Author: Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Betmakers Extended Its Racing Services Contract with William Hill

Posted on by Aran Malik

BetMakers has announced its contract with William Hill that was set to expire by the end of the year has been extended for two more years. The new agreement that would run until December 31, 2022 has some new additions, too.

Australian-based technology company BetMakers is a data distributor for a whole plethora of sports betting operators, including UK giant William Hill. Its products allow for direct real-time comparisons between odds of different sports books, but the company’s expertise is in the field of racing, tracking every race and collecting and analyzing data for betting purposes.

Racing Events Importance

Under the terms of the extension to the initially signed in 2018 contract, BetMakers Technology Group will keep providing its wagering tools, plus all of its expanded racing products.

“The extension and upgrading of BetMakers’ racing services and solutions to William Hill at an international level comes during a challenging time for wagering operators with the suspension of many sports globally…”

Todd Buckingham, CEO, BetMakers Technology Group

The timing of the contract extension does not come as a surprise at the background of what is going on around the world. For more than a month already the major sports events have been put at a standstill due to the spreading menace of the coronavirus, which has shifted the focus of the punters towards the sports that are still on.

Racing events are still running, albeit without attendance, but the presence of people at the race track matters little to the bettor, especially when there is not much on offer wagering-wise. And these developments force bookmakers to shift their focus, too, scrambling for racing data and analytical tools.

“Over the past two years we have made enormous strides in diversifying our racing content to include products from all over the globe, which was one of our key strategic ambitions. This success could not have happened without the excellent collaboration of William Hill Group Trading and BetMakers, who offer an incredible wealth of experience in International racing. This transition has seen William Hill increase its racing content significantly.”

Mark Howarth, Director of Racing, William Hill

Extension Comes With Perks

The contract extension has come with some sweeteners for the data solutions provider company, as William Hill will incrementally increase the payments to BetMakers along the course of the contract. Furthermore, the sports betting giant has given first option to any product the Australian technology firm has on offer, as long as its price matches or beats the price of a competitor offering, local or international one.

William Hill has recently updated investors regarding its 2020 revenue expectations, suspending dividend and warning that a significant reduction on its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization /EBITDA/ of up to £110 million may occur, even pointing out the total negative impact from the ongoing health crisis is still unknown. The sports betting and gaming operator even amended the remuneration packages of its managers to prepare to deal with the upcoming adversity.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Gamstop: Self-Exclude To Protect Against Gambling-Related Harm

Posted on by Aran Malik

UK residents are strongly urged to sign up for the self-exclusion from gambling scheme, Gamstop, to protect themselves from excessive losses through online gambling while being locked down in their homes due to the coronavirus /Covid-19/ spread mitigation measures.

MPs Raised Concerns

The problem was initially raised by some Members of Parliament who expressed their concerns some people might seek distraction in gambling during the virus lockdown and might need extra measures of protection from such harm. The Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group even went further by suggesting all gaming operators implement a £50 limit for daily gambling for all players during the period.

Regulator Responded By Issuing Guidance

The UK Gambling Commission released guidance for operators, reminding them to continue to behave responsibly, especially in terms of their continuous assessment of individual client affordability as some clients may have serious income disruptions. In addition, gambling companies were asked push up their efforts for social responsibility interaction with their clients to be able to identify and intervene to prevent gambling-related harm. Lastly, gaming operators were advised not to take advantage from the ongoing health crisis for marketing purposes and keep their onboarding process on a responsible basis.

Industry Body Urged Members’ Responsibility

In support to the regulatory guidance by the UK GC, the gaming industry body, the Betting and Gaming Council /BGC/, issued an action plan for its members. Among the 10 points outlined, the BGC asked all operators to increase safer gambling messages, step up interventions and promotion of deposit limits, as well as take appropriate action to ensure responsible advertising, including reporting advertising from illegal operators.

Gamstop Provides Radical Solution

Gamstop, a free service that allows people to exclude themselves from gambling websites that launched back in April 2018 and since then had acquired more than 130,000 registered users, recommended to people to take decisive action and self-restrict their access to any type of online gambling, at least for the duration of the lockdown.

“We are concerned that, at a time when so many people are being forced to stay at home during the coronavirus, vulnerable consumers who may have an issue with their gambling might be tempted to spend money they do not have on online gambling.” – Fiona Palmer, CEO, Gamstop

The self-exclusion scheme allows registered users three options in terms of duration of the self-exclusion, six months, one year or five years, but according to its statistics, 73% opt to exclude themselves for the maximum duration period.
Gamstop’s advice to people to self-restrict their access to online gambling was prompted from the spike in the number of their users asking to remove the self-imposed restrictions so they can gamble again, something the scheme is designed to prevent from happening, for their own protection.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Ex-MGM Resorts CEO to Lead Nevada’s Coronavirus Task Force

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • COVID-19 prompts Nevada to shut down casinos and set up a relief task force
  • Former MGM CEO Jim Murren appointed head of the task force
  • Murren’s expertise will help contain the outbreak, Nevada Gov. Sisolak says

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the now-retired MGM CEO Jim Murren has been selected for the job of heading the coronavirus relief effort in Nevada.

MGM’s Former Number One at the Helm of Nevada’s COVID-19 Task Force

Jim Murren will be leading the newly established COVID-19 Response and Recovery Task Force, announced Governor Steve Sisolak this Sunday afternoon, following the closure of Nevada’s casino for 30 days. According to Gov. Sisolak, the experience that Murren has in a handful of industries will help Nevada’s healthcare system and ultimately lead to containing the outbreak.

Murren became a part of MGM in 2008 and for the past 12 years as CEO. It wasn’t long after his retirement in February that he was appointed a head of the new task force. Gov. Sisolak noted that Murren’s position is unpaid, voluntary and due to start straight away.

Murren’s first job on the list will be to allocate/source all of the useful assets from the private sector that can help in the fight with the coronavirus.

