel, raising speculation that the past eighteen months of litigation, bad press regarding unequal competitions and an increased industry focus on over-throwing PASPA may be behind the cancellations. The teams have been identified as …
Following his announcement Thursday that he had just sold off a further 12 million shares in online gambling group Amaya, the company’s former CEO and founder David Baazov is wealthier to the tune of Cdn$ 267.7 million, letting the shares go at an average price of Cdn$ 267.7 million. Baazov, who stepped down last year …
Australia’s Channel Nine television network has been criticised by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) following a complaint from a member of the public that the network screened Crown gambling adverts during the 6.30 pm film The Spiderwick Chronicles on channel 9GO!. The 2008 fantasy film, which Nine screened late last year, carried a …
Following a review of complaints systems in the UK gambling industry, regulator the Gambling Commission has called for an improvement in how customer (player) disputes are handled, and urged online gambling operators and ADRs (alternative dispute resolution providers) to up their game. Commenting that the current system is “not working for consumers”, the Commission says …
If you’re wondering why your online casino pay-out in Europe is taking longer to arrive than usual, here’s the reason; Visa Europe has advised merchants that it is experiencing a ‘technical issue” in an advisory sent out this week which explains: “Due to a technical issue on Visa Europe’s side, settlement of funds for Visa …
Online gambling software and games provider NYX Gaming advised in a press release Thursday that online casino operator Wunderino has taken on games from NYX subsidiary NextGen Gaming. Wunderino has licensed NextGen Gaming content via NYX’s Open Gaming System (OGS), with the first games already live, and including Foxin’ Wins and Merlin’s Millions Superbet, Doubleplay …
Christiaan Alexander Van Dalen (41), a former affiliate manager with the Betsson gambling group in Malta has been convicted of fraud, money laundering and other computer-related offences which prosecutors claim prejudiced his employers to the tune of Euro 153,000. The Malta Today newspaper reported Thursday that Van Dalen has been sentenced to six years in …
The American Gaming Association continued its crusade for wider sports betting legalisation in the United States this week, issuing a statement that claims this year’s Major League Baseball competitions will trigger a $36.5 billion wagering spree – 97 percent of it illegal. The season starts in a few days’ time, and the AGA claims that …