Compliance Updates

Michigan Gaming Control Board order allows online and mobile wagering on horse races

Published

5 years ago

May 12, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Horse racing third-party facilitators seeking a license to offer advance deposit wagering (ADW) in Michigan must comply with terms and conditions established by Michigan Gaming Control Board Executive Director Richard S. Kalm in an order issued last week.

“The order should enable the state’s horse racing industry to gain new followers through ADW and maintain protection for citizens who wish to place wagers on live and simulcast pari-mutuel racing in Michigan using their mobile phones,” Kalm said. “Before ADW can go live in Michigan, the race meeting licensee and the certified horsemen’s organizations also must agree to a contract with a provider.”

In December 2019, Michigan’s Horse Racing Law of 1995 was amended to allow a race meeting licensee to use contracted third-party firms to facilitate wagering on live and simulcast pari-mutuel racing. A bettor creates an account with the third-party facilitator and can use a mobile device or computer to place wagers on pari-mutuel races using the money on deposit.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The order requires third-party facilitators to:

Apply for a license

Provide a proposed plan of operation

Submit any proposed system operation plan changes to the MGCB executive director for preapproval

Pay a $1,000 application fee and a $500 license renewal fee to the MGCB to cover costs of background investigations

Use and communicate pari-mutuel wagers to a pari-mutuel system that meets all Michigan requirements

The facilitator may not sell or share an applicant or account holder’s confidential information or use confidential information for any purpose not related to authorized account wagering without the applicant or account holder’s authorization.

Currently, live and simulcast pari-mutuel wagering is authorized at Northville Downs racetrack, which offers standardbred racing. The track was ordered to remain closed through 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-69 due to the COVID-19 health emergency.

Compliance Updates

The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) Selects New Board Chair

Published

13 hours ago

June 20, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

the-saskatchewan-indian-gaming-authority-(siga)-selects-new-board-chair

The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) has announced Chief Tammy Cook-Searson, of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, as its new Board Chair for SIGA’s Board of Directors.

SIGA is a non-profit First Nation gaming operator for seven land-based casinos and the online gaming platform PlayNow.com in Saskatchewan.

Chief Cook-Searson first joined SIGA’s Board of Directors in 2018 and has been a regular SIGA Board member as well as a member of SIGA’s Audit & Finance Committee.

She is serving in her 20th year as Chief of Lac La Ronge Indian Band and has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and a graduate diploma in management from Athabasca University. She also holds honorary degrees from the University of Regina, the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) and Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

Chief Cook-Searson replaces outgoing Board Chair former Chief of Muskowekwan First Nation Reginald Bellerose, who has held the Board Chair position since February 4, 2015.

The post The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) Selects New Board Chair appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Australia

ACMA Blocks More llegal Online Gambling Websites

Published

2 days ago

June 19, 2025

Niji Narayan

acma-blocks-more-llegal-online-gambling-websites

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested the Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block more illegal online gambling sites, after investigations found these services to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

The latest sites blocked include Casiny, CoinPoker, Crown Play, Fafabet9, SlotFred, Smart 93 and Vigor Spin.

Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling. Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 1251 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked. Around 220 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal online gambling rules in 2017.

The post ACMA Blocks More llegal Online Gambling Websites appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Compliance Updates

Norway Progress Party Renew Calls to End Gambling Monopoly

Published

2 days ago

June 19, 2025

Niji Narayan

norway-progress-party-renew-calls-to-end-gambling-monopoly

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Norway’s state-run gambling model could soon face a major change. With the next general election scheduled for September 8, the Progress Party is renewing calls to end the national gambling monopoly.

Speaking at a May conference hosted by the Norwegian Online Gaming Association (Norsk Bransjeforening for Onlinespill), MP Silje Hjemdal reiterated her party’s long-standing position that Norway must move towards a liberalised market. The call echoes the Progress Party’s 2021 election manifesto and gains momentum as similar reforms unfold in neighbouring Finland.

Hjemdal, a member of the Storting’s family and culture committee, highlighted successful remote gambling frameworks in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. While she stopped short of endorsing a specific model, she expressed admiration for Denmark’s regulatory setup.

“I haven’t landed on a concrete model, but what’s happening in Denmark is very exciting. I’d gladly take a study trip there to learn more,” she said.

She also pointed to the broader risks of maintaining the monopoly, noting that large sums of money continue to flow out of the country through unlicensed platforms.

“We are one of the very few countries left using this model. There’s a clear need for better regulation—under the current system, Norwegian sports and culture lose out as money is spent offshore,” Hjemdal added.

The Progress Party isn’t alone in pushing for change. The Conservative Party also supports opening Norway’s gambling market and included the proposal in its latest manifesto, released in September 2023.

Carl Stenstrøm, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Online Gaming Association, believes the upcoming election could prove decisive. In a previous interview, he described the current level of cross-party support as the strongest yet for ending the monopoly, with liberalisation potentially arriving by 2028.

The post Norway Progress Party Renew Calls to End Gambling Monopoly appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.