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UK Government launches review to ensure gambling laws are fit for digital age

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The Culture Secretary has launched a major and wide-ranging review of gambling laws to ensure they are fit for the digital age as committed to in the manifesto.

Online restrictions, marketing and the powers of the Gambling Commission will be looked at as part of a call for evidence, to examine in detail how gambling has changed over the past 15 years.

Protections for online gamblers like stake and spend limits, advertising and promotional offers and whether extra protections for young adults are needed will all be explored.

The findings will be used to inform any changes to the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure customer protection is at the heart of the regulations, while giving those that gamble safely the freedom to do so.

The review will also look at evidence on the action customers can take where they feel operators have breached social responsibility requirements, such as intervening to protect customers showing clear signs of problematic play, and how to ensure children and young people are kept safe from gambling-related harm.

The Government recognises the need to balance the enjoyment people get from gambling with the right regulatory framework and protections.

It has also been announced today that the minimum age for playing the National Lottery will be raised from 16 to 18 from October 2021.

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden, said:
“Whilst millions gamble responsibly, the Gambling Act is an analogue law in a digital age. From an era of having a flutter in a high street bookmaker, casino, racecourse or seaside pier, the industry has evolved at breakneck speed.

“This comprehensive review will ensure we are tackling problem gambling in all its forms to protect children and vulnerable people. It will also help those who enjoy placing a bet to do so safely.

“This builds upon our clear track record of introducing tough measures to protect people from the risk of gambling harm – banning the use of credit cards, launching tighter age verification checks and cutting the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals.”

Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage Nigel Huddleston said:
“We’re committed to protecting young people from gambling related harm which is why we are raising the minimum age for the National Lottery. Patterns of play have changed since its inception, with a shift towards online games, and this change will help make sure the National Lottery, although already low-risk, is not a gateway to problem gambling.”

It follows a range of measures recently introduced by the Government to protect consumers from the risk of gambling-related harm. These include cutting the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals, bringing in tighter age and identity checks for online gambling, banning gambling using credit cards and expanding national specialist support through the NHS Long Term Plan.

In September the Government launched a call for evidence to explore young people’s experiences of loot boxes in video games. This will provide a clearer picture of the size of the loot box market in the UK and fully examine any evidence of harms or links to problem gambling.

The review of the Gambling Act 2005 will also consider the Gambling Commission’s powers and resources to ensure it can keep pace with the licensed sector and tackle the black market.

In October the Gambling Commission introduced new rules on VIP schemes, and has called for evidence around how to ensure operators identify and intervene where people are at risk of harm, including through carrying out affordability checks. The Commission will also soon set out new rules on safer game design for online slots and withdrawing winnings.

Alongside the launch of the review, the Government is announcing its decision to raise the minimum age to play the National Lottery from 16 to 18, to protect young people from gambling related harm.

Since it began in 1994 the National Lottery’s games portfolio has changed significantly and there has been a growing trend towards online play and instant win games like scratchcards. Following a consultation, from October 2021 it will be illegal to sell all National Lottery products to under 18s.

The Government is working with the Gambling Commission and Camelot to roll out the new age limit across the National Lottery products as quickly as possible and to ensure that it is in place by October. Under current plans, online sales to 16 and 17 year olds will stop in April 2021.

Source: gov.uk

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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.

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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.

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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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