Publication date: 02 Apr 2021
Gambling has a long story, looking back, but a common legal framework has been established just recently. National governments treat gambling as a source of money now projecting the budgets. Gambling industry should contribute to social programs and charity, it is said. Total ban, therefore, is not advantageous. Profits rest on licensing and regular order. What’s new in March, 2021? How have gambling laws changed?
Russia and the CIS countries are at the start: regular gambling framework transformation suggests stronger control
On March 23, in Russia a new bill was drafted. Those websites which cooperate with illegal online casinos and lottery ventures will be blocked instantly without being notified. Since March, new solutions for online payments are in the spotlight. For example, so-called p2p allows driving money by cards owned by the “drops” (as individuals). Since April 1, in Belarus, online operators have been obliged to reorganize their work. They can operate on the Internet if e-casinos are lawful and regular. Also, the main page should display a photo of the license issued by the Ministry of Taxes and Duties (MNS) with the name of the site and the type of business. The Ministry of Taxes and Duties warns users against unlawful playing. Licensed companies maintain secure and proper services to avoid financial risks, it is said otherwise, the users` rights are not subject to legal protection in accordance with law of Belarus.
- An interesting fact: arrested names in the domain zone .by and .bel are being sold at a charity auction the most expensive domain in Belarus was sold for 6 thousand dollars. It was metaratings.by, which had been obtained by a casino previously.
In Armenia, the Government is projecting to enlarge the list of restrictions stipulated by the Act “On Advertising”. Casinos, sweepstake ventures, and other gambling companies will have to obey the new rules. It is fixed to establish time gapping for advertisement broadcasts: from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. The maximum size of each advertisement is 20% of a site page square.
At the beginning of 2021, in Moldova, a new order to restrict illegal gambling has come into force. Local providers of payment services are responsible for i-casinos` transactions tracking and possible rejection. Law breakers are subject to penalty: the 400 thousand lees fine (22.3 thousand dollars). But, nevertheless, some outlaw bookmakers still harness their websites as the authorities are unable to stop that without clear instructions. The Department of Taxes traces the individuals` transactions and fines the forbidden casino winners. The websites, then, are arrested. As for the companies, payment providers and financial organizations, they are not regularly supervised. But 4,000 users have already been spotted visiting illegal gambling sites.
Gambling is profitable in Europe
In Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers has outlined requirements for the procedure of licensing gambling businesses (including online gambling). The new statute determines the main legal, economic, social terms for gambling legalization. For instance, the B2B sector of the gambling industry has been defined as liable to licensing. This statute aims at compromise of the official terms for the provision of legal gambling services, documentation of the license application, recommendations for gambling ventures. IT-firms which are in gambling are said to be allowed to work, to advertise their services and bring home the bacon lawfully. The state budget will earn 6 million hryvnia a year by issuing licenses.
- In the USA, the gambling fortune has fueled the national budget. The number of states which issue online casino licenses is growing. Players don’t face any difficulties depositing money. Affiliates make profits and receive earnings. How to make money on the gambling traffic in the USA?
In Spain, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs is advocating the total revision of tax liability in all sections of gambling. In the future, new taxation schemes for online casino and sports betting operators will presumably come into practice. Let us remind you, that sports betting showed a 32.6% increase in income in the last quarter of 2020. Also, the prospective licensing of the loot box is being discussed thus, it is bound to be treated as a gambling activity. The supporters` arguments rest on public health problems, such as gambling addiction and compulsive behavior. This becomes alarming if we talk about younger audiences. The Netherlands` Act on Remote Gambling came into force on the 1st April, 2021. Kansspelautoriteit (KSA, an independent governance body and the supervisor and regulator of games of chance in the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) suggests that about 40 online casinos should apply for a license in the nearest future. Operators are burdened with responsibility of a player checkup in The Central Exclusion Register gambling Cruks and delivering data harvested from games to CDB (Control Database). Thereby, the KSA will monitor gaming remotely. The KSA report revealed the 2020 figures. Tax contribution of gambling was around 8.2 million euros (12.3% growth as compared to 2019). In Denmark, the gambling regulator simplified documentation. To obtain or renew the license one must fill in the form it is the same for either. This simple approach will help businessmen who have several licenses which are to have expired by the end of 2021. They just have to name the owners and to give financial documents.
Asia is not ready to control gambling
In Japan, during the pandemic crisis online casinos germinated in number. About 3 million people have become registered users of gambling websites. That is why legislation is debated openly. Hachiro Okonogi, head of the National Public Safety Commission, says that off-shore online casinos will be pursued by law.
- Interesting fact: the major Japanese player’s debut was a Scandinavian on-line casino Vera&John.
Share it with your friends via favorite social media
