Compliance Updates
Euroconsumers calls Nintendo to solve its “Joy-Con Drift” probl
The new version of the Nintendo “Switch” console, the Switch OLED, expected on October 8th 2021, shows an unsolved technical problem with its controllers – an issue commonly called “Joy-Con Drift” – that prevents players from playing the game properly. Nintendo is quite aware of this flaw. Yet it still plans to roll out the new Switch with the old problem. Euroconsumers calls Nintendo to account.
“Joy-Con Drift”
The flaw in the controllers manifests itself after a couple of months, falsely reading input from the controller stick, as if the user has their thumb pressed down on the controller, causing the game character to move without the player even touching the device. This prevents the player from playing the game as intended. This issue is not new: it was already denounced extensively by users of the current Nintendo Switch, IFixit and multiple consumer organisations.
Nintendo’s inaction
This flaw has previously been raised with Nintendo. Firstly in January 2020, Test Achats/Test Aankoop, Euroconsumers’ Belgian national organization, sent a letter of formal notice to Nintendo Europe GmbH calling on the company to repair all the defective products free of charge and to publicly communicate about the defect.
In January 2021, BEUC, the European umbrella group for 46 independent consumer organisations, launched an external alert to the CPC network about a widespread infringement with Union dimension of EU consumer law, related to the premature obsolescence of the Nintendo Switch.
On top of this EU action, two class actions have been launched in the US, and a Canadian firm has filed an application to begin a class action.
Nevertheless, Nintendo has taken no actions to remedy the flaw or alert consumers. It even issues a new Switch OLED with the exact same Joy-Con design, with the exact same inescapable defect. Meanwhile Nintendo keeps on putting a great deal of emphasis on the quality and versatility of the Joy-Con in its advertisements t.
This early obsolescence is not only unfair and harmful to consumers, but also affects the environment, creating a pile of unnecessary and extremely polluting electronic waste.
Euroconsumers’ call on Nintendo
In a letter Euroconsumers has confronted Nintendo with the above, asking them to:
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Adequately inform consumers of the existence of the “Joy-Con Drift” and its impact on the expected lifespan of the Nintendo controllers on the packaging of the product.
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Fully respect provisions on the legal product guarantee, without imposing any burden of proof on consumers or charging them with any costs to repair or replace their Switch controllers.
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Provide clear contact details at Nintendo for consumers to report and resolve Joy-Con problems, and for Euroconsumers and its national organisations to address problems to that regard.
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Resolve the technical “Joy-Con Drift” flaw and ensure a more sustainable version of the controllers. Euroconsumers, and its national organizations stand ready to deploy decades of technical and testing experience to support finding solutions.
Euroconsumers is available and willing to launch a dialogue with Nintendo in order to establish the best way to satisfy the above requests.
“Nintendo has a duty to its customers to provide functioning devices,” said Marco Scialdone, Head of Litigation and Academic Outreach at Euroconsumers. “To knowingly continue selling these game consoles when they are defective is a breach of EU consumer law. We expect Nintendo to do the right thing and work with us to find a solution for consumers.”
“While on one hand Nintendo pretends to commit to the green transition and serve consumers, its continued distribution of faulty electronic devices shows it’s true lack of genuine commitment,” said Els Bruggeman, Head of Policy and Enforcement at Euroconsumers. “Early obsolescence results in more electronic waste, which is particularly difficult to dispose of. This shows a regrettable lack of respect for both the environment and consumers.”
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Governor Hobbs signs SB 1671; new budget sets $4M spend authority plus $500K a year from event wagering funds.
The Arizona Department of Gaming has secured a six-year continuation after Governor Hobbs signed Senate Bill 1671, following the 2026 legislative session that adjourned June 12, 2026. The continuation also covers the Arizona State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission and the Arizona Racing Commission.
The Department said SB 1671 affirms its authority to regulate tribal gaming, event wagering and fantasy sports, horse racing and simulcast wagering, and boxing and mixed martial arts.