Considering Murren’s vast experience and contacts in Asia and the Middle East, it is expected from him to greatly help Nevada. Murren took part in a COVID-19 tourism industry round table with President Donald Trump and other White House leaders early in March so the announcement of Sisolak came at the right moment.

Gov. Sisolak noted that Murren will help the state receive the needed personal protection equipment, COVID-19 test kits and other essential supplies that the federal government cannot source currently. Sisolak also added: “Jim Murren can open doors that otherwise, I, as governor, can’t open up,”.

Some in Nevada Has Its Doubts About Addressing the Outbreak

Nevada state reaction was mixed as Jon Ralston, an old-timer editor and reported of The Nevada Independent questioned why a gaming insider such as Murren was picked. Ralston deemed that Gov. Sisolak was handling the crisis quite well so far but did note on Twitter that his announcement can face a bit of criticism.

Driven by fear of spreading the virus, states ordered the closing of many businesses and casinos. A lot of US leagues canceled their entire seasons or banned their fans from watching the games live, in person.

MGM did not stand idle by and took action to close all of its Strip casinos in Vegas. Only a few days after this decision, on Thursday, Sisolak ordered a state shut down for 30 days of all gambling establishments.

Murren noted that “There’s nothing more important right now than helping our state and each other through this crisis”. He continued with: “When we defeat this pandemic, I am confident that our state will come roaring back, as we have from the great hardships of the past.”

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Betway Fined £11.6M For Failure To Protect Customers

Posted on by Aran Malik

The UK Gambling Commission continues its series of penalty-imposing actions, with the latest operator, Betway, fined a record £11.6 million for failure with regards to gambling addiction protection and player source of funds checks.

The gambling regulator in the UK meted the severe punishment to Betway, after it had found out serious violations in dealings with high-spending VIP clients that meant the operator handled around £5.8 million of suspected criminal proceeds, and the gambling Commission is now returning the money to the victims.

In one of these VIP cases, Betway allowed a customer to deposit over £8 million, in the span of four years, lose £4 million and in the meantime having his account flagged 20 times as a potential risk, only in each of these occasions for the staff to accept the client’s word as evidence of the source of the funds. Even the board of directors of the company, when the case was referred to them, allowed the gambler to continue, with the actual closure of the client’s account happening after the police’s intervention.

Another client was allowed to deposit £1.6 million and lose more than £700,000, in a period of 3 years, despite being unemployed, and Betway failed to verify customer employment status due to reliance on open source information that confirmed the client could afford the losses.

A violation of the customer self-exclusion policy was found when a client made a series of deposits totaling £494,000 into 11 different accounts, after that customer had previously signed up to exclude from gambling, a glaring example of gambling addiction behavior.

Another VIP client deposited and lost £187,000 in just 2 days, without being asked by Betway’s staff about the source of the money.

“The actions of Betway suggest there was little regard for the welfare of its VIP customers or the impact on those around them. As part of our ongoing programme of work to make gambling safer, we are pushing the industry to make rapid progress on the areas that we consider will have the most significant impact to protect consumers” Richard Watson, Executive Director, UK Gambling Commission.

Betway will pay £5.8 million back to the victims of the crimes committed by its customers, plus another £5.8 million to the Gambling Commission that will be spent to reduce gambling addiction. Betway accepted to pay the penalty and improve their existing processes.

“Betway takes full responsibility for the small number of historic cases which have led to this settlement. We have fully cooperated with the investigation and will take further proactive steps to ensure all recommendations and findings are implemented” Anthony Werkman, CEO, Betway.

The latest imposed financial penalty by the UKGC is almost 4 times the amount of the previous one, the £3 million fine meted to Mr Green, an online gaming company owned by William Hill, and the GC is determined to make the gambling environment safer in times when the society shows sensitivity on the matters.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

New NetGaming Hire Natalya Ovchinnikova – A Clear Sign Of Ambition

Posted on by Aran Malik

NetGaming has hired Natalya Ovchinnikova as the new head of product, with the task to grow the company’s start-up slot portfolio.

Experience On Board

The Malta-based creative casino games design studio NetGaming continues its efforts to further strengthen its senior management team by bringing in more experience in the shape and form of former slot product owner at Yggdrasil Gaming and product manager at NetEnt, Natalya Ovchinnikova.

New Content Every Month

The new head of product will be responsible for the oversight of the production process for the company’s engaging portfolio of slot games, as NetGaming is planning to release new content every month during 2020, a mixture of original and branded content in a premium quality slot catalogue, available in 26 languages and compatible with 41 currencies.

CEO Knows Best

The newly employed Natalia Ovchinnikova is a former colleague of current NetGaming CEO Pallavi Deshmukh, at NetEnt, and he is delighted to be able to add her to his team.

“We are absolutely delighted to have Natalya on board. With a fantastic track-record of achieving consistent results, her extensive and successful industry experience speaks for itself. I am pleased to be working with Natalya again”, Pallavi Deshmukh, CEO, NetGaming.

New Hire Excited

With nearly a decade of iGaming experience under her belt, Natalia Ovchinnikova is the perfect solution for the growing slot product needs of NetGaming and the new employee is looking forward to meeting the high expectations in front of her.

“I am thrilled to be joining NetGaming, an exciting provider boasting an immersive gaming suite and ambitious plans for global expansion. With international growth and high-profile content in the pipeline, this is a company gearing up for major 2020 success”, Natalya Ovchinnikova, Head of Product, NetGaming.

Global Expansion

The creative content designer NetGaming has recently signed lucrative deals for partnership across the world, including the content distribution deal with the provider of online gaming solutions BetConstruct, as well as with EveryMatrix, to gain access to the largest casino content library with more than 8,000 games and 260+ local and global jackpots, the casino aggregator, CasinoEngine.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Las Vegas Sands Completes Rebranding as Wind Creek Bethlehem

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The Poarch Band of Creek Indians’ hospitality group Wind Creek has successfully rebranded and opened the former Las Vegas Sands property.

