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Compliance Updates

Esports Federation of India questions the inclusion of esports in the proposed draft of the Rajasthan Virtual Online Sports (Regulation) Bill 2022

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In order to bring esports to the mainstream sports ecosystem, Esports Federation of India (ESFI) has raised questions on the inclusion of esports and clubbing it with fantasy sports in the recently announced Rajasthan Virtual Online Sports (Regulation) Bill 2022, released by the Revenue Department of the state. ESFI has termed this Bill as detrimental to the growth of esports in India.

While the Rajasthan Revenue Ministry asked for comments and suggestions from all the stakeholders on the proposed draft by Saturday (May 28), ESFI along with its affiliated association from Rajasthan have shared their concerns, requesting the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sports Minister Ashok Chandna to remove esports from being part of Virtual Online Sports and the bill.

ESFI has also requested Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur, MoS – Sports Nishith Pramanik and Secretary Sports Sujata Chaturvedi for their immediate intervention, as esports is an extension of sports and should be removed from the draft bill.

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“It’s important to understand that not all games played electronically are esports. The outcome of any esports match is solely and purely dependent/based on the skills (physical & mental) and performances of the esports athletes are just like cricket, badminton etc. It’s absolutely wrong to club esports (a sport) with fantasy gaming or anything other than sports,” said Vinod Tiwari, President of ESFI, Director – International & NOC Relations of Olympic Council of Asia and Convenor-Esports Committee, Olympic Council of Asia

ESFI is a recognised member of the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF), which is recognised by the Olympic Council of Asia as the sole governing body for esports in the Asian continent and is also in charge of the technical conduct of esports at the 2022 Asian Games.

ESFI has been sending Indian teams to Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games since 2007 and in the last Asian Games in 2018, wherein esports was played as a demonstration event, India’s Tirth Mehta had won bronze medal for the country in Hearthstone title in the last Asiad in Jakarta.

“We are seeing technology evolution all across and esports is the tech evolution of sports. It is a sport recognised by world sporting bodies like IOC, OCA and Commonwealth etc. and is being governed by the sports rules/laws of the various countries, just like any other sport. Esports is an all-inclusive sport, restricting and/or limiting and/or regulating it the way it’s been proposed in the draft bill will only be detrimental to the growth of our sport and development of the grassroots in the state of Rajasthan or any other Indian state which is planning any such bill on the similar lines.” – Mr Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India & Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) added.

At the 2022 Asian Games, esports has been included as a medal sport and ESFI had shortlisted the 18-member Indian esports contingent after conducting a mega Nationals, talents were chosen to be part of the Contingent based on the performances at the National Esports Championships 2022, to participate across five titles at the Asian Games.

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Below are the key concerns raised by ESFI in their later to the Rajasthan Government:

  1. “Esports is a sport”; hence, it cannot be clubbed with Fantasy Sports. Esports is recognised as a sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is the apex body of sports along with the Olympic Council of Asia (hereinafter referred to as the “OCA”), Commonwealth Games etc. And they have included esports in their multiple events.

IOC organized Virtual Olympic Series (Esports Tournament), before the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Esports is a medal sport in Asian Games 2022 (Postponed) and in the Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games 2021 (Postponed) scheduled to be held in 2023; Esports has been a medal sport in South Asian Games in 2019, 2021 & 2022. Even the Commonwealth Games is organizing Commonwealth Esports Championship 2022 alongside Commonwealth Games 2022; French President Mr. Emmanuel Macron made a public statement that he wants esports to be included in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

  1. Across the world, Esports is governed through recognised international and continental federations such as the International Esports Federation (IESF), Asian Esports Federation (AESF), and Pan American Esports Confederation (PAMESCO). Leading countries and sports governing bodies have acknowledged Esports as a sport and are regulating the same under their sports laws/acts. There are more than 46 such countries e.g., South Korea, USA, Finland, Germany, Thailand, New Zealand, Italy, Brazil, Nepal, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Macedonia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Serbia Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Georgia, Turkey etc.  And thus, it shall be obliged under the Sports Act of the State of Rajasthan. It becomes vividly clear that Esports is and has been recognised as a sport and thus, it shall be obliged under the Sports Act of the Rajasthan State; It is on account of the presence of the Act that the bill becomes not only moot but also wrong to apply the rules of fantasy onto Esports; whether free to play and/or pay-to-play.
  2. The name of the Bill “Virtual Sports” is not appropriate as this will lead to people misunderstanding “Fantasy Sports” as a Sport.

