Tag: iGaming

Buenos Aires iGaming Licensing Process Continues in Full

Posted on by George Hansen

  • 14 operators formally present their offers
  • Slots Machines SA fails to meet prerequisites
  • Buenos Aires will serve as a litmus test of further gambling expansion

Buenos Aires continues to prepare its iGaming sector for a full-scale launch. Argentina may expand gambling across the country if a good working model is found out.

Buenos Aires Moves on with iGaming Licensing

Argentina is preparing to welcome iGaming companies in Buenos Aires, the capital. The process will cover 14 operators which are now looking to make an entry in the country and specifically in the city. Having mulled sports betting for a while, Argentina is now focusing on digital casino games, with the help of a number of established companies.

Originally, 15 companies were expected to join the registration process, but Slots Machines SA failed to show up any viable offer within the specified deadlines. All 14 remaining operators made a presentation hosted by the Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos (IPLyC).

Biyemas, a local operator, has decided to go it solo and not involve other operators, nor any international company. This can be seen as a drawback, as the current pool of participants are all teaming up with a number of companies that have years of experience under their belt.

The full list of local and international partnerships is long and it involves names, such as bet365, 888, and William Hill as some of the most recognizable casino operators in the world. Presently, the partnerships are as follows:

  • Betway and King Bingo
  • Betsson and Casino de Victoria
  • Playtech and Hotel Casino Tandil
  • William Hill and Argenbingo

More big operators are also part of the applicants list. All of them have teamed up with international operators to create a feasible economic model that would let local brands learn from the best and scale their offer as legislation becomes available.

Buenos Aires’ Long-Term Gaming Goals

Buenos Aires and Argentina have the ultimate goal of popularizing online wagering and casino gaming across the country. There has been a strong push from Buenos Aires Governor María Eugenia Vidal to introduce the activity in the first place.

To achieve this, however, a workable framework will have to be established in the country’s capital so as to replicate its success elsewhere.

This won’t be easy for a number of reasons, not least of which because of the arbitrary non-compliance of some operators. Even in a regulated market, such as the United Kingdom, the UK Gambling Commission, the nation’s regulator, has hit gaming operators with fines have hit over £19 million, pointing to serious shortcomings in the work of iGaming companies.

Argentina has no experience with regulating betting and this leaves the country vulnerable to abuse in the iGaming sector. Buenos Aires will be an important litmus test which must come with lessons for both the government and operators.

George Hansen

Taking a liking to the occasional bout of slots, George used to moonlight as a roulette dealer, giving him a unique perspective into the casino world. From there he continued his journalist education and has been with us ever since a star-aligned graduation brought him and our team together.

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.

New Jersey Posts Record High Results in NJ for March

Posted on by Kat Orlov
  • NJ eclipses March, 2018 gaming results
  • The state’s operators double profit in March 2019
  • NJ is $250 million of hitting $1 billion in total revenue for 2019

    • New Jersey scored big on the March Madness and its iGaming segment continued to grow in the meanwhile. Not quite the first state to introduce sports betting, NJ has been able to claim a significant chunk of the betting action around the US.

    NJ Sports Betting and Gaming Revenue Grows

    New Jersey posted quite the uptick in its sports betting activities this March, notching up 34.5% better year-on-year results or $294 million. The solid increase in the activity is mostly owing to the fact that NJ introduced full-scale sports betting in May, 2018, after defeating a piece of arcane legislation designed to impede sports betting contests.

    New Jersey Chases Bigger Sports Handle in November

    Land-based casinos continued to fetch the majority of income, with the brick-and-mortar properties jumping another 15.7% this year or a total of $223.2 million. Meanwhile, other verticals, such as slots and table games also did well.

    March wasn’t all about sports betting and we saw iGaming results inch up. There was A 18.5% jump in terms of slots or $162.6 million total. Table games also went up 8.7% and reached $60.5 million.

    On its own, online gambling revenue went up the staggering 53% and netted $39.1 million, a rather impressive result altogether. Conversely, poker took a tumble in March, falling 1.6% and hit $5.6 million in total.

    The Properties That Posted Great Results in NJ

    Quite a few properties managed to post great results as a result of the overall upheaval in the market. The Golden Nugget generated 64.4% more revenue, or $14.2 million more. There was also Resorts Digital which posted over 100% in terms of improved results or $8.5 million total.

    Understandably, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa managed to hit another $5.4 million which was a great uptick by 16.4% compared to the results in 2018. Meadowlands has managed to cash on its partnership with Paddy Power Betfair, FanDuel, well ahead of the competitors with a total of $17.6 million in revenue that month.

    DraftKings’ been trailing behind FanDuel. Resorts Digital, the official partner of the online betting platform, posted $7.2 million, which was still almost double than the February results.

    Meanwhile, New Jersey has had no trouble with notching up some pretty respectable overall profits in the first three months of 2019. Over January, February and March the state’s operators posted.

    Poker has been struggling to gain any traction, although New Jersey joined in a shared-liquidity scheme with other states in 2018. Nevada and Delaware are the other places where poker is presently legal.

    The iGaming and poker industries have been expanding. Pennsylvania is currently on hold, expecting to launch its activities in June and there are multiple other states working on passing iGaming bills.

    Sports betting continues to be the segment to win the most out of the current legal changes in the United States.

Kat Orlov

Newcomer Kat is our newcomer poker aficionado whos skill not only lives on the table but flourishes on the site as through her many sources she never fails to be the first to hear of any important or exciting poker news around the world.

