NASPL
Responds to the DOJ Reversal of Opinion
Concord, Ohio (February 4, 2019) --
The North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) is the
non-profit professional trade association representing the 52
government-sanctioned state and provincial lottery jurisdictions throughout
North America, including the 47 lotteries operating in the U.S., Puerto Rico
and Virgin Islands. These U.S. lotteries currently provide more than $23
billion in annual revenue to the good causes they support within their
jurisdictions, from education to the environment to economic development to
senior citizen and veteran programs, and much more.
The recent United States Department
of Justice, (DOJ) reinterpretation of the Wire Act of 1961 creates a
substantially detrimental impact on the lottery industry, including traditional
retail-based draw and instant lottery games, as well as traditional lottery
games offered over the Internet, and the billions of dollars for good causes
lotteries provide. Therefore, NASPLs respectful response to the DOJ
reversal of its 2011 Wire Act opinion follows:
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The 2011 DOJ opinion set in motion
critical enhancements and improvements within the U.S. government-sanctioned
lottery industry. These enhancements in lottery infrastructure, functionality,
sales and communications not only advanced lottery technology capabilities, but
allowed lotteries to evolve into meeting consumers demands in a world of
technology that was not even imagined in the era of the original Wire Act.
These enhancements and improvements complemented traditional retail
transactions which have been going on for nearly five decades and have brought
tens of billions of dollars in revenue to good causes throughout the
country.
The lottery industrys
infrastructure enhancements have also provided lotteries increased transaction
transparency and efficiency and are an important factor in the ability of
lotteries to continue contributing billions of dollars annually to good causes
throughout the country. DOJs reinterpretation of the Wire Act creates
substantial uncertainty concerning the legal status of lottery transactions,
including these critical enhancements and improvements, many of which were made
in reliance on the 2011 opinion, and the related contractual obligations and
the industrys ability to provide critically needed funding for important
public interests. NASPL and the lottery industry together stand ready to work
immediately with the DOJ to assist in the understanding and resolution of
satisfactory solutions for the confluence of technology, policy and law now
described in the DOJs opinion reversal issued January 14, 2019.
Ultimately, the good causes our lotteries work for every day need to be
sustained and the revenues tied to those good causes need to continue to grow
to meet the needs of government-sponsored programs and growing budgetary
requirements.
Media contact: David Gale, Executive
Director, dgale@nasplhq.org
SOURCE: The North American
Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL).
INTRALOT Signs Contract in Germany for the Delivery of 550
Photon Terminals
ATHENS, Greece (February 6, 2019) --
LOTTO Hamburg GmbH, one of the German State Lotteries, has awarded INTRALOT
Global Operations B.V. (hereinafter INTRALOT), a fully owned subsidiary company
of INTRALOT S.A., a contract to replace its current gaming terminals. INTRALOT
was selected as the successful technology vendor after a thorough procurement
process and a proof of concept assessment.
The agreement includes the delivery
of 550 PHOTON gaming terminals, printers and display units including the
embedded operating system software and peripheral drivers, plus an optional
delivery of an additional 100 PHOTON gaming terminals over the contract
duration. The agreement also covers the maintenance and support of the gaming
terminals including the embedded operating system software and drivers.
PHOTON is the industrys
leading lottery terminal and the first full-size retailer terminal to
successfully utilize image scanning technology for reading playslips and
barcodes of any kind. The total absence of moving parts together with
INTRALOTs patented ICON Digital Imaging technology takes efficiency,
reliability, speed and ease-of-use to a whole new level, as attested by
retailers all over the world. PHOTON offers the smallest footprint in its
class, top-notch processing power with significantly lower power consumption
and a unique modular architecture, combined with many options and add-ons such
fingerprint readers, multiple connectivity technologies and external web
cameras. As such, PHOTON is a high-performance and cost-effective solution for
any Lottery that requires secure and flexible lottery terminals complying with
the most stringent quality standards.
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LOTTO Hamburg is the state licensed
lottery of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and offers state licensed
games such as LOTTO 6aus49, GlücksSpirale, KENO, EuroJackpot and the legal
sports betting games ODDSET and Toto for over 60 years. LOTTO Hamburg GmbH
currently has approximately 440 Points of Sale distributed across the
metropolitan area of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, where players are
informed of LOTTO Hamburgs product offering and place their wagers. In
2018 the Lottery generated ca. 150 million in stakes. In September 2018,
INTRALOT was awarded a 10-year contract for the provision of a new integrated
Lottery System Platform with multi-mandate capability, customized to the
individual needs and requirements of Lotto Hamburg as well as to the German
Lottery Market, supporting LOTTO Hamburgs Strategic and Operational
objectives.
Mr. Michael Heinrich, Managing
Director of LOTTO Hamburg GmbH, stated: Our Points of Sale are of
prime importance for the success of our gaming business and the replacement of
the gaming terminals is part of our plan to grow and modernize our retail
network. INTRALOTs solution was determined as industry leading and the
best fit for LOTTO Hamburg needs. We are excited to announce the contract award
to INTRALOT, so congratulations to all involved.
