Compliance Updates
How New Gaming Legislation Affects Gaming at Online Casinos
When most people place a bet at online blackjack, they expect a winning hand. Slot fans want to hit the jackpot while roulette players hope the wheel stops at their predicted number. Unfortunately, new online gamine legislation doesn’t always deliver a winning hand to the casino industry.
This article explores how the series of new gaming laws around the world have been affecting how people gamble online.
Credit Card Ban in the UK
Last year, the UK government enforced a law to ban online gamblers from using credit cards at iGaming websites. The ban applies to all forms of online gambling, from playing slots to buying lottery tickets.
The UK banned credit cards because they “can lead to significant financial harm.” That’s according to Neil McArthur, the CEO of the UKGC. According to McArthur, 22% of problem gamblers in the UK use credit cards for payments.
In that case, banning credit cards could lower the number of problem gamblers in Britain. However, it also means British gamblers will need to rely on money in their banks to play slots and card games.
New Lottery Laws in Finland
Finland is the latest country in Europe to strengthen its online gambling laws. Like the UK, Finland is introducing new gambling laws with an intention to protect its citizens from problem gambling.
The new Finnish gambling law, also known as arpajaislaki in Finnish, is comprehensive and has far-reaching consequences. It affects how Finns deposit money to foreign casinos, how operators advertise and verify their customers. To be clear, players in Finland can still gamble through offshore casinos. But they have to follow the new rules introduced under the lottery law.
Legal Sports Betting in Canada
After years of debates in parliament, Canada finally legalized single-sports betting June this year. In the past, Canadians had to place parlays if they wanted to predict sports outcomes. Now, they can wager on a single team like the rest of the world.
Canadian provinces will make the blueprint on how to run online sports betting websites. Ontario has already launched a fully-fledged online sportsbook while more provinces are in the same process.
In case you’re wondering, Canada is yet to legalize online casinos at a federal level. Presently, the country’s laws allow provinces to regulate online casinos. But the national government is yet to create laws that could bring legal iGaming to everyone in the country.
Online Gambling Legalization in the US
For a long time, most Americans felt like legal online gaming would never come to fruition. Then the Department of Justice allowed states to run online casinos in 2011. Four states created online casino laws but most states remained opposed to legalized online gambling.
In 2018, the US Supreme Court created leeway for states to legalize sports betting by striking off the PASPA Act of 1992. Within three years, more than 20 states permit sports gambling of some form: Online or in-person.
Increased legalization of iGaming in the US is a blow to offshore casinos that target American gamblers. But it’s a boon to everyone who’s always wanted to gamble legally. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia, you can gamble at both online casinos and sportsbooks.
The Swedish Gambling Act of 2019
Two years ago, Sweden joined the growing list of countries with legal iGaming legislation. Its newest law aims at encouraging offshore casinos to acquire licenses from the Swedish gambling Authority.
By doing so, Sweden can control the iGaming industry and increase its revenues. The law has few implications to gamblers. They can play at their favorite online casinos, like they’ve always done.
However, offshore casinos can no longer advertise on Swedish media unless they’re licensed. Additionally, they need to adhere to standard procedures of fairness and data protection to maintain their business permits.
Monopoly Law in Norway
Before 2017, Norway was like many countries in Europe. It lacked definitive iGaming laws. In 2017, the Nordic nation introduced a controversial law that appointed Norsk Tipping to be the only online gambling company in the country.
Additionally, Norway ordered banks to stop processing payments to offshore casinos. This second effort didn’t succeed in its goal of stopping Norwegians from gambling through overseas websites.
For starters, many online casinos don’t use gambling related terms in their bank account names. As such, banks in Norway can’t tell whether a deposit is headed to a casino site or a shopping website.
On the flip side, there’s no particular law that says a Norwegian citizen can’t bet at a foreign gaming site. This ensures players in Norway can access better quality casino services offshore without facing legal consequences back home.
The Gaming Act of 2018 in Malta
Although Malta has been regulating online casinos for a long time, it introduced a new act to government modern casino sites in 2018. The new act is a consolidation of all gambling-related laws in the country.
Under the new act, Malta has 12 subsidiaries. Basically, the laws are related to what investors need to submit to acquire and maintain a license in Malta. To be clear, Malta has some of the best online gambling laws in Europe.
In fact, it’s the go-to jurisdictions for many investors in the iGaming sector, from software providers to betting companies.
New Laws in Curacao
Before 2015, Curacao was the leading regulator of online gambling. But after years of criticism by governments and players for not holding casinos accountable, Curacao lost its appeal. Instead, new gambling companies began to acquire licenses in Europe.
Curacao is presently changing its laws to make the tougher for applicants. It’s also restructuring its tax policy to attract more casinos. Considering Curacao is a constituent nation of the kingdom of Netherlands, it’s also need to follow the new gaming laws introduced in Holland.
For example, casinos licensed in Curacao will no longer accept players who live in countries where gambling is illegal. This includes customers from the Netherlands. The new laws are new, so only time can tell how they will impact the iGaming industry in Curacao.
