Compliance Updates

WFH could mean your Grand National workplace sweepstake is illegal

Published

4 years ago

April 6, 2022

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Traditional office sweepstake risks falling foul of gambling law if participants enter remotely

Gambling regulation expert provides guidance on how to comply with law when setting up workplace pool

The recent trend towards flexible working means many businesses are at risk of falling foul of gambling legislation, if organising the traditional office Grand National sweepstake, a leading law firm is warning.

With this weekend’s big race at Aintree attracting the interest of not just racing fans but the general public at large, it is typically one of the most popular events for an office sweepstake.

In pre-Covid times there was little risk involved in such a contest, other than perhaps an excess of workplace rivalry, especially given the event’s propensity for surprises and upsets.

However, Poppleston Allen, a leading gambling licensing law firm, says that with the shift towards hybrid working, organisers now need to be more cautious.

“While formal gambling activity is heavily regulated by the Gambling Commission, there is an exception designed to allow the general public to have a bit of fun by taking part in what is officially called a work lottery,” says Richard Bradley, associate solicitor and gambling regulation expert at Poppleston Allen.

“But what many people may not realise is that the rules are very clear in that you can only sell physical tickets and all players must work in the same office – contests running across different office locations of the same company are not allowed.

“Therefore, if the pandemic has led to staff working from other offices or largely working from home, extra care needs to be taken when running a Grand National sweepstake.

“Organisers, whether employers or employees, must make sure they do not sell any tickets via email or over the phone. Any staff member who wants to play must visit the office and buy a physical ticket. If these rules aren’t followed, organisers and players would technically be involved in illegal gambling.”

Bradley says other rules to make sure a workplace sweepstake doesn’t land anyone in hot water with the Gambling Commission include the following:

All players must pay the same amount for a ticket;
Horses must be decided by chance, for example, drawn out of a hat;
No one can make a profit and all stakes must be returned as prizes, though an organiser can deduct administration costs for running the contest;
The sweepstake can only be advertised at the work premises; and
There must be a winner – the prize cannot be rolled over.

BetMGM

PA Gaming Control Board Imposes $100,000 Fine on BetMGM

Published

4 minutes ago

March 30, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

pa-gaming-control-board-imposes-$100,000-fine-on-betmgm

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (Board) at its public monthly meeting approved a consent agreement presented by the Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC) resulting in a $100,000 fine to BetMGM.

In its approval of the consent agreement, the Board agreed that BetMGM failed to have sufficient procedures to prevent fraudulent behavior on its BetMGM and Borgata wagering platforms. This includes insufficient Know-Your-Customer (KYC) protocols that allows for the creation, access and use of multiple accounts by individuals using personal identifying information of other individuals and the funding of those accounts using stolen or fraudulently obtained payment devices.

The consent agreement identified four individual fraud rings that:

1. operated for approximately 25 months until January 2024 with 1567 accounts created using personal identifying information of other individuals and $229,580 of combined wagering;

2. operated for approximately 34 months until November 2024 with 34 accounts created using personal identifying information of other individuals and over $14,598 of combined wagering;

3. operated for approximately 29 months until November 2023 with 119 accounts created using personal identifying information of other individuals and $895,092 of combined wagering

4. operated for approximately 19 months until December 2023 with 304 accounts created using personal identifying information of other individuals and $867,910 of combined wagering.

The Board also took actions to place 16 individuals on its various Involuntary Exclusion Lists. Placement on an Involuntary Exclusion List prohibits individuals from either gaming in a casino in Pennsylvania, via an online betting site regulated by the Board, or at a Video Gaming Terminal (VGT) location.

