Brief Retrospective of Gambling Regulations– September 2023

As a result of a lengthy legal dispute, the Gaming Authority of Norway confirmed that multiple foreign operators will withdraw from the online market. Companies that refuse to cease their operations and continue to target the market will be blocked via ISPs in 2024.

Meanwhile, in the UK, The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) suggested the age filters on sites should be set at 25+. Alongside this, the Council required that 20% of online advertising must be aimed at responsible gambling. Spain’s DGOJ proposed new deposit limits to be implemented across all operators.

What about the rest of the world? Were there any significant changes in the iGaming market in the United States? Which regulations marked September 2023 in South America? Keep reading to find out!

Updates from North Carolina, Delaware, Virginia, and Kentucky

Let’s start with North Carolina, which is looking to expand its land-based market with four new casinos. As suggested, three of the premises should be established in economically deprived areas, plus a fourth venue to be operated by the Lumbee Tribe.

Thanks to a strategic agreement, Rush Street Interactive was greenlighted to operate the Delaware Lottery’s online gaming offering. The contract was penned for a period of five years.

On September 6, 2023, Betr launched its online sportsbook in Virginia, while a day later Kentucky opened its retail sports betting market.

Ecuador and Chile Tighten Up Player Protection Measures

President of Ecuador Guillermo Lasso approved a ban on the advertising of sports betting. This measure is part of Executive Decree 853 signed on August 23, 2023, and it is a part of wider regulatory changes encompassing advertising and communications presented at the end of the last year.

Following the legal complaint filed by Polla Chilena de Beneficencia against telecommunications company Mundo Pacífico, the Supreme Court of Chile ruled that online betting platforms targeting the market should be blocked.

As per the ruling, the company is strictly prohibited to not transmitting or promoting any form of gambling unless authorized to do so. Criminal sanctions will be imposed on both those who facilitated gambling and those who took part in the said activity.

Brazil’s Gambling Market Continues to Progress

The amended version of Sports Betting Bill PL 3626/2023 which aims to approve both online casinos and sports betting in Brazil was greenlighted by the Chamber of Deputies.

If the bill is approved, the licenses would have a validity period of 3 years. The proposed tax rate is 18% GGR tax on net revenue, whereas the license fee amounts to R$ 30 million. An important thing to note is that only companies incorporated under Brazilian legislation, with headquarters and their administration in Brazil, will be permitted to offer games to locals. Bonus bets are not permitted.

The bill is forwarded to the Senate for consideration.

Mexico to Ban Slot Machines?!

The Ministry of the Interior (Segob) in Mexico presented a draft reform to The Betting and Raffles Law of 1947 that suggests a ban on slot machines. According to the draft, ‘draws of numbers or symbols through machines' would be specifically banned.

Making the situation additionally confusing is the fact that slot machine gambling is not permitted by the current regulation, which has been effective since 1947. However, the legality of slot games in casinos was upheld by Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice in 2016.

Source:

H2 Gambling Capital, September 2023.