A round up of some of the key bits of news from the world of online gaming, gambling, and betting during the last seven days.
Greece’s online gambling regulations clear the first EC hurdle; new license applications flood in
Greece’s proposed iGaming laws have cleared the first European Commission hurdle and license applications are flooding in.. April 1 marked the conclusion of EC’s three-month standstill period for the country’s latest online gambling laws. These regulations are expected to bring some order into a market which has witnessed regulatory chaos over the last decade.
There are some more EC hurdles that need to be cleared, but everything will hopefully be done by mid-June. After that, the country will be able to issue new gambling licenses. As per Greek media, all companies having temporary online gambling licenses had to apply for new permits prior to March 31.
The new licensing regime will be a two-tiered arrangement with licenses for casino and poker operations costing € 2 million and sports betting € 3 million. Both these licenses will have a validity of seven years.
Licenses of two online gambling companies in the UK suspended for GAMSTOP non-integration
The UK Gambling Commission announced the suspension of licences held by Dynamic and Sportit. Both companies are well-known entities in the daily fantasy sports space. The reason provided for the suspension was the failure to comprehensively integrate GAMSTOP self-exclusion program into their online portals. Both operators violated the January 2020 order issued by UKGC urging online gambling businesses to integrate GAMSTOP into their websites.
Neil McArthur, CEO, UKGC told the press that the regulator had no option but to suspend their licences because operators didn’t comply with the deadline. This puts vulnerable players at risk. He reiterated that UKGC is well within its rights to use its powers in favour of the consumers’ interests. Sportito’s license has already been activated after it complied with the GAMSTOP order.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont denies region leaders’ request to approve iGaming for tribes
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently declined a request submitted by the municipal officials of Eastern Connecticut urging him to grant online gambling permission to Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes. With Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino, both shut indefinitely because of Covid-19, they are facing significant financial losses.
In a letter addressed to the Governor, Mark Nickerson, the SCCOG (Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments) Chairman had written that the ongoing Covid-19 situation has impacted the livelihood of tribes’ people in unprecedented ways. He urged the Governor to do everything possible to ensure their survival. This includes issuing an executive order that permits them to offer online gambling services during this time. The letter contained an endorsement of all the 22 members belonging to the SCCOG. Lamont replied via letter, politely declining the specific request citing multiple reasons including lack of legislative approval.
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