In parallel, the Department said Senate Bill 1847 and the state’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget expand expenditure authority for its Division of Problem Gambling. The budget authorizes $4,000,000 in total spending for the Division, which the agency said is a 20% increase from FY26.
The Department also said the legislature granted an annual $500,000 expenditure authority to use Event Wagering funds to support problem gambling, and that the Division will have grant oversight authority for the first time.
“Arizona first established the Department of Gaming in 1995 – and more than thirty years later, we remain excited about world-class regulation benefiting the entire state,” said Jackie Johnson, Department Director. “I’m grateful to Governor Hobbs and leaders in the state legislature, particularly continuation bill sponsor State Senator Shawnna Bolick, who thoroughly reviewed our agency with a deep commitment to public service, and I am pleased that the Department secured its continuation, which will allow us to strengthen our focus points in robust consumer protection and integrity.”
“The new state budget will strengthen longstanding investments in problem gambling assistance made possible through partnerships with Arizona’s Tribal Nations and the Arizona Lottery,” said Elise Mikkelsen. “We continue to see strong demand from individuals and families seeking information, resources, and treatment for gambling-related harm. This increased funding will help us expand the continuum of care and ensure more Arizonans have access to effective, inclusive, and timely support.”
The post Arizona extends Gaming Department for six years; problem gambling budget rises 20% appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Arizona Department of Gaming
Arizona Department of Gaming Concludes Legislative Session with Approved Agency Continuation and Enhanced Spending Authority for Problem Gambling
Department is continued for six years to regulate an extensive portfolio: tribal gaming, event wagering and fantasy sports, horse racing and simulcast wagering, and boxing and mixed martial arts
State budget includes a 20 percent increase in problem gambling treatment and prevention appropriations
The Arizona Department of Gaming (Department) announced today that with Governor Hobbs’ signature on Senate Bill 1671, the Department has received continuation approval by the Arizona State Legislature, which periodically reviews state agencies for performance and authority. Additionally, through Senate Bill 1847 and the state’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget, the Department’s Division of Problem Gambling received expanded expenditure authority, enabling additional investments in problem gambling prevention, education, treatment, and recovery services across Arizona.
“Arizona first established the Department of Gaming in 1995 – and more than thirty years later, we remain excited about world-class regulation benefiting the entire state,” said Jackie Johnson, Department Director. “I’m grateful to Governor Hobbs and leaders in the state legislature, particularly continuation bill sponsor State Senator Shawnna Bolick, who thoroughly reviewed our agency with a deep commitment to public service, and I am pleased that the Department secured its continuation, which will allow us to strengthen our focus points in robust consumer protection and integrity.”
The Department, the Arizona State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission, and the Arizona Racing Commission are continued by the legislature for six years, per the enactment of Senate Bill 1671, sponsored by Senator Shawnna Bolick, in the 2026 legislative session that adjourned on June 12, 2026. This continuation affirms the Department’s and both Commissions’ authority to carry out the roles and responsibilities delegated by the legislature.
The Department’s Division of Problem Gambling marked the legislative session with the passage of a new state budget that grants $4,000,000 in total authorized spending for the Division. The $4,000,000 authority represents a 20 percent increase from the FY26 budget. Additionally, the legislature granted an annual $500,000 expenditure authority for the agency to use Event Wagering funds to support problem gambling. Finally, the Division will have grant oversight authority for the first time– allowing the Division to expand programs to assist those in need.
“The new state budget will strengthen longstanding investments in problem gambling assistance made possible through partnerships with Arizona’s Tribal Nations and the Arizona Lottery,” said Elise Mikkelsen. “We continue to see strong demand from individuals and families seeking information, resources, and treatment for gambling-related harm. This increased funding will help us expand the continuum of care and ensure more Arizonans have access to effective, inclusive, and timely support.”
In addition to supporting the Division in state-wide access to problem gambling prevention and treatment, the Department is actively engaged in responsible gaming and safer play initiatives. Now in its first year of the campaign, the Department’s Take Back the Game initiative in partnership with the Arizona Media Association is raising awareness of gambling self-exclusion options available through the agency. The campaign, which runs in English and Spanish across Arizona media outlets, lets viewers know that if gambling is no longer fun, they can Take Back the Game and self-exclude from Arizona casinos, sportsbooks, and fantasy sports operators. Also in 2026, the Department’s Too Young to Bet campaign emphasizes the risks associated with youth gambling.
