Publication date: 01 Dec 2023
November 2023 surprised and delighted with a variety of gambling industry news! The most important: more and more countries are developing clarifications to the laws protecting legal online casinos and bookmakers. 3S.INFO has all the useful information that can help in the promotion of betting and gambling.
Online casinos and bookmakers in different countries: new laws, initiatives, ideas
The fate of the law regulating gambling in Brazil is more interesting than any Brazilian TV series! What many have been waiting for has been postponed again. This time to December. The reason was the introduction of more than 100 amendments to the already drafted bill. One of the new proposals is a 12% tax on online betting and gambling. Let’s wait for the good news!
In Kenya, the gambling regulator is proposing a radical reform of the gambling laws, for which a new document has been drafted. A new regulator is expected to be introduced to replace the current Betting, Control and Licensing Board (BCLB). The new body will be responsible for licensing and regulation.
In Spain, a gambling coup attempt has failed. In November 2023, the Constitutional Court rejected a lawsuit filed by the Spanish Digital Gambling Association (Jdigital). The protest was submitted against a ban on gambling advertising, which is expected to come into force at the beginning of 2024. After that, the gambling and betting market in Spain could become one of the most strictly regulated in the world.
Robert Abela, the Prime Minister of Malta, said a few words in defence of Law 55 in November 2023. He stated that the law protects licensed operators from “unreasonable legal challenges”, as well as the principle of the free European market. Recall that the “controversial” Law 55 allows casinos and bookmakers with a Maltese license to attract EU players to their sites without having to obtain a local license.
Gaming and betting sites legal VS illegal: November 2023
There’s some unexpected news out of Sweden. With one of the most precise and well-thought-out laws, the growth in popularity of illegal gambling sites in the country has increased 10 times!
According to Swedish company AB Trav och Galopp (ATG), the illegal online gambling segment in Sweden can bring in around SEK 6.7 billion (USD 642 million) annually.
Similar information from Germany: around 50% of players continue to choose sites without a German license. According to a study by the Leipzig University, 28.9% of the traffic goes to sites of unlicensed operators and 19.9% to unlicensed offshore operators. Experts estimate that 75% of online gambling revenue comes from the black market. As a result, it leads to the loss of more than €100 million, which did not come as taxes to the budget.
How to fight illegal betting and gambling?
The most interesting news comes from Kazakhstan. Here, the prosecuting authorities have developed new methods and strategies to detect hidden sources of income. As part of the search for debtors and places where funds were stored, mobile taxi apps, bets in betting companies and e-wallets were checked. Eventually, about 6,000 debtors on alimony were brought to justice, and as a result of the measures taken, the number of problem cases was reduced by one third.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is developing additional measures to combat gambling addiction. A total ban on any advertising of bookmakers and online casinos is already under consideration. Besides, the minimum permissible age of players may be increased: up to 25 years old. Any bets may be banned for people who have debts on loans or alimony.
- In November 2023, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Kazakhstan banned all military personnel and conscript soldiers from gambling. Similar amendments were also introduced to the Codes of Ethics of civil servants and law enforcement officers.
- Amendments were adopted to the Tax Code of Kazakhstan. Now bookmaker offices and sweepstakes are obliged to provide tax authorities with all information on players’ bets online. Furthermore, banks will be required to report information on accounts of gambling business organizers within 10 working days at the request of the tax service.
In Uzbekistan, commercial banks have been prohibited from transferring funds from players to foreign gambling organizers. Upon receipt of certain transaction codes / identifiers, the Central Bank may issue instructions to restrict bank cards, bank accounts and accounts on mobile applications for up to 3 days. Compliance with these requirements will be mandatory from 1 July 2024.
Italy has adopted a new law to protect minors. The country’s authorities have obliged mobile operators to control SIM cards of users under 18 years of age. Access to unacceptable content will be blocked for them: gambling, pornography, propaganda of anorexia and drugs. At the same time, the control system leaves teenagers access to social networks and online adverts.
Indonesia is also taking strong measures to counter illegal gambling. The country has drafted a new bill that could freeze all bank accounts of a person suspected of gambling or betting. Let us remind you that Indonesia has quite strict penalties: for any participation in gambling, you can go to jail for 10 years.
In Belgium, new rules of prosecution for illegal gambling have been established. Operating without a Belgian license is now a criminal offence and is placed under prosecutorial supervision.
In Kyrgyzstan, amendments to the law on gambling activities are being drafted to close all unlicensed online casinos.
Australia imposes a ban on the use of credit cards and cryptocurrencies in online gambling. Currently, any operator found in violation of the ban will be fined about $150,000 for each such incident. According to the government report, the offshore segment occupies about 15% of the entire Australian market. Thus, the country’s budget does not receive $1.9 billion in tax revenue every year.
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