Wind Creek Hospitality Adds 10th Property with Sands Rebranding

PCI Gaming Authority Wind Creek Hospitality has completed the rebranding of Las Vegas Sands, five months after the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved the $1.3bn sale of the property.

The rebranded property features a 282-room AAA Four Diamond hotel, a 183,000 square foot casino floor, a 150,000 square foot retail mall and an event center.

Commenting on the rebrand, Wind Creek President and CEO Jay Dorris said: “Our team has worked to preserve what makes the property a special part of the Bethlehem community while introducing the Wind Creek brand, our Wind Creek Rewards program and our focus towards guest service. We invite everyone to come visit and see why they belong at Wind Creek Bethlehem.”

A grand opening event was held to celebrate the rebranding, including a ribbon cutting ceremony, performances by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians tribal dancers and special gaming promotions.

WCH VP of Business Development Arthur Mothershed has pointed out to the opportunities now made available to the region, citing economic growth and job creation.

The Wind Creek Bethlehem Set to Expand

WCH invested $15 million to complete the rebranding alone. Furthermore, the hospitality company plans to expand the property to include a 300-room hotel and to renovate its Machine Shop 2, allegedly into an indoor water park.

On Thursday, October 10, WCH officials said that the company was already eyeing a new 276-room hotel that would sprawl on 42,000 square meters. Estimated $90 million will go down in building the new property. Meanwhile, WCH is looking to bring flagship assets back to their former glory.

The No. 2 Machine Shop, located next to the main resort building, will get a $250-million facelift, restoring the space into a 400,000 square feet water park, and adding up to 450 hotel room. Wind Creek is also looking to improve on the overall guest satisfaction experience and market itself as a holiday destination.

To this end, the company is trying to fine-tune the amenities offered on its properties. Additional $100 million has been allocated to an indoor park, Dorris specified. However, Wind Creek will seek a partner willing to invest and contribute $150 million to help with funding the park.

Recently, Wind Creek pitched a proposal to develop a multi-million-dollar project and enter Chicago’s promising casino sector. The company has its sights set on East Hazel Crest and Homewood. Based on WCH’s estimates, the company will need to invest $275 million during the first phase of development.

The pitch has found help among local lawmakers, including Homewood Mayor Richard Hofeld who commented that the industry would effectively generate $155 million in the first year of operation alone.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Intralot’s Contract in Washington D.C. Suspsended Temporarily

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As a result of suspicious awarding of a sports betting and lottery contract in February 2019, Intralot may stand to lose rights to operate in Washington D.C. A lawsuit has been brought up with a court and a temporary refraining order has been issued.

Intralot’s Contract with Washington D.C. Suspended

Intralot, a Greece-based lottery operator, has had its contract as sports betting and lottery vendor suspended by a court in Washington D.C. The premises on which the contract has been suspended is a likely violation of federal laws and should the legal motion be successful, it would possibly overturn the deal completely.

According to Dylan Carragher, the person responsible for the lawsuit, the deal violates the Home Rule Act that applies to Washington D.C. According to Carragher, the current deal deprives residents of the District of Columbia from the right to choose from sports betting products that are fairly priced and offer them better value.

As a result, a temporary refraining order or TRO has been issued, asking Intralot to suspend activities while investigation is ongoing. According to Judge Joan Zeldon – who ruled in favour of Carragher – there was a substantial chance that the lawsuit will be successful, possibly threatening the entire deal with Intralot.

Greasing Palms to Win Sports Betting Contracts

The dubious nature of the deal was brought into light when evidence surfaced that Intralot had provided the District’s CFO with a $109.7 million work contract as operators manager, putting all involved in a direct line of conflict of interests.

Speaking to iGaming Business, Intralot has denied all accusations, pointing out that:

“Intralot has been operating the D.C. Lottery under the existing partnership with great success for the past nine years. Having generated more than $500 million in net profit for the District of Columbia, it is one of INTRALOT’s most successful operations. The recently awarded contract was scrutinized and debated at great length before getting legislative approval on July 9, 2019. Regarding our local partner, VSC has met all of the requirements that the DC government has set forth, and is a contributor to the successes in this jurisdiction.”

However, VSC, the company in question, is run by Emmanuel Bailey who is also a big political sponsor. Fears that there may be some under-the-table power brokering came in February, when Intralot was awarded an extension of the contract without any public bidding process.

Councilman David Grosso called the deal outright rigged and a giveaway, pointing out that this way of handling the contract was in direct violation of established procedure.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Brazil Introduces Consultation Service for Sporst Betting

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • Consultation period launches between July 30 and April 31
  • Brazil looks to enforce better customer protection
  • The government is reaching out to the UK and Portugal for advice

Brazil has launched a new consultation imitative, reaching out to members of the public to discuss how the future sports betting market will be regulated.

Brazil Launches Consultation Initiative

Preparing for a quickly-expanding sports betting industry, the Brazilian Ministry of the Economy has officially introduced a consultation initiative which will give the public a month’s time to share opinions on the development of a framework that will regulate the betting vertical. This initiative also comes amid urges that the country should better regulate its market.

The consultation kicked off on July 30 and it will be running until |August 31, with public stakeholders sharing their vision of what sports betting in the country should look like. This initiative is carried out by the Secretariat of Evaluation, Planning, Energy and Lottery (SECAP), which is a division under the Ministry’s Special Secretariat of Finance and specifically tasked with helping set up the industry.

Gauging the Public Opinion

The shareholders and members of the public have been asked a number of questions and specifically whether a fixed number of licenses should be made available or whether only companies fulfilling certain standards should be awarded the licenses.

The Secretariat is equally hoping to find out more about how the public expects the government to regulate the industry, including:

  • Monitoring
  • Control
  • Enforcement

A number of other potential issues have also been brought, including fraud prevention, player data safety, anti-money laundering (AML), and market integrity, i.e. targeting monopolies and preventing the establishing of such.