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Bulgarian National Revenue Agency, the State Agency for National Security and the Gambling Operators Join Forces Against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing

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The Bulgarian National Revenue Agency, the Specialised Administrative Directorate “Financial Intelligence” of the State Agency for National Security and branch organisations of the organisers of gambling operators will join efforts against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. This became clear during a working meeting, which took place on March 20 at the invitation of the Director General of the National Revenue Agency Rumen Spetsov, and his deputy Georgy Dimov.

The participants discussed the possibilities for the branch organisations of gambling operators to monitor the implementation of measures against money laundering and the financing of terrorism by their members. The talks also discussed changes in normative and sub-normative acts regulating the activity in the sector, which would lead to better accountability and guaranteed protection of the public interest.

During the meeting, it was decided that representatives of the National Revenue Agency would discuss with the branch gambling organisations issues related to the implementation of normative and sub-normative acts, providing guidelines for the correct fulfilment of obligations by gambling operators.

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“The National Revenue Agency is partner-oriented and is available to assist businesses in fulfilling their obligations by the current legislation. We highly value the commitment of industry gambling organizations in the prevention and effective fight against money laundering and terrorist financing,” said Rumen Spetsov – Director General of the National Revenue Agency.

The post Bulgarian National Revenue Agency, the State Agency for National Security and the Gambling Operators Join Forces Against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Compliance Updates

Wisconsin Division of Gaming Awards Genius Sports Sports Betting Contractor License

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Genius Sports Limited, the official data, technology and commercial partner that powers the ecosystem connecting sports, betting and media, announced that it has been certified by the State of Wisconsin Division of Gaming as a gaming-related contractor with immediate effect.

With the addition of Wisconsin, Genius Sports now holds 50 licenses or equivalent, or is otherwise permitted to operate, in North America across the U.S. states, territories, tribes and Canada powering award-winning official data, streaming, and marketing solutions for leading sportsbooks and lotteries.

“We are honored that the State of Wisconsin Division of Gaming has authorized Genius Sports to provide state-licensed sportsbooks with access to our groundbreaking NFL products and media solutions. As the majority of U.S. states legalize sports betting, Genius Sports welcomes the opportunity to work with states like Wisconsin, on providing sports fans with our exclusive official NFL sports data-powered solutions for betting,” Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports, said.

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Brazil

GLI® First Lab to Achieve Accreditation by the Secretaria De Prêmios e Apostas to Certify Betting Systems, Live Game Studios, and Online Games to be used by Fixed-odds Lottery Operators for Brazil

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Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) has become the first laboratory to achieve accreditation to certify for betting systems, live game studios, and online games to be used by fixed-odds lottery operators by the Secretaria De Prêmios e Apostas (SPA) in Brazil.

The accreditation means GLI is authorized to test and certify equipment, programs, instruments, and devices that comprise betting systems, live game studios, and online games to be used by fixed-odds lottery operators for the recently enacted national regulatory regime of Brazil.

“We commend the outstanding work that SPA has done in creating a regulatory framework by adapting global best practices to their jurisdiction need and thank them for the transparency and professionalism of this laboratory accreditation process,” said Karen Sierra-Hughes, GLI Vice President for Latin America, Caribbean, and Spain. “We are grateful for the trust put in our work by Brazilian operators and suppliers in the past years in their self-regulatory efforts to voluntarily adhere to compliance processes, which puts them in the position to transition effortlessly to the rise of regulations that are in development today. We have witnessed the efforts that the government and the industry had made throughout all these years to regulate different forms of gaming and lottery, and we feel fortunate to have been part of it while sharing our global expertise and putting the local focus needed in providing support customized to the Brazil culture and particularities of this unique market. We are looking forward to being part of this very exciting time in Brazil and now finally also as an official accredited laboratory for this great country.”

GLI has been working with regulators, lotteries, and industry stakeholders across the Latin American and Caribbean region for more than 26 years in their efforts towards regulation, sustainable growth, and eradicating illegal gaming. In Brazil, GLI has been side by side with government entities and all industry stakeholders for nearly 20 years, participating in public hearings in the Senate, Chamber of Deputies, and State government level, and in recent years, adding strategic local representation to strengthen their local support.

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This milestone is the latest for GLI in Latin America. Last month, GLI became the first lab to achieve accreditation to test online gaming, wagering, and retail sports betting in Peru. Last year in Brazil, GLI was the first lab authorized to test and certify for the Lottery of Parana LOTTOPAR, and GLI will become accredited in all states where laboratory accreditation will be required in Brazil.

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