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Compliance Updates
Updated FATF Lists of High-risk Jurisdictions
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The Danish Gambling Authority has called attention to FATF’s (Financial Action Task Force) updated lists of high-risk jurisdictions: the Grey List (jurisdictions under increased monitoring) and Black List (call for actions). Among other things, gambling operators must include FATF’s lists of high-risk jurisdictions when risk assessing players.
Jurisdictions listed on the Grey List:
Algeria, Angola, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cameroon, the Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Haiti, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Monaco, Namibia, Nepal, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Vietnam, the Virgin Islands and Yemen.
Jurisdictions listed on the Black List:
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran and Myanmar
Gambling operators are required to conduct enhanced customer due diligence (EDD) pursuant to section 17(1) of the Danish AML Act, if a player is assessed to impose a higher risk of the gambling operator being misused for money laundering or terrorist financing.
Gambling operators shall conduct this risk assessment based on Annex 3 to the AML Act (high-risk factors) which includes the FATF high-risk country lists (the so called black list and grey list)
It is not required that gambling operators perform EDD if a country is listed on the FATF’s list. EDD are only a requirement for players from jurisdictions listed in the EU Regulation of High Risk Third Country list pursuant to. 17(2) of the AML Act.
The post Updated FATF Lists of High-risk Jurisdictions appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
bingo
Spillemyndigheden: New licence type coming soon: Bingo via walkie-talkie and local radio
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Soon it may be possible to play bingo via walkie-talkie and on local radios. A bill is currently being considered by the Danish Parliament to introduce a new type of licence for bingo via walkie-talkie and local radio. The Danish Gambling Authority expects the rules to come into force as early as 1 January 2026.
If the bill is passed, providers of walkie-talkie bingo and local radio will be able to apply for a licence from 1 January 2026. The Danish Gambling Authority will update this news article when the rules are finally adopted.
How to apply for a licence
If you want to offer bingo via walkie-talkie or radio, you need a licence from the Danish Gambling Authority. You can expect to apply as early as 1 January 2026.
When applying for a licence, you must use the form “Apply for a walkie-talkie or radio bingo licence” (no. 1-02). The form will be available on the page “revenue-restricted licenses”.
The application form will also be published in a digital version, but it will not be available on virk.dk until January.
The Danish Gambling Authority strives to process all applications as quickly as possible.
As an applicant, you will be assigned a contact person who can guide you through the legislation during the application process. The contact person will generally remain the same throughout the period of validity of your licence.
Report on the first year of offering games
Licences for radio and walkie-talkie bingo are regulated by the Gambling Act and the Executive Order on Online Casino. The legislation sets out a number of requirements for licensed gambling operators. Among other things, the licence holder must complete a report on the first year of offering gambling.
The report is prepared one year after the licence has been put into use and must be sent to the Danish Gambling Authority no later than 14 months after the date when the licence has been put into use.
The licence holder can fill out the report themselves.
The report must account for how the licence holder has provided gambling in accordance with the conditions of the licence and legislation during the past year.
The report template will be available on the Danish Gambling Authority’s website as form no. 1-04.
The post Spillemyndigheden: New licence type coming soon: Bingo via walkie-talkie and local radio appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Andrew Jackson
Scientific Games Adds to Information and Security Management Certifications, Continues Setting Global Industry Gold Standard
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Scientific Games’ UK, Channel Islands and Ireland facilities are the latest in the company’s global operations to achieve international certifications, further strengthening its information security framework and commitment to setting the lottery industry’s gold standard for integrity. The newest certifications are from the World Lottery Association and the British Standards Institute, as Scientific Games continues to expand its business serving government-regulated lotteries worldwide.
Scientific Games’ new National Logistics Centre in Warrington, UK serving The National Lottery, SG Studios digital game development center in Jersey, Channel Islands and lottery retailer technology facility in Ireland have earned certification to the WLA’s Level 2 Security Control Standard. This international security standard for WLA members specifies the required practices for an effective security management structure to maintain the integrity, availability and confidentiality of information vital to the company’s secure operation.
All three facilities also earned a Certificate of Registration for Information Security Management System, achieving the International Standards Organization’s ISO/IEC 27001:2022, the world’s best-known standard for information security management systems. This certification confirms that Scientific Games has implemented a comprehensive framework to manage risks related to data security in accordance with internationally recognised best practices and principles.
“Earning these certifications is about much more than compliance—it’s about trust. Our customers and their players rely on us to protect data and uphold the integrity of every transaction. These certifications reflect the dedications of our teams in the UK, Channel Islands and Ireland, and across our worldwide operations, to maintaining the highest standards of excellence when it comes to information security,” said Andrew Jackson, VP of Corporate Responsibility for Scientific Games.
Scientific Games has also achieved international certifications for operational best practices, including Quality Management Systems (ISO: 9001), Environmental Management (ISO: 14001), Occupational Health and Safety (ISO: 45001) and the World Lottery Association’s Responsible Gaming certification.
With operations spanning five continents and serving 150 lotteries in 50 countries, Scientific Games earned its latest information security management certifications following an extensive independent, international auditing process.
The post Scientific Games Adds to Information and Security Management Certifications, Continues Setting Global Industry Gold Standard appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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