The actions by the Board include placement of four adults on the Involuntary Casino Exclusion list for leaving minors unattended at a casino property while they gambled:

• A male patron who left an 11-year-old in a vehicle in the parking lot at Hollywood Casino York for 52 minutes while he gambled at slot machines and table games;

• A male patron who left a 5-year-old in a vehicle in the parking lot at Rivers Casino Philadelphia for 17 minutes while he gambled at table games and the sportsbook;

• A male patron who left a 9-year-old in the parking lot at Rivers Casino Philadelphia for 1 hour 7 minutes while he gambled at table games and the sportsbook; and,

• A male patron who left two minors, ages 7 and 12, in a vehicle in the parking lot at Parx Casino for 32 minutes while he gambled at slot machines.

Actions such as these to deny statewide gambling privileges serve as a reminder that adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in the parking lot or garage, a hotel, or other venues at a casino since it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for the children. To complement the efforts by casinos to mitigate this issue, the Board created an awareness campaign, “Don’t Gamble with Kids” (DontGamblewithKids.org).

In addition to the four adults listed above, 12 others were placed on either or both of the Involuntary Casino Exclusion and Involuntary Interactive Exclusion Lists for various actions.

These matters, presented by the Board’s Office of Chief Counsel and the OEC, raise the number of individuals now on the Board’s various Involuntary Exclusion Lists to 1515.

The post PA Gaming Control Board Imposes $100,000 Fine on BetMGM appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Compliance Updates

Peter Knutsson Becomes New Director General of Swedish Gambling Authority

Published

1 hour ago

March 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

peter-knutsson-becomes-new-director-general-of-swedish-gambling-authority

The Swedish government has appointed Peter Knutsson as the Director General of the Swedish Gambling Authority. The appointment will run until 31 August 2032.

Peter Knutsson most recently came from the role of Advertising Ombudsman and will take up his position as Director General on 17 August 2026.

Peter Knutsson took office as Advertising Ombudsman in August 2024, and was previously Head of Unit at the Ministry of Finance. He has over 20 years of experience as a manager and leader and has a background as a lawyer, with solid knowledge of consumer issues and consumer legislation. Peter Knutsson has previously worked for the European Commission and as an advisor to the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority.

“With the solid experience Peter Knutsson has from, among other things, the Ministry of Finance, consumer affairs and most recently the Advertising Ombudsman, this will be very good for the authority,” said Spelinspektionen’s Chairwoman Madelaine Tunudd.

“I welcome the government’s decision on a new Director General for the Swedish Gambling Authority and will ensure that Peter Knutsson receives a good introduction in my handover as acting Director General,” said Johan Röhr at the Swedish Gambling Authority.

The post Peter Knutsson Becomes New Director General of Swedish Gambling Authority appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Compliance Updates

Dutch Gambling Regulator Points Out to Providers Limits of Sports Betting License

Published

1 hour ago

March 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

dutch-gambling-regulator-points-out-to-providers-limits-of-sports-betting-license

The Dutch Gambling Regulator (KSA) has reminded sports betting license holders of the limits of their licenses. Supervision has revealed that several providers offered bets that do not fall within the licensed category of sports betting. This included, among other things, bets on prize competitions, such as a Most Valuable Player (MVP) prize. In such cases, the license holders involved were addressed, and these bets were immediately removed by the license holders.

Only betting on sports matches is allowed.

Pursuant to the Remote Gambling Decree, sports betting license holders may only offer bets on events during a sports match or on the outcome of a sports match.

In addition, a sports competition must take place within organized sport recognized by NOC*NSF or similar international sports organisations.

Bets on other events are not covered by this. This applies, for example, to prize competitions where the outcome is determined by a jury or panel and does not result directly from a sports match or an event during a sports match. Bets on, for example, political elections or athlete transfers are also not permitted.

Responsibility lies with the permit holder

License holders remain personally responsible for the gaming offerings they provide, even when using external platforms or sportsbook providers.

The KSA said it expects providers to continuously monitor their offerings and take appropriate measures to prevent prohibited bets. If unauthorised bets are nevertheless offered, immediate action must be taken. The KSA will continue to supervise the gaming offerings of license holders.

The post Dutch Gambling Regulator Points Out to Providers Limits of Sports Betting License appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.