Launching the Industry with Provisional Measure 846/18

Brazil is preparing to launch its sports betting industry, following the passing of Provisional Measure 846/18, which was signed by outgoing President Michel Temer and tentatively endorsed by the new government.

The country’s sports betting market is potentially worth billions and regulating it would help fund public initiatives, lawmakers hope. The Ministry has also said that the initiative is a direct result from the Ministry’s efforts to provide future bettors with better protection across the board .

Meanwhile, Brazil’s government has reached out to Portugal and the United Kingdom to seek advice on how to launch and regulate the industry. Presently, the country’s offshore gambling market is estimated at BRL$4.3 billion, but specialists suggest that the numbers are in fact much higher.

Can Brazil bring the sports betting bacon?

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

1xBet, Paddy Power Team Up with Chelsea, Huddersfield

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1xBet and Paddy Power continue to invest in English soccer in a bid to improve on their own visibility with sports fans.

1xBet Secures New EPL Partnership with Chelsea

Betting and iGaming company 1xBet continues to make headlines as it adds Chelsea as its latest English Premier League (EPL) partner. This continues a string of water-shed partnerships for the company, as it first added Tottenham, and most recently it teamed up with Liverpool. Outside the EPL, 1xBet signed another important partnership in the face of FC Barcelona.

Back to the English soccer championship, Paddy Power, another betting agency, became the official T-shirt sponsor for Huddersfield Town, consolidating the company’s footprint as one of the major partners of teams in 2019.

1xBet is expanding methodically by adding an increasing number of teams. All teams on the list, including Chelsea will help 1xBet build its betting content and promote it throughout 2019 to 2022, covering two seasons.

The ultimate goal is to achieve better visibility worldwide, with 1xBet also supporting the African soccer competition CAF. Meanwhile, Chelsea and 1xBet will run a number of promotions together. Here is what Chelsea commercial director had to say:

“1xBet are one of the most rapidly developing companies in the betting industry and we look forward to supporting them in their endeavour to increase brand awareness within the UK and around the world.”

Alex Sommers, an official spokesperson for 1xBet also commented on the partnership. Similarly to previous statements by Mr. Sommers, he was happy with the recent development and promised that 1xBet and Chelsea would come up with interesting ways to entertain bettors and fans.

“Gambling partnerships” are slowly becoming the norm in English soccer with companies such as Betway and William Hill teaming up with various sports bodies. It’s the custom of betting agencies to seek closer ties with mainstream sporting brands.

Paddy Power Launches New Partnership Opportunities

Paddy Power will be backing Huddersfield Town, which was tossed out of the English Premier League (EPL) after poor performance in the 2018/2019 season. Yet, the team is happy with the newly-landed partnership with Paddy Power. Here’s what Sean Jarvis, commercial director at Huddersfield Town had to say:

“The front-of-shirt sponsorship is very important to the club and it was vital that we stayed patient to get the right commercial deal. We did that and it’s paid huge dividends through this new relationship with one of the most modern-thinking, pro-active businesses in Paddy Power. “

Paddy Power seemed to share the excitement arguing that the company was pleased to have added a valuable partner in the face of Huddersfield.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Switzerland Gives iGaming the Go-Ahead with Four New Licenses

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • Swiss Federal Council approves iGaming licenses
  • Regulator to conduct checks into the online software
  • ISPs to begin blocking foreign brands from July1, 2019

    • The Swiss iGaming industry is about to kick off on July 1 with the official approval of the Federal Council and the country’s regulator.

    Swiss Federal Court Gives Go-Ahead of iGaming Industry

    Switzerland has issued the country’s first four official gambling licenses to local operators and their online platforms. On Friday, the Switzerland’s Federal Council gave its approval for kicking off gambling activities in the country in earnest and issued four online gaming permits.

    The permits were also approved by the Federal Gaming Commission (ESBK), the country’s national watchdog, before making it to the Federal Council. As a result, Switzerland is now preparing to launch its fully-legalized iGaming industry come July 1, 2019. The first operators that will scale their operations online include:

    • Grand Casino Baden
    • Grand Casino Davos
    • Grand Casino Lucerne
    • Pfäffikon Casinos

    The List of Casino Software Providers in Switzerland

    Pfäffikon is owned by Swiss Casinos. Each operator will come with come under its own unique digital skin. Grand Casino Baden will be launching under Jackpot.ch, an online portal which offered free-play gaming opportunities for years.

    Meanwhile, Davos is teaming up with Ardent Group and it will launch the Casino777 brand. It’s worth noting that land-based casinos need online partners to develop their iGaming portfolio. However, the emerging brand doesn’t necessarily have to bear the names of either companies involved, hence the confusion in names.

    As to Pfäffikon, the company is teaming up with Playtech, a familiar face in the iGaming world. Before launching officially, though,the ESBK will need to audit the software used by each casino,w which is a standard procedure.

    Each online property should run their games based on something called a “Random Number Generator”, which in turns guaranteed the fair, randomized outcome of every game.

    No Country for Unlicensed Casinos

    Switzerland’s has opted for the gunk-ho approach towards unregulated brands,similarly to the Netherlands. Switzerland puts great store by its gambling industry which is also instrumental in funding the pension system.

    While officially the industry was given the go-ahead as of January 1, 2019, Swiss ISPs will wait until July 1 to start effectively blocking foreign and unregulated operators. In the summer of 2018, Switzerland held a referendum on whether foreign operators and brands should be banned in the country.

    There was a strong movement against allowing ISPs to ban website as that violated constitutional freedoms, the protestors argued. However, the faction pushing the ban used the negative connotation of gambling to get its way,citing also the importance of the industry for the country’s pension fund.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Florida Governor and Seminole See Eye-to-Eye on Betting

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • Florida and Seminole Tribes on their way to new compct agreement
  • Sports betting expansion possible
  • Opposition against gambling expansion mounts

Florida is still tip-toeing around the idea of fully legalizing sports betting with talks beginning during last November’s election and Amendment 3. Voters finally have the power to authorize new gambling venues, but this would take significant effort.

