Publication date: 03 Oct 2023
September 2023 brought great news from the gambling market. Regulated gambling and betting continue to develop, bringing profit to companies and revenue to the budget. On 3S.INFO, we have collected all the important events for September: interesting bills and ideas, advertising rules and possible improvements. Read all the details at once in one place!
How to make betting and gambling safer?
Why is safe gambling so important? When the rules of casinos and bookmakers are carefully spelled out, they are easier to follow. Player protection regulations make gambling and betting an enjoyable pastime.
Australia introduced mandatory pre-verification from 29 September. Now all those wishing to gamble with licensed operators must confirm their identity. The new scheme means that Australian players are required to confirm their age and identity with operators before depositing funds. They will not be able to gamble until this verification is completed.
The system replaces the existing 72-hour period for operators to conduct a full identity verification. As a consequence, it will make gambling and betting in Australia safer.
As well, in September, Australian authorities proposed amendments to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The new bill suggests banning the use of credit cards for wagering in gambling and betting. Authorities will be allowed to monitor and block such payments using identification numbers. However, in case of infringement by operators, they may be fined up to $151.6. Recall that according to Responsible Wagering Australia, about 20% of deposits in Australia are made using credit cards.
Brazil in September approved a bill to legalize the operation of betting shops and casinos! What is important in the new document and what awaits the gambling market in Brazil, read in 3S.INFO’s review “How to promote online betting and gambling in Brazil”.
Indonesia is also taking steps to counter illegal betting and gambling. Recently, there have been reports of online gambling payments using the Quick Response Code Indonesia Standard (QRIS*). Bank Indonesia has therefore acted to ban such payments: if such transactions are detected, the national Know Your Merchant system will be able to terminate the service of this operator.
*Analogue of QR code payments.
Spain could become the most restrictive gambling market in Europe! The new “Royal Decree on Conditions for Responsible Gambling” envisages the introduction and control of betting limits. It will be possible to control players’ spending and block them if the limits are exceeded through a specially created centralized system. The project will be discussed by 16 October, and if adopted, the new rules will take effect in early 2024.
Kazakhstan is getting ready for new tightening in gambling. The new draft law on the gambling organization is supposed to introduce new rules:
- the minimum age of players is raised to 25 years old;
- casino and bookmaker advertising is allowed only in specialized media;
- introduction of criminal and administrative liability for illegal establishment of gambling resources;
- ban on gambling for people with financial debts (including alimony);
- recognize ludomania as a disease and open licensed rehabilitation centres.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan, 12 bookmakers operate legally online in the country. At the same time, 17 bookmakers voluntarily refused from their licenses after conducting awareness-raising work. Land-based casinos and BCs operating in special gambling zones are visited by more than 450,000 people annually.
Kyrgyzstan opened a new casino. In September 2023, the second gambling license was issued here, and it was obtained by LLC Casino Crystal. The operator paid KGS 84 million (US $947,000) to the budget to obtain the license. The new establishment is already operating in the building of the Dostuk Hotel in Bishkek (the capital of Kyrgyzstan). Meanwhile, online casinos, although allowed in Kyrgyzstan, are still absent. According to the forecasts of the Ministry of Finance of Kyrgyzstan, in the next 4 years tax revenues from the gambling sector will be about $12 million every year.
Norway is one of the few European countries that still has a state monopoly on gambling. Yet this may soon change, with the European Gambling and Betting Association (EGBA) calling on the country’s authorities to reverse this decision and start licensing online gambling and betting.
Currently, sports betting and casino games in Norway are accepted by the Norsk Tipping lottery, while Norsk Rikstoto accepts bets on horse racing.
Mexico is tightening casino regulations. Firstly, the term of the gambling license is reduced to 15 years (until recently it was 25 years). Secondly, slot machines will be banned in casinos under the new license.
Thailand is revisiting the issue of betting legalization. In September 2023, Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsuthin urged to make online betting on football legal in the country. In his words, this will allow the budget to receive additional funds that can be directed to support the poor.
Let’s remind that betting on cockfighting, bullfighting and Siamese fighting fish are now legal in Thailand.
Sweden supported the proposed amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act. Eventually, the Spelinspektionen regulator will have the power to punish operators who are caught in violation more severely: from a hefty fine to the deprivation of their license.
- To remind, in the middle of the month Sweden strengthened measures to combat illegal operators. The government decided to allocate up to €1.6 million annually for these purposes.
Besides, in September a proposal was made to increase the tax on gambling income. The new tax will be 22% (now the tax rate for casinos and bookmakers is 18%). If the law is passed, the new tax will come into effect from the beginning of the new financial year – from 1 July 2024. The authorities hope this will generate an additional SEK 540 million (€45.4 million) for the budget.
- High level of competition from online gambling in Sweden has resulted in land-based casinos being open for only 4 days from 1 October.
Another measure to protect safe betting in Sweden was the creation of a police group to fight corruption in sports. Football is the most vulnerable, where players, referees and others are constantly involved in criminal activities. The problem of match-fixing is also most relevant in lower leagues and women’s sports.
The Swedish Police Authority therefore aims to work more cooperatively with local police, sports organizations and companies, including data providers such as Sportradar and betting companies, to continue its work against match-fixing and corruption in sport.
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