To learn more about the Arizona Department of Gaming, visit gaming.az.gov. To learn more about problem gambling prevention and treatment, visit problemgambling.az.gov.
The post Arizona Department of Gaming Concludes Legislative Session with Approved Agency Continuation and Enhanced Spending Authority for Problem Gambling appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Background
Austria’s governing coalition — ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS — has agreed a sweeping overhaul of the Gambling Act. The draft bill entered parliamentary consultation on, Monday 29 June 2026. Lead negotiators Andreas Ottenschläger (ÖVP), Jan Krainer (SPÖ) and Christoph Pramhofer (NEOS) call it the biggest reform of the law in 26 years. Two pillars: tougher player protection, and a ground-up rewrite of online licensing.
Timing
No formal Council of Ministers resolution is public yet. What is public: the draft amendments went into parliamentary consultation today. Next comes TRIS — the draft must be notified to the European Commission, says Vienna-based gambling lawyer Arthur Stadler, triggering a standstill of at least three months before parliament can hold a final vote. Extensions are possible.
Cooling-off / non-offering period
The bad-actor clause has three teeth: retroactive tax payment, settlement of player claims, and a non-offering period. On the last point: Under the draft, operators must clear that freeze properly: from 1 January 2027 until the licence is actually granted, they have to shut down their existing unlicensed online offering. Fail to comply, and the penalty escalates fast: any operator that doesn’t observe the cooling-off phase faces an 18-month lock-out from licensing altogether. Stadler’s math: That’s a minimum nine-month freeze, 1 January to end-September 2027 at least depending when the licenses are awarded individually. It looks like that first license might be granted to those new market entrants adopting such early blackout, timewise landing exactly after the moment when Austrian Lotteries’ win2day concession expires on 30 September 2027.
The bad-actor clause has three teeth: retroactive tax payment, settlement of player claims, and a non-offering period. On the last point: Under the draft, operators must clear that freeze properly: From 1 January 2027 until the licence is actually granted, they have to shut down their existing unlicensed online offering. Fail to comply, and the penalty escalates fast: any operator that doesn’t observe the cooling-off phase faces an 18-month lock-out from licensing altogether. Stadler’s math: the legislator has, without saying so explicitly, built in an incentive structure. The floor is a nine-month freeze — 1 January through end-September 2027 — though actual length depends on when individual licences get awarded. The likely sequencing: new entrants who front-load the blackout early position themselves first in line, with awards landing right after Austrian Lotteries’ win2day concession expires on 30 September 2027.
Contradiction
Stadler sees a basic contradiction baked into the package. “Two of the three major elements work against each other. If the Finance Ministry wants to maximise retroactive tax recovery, a mandatory blackout period hands you a tax base of zero for that exact stretch. You can’t optimise for both. Operators are left asking whether the real goal is revenue or exclusion.”
Austria as a high-tax jurisdiction
Beyond the clearance condition — and an unresolved question of whether repaid player amounts can be offset against ongoing tax liabilities — sits the headline number: a 45% GGR tax rate. That puts Austria in elite company, in the same bracket as the UK (40% from April 2026) and the Netherlands (37.8%). “It’s a top-of-the-table tax rate for a market that doesn’t even have a functioning licensed channel yet,” Stadler says. But the tax rate alone doesn’t tell the whole story, he adds. “Even at 45% GGR, whether Austria actually functions as a licensed market depends on the regulatory mix around it (player protection rules, advertising limits, deposit and stake caps, AML obligations and more). You have to look at the framework as a whole and ask whether it’s actually attractive enough for new entrants. That’s the kind of detail that decides whether the channelisation target is achievable.”
Author: Arthur Stadler | STADLER PARTNER
The post Austria: Draft bill entered parliamentary consultation appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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