Sports Betting Conquering US!

Once again, the huge U.S. market was the most dynamic, as multiple territories passed legislations to approve online sports betting. Some states in South and Central America also welcomed internet-based gaming.

Wanting to ensure the best possible player protection during these sensitive and turbulent times, some Nordic countries have implemented new measures for responsible gambling. As for Asia, the most noteworthy changes took place in Singapore, where gambling taxes were increased.

Stay with us and find out what marked the first month of 2022 in the US, Europe, Asia, and other corners of the world!

United States Overview

Let’s start with Mississippi, where Representative Cedric Burnett presented Bill HB184 to authorize and regulate state-wide online sports betting. In line with the current rules in the land-based sector, the legislation introduces a tax of up to 8% of gross gaming revenue.

After a couple of attempts…

…which were deemed unconstitutional by the local Supreme Court, legislators in Oklahoma introduced HB3008 to permit the state’s tribes to offer retail sports wagering at their casinos in the state.

Alabama seems to be closer to accepting sports betting as well, as legislators came up with a bill to establish a state lottery that would offer the said activity. Oregon welcomed sports wagering on January 18, 2022, with DraftKings launching its platform in collaboration with the State Lottery.

In Indiana…

…the Bill HB1356 was reintroduced, aiming to approve online gambling in the state. As per the Bill, land-based operators would be permitted to offer Internet-based betting and poker, with a tax rate of 18% of the gross win. Each of them would be allowed to offer three skins.

Online sports betting went live in New York on January 8, 2022, with four operators (FanDuel, Rush Street Interactive, Caesars, and DraftKings) rolling out their platforms. The Gaming Commission also announced that additional 5 brands will start working as soon as they meet the regulatory requirements.

As for Washington, cardroom operator Maverick Gaming filed a lawsuit against the Washington state’s decision to grant tribes the exclusive right to offer sports betting.

For that reason, legislators reintroduced bills to permit cardrooms and racetracks in the state to offer this activity in person and online on premises only at a tax rate of 10% of the gross win. As for other activities, such as esports and betting on college sports that take place in the state or involve a team from the state, the status would remain the same- prohibited.

Has Anything New Happened in the Scandinavian Region?

Due to the worsened situation with the ongoing pandemic, Sweden has decided to reduce weekly deposit limits for online gaming companies. The permitted amount is reduced from SEK5k to SEK4k.

Meanwhile in Finland, the amendments to the Lottery Act took effect on January 1, 2022, imposing a ban on gambling ads for slot devices. In addition to this, payment blocking measures were established for all illegal online suppliers.

Regulations in Central and South America

To start with El Salvador’s amended legislation, where the National Lottery was granted the right to monitor both oversee and run sports betting and online casino games. Submitted in December 2021, the Bill shall be passed into law if approved by the President.

Córdoba Province in Argentina is a step closer to…

…regulating online lotteries, casinos, and sports betting via the Internet. As suggested, 10 operators would become eligible for a license (via the public tender), with a validity period of 15 years. Worth adding is that in case the market enlarges, the local lottery may increase the number of approved suppliers.

As for Uruguay, the ruling party announced that they will submit the online gambling bill within the first months of the current year. If passed, it would allow both state-run and privately run casinos to offer Internet-based games.

A Couple of Highlights from Asia

After a competitive procurement process, AGTech received approvals for sports lottery terminals from multiple regions in China (Gansu, Henan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Zhejiang).

Macau’s Assembly was put forward legislation…

…which suggests that a number of casino licenses should remain the same. Currently, six licenses are issued. As suggested, their validity period should be 10 years. The amendments were approved by the majority in the first reading.

Finally, the Parliament in Singapore also made amendments to the gambling legislation, to increase taxes on casino gambling. The tax rate on premium gambling grew from 5% to 8% of gross win and 12% on any gross win over S$2.4bn. Taxes for regular gambling were increased as well, from 15% to 18% of gross win and 22% on any gross win over $3.1bn.

Source:

H2 Gambling Capital, January 2022