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.

Slovakia Is Close to Signing Gambling Act into Law

Posted on by Grant Mahon

Slovakia is edging closer to becoming the next open market for iGaming products in the European Union (EU), following similar moves from Sweden and Poland. While lawmakers have been dragging their feet on the issue, a number of proponents of legalized gambling have been throwing their full support behind a legal framework.

Slovakia to Become a Free iGaming Country

A while back, the Slovakian Ministry of Finance drafted a piece of legislation referred to as the Gambling Act. Following months of debate, the bill has finally cleared parliament, garnering the support it needed all along.

In July, 2018, the bill was submitted to the European Commission, which regulates and approves gambling laws on the territory of the EU. Following a three-month standstill period, the bill now only awaits President Andrej Kiska’s signature to become a law.

The Gambling Act is an important turning point in the history of Slovakian iGaming, transforming the industry from a no man’s land into a regulated market where consumer protection is the guiding principle. Similar changes have been recently passed in other Member States, including Romania and the Czech Republic along with Denmark, which has been posting ever stronger results after the collapse of the Danske Spil monopoly.

On the Road to Regulation and Licensing

The bill will grant iGaming companies in the country a grace period until March 1, 2019 during which all interested businesses will have to obtain their online casino licenses. The first casinos will officially launch on July 1, 2019.

Now that the market is finally opening up, the bill will also reform sports betting and offer fixed-odds betting licenses, allowing companies to apply for a permit starting on July 1, although any business that wants to offer these segments will have to wait until July, 2020 before they can roll out their products.

As most new markets, Slovakia is not hesitant about taxing any operator lightly. A 23% gross revenue tax has been voted for all online casinos, including fixed-odds sports betting and peer-to-peer online games, such as most skill-based titles.

The bulk of the proceedings will be used to create a new regulator, which will be able to oversee the industry and make sure that no consumer protection laws are being violated. While this is good news, Slovakia will most likely go the same path that Denmark and others have walked at first.

In Denmark, Danske Spil used to hold onto most operations for a long while after the country had legalized sports. This monopoly is finally starting to crack year in and year out, but Danske Spil remains a favored son nevertheless.

Slovakia will also support its state-owned gaming operator, TIPOS, while competition is intensifying. If other markets are any indication, however, TIPOS is likely to soon start losing positions to far more competitive and accommodating products brought around by the vibrant competition that the newly-regulated market intends to create.

The legislation also specifies that gambling venues will have to be shut down at least 12 days a year, which is another precautionary measure against gambling addiction. Slovakia has much to figure out and a reliable law is the right way to go about it.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Denmark Q3 iGaming Results Strong Despite Mild Dip

Posted on by Aran Malik

Denmark’s posting a healthy growth in its online sector. According to the country’s national gaming watchdog, the Spillemyndigheden, the market has expanded by nearly 10%.

iGaming in Denmark Grows

According to Spillemyndigheden, the Danish gaming regulator, the country’s iGaming sector has grown significantly, with the market posting increased revenue for the Q3, 2018 at 9.7% higher than the same period last year. Even though there are a lot of challenges to address, such as the moribund land-based industry and gaming machines, Denmark has done well by itself, posting solid numbers.

Compared to Q3, 2017, all sectors of the industry, including betting, casino and land-based counterparts & gaming machines, marked a significant uptick, although the cumulative results were down 0.4% from August. The total numbers stood at £194 million, a not too shabby amount consistent with the results so far.

The 0.4% drop does deserve to be addressed, though. It was occasioned by the significant slow-down in the revenue generated through gaming machines, which has been falling not only in Denmark (where it went down 6.5%), but well across Europe as well. Gaming machines known as Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) could disappear completely from the on-site parlors of casinos as a result of the newly-voted regulation limiting the maximum bet from £100 to £2.

Denmark Diversifies Activities, Notches Up Profit

Sports betting also saw the quarterly results jump quite tangibly. This was occasioned by the inclusion of horse racing, which has been hitherto an avoided market. After the Danske Spil monopoly fell back in 2017 and the majority of operators obtained a license as of January 2018. The competition in sports betting has been vibrant enough to occasion a steady growth, and according to experts, Denmark is far from reaching its full potential yet.

Despite the loss of interest in gaming machines, Danish are still very much keen on placing wagers on sporting events. Online casinos in particular were another source of revenue, with 19.9% increase in the quarter. Slots alone accounted for 63.1% of the total GGR during the period. The good results are also occasioned by the liberation of the Danish market, which has long been cited as one of the most restrictive alongside the Netherlands and Poland.

Competition hasn’t been able to penetrate every sector of the iGaming and betting industries in Denmark yet. Danske Spil still holds full control over lottery activities. There’s no information available with the Spillemyndigheden as of the lottery’s quarterly results, because the segment is reported on annually.

Taking a look at the numbers in 2017, though, the lottery accounted for the highest share of all gaming activities, notching up the respectable 33.7%. This was still slightly lower than the 35% posted a year before, in 2016, but all the same a reassuring number nevertheless.

Another thing that the Spillemyndigheden noted was the increased number of people who have opted for a self-exclusion scheme. Denmark hasn’t got a problem with reckless gambling behavior as in the United Kingdom and the country has been able to bring down the numbers of existing addicts by obliging operators that cater to Danish gamers to champion self-exclusion schemes and offer help lines.

Having manged to eradicate problem gambling and boost revenue, Denmark is one of the brightest example of how the iGaming sector should be run.

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.