Compliance Updates
Anger in the Industry After the Swedish Gambling Authority’s Acquittal of Infiniza
Last Friday, Di wrote about how the Swedish Gambling Authority closed an investigation into the Malta-based casino operator Infiniza, whose online casino, according to the authority’s assessment, is not aimed at Swedes. This is after the company changed the payment operator, i.e. who manages the transfer of gambling money from bank accounts to the casino, and the criteria that determine whether someone directs gambling at Swedes are not considered fulfilled.
Actions Did The Trick For Infiniza
“In light of the measures Infiniza Limited has taken regarding the company’s marketing as well as the payment options and/or payment service providers that were the subject of the current supervisory case, the Swedish Gambling Inspectorate assesses that the company, based on what emerged in the case, ceased to provide gambling aimed at the Swedish market without necessary license”
From the Gambling Authority’s decision that Infiniza review ceases, 21/2 2024.
Gustaf Hoffstedt, general secretary of the licensed gambling operators’ association The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (Bos), is upset.
“It is offensive, and endangers the entire safety and security of the Swedish gambling license system,” he told Di about the Spelinspektionen’s decision, which he read about “with dismay” in Di.
According to Gustaf Hoffstedt, who refers to web traffic statistics that Di has taken part in, Infiniza is one of Sweden’s largest players in online casinos.
“They are estimated to have a significant operation in Sweden, in fact a large part of it is intended to receive Swedish consumers. It is of course extremely profitable, as they do not pay any Swedish gambling tax.”
The Swedish Gambling Authority’s decision has been made after Infiniza’s casinos changed their payment provider to one based in Lithuania. In the past, the Swedish-registered payment services Finshark and Zimpler reviewed by Di have been used.
“That’s exactly how it goes: if someone shines a spotlight on the fact that payment intermediaries ‘blue’ are not okay, payment intermediaries become ‘red’, then ‘green’, then ‘purple’ – and it goes on forever.”
Gustaf Hoffstedt calls for stricter legislation similar to that in the Netherlands, where it is forbidden to even accept domestic players – whereby more people play with the licensed players.
“The basic problem is the scope of the Swedish law, that is to say that unlicensed gambling companies are not explicitly prohibited from passively accepting Swedish players, provided that the company does not target them,” he says.
For several years, BOS has addressed the problem to both governments, investigators and the Gambling Authority and called for the Netherlands’ example to be followed, with the criminalization of passively accepting and enabling Swedish players.
However, the organization has cut stone in stone, and has not received a hearing for its proposal.
“The government does not want this. It claims that the channelization (the percentage of licensed gamblers, Di’s note) is good in Sweden, which unfortunately is not true, that the gambling market is stable, which is also not true, and that this is not a path that Sweden should follow.”
Marcus Aronsson, investigator at Spelinspektionen, told Di that the decision from last Friday only concerns Infiniza’s use of Zimpler, and that the just concluded case was already started in 2021.
He cannot comment on whether the payment company or companies used thereon means that Infiniza can be considered to target Swedes, nor whether a new review of the operator has been initiated after the Zimpler case.
In the decision, however, it is explicitly mentioned that the Swedish Gambling Authority can initiate a new supervisory case if Infiniza can again be considered to target the Swedish market without the necessary license.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has fined the Werribee RSL $30,000 for failing to prevent 2 self-excluded customers from gambling.
VGCCC CEO Suzy Neilan said: “This is the first time the VGCCC has taken disciplinary action against a club or hotel for self-exclusion breaches.
“Self-exclusion programs empower people to manage their gambling by registering to be temporarily or permanently blocked from entering gambling areas of clubs, pubs and casinos.
“By failing to respect a person’s decision to self-exclude, a venue may put customers who have decided to take a break from gambling, or quit altogether, at risk of experiencing gambling harm.”
In January 2024, the VGCCC received an anonymous tip-off that a self-excluded person entered the Werribee RSL gaming room and used the poker machines. The venue self-reported a second breach in May 2024, after realising a different customer had gambled at the venue on at least 4 occasions between February and May 2024.
Ms Neilan said: “Taking disciplinary action is the last resort. We would prefer venues take their harm minimisation responsibilities seriously by complying with their legal obligations, including through the effective implementation of tools like self-exclusion.
“Venues and their staff are the last line of defence for self-excluded customers, who should be able to trust that their decision to self-exclude will be respected. They must have the appropriate controls in place to prevent self-excluded people from entering gaming rooms.”
The VGCCC acknowledged that Werribee RSL cooperated with the investigations and has since taken steps to strengthen its procedures. These include improved and regular staff training, daily audits of the self-exclusion register and greater use of technology to identify self-excluded customers who attempt to enter the gaming room.
This remedial action was taken into consideration in determining the amount of the fine.
The post VGCCC Fines Werribee RSL for Self-exclusion Failures appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Konami Gaming Inc. announced successful completion of Gaming-related Vendor Licensing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a key emerging market for commercial gaming. Konami Gaming is among the first in the industry to be awarded a Gaming-Related Vendor License by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), an independent entity of the UAE Federal Government with exclusive jurisdiction to regulate, license, and supervise all UAE commercial gaming activities. A leading global provider of casino games and casino management systems, Konami has been awarded official license to serve the UAE’s developing gaming market with its award-winning products and services.
“Since Konami Gaming’s inception, our global growth has been achieved with an unwavering commitment to compliance. As the United Arab Emirates expands its economy to the regulated commercial gaming space, Konami is dedicated to supporting this market with the same integrity, innovation, and excellence we bring to all 431 gaming jurisdictions we serve worldwide,” said Tom Jingoli, president & chief operating officer at Konami Gaming.
For a quarter century, casino players have enjoyed Konami Gaming’s slot machines for the Class III gaming space, in which game outcomes are determined by random number generators (RNG). The company has since expanded its world-famous casino entertainment to online gaming and a variety of central determination market sectors. Additionally, Konami Gaming has spent over 20 years delivering its industry-leading SYNKROS casino management system to some of the largest and most diverse gaming destinations on earth, with ultra-reliable 99.99% uptime.
The post Konami Gaming Awarded Gaming-related Vendor License in the UAE appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued ReadyBet with a remedial direction after the company marketed to customers who had registered with BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER).
An ACMA investigation found ReadyBet sent 273 texts and push notifications from its mobile app to self-excluded individuals.
Separately, the company also failed to promote the NSER in 2342 push notifications despite it being mandatory to promote BetStop in any marketing electronic messages.
The ACMA issued the remedial direction so that ReadyBet takes action to prevent it breaching the rules in the future.
Under the remedial direction, ReadyBet must commission an independent review of its marketing systems, including its use of third-party suppliers.
ReadyBet must also engage a provider to deliver training to its staff to avoid messages being sent to self-excluded individuals.
The ACMA may seek civil penalties if ReadyBet does not comply with the remedial direction.
The post ACMA: ReadyBet Breaches Gambling Self-exclusion Rules appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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