Open Access Government’s Post

🇫🇮 The Finnish government's move to establish a licensing system for online gambling is a significant step towards modernizing the country's regulation. This aligns Finland with other EU member states and addresses the shortcomings of the current monopoly framework. Read more about this crucial milestone below. #OnlineGambling #Regulation European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA)

Back in 2020-2021, Sweden implemented deposit restrictions in online gaming to mitigate higher gambling spend during COVID. The meassurements were ineffective as deposit limits were on license level and player who wanted to play more just had accounts with several license holders (which most players do anyway). There was a great fear from the industry that players would migrate to the unlicensed market as a consequence, especially since it was more attractive to begin with for players. The largest operator in Sweden, ATG, has made a report on the size of the unlicensed market, and it is not encouraging to read it. It is based on web site traffic analyizis and it assumes player spend 10 or 20 times more at an unlicensed site vs licensed site. This assumtion is worth reflecting on. I personally believe the spending is far higher on unlicnsed sites vs licensed site, but hard to have an opinion if 10 or 20 is a reasonable assumtion. Nevertheless, the black market is a real threat to the license regime in Sweden, and it is remarkable how politicans could spend so much time and energy on temporarily COVID-restriction rather than the unlicensed market. https://lnkd.in/dBZ3YvzJ

💡 Just 15 years ago, most European countries lacked regulations for online gambling or operated under exclusive rights models. But fast forward to today, 27 out of 31 countries employ some form of multi-licensing. 🔗 Read our new analysis of the licensing models for online gambling in Europe: https://lnkd.in/dUvjHakU

My insights into the unregulated gaming world in 2024. Since writing this, some changes have already occurred such as the extension in the Curacao direct licence application window upto 30 April 2024. Tobique has also launched with its first licensee with many more in the pipeline. It brings a high standard of gaming regulatory oversight whilst at the same time offering a wide array of licensable activities from social gaming, skill gaming, B2B offerings and white label B2C. This article addresses strategies to consider in both gambling and unregulated gaming activities to enable the widest target market coverage. #onlinegaming #gamingregulation

Petr Sabatka, Tomas Scerba and Jan Karabeleš examine new changes made to the Czech Gambling Act and the Act on Gambling Tax which have been introduced as of January 1, 2024. The amendment allows licensed online gambling operators to offer services to both Czech and foreign players. Live dealer games have been added to the list of licensable games. Read more: #Gambling #GamblingRegulation #OnlineGambling #TaxChanges #MSEToday

💡 In our latest blog, we delve into the ever-evolving realm of global gaming regulations in 2024, shining a spotlight on emerging unregulated markets.   The unregulated market business model generally relies on two components, the licensing hub (aka “.com licences”) and the target jurisdiction. In some cases, operators may forego the former and operate from tolerant jurisdictions which turn a blind eye or prohibit online gaming operations.   Our Director Andrew Tait explores the evolving landscape of gaming regulation across the globe, exploring: - the latest developments in licensing hubs like Gibraltar, Curacao, Tobique, Timor-Leste, and Anjouan, - insights into assessing risk appetite for potential target markets, - and discover key insights into unregulated gaming products.   This article is a must-read for those wishing to stay ahead of the curve and gain valuable insights into the online gambling industry so be sure to check it out on this link: https://lnkd.in/eNMRUZfF

Channelization is a hot topic in Europe, but North American policymakers haven't put as much emphasis on it yet, despite warnings from the American Gaming Association. Robyn McNeil reports: Put simply, it means the percentage of online gamblers choosing regulated sites over unregulated ones. Cracking down on black market sites is useful, but it's impossible to eradicate them entirely. So, making sure customers choose wisely among the options is available. A new study out of Denmark sheds light on what factors go into that decision-making. https://lnkd.in/epBaBu3C #gambling #legalgamblingvsunlicensed #onlinegambling

📣 JUST IN - The UK is moving forward with new *low* stake limits for online slots players. Find out more about the latest wager limits and what you need to know. 🎰 What do you think of the new limits? Do you agree with the changes? READ MORE: https://lnkd.in/dayXMqVd #OnlineSlots #UKSlots #CasinoNews #OnlineCasinos #Slots #SlotLimits

https://lnkd.in/dqG_YzUJ 🇮🇹 Italian New Gambling Regulation 🇮🇹 The Italian Board of Ministries has approved new regulations for online gambling in Italy, signaling a significant departure from previous rules. Key points from the legislative decree include: 1. A tender will be held for 50 new online gaming licenses, to be awarded before December 31, 2024, as existing licenses expire by then. 2. Each license will cost EUR 7 million for a 9-year term, with operators required to pay an annual license fee of 3% of the Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR), and invest 0.2% of their GGR in responsible gaming campaigns. Groups can hold a maximum of 5 licenses. 3. Strict criteria for suitability must be met by operators, with increased penalties to deter violations. 4. Limits are imposed on skins/white label sites, requiring operators to have one website with an Italian top-level domain and their logo displayed. No provision for additional skins is included. 5. Shops selling top-up cards for gaming accounts must be registered and pay an annual fee of €100 per shop. Gambling activity and fund withdrawals from these shops appear to be restricted. 6. Measures are strengthened against offering games in Italy through unlicensed gambling websites, including payment blocking. These changes represent a significant overhaul of Italy's online gambling regulations, aimed at increasing accountability Visit https://lnkd.in/dTeH9NaE to be always up to date

Good article by vice.