Will Florida Get Sports Betting in 2019?

On April 26, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met with gaming businesses representative to discuss the future of the sports betting and iGaming industries in the state. DeSantis had previously spoken to Seminole Tribe of Florida Chairman Marcus Osceola and Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen as well as the tribal gaming operator’s General Counsel, Jim Shore.

The talks mark a success in a bottle-neck that has had the Seminole tribal gaming facilities strangle any previous attempts to expand or include sports betting. Not only that, but the Tribes and the state may be coming closer to creating a new compact much like the one that expired back in 2010 that gives Seminole exclusivity on gambling verticals.

The meeting was described as cordial with the Tampa Bay Times reporting closely on the summit, citing lobbyist Nick Iarossi who said:

The governor spent over an hour intently listening and asking questions to better understand the pari-mutuels and issues related to the proposed compact.

Planning for the Future – 31 Years of Understanding

A new proposal may now be on the cards with a 31-year agreement being discussed. When the previous deal was struck, it took legislators 20 years to come up with a solution for everyone to agree.

The toughest nut to crack has always been the Seminole Tribe casinos that have insisted on exclusive rights. It’s similar today with Florida continuing to operate without a new compact while the tribes grow impatient and continue to contribute to the state’s coffers, estimated at $350 million.

This is money that Florida doesn’t want to lose, even though lawmakers already drafted a budget that excludes these contributions.

While there has bee divisions in the past and much traction, things seem to be finally smoothing out with talks about future expansion of iGaming and sports betting operations in the state.

The Seminole recently contested the issue of allowing certain facilities to operate player-banked games, thus allowing such venues to circumnavigate the tribes’ exclusivity rights over the segment.

Not Everyone Is Happy about Sports Betting

The naysayers have spoken. At the beginning of April, No Casinos in Florida, a non-for-profit group, sent a letter to Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva and to Senate President Bill Galvano, stating their opposition to legalizing sports betting and expanding it across Florida.

Interestingly, companies such as Walt Disney and Seminole have also spent copious amounts to make sure that casinos don’t arrive to the state. Yet an expansion t the present moment appears hypocritical.

Disney is also running sports betting shows through ESPN, a company that it owns. Florida’s gambling and sports betting are indeed contentious issues

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

West Virginia’s Governor Approves Online Gambling

Posted on by Aran Malik

West Virginia is officially getting its own legal online casinos, following multi-lateral support for the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act approved by the House, Senate, and the Governor himself.

  • West Virginia online bill receives endorsement by state Gov. Jim Justice
  • H 2934 passed final legislature approval on March 9
  • Online poker will be featured as part of the activities allowed in the state

West Virginia Successfully Passing Bill

West Virginia made a very determined entry into the online casino industry. At first, it was just a bill. H 2934 landed in the House of Representative in February under a friendlier name, the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act, and cleared it without a hitch.

Then came the vote in the Senate, with Senators throwing their near-unanimous support for a future online gambling industry.

Then, everyone had to wait for Gov. Jim Justice.

Governors have been unlikely disruptors in recent years, shooting bills down long after the toughest bit – passing a legislation through the House and Senate, has taken place.

Mr. Justice decided not to veto the bill and chose to endorse it a bit, giving the state a reason for hoping that West Virginia will see its first online casinos open doors for netizens very soon. So far, there are five properties where online casinos can operate from, including:

  • Hollywood Casino, Charles Town Races
  • Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resorts
  • The Casino Club, The Greenbrier
  • Mardi Gras Casino & Resort
  • Wheeling Island Hotel

All properties have said that they will pay up or a casino license and also foot a renewal fee every year to the tune of $100,000. A license to run online casino costs $250,000, but there are other associated costs.

Another $100,000 will have to go for maintaining the online platform, not to mention that suppliers will also need to obtain a license with each costing $10,000.

Readying to Launch Online Casinos in West Virginia

Online casinos will probably not arrive until 2020 in the state, though this is just a preliminary estimate. Some hope that we can see an early launch in December, much like was the case with the sports betting industry in the state.

Next year is realistic, though, given the current challenges, such as logistics, signing partnerships, and not least of all the Wire Act that the Department of Justice want to champion at the expenses of online gambling activities.

In other places, such as Virginia, the state won’t see its first online casinos open until July 2020, and this is a fairly aggressive timeline. Virginia got an approval last week, so it’s very likely that West Virginia didn’t want to be behind.

It’s also interesting to watch how the process unfolds. In Virginia, for example, the Lottery Board (which will be regulating the new industry) has requested a special report that will asses how other states regulate and approach online gambling.

West Virginia has announced no such plans, but the bill is just fresh out of the oven.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

West Virginia Almost Done with Online Gambling & Poker Bill

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • WV clears H 2934
  • Governor signature needed
  • The state’s Lottery to regulate online gambling

West Virginia is getting exceptionally close to signing online gambling into law. All that is needed is the signature of the state’s governor, following a successful passage through all levels of legislature.

West Virginia Can Soon Have Online Gambling

All scaremongering about the Wire Act and the Department of Justice’s high-handedness aside, West Virginia has been pushing towards full legalization of its online gambling industry. On February 12, Delegate Jason Barrett introduced House Bill 2934, which was expedited through the various stop-checks of the legal process in WV.

Minor patches were applied, but no large defiance came. The final approval was secured on March 9 when 78 delegates threw their unanimous support behind the bill with 18 people against and four choosing not to take sides.

WV’s H 2934 has been the quickest legislation to transition from a concept to proposition to now being what is one-signature away from becoming a law. Should the governor ratify the document, WV will be joining four states where online gambling is legally allowed, including Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

What Does WV Legal Gambling Bill Say?

The West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Ac allows companies interested in providing online gambling services to do so for a period of five year because re-application/renewal is needed. The license comes at a cheap cost of $250,000 and tax rate of 15% of GGR.

