Compliance Updates
Florida Targets Fantasy Sports Firms Over Possible Illegal Betting Games
Florida gambling regulators have sent cease-and-desist letters to three daily fantasy-sports operators accused of offering potentially illegal mobile betting games and threatened legal action if the sites don’t immediately stop.
Commission Executive Director Lou Trombetta sent letters warning the three companies that they “may be offering or accepting illegal bets or wagers” from Floridians and “may be promoting and conducting an illegal lottery.”
The alleged conduct is “strictly prohibited in Florida and constitutes criminal activity,” Trombetta wrote.
The letters targeted Underdog Sports, LLC, which is based in Brooklyn, N.Y; SidePrize LLC, also known as Performance Predictions LLC, doing business as PrizePicks, which is based in Atlanta; and Betr Holdings, Inc., which is based in Miami.
In fantasy sports, players can draft rosters of actual athletes, with the winners of fantasy games determined by the statistics of the athletes. Many games, like office pools, last all season.
The three companies offer what are known as “parlay-prop-style” games that could be more similar to sports-betting games that are off-limits in Florida.
“Under Florida law, betting or wagering on the result of contests of skill, such as sports betting, including fantasy sports betting, is strictly prohibited and constitutes a felony offense unless such activity is otherwise exempted by statute,” Trombetta’s letter said. “Accordingly, in Florida, sports betting may be lawfully conducted only pursuant to a gaming compact. … Further, receiving such illegal bets and wagers and aiding or abetting such criminal activities constitute separate felony offenses. … Lotteries are also strictly prohibited in Florida.”
A gaming compact is an agreement reached with the state.
The commission did not send letters to DraftKings and FanDuel, which have dominated the fantasy-sports market in the decade since the online games launched.
It was unclear Friday if the commission would crack down on other operators in the future, but emails show the gambling overseers could be casting a broad net.
“As you might imagine, my exec team asking what the letter means and seeking actionable advice, pretty urgently. Would like to discuss the substance at some point, but if you can help with one question, it would be great. Namely, Underdog operates multiple paid fantasy formats (season-long drafts, daily drafts, pick’em) and I just want to confirm my reading of the letter, which is that the legal conclusion applies to all paid fantasy contests — e.g., all of our contests — and not just particular types,” Nicholas Green, Underdog’s general counsel, wrote Friday to Ross Marshman, the commission’s general counsel.
“Your reading of the letter is correct,” Marshman replied.
John Lockwood, an attorney hired by multiple operators, warned that other companies could be swept up in the crackdown.
“The commission staff confirmed to me that the language in the letter broadly applies to all paid fantasy sports contests, and they are not aware of any paid fantasy sports company operating legally in Florida. We disagree on the merits and will be working with the commission and potentially the Legislature so we can ensure Florida sports fans can continue to play,” Lockwood said.
State lawmakers in the past have grappled with creating regulatory oversight for the fantasy-sports industry, to no avail. Proponents of fantasy sports have insisted that the contests are games of skill, not chance, and thus are legal under state gambling laws.
Trombetta issued the letters as a legal battle continues over a 2021 compact reached by the state and the Seminole Tribe. That deal gave the tribe control over sports betting in Florida.
A “hub and spoke” plan in the agreement would allow gamblers anywhere in the state to place bets online, with the wagers run through servers located on tribal lands. The deal requires sports betting to be “exclusively conducted” by the Seminoles but allows other operators to run fantasy sports contests.
Owners of West Flagler Associates and Fort Myers Corp., doing business as Bonita Springs Poker Room in Southwest Florida, filed a lawsuit challenging the compact, saying it violated federal law and would cause a “significant and potentially devastating impact” on their operations.
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., in November 2021 ruled that the deal violated a key Indian gambling law. But a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in June reversed that decision. The appellate court last week denied a request for what is known as an “en banc” rehearing before the full court.
The pari-mutuel owners filed a motion saying they would ask the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in, arguing the panel’s decision conflicts with other appellate rulings and “enables an extreme shift in public policy on legalized gaming that, once started, may be difficult to stop.”
Reading Time: < 1 minute
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.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
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
Reading Time: 2 minutes
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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