Compliance Updates
Spelinspektionen Suspends Licences of Vivaro and Fair Play Bets
Swedish Gambling Authority Spelinspektionen has suspended the licences of Vivaro and Fair Play Bets. Vivaro has lost both its online gaming and betting licences, while Fair Play Bets only saw its online gaming licence taken back.
In a statement published on its website, the Swedish Gambling Authority defended its decision by claiming the operators had not begun either activity for which the licences were intended within one year of them coming into force.
Vivaro was granted its licences to provide online commercial gaming and online betting on 3 June 2020, while Fair Play Bets saw its licence awarded almost one month later on July 1.
These licences required both parties to undertake activities related to online gambling, however, Vivaro reported sales amounting to zero Swedish krona from June 2020 to May 2021, while Fair Play similarly reported no sales between July 2020 and June 2021.
This triggered two separate reviews from the regulator, with Vivaro’s beginning on 13 July 2021 and Fair Play’s on August 13.
In its defence, Vivaro stated the Covid-19 pandemic and in particular its effect on the company’s staff in Armenia as reasons for its failure to begin the relevant business operations.
In addition, the company continued, the war with Azerbaijan resulted in over 50 of its employees being sent away to fight. Vivaro also added that for a heavily regulated jurisdiction like Sweden, it is important to spend extra time preparing for launch.
Fair Play’s reasoning differed slightly, stating instead that no gaming operations have been initiated due to a corporate restructuring which required a temporary reduction in costs and labour.
However, neither argument was enough to sway the Swedish gambling watchdog who went ahead with its original decision to revoke both operators’ licences.
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Compliance Updates
Michigan Lottery Achieves iCAP Re-certification for Responsible Online Gaming Practices
The Michigan Lottery has received re-certification for its commitment to responsible gaming after completing the Internet Responsible Gambling Compliance Assessment Program (iCAP) through the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).
The Lottery first earned iCAP certification in October 2015 and was the first lottery in the United States to achieve this certification.
“We are incredibly proud to have once again received certification for our commitment to responsible gaming through the iCAP program, underscoring the Lottery’s dedication to player safety and well-being. We will continue to prioritize responsible gaming practices and provide Michiganders with the resources and support they need to play responsibly,” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli.
Developed by the NCPG, iCAP is the first and only online responsible gaming assessment program in the US. The NCPG evaluated the Lottery’s compliance with Internet Responsible Gaming (IRG) standards developed based on best practices from jurisdictions around the world. IRG standards are the highest standards for online responsible gaming in the nation. The nine areas of focus for the NCPG iCAP certification are:
• Corporate policy and commitment to responsible gaming
• Staff training
• Information available to players through com, and player account features to assist players in informed decision making
• Assisting players who indicate they are in distress or experiencing problems
• Self-exclusion and player-initiated restrictions on online play
• Advertising and promotion
• Game and website features that assist with gambling responsibly
• Research based on the transparency of play data
• Payment controls and limits
• iCAP re-certification provides Lottery players assurance that MichiganLottery.com is trustworthy and has adopted the best standards of player protection.
The NCPG, a non-profit organization founded in 1972, leads state and national stakeholders in the development of comprehensive policy and programs for all those affected by problem gambling.
Michigan Lottery players have a chance to win up to $500,000 instantly playing online. Players also may win prizes ranging from $1 up to multi-million dollar jackpots playing Powerball, Mega Millions, Lucky for Life, Lotto 47, and Fantasy 5 online. Through its online platform, the Lottery offers players more than 200 different games with plays ranging in price from .05 cents to $20.
The post Michigan Lottery Achieves iCAP Re-certification for Responsible Online Gaming Practices appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Argentinian market
SYNOT Games Takes a Leap Forward with Certification Milestone in Argentina
SYNOT Games announced that 140 of its top-tier games have been officially certified for the Argentinian market.
The certifications, issued by Gaming Labs International mark a significant step in SYNOT Games’ commitment to delivering high-quality, compliant, and entertaining products to the Latin American market.
In addition to the 140 games, the certifications include the renowned SYNOT Progressive Bonus and advanced Random Number Generator technology, providing operators and players with a superior and trustworthy gaming experience.
SYNOT Games is committed to certifying its entire game portfolio for the Argentinian district shortly. This will further solidify the company’s presence in the rapidly growing Latin American market and reaffirm its position as a trusted partner for local and global operators.
Martina Krajci, CCO at SYNOT Games, said: “We are delighted to achieve these certifications and bring our innovative products to Argentina. This is an important milestone in our global expansion strategy, and we look forward to offering our Argentinian partners and players access to our certified games, backed by industry-leading technology and robust compliance standards.”
The post SYNOT Games Takes a Leap Forward with Certification Milestone in Argentina appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Compliance Updates
UKGC Launches Latest Consultation on Gaming Machine Technical Standards
The Gambling Commission has launched a new consultation aimed at making gambling in Britain safer and fairer.
This is the Commission’s third consultation to implement proposals from the 2023 Gambling Act Review White Paper High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age.
The consultation, which will run for 16 weeks (from 29 January 2025 to 20 May 2025), is focussed on the gaming machine technical standards and the related testing strategy. It includes proposals to:
• introduce five new standards, a licence condition and a social responsibility code provision designed to support and empower consumers to use gaming machines safely at every stage of the customer journey – this includes proposals on time and monetary limit setting functionality and information provision such as safer gambling messaging and the display of net position and session time
• amend three existing standards having considered industry proposals to improve customer enjoyment and gameplay
• consolidate the existing 12 gaming machine technical standards into a single standard, whilst amending the format to be more consistent with our Remote gambling and software technical standards for greater clarity
• update the gaming machine technical standards and the related testing strategy to remove obsolete material.
Tim Miller, Gambling Commission Executive Director for research and policy, said: “The White Paper sets out that a top priority is ensuring that gambling happens safely. We share this commitment and today’s consultation proposes how we could implement gaming machine changes in the land-based sector.
“We recognise that regulatory changes that impact the design of machines can come with considerable costs. We are encouraging consumers, gambling businesses and other interested groups to share evidence that will assist us in measuring both the likely regulatory impacts of the proposed changes and the likely costs of implementing them. This evidence will be invaluable to helping make a robust assessment on whether the benefits to consumers are proportionate to the costs involved.”
The post UKGC Launches Latest Consultation on Gaming Machine Technical Standards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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