Existing land-based casinos in the state can now – on condition the governor approves the bill – start building their online brands that will be affiliated or borrow the name directly. This includes the following properties:

  • Hollywood Casino
  • Mountaineer Racetrack and Casino
  • Delaware North’s Nitro and Wheeling
  • Justice Greenbrier Resort

All activities will be regulated by the Lottery with the state about to figure out a way to address how to leverage funding coming from the gambling industry to use on public causes. Another issue that remains to be addressed is exercising control over gambling addiction and trying to narrow down its potential impact.

WV is a fairly unpopulated state for the needs of expanding the online gambling industry at a larger scale across the United States. However, the state is also among the first to try and push ahead with legalization of its segment and hopefully fetch extra customers from across the state border, while Kentucky, especially Ohio, and Indiana are still dithering over a decision. Connecticut is also spearheading its own expansion.

WV’s success can serve as inspiration to other states that are debating whether to push ahead with kickstarting their own industries. It’s worth noting that WV had solid political backing and not the history of divide common in other places that have tried to legalize online gambling.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

William Hill and Penn National Team up in Nevada

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • William Hill and Penn National Gaming are about to launch sports betting offer in M Resort Spa Casino
  • Regulatory approval from the NGCB still needed
  • William Hill continues to expand its footprint in Nevada and the US

William Hill and Penn National Gaming have been working together on a number of properties. The latest initiative between the two companies features the M Resort Spa Casino in Nevada. Following an expansion of their existing partnership in 2018, the companies are prepared to work together for the future of the property.

William Hill to Take Control Over M Resort Spa Casino in Nevada

Nevada’s M Resort Spa Casino is located Henderson, not so far from the Mecca of all Western gambling, Las Vegas. The property is about to get even more attractive with William Hill now awaiting regulatory approval to take control over the property’s sports and race books, adding distinct options for sports fans.

William Hill Promises Stronger Profits by 2023

William Hill and Penn National will be launching in May, hoping to provide customers with land-based wagering options as well as live betting and William Hill’s own authentic mobile betting solutions.

With the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) going through the deal and should they clear it, as expected, William Hill will deploy its expertise to provide M Resort Spa Casino with the fetching sports betting that will bring it more customers.

Commenting at the prospect of expanding with M Resort, William Hill US CEO, Joe Asher, had the following to say:

We are excited to expand our partnership with our friends at Penn National to operate the sports book at The M. It is a fabulous property, serving the Henderson and Southern Highlands areas, as well as guests from out of town, and we look forward to bringing our market-leading product to these customers.

William Hill and Penn National Gaming have been working together since August 2018 in a bid to expand their partnership and introduce William Hill’s award-winning sports betting product to Penn’s land-based properties.

It has been part of William Hill’s strategy in the United States to expand by partnering with esteemed brands and land-based properties across the USA. Penn National owns gaming venues in Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

With all of these states looking into sports betting and expansion option for 2019, William Hill is well-poised to leverage its expertise and expand into important markets. Despite a small dip in the company’s financial performance, William Hill is well on schedule to achieve a double-digit growth.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

MGA and Spelinspektionen Work on iGaming Regulation

Posted on by Aran Malik

Sweden and Malta are going to collaborate in order to introduce a better control over the iGaming industry, the countries’ national regulators have said.

  • The MGA and Spelinspektionen sign a MoU
  • The regulators will exchange vital information
  • Sweden warns operators to comply with bonus policies

Sweden and Malta Collaborate on iGaming

The Spelinspektionen and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining the terms of a new cooperation.

The partnership will see the national watchdog focuses on exchanging key information across vital areas, allowing them to better enforce regulatory policies as well as uphold industry standards.

The move makes perfect sense since many companies offering iGaming products on the newly-regulated Swedish market also hold Maltese gaming licenses or have their technical hubs operating from the country.

Spelinspektionen Director Camilla Rosenberg commented on the new partnership and the opportunities to achieve better collaboration in the sector:

This is the beginning of a broad and long-term cooperation, and our plan is to initiate corresponding collaborations with more gambling authorities in Europe.

MGA Chief Executive Heathcliff Farrugia was no less enthusiastic about the new opportunity. According to him, the MGA was in a constant process of adding new and trustworthy process to help it carry out its regulatory mandate in full.

The MGA Suspends Bet Service Group License

Mr. Farrugia also noted that the nature of iGaming is increasingly cross-border, which means that regulators will have to find new ways to collaborate and exchange data quickly in order to effectively and efficiently provide guidance and apply penalties where necessary.

“This MoU, signed with the Swedish Gambling Authority, is an important step towards achieving both our respective regulatory goals in vital areas of mutual interest,” Mr. Farrugia explained.

Spelinspektionen and Bonus Rules

With the Swedish national dog looking to expand its efficiency, the Spelinspektionen has been cautioning companies over the use of bonuses. Sweden is taking a very sparing approach about promotional offers available at casinos.

As far as current law goes, iGaming operators may only offer a bonus to their customers the first time they sign-up, with no subsequent offers being permitted. However, the Spelinspektionen has established breach of that provision, prompting it to issue a warning against operators.

There has been also a pushback that the law concerning bonuses was ambiguous, giving some websites teeth to try and color around the lines.

What Will Closer Cooperation Between Malta and Sweden Mean?

Having the MGA and the Spelinspektionen work closely together is an important deterrent against future violation of existing iGaming provisions. If the two regulators work as one, their effectiveness increases while letting operators know that they are under more scrutiny.

Collaboration between regulators is important and it can bring online casino companies in line. In Australia, the country’s watchdog threatened companies operating without a proper Australian license that they would be reported to their respective regulators.

It worked and most of the big brands left along with what was over 30 illegal operators. More regulation is not always a bad thing, especially if done right.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

West Virginia’s House Judiciary Okays Sports Betting Bill

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • West Virginia House Judiciary Committee votes in favor of H 2934
  • The tax rate changes from 10% to 15%
  • WV is serious about expanding online sports betting through independent contractors

The West Virginia House Judiciary Committee has decided not to put a stop to an advancing sports betting bill. As per the new agreement, businesses that want to start running activities in the state will have to pay a slightly steeper tax rate, too.

H 2934 Gets the Go-Ahead in West Virginia

House Bill 2934 is the most advanced hope for sports betting in West Virginia. The bill outlines the tax rate and binding licensing conditions and now the WV House Judiciary Committee has agreed to push the legislation forward.

Originally set at 10%, the new proposed tax law will see operators pay 15% as a result of the renegotiation in the Committee.

However, the Committee didn’t alter any of the other pillars of the bill, including the proposed license fee nor their period.

Licenses will still cost $250,000 (far less than Pennsylvania where they can reach $10 million) and a renewal fee would need to be paid every five years to the amount of $100,000.

A Controlled Expansion of Sports Betting in WV

So far, WV doesn’t plan on pushing with multiple properties state-wide. Legislators want to establish a vibrant industry and make sure that tax revenue is gathered. With this in mind, only four brands would be allowed to operate in the state, including:

  • Hollywood Casino
  • Mountaineer Racetrack
  • Casino and Delaware
  • Greenbrier Resort

The bill will indeed focus on land-based operations and try to concentrate power in the hands of the aforementioned, but this doesn’t preclude the existence of other operations.

For example, there will be special licenses for companies that want to pursue online gaming independent of the land-based properties. This will come with a fair priced license and renewal fee at $100,000 each.

The renewal fee will have to be paid every year as opposed to what land-based properties are paying. An interesting addition to the bill is that everyone who wants to be employed in the sector will need to acquire an occupational license priced at $100.

In the United Kingdom, for example, regulators are not hesitating to go after individual people as well as company licenses if they suspect that customers have been mislead on purpose.

The introduction of a license would give business accountability and thus bolster player security. H 2934 is not the only bill presently trying to alter the spots betting climate in the state for the better.

H 2178 was another initiative put forth by Rep. Shawn Fluharty and Joe Canestraro in January. In its outline, the bill tries to change the 1931 Code of West Virginia to allow online gaming and casinos in the state.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Virginia SB 1126 Clears Senate, Sports Betting Odds Better

Posted on by Aran Malik

Virginia’s SB 1126 is the state’s most famed sports betting bill, and it has just cleared the Senate. What this means is that land-based properties will be allowed to apply for licenses and offer the first sports betting opportunities in the state.

The Senate Bill Clears the Last Legal Hurdle

When Dem. Sen. Louise Lucas introduced his bill, he might have suspected how successful SB 1126 would be. Well, all speculation aside, Mr. Lucas has done very well indeed, with the Virginia Senate just clearing the document.

The Bill will also be voted on in the House of Representative later today and the Committee on Rules will try to prepare an action plan regarding the implementation of the document.

Virginia is an interesting beast when it comes to gaming, as it’s willing to accept spots betting as long as certain conditions are met. We previously explained that SB 1126 expects casinos applying for licenses to meet specific criteria, such as:

  • A minimum unemployment rate of 4%
  • A poverty rate of 20%
  • Population decline of 7% between 1990 and 2016

To top it all off, the casino will have to take it to a vote whether a casino can be built or operate, leading to multiple mini-referendum state-wide.

Tribal casinos on the other hand will be admitted in cities that have at least 200,000 people living in them with 24% of all estate tax exempted from property tax. This is quite a few hoops to jump through for the state and would be operators.

Virginia’s Sports Betting Bill Gets Senate Approval

Still, given the wide endorsement of the segment in its current form, it’s very unlikely that any future business owner would remonstrate against the proposed measures.

Speaking of the legal end of things, the taxes that will be collected from the casino sector also seem to be rather mild compared to other places.

Virginia will seek only 10% of the companies’ gross revenue, with the money being divvied up between various funds, including:

  • The Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program and Fund
  • The Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund
  • The General State Fund

Later, there will be another fund, i.e. the State Local Casino Gaming Proceeds Fund, which will help local authorities develop their regions. This outlines the betting climate in Virginia.

Meanwhile, there are two more bills to keep an eye on, including SB 1238 and SB 1356, but at this point they both seem very unlikely to pass given the momentum SB 1126 has gathered already.

Nevertheless, lawmakers are trying to push from all directions towards the ultimate goal – legalizing sports betting, which should be good news for sports aficionados and companies eyeing expansion.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Illegal Gambling Continues to Expand in the Netherlands

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • Illegal gambling in the Netherlands jumps by 20%
  • The industry’s estimated at the same figures as before the increase
  • The government to vote on the Remote Gambling Bill on February 5

Despite its gung-ho position on gambling, Dutch regulators have been unable to curb the rise in numbers of illegal bettors.

The Netherlands See Illegal Gambling Increase

Illegal gambling has been cited as a problem by the country’s regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). In a bid to punish the so-called bad actors, in 2018 the Netherlands decided to go after established brands that have been offering localized betting solutions to Dutch citizens.

William Hill and Betsson have since contested the claims. Meanwhile, illegal gambling has grown by 20%, a Holland Casino report has established. Estimated 1.8 million people are now actively participating in offshore gaming websites.

However, the growing of the market has not occasioned an increase in revenue, with customers apparently practicing responsible gaming. The report put the gross estimate of the market at €600 million yearly.

William Hill to Contest Regulatory Fine in the Netherlands

To qualify as a gamer, a person must have wagered at least seven times in a year. Even though the majority of interviewed people said that they would prefer to wager with a licensed bookmaker or a casino, partly explaining why William Hill and Betsson have been successful in the country, people continue to turn to offshore operators.

In light of the steadily developing (illegal) gaming market, the Dutch government is now potentially missing out on €175 million in tax money every year, given the current levels.

Regulating the Dutch Gambling Market in 2020

The KSA has been calling for the regulation of the market for a while now. In 2018, government officials briefly considered addressing the issue and pushing through with it, but plans have since fall through, with a proposed bill being mothballed instead.

KSA officials criticized the government for failing to act in its full capacity and start regulating the industry as intended. The bill also touched upon on “bad actors”, i.e. casinos that have been offering products to Dutch gamers without permission.

Even brands such as William Hill and Betsson were targeted (hence the litigation). The bill has now been in a sort of limbo since 2016, but the House of Representative is picking up the subject again on February 5.

Fighting Addiction in a Lawless Market

Despite the growing number of gamblers, the level of gambling addicts hasn’t been increasing. According to Holland Casino, the property has been able to actively curb gaming habits spiralling out of control thanks to advanced algorithms identifying customers with unhealthy gaming habits.

Meanwhile, the KSA has been actively seeking to mete out punishment for what it considered illegal activities. The regulator issued nearly $2 million in penalties in 2018, an unprecedentedly high level.

However, in light of the recent findings, the KSA may be coming to realize that applying financial punishment would do little to actually address the bigger question – how does the country gets its people to play with legalized operators.

Passing the Remote Gaming Bill and licensing operators would be the first logical thing to do.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

New York Gaming Commission to Meet on January 28

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • New York Gaming Commission to meet on Monday, January 28
  • Senator Addabbo and Ansemblyman Gary Pretlow firmly support legalizing sports betting in the state

New York is closer to sports betting than ever before. The Empire State’s Gaming Commission is going to hold a meeting on Monday, January 28, in which it will discuss the possibility of legalizing the segment throughout the state.

Is Sports Betting in New York a Possibility

New York has been one of the states looking to introduce sports betting, with the market already ripe for the offer. However, there has been somewhat cumbersome opposition, with bills failing either because of lack of support or too strong opposition, or just no interested lawmaker in sight.

Now, this is about to change, as the New York State Gaming Commission is about to convene on Monday, January 28, and discuss the future opportunities for the state and its would-be industry.

The state’s trepidation is quite understandable as in 2013, New York fought and won a case whereby the state is eligible to introduce sports betting legally, should the federal ban on the activity is repealed. Put simply, New York made it possible to expand commercial casino gambling.

In May 2018, PASPA was defeated by the State of New Jersey, opening the gates ahead of a vibrant market and ample business opportunity. Even that decision, however, some people in New York have come to think, has been too restrictive.

Brushing Up the Existing Legislation

For example, as per the current laws, individuals can only place wagers within the physical premises of a casino, something that many find restrictive. The gathering momentum in favor of a more liberal sports betting industry is palpable.

Lawmakers, including Senator Joseph Addabbo, have seen sports betting as a lucrative and important segment, with the Senator’s commitment having been well-documented.

New York Will Try Again for Poker Legislation

Sen. Addabbo filed a bill at the beginning of January in a bid to push multiple activities in the legal sweet spot, including online poker, online gaming, and understandably – sports betting.

Based on his draft, sports betting activities will be taxed with 8.5%, which is a rather accommodating rate for any new business to kick start their activities. Another interesting involvement has been by Gary Pretlow, member of the NY Assembly, who’s also been looking for new opportunities to advance the state’s gaming industry.

In related news, Madison Square Garden (MSG) might be the first venue to push across the board, adding new segments and betting opportunities, including online, should the industry be legalized in full. While the exact details of the sports betting future in New York are not entirely known, there’s at least some proof to suggest that integrity fees won’t be part of the offer, sources suggest.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Virginia’s Sports Betting Bill Gets Senate Approval

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • Sen. Louise Lucas’ bill gets Senate Committee approval
  • Casinos to pay 10% tax on gross revenue
  • More tax will be paid to the State Local Casino Gaming Proceeds Fund to be established at a later point
  • Casinos will have to pass a city-wide referendum before they can open in their chosen locations

Virginia is gearing up for sports betting. The Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology has passed a sports betting bill introduced by Democrat Sen. Louise Lucas. This is a continuation of the efforts that were announced in December.

Senator Louise Lucas’s Bill Gets the Go-Ahead

Democrat Sen. Louise Lucas proposed a plan for the legalization of the sports betting industry in Virginia, which has got approved by the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology.

This is big, and it enables Virginia to start edging closer to the ultimate goal, which is to introduce its own sports betting facilities across the state. There’re a few wrinkles to settle first, though. From Connecticut, to Kansas, to Kentucky, states have been on the move, pushing ahead with their own efforts to see their industries through – and now Virginia is all good to go, well – almost.

According to SB1126 (a bill unifying two previous bills, i.e. SB1503 and SB1706) legalizing the industry would be used as a way to curb unemployment and bolster the state’s coffers. The document states that in order to qualify, a city will need to meet a mix of social & economic criteria:

  • Unemployment rate of 4%
  • Poverty rate of 20%
  • Population decline of 7% between 1990-2016

The bill is also pre-emptively targeting the issue of tribal gaming, allowing tribes to operate in any city with population of 200,000 or above. The cities will also have to have already exempted 24% of all real estate from the local property tax.

All Games Coming to Virginia’s New Regulatory Climate

The bill offers details about the industry in full. Spanning 22 pages, all games will be part of the gaming climate, including slots, table games, and most importantly – sports betting. However, the measure to introduce casino will not rest solely with lawmakers.

A city-wide referendum would have to be held before a casino can open. Once a property has been set up, it will have to pay 10% tax on its Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR). The revenue will the be divvied up by several state funds, including:

  • State General Fund – the reminder of non-allocated funds
  • Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program and Fund – 50%
  • Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund – 1%
  • State Local Casino Gaming Proceeds Fund – to come later

The last hurdle ahead of the bill is to clear the Senate Finance Committee. Given the solid support among lawmakers, SB1126 is on its way to completely change the game for gaming in Virginia.

All things considered, Virginia is truly surging towards good times for its betting industry, which is only now spreading its wings.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.