INTRALOTs Group Chief
Commercial Officer, Mr. Nikos Nikolakopoulos commented: Following the
recent contract award for the delivery of LOTTO Hamburgs new Lottery
Suite, we are honoured by LOTTO Hamburgs continued trust and their
decision to select INTRALOT as the technology provider of their new and
upgraded gaming terminals. Their selection ratifies our excellent partnership
and proves that we have met LOTTO Hamburgs Strategic and Operational
objectives. The Lotterys retailers and players will enjoy the convenience
offered by the best and most reliable gaming terminals in the world and we are
looking forward to our next decade of collaboration.
About INTRALOT
INTRALOT, a public listed company
established in 1992, is a leading gaming solutions supplier and operator active
in 52 regulated jurisdictions around the globe. With 1.1 billion turnover
and a global workforce of approximately 5,100 employees (3,100 of which in HQ
and subsidiaries and 2,000 in associates) in 2017, INTRALOT is an innovation
driven corporation focusing its product development on the customer
experience. The company is uniquely positioned to offer to lottery and gaming
organizations across geographies market-tested solutions and retail operational
expertise. The company has designed a new ecosystem of holistic omni-channel
solutions across verticals (Lottery, Betting, Interactive, VLT) for Lotteries
digital transformation. INTRALOT has been awarded the prestigious WLA
Responsible Gaming Framework Certification by the World Lottery Association
(WLA) and the WLA certificate for the Security Control standard.
For more information CONTACT: Ms.
Spyranda Anamouroglou, Corporate Communications Manager, Phone: +30-210
6156000, Fax: +30-210 6106800, email:
anamouroglou@intralot.com
SOURCE: INTRALOT (www.intralot.com).
Skilrock Shines at ICE, London
LONDON, U.K. (February 6, 2019) --
After a grand opening at ICE London 2019, Skilrock continues to enthral its
audience with products and concepts in line with the theme for this year
Infinitely Genius. Visitors were found taking keen interest in the
various technology offerings under its integrated platform popularly known as
Infiniti while also experiencing virtual bowling in the gaming
zone. Skilrock has been a continuous feature showcasing its innovative concepts
at ICE London for the past 9 years.

Mr. Sujit Lahiry, Executive Director
at Skilrock Technologies Pvt. Ltd, commented Today the ICE visitors were
surprised to see how sticky the gaminfication of Virtual Bowling can be in the
Gaming Zone. Everyone enjoyed their hands in bowling and there were prizes to
win too. Visit us at N1 - 510, ICE London 2019 to enjoy the spirit of bowling
game and win a few prizes as well.
About Skilrock
Technologies
Skilrock Technologies is a leading
technology solution provider for the lottery, gaming and payment industry with
its R&D centres located at global IT hubs. It is technology arm of $2
billion Sugal & Damani Group, who are leaders of Indian lottery &
gaming operations. The Omni-Channel Gaming Platform of Skilrock serves RETAIL,
iGAMING & SELF SERVICE channels with equal ease and at the same time
supporting a wide variety of games like Lotto, Keno, Bingo, Instant, Sports,
Poker, Rummy, Casino and Slots.
More than 120,000 retail touch
points and over 5 million iGaming players across 22 jurisdictions have been
serviced by Skilrock.
SOURCE: Skilrock
Technologies.
Gaming
Laboratories International (GLI®) to Provide Quality Assurance and
Consulting Services to Lotto Hamburg in Connection with New Lottery
System
HAARLEM, The Netherlands (February
5, 2019) Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) has been awarded a
contract to provide Lotto Hamburg with ongoing Quality Assurance (QA) and
testing services for the various stages of the lotterys strategic lottery
central system renewal project.
Lotto Hamburgs industry-first
strategic system renewal development project will lead to considerably faster
time-to-market; significantly lowering test efforts and, at the same time,
reducing maintenance costs. This is mainly due to a completely modular software
design and architecture that will enable the lottery to configure all types and
combinations of lottery games in real time and for all sales channels with just
a click of the mouse. The new system also allows
multi-tenancy operation in support of multiple lottery operators utilizing the
same core system. This novel approach represents a paradigm shift in lottery
system architecture.
In the current phase of the project,
GLI is supporting Lotto Hamburg in the development of business requirements
together with the selected lottery systems vendor. This will lead to the
creation of top-quality testing protocols, which GLI will then use to test the
system being implemented against. This approach will ensure the utmost quality
in the software delivery lifecycle of the vendor and a smooth development
process, thus meeting project timelines, budget requirements, and the overall
time-to-market objectives of the project.
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GLI brought its lottery
systems renewal experience to this project, which helped us in looking past the
shiny veneer of the solutions we were offered in the initial evaluation
phase, said Rainer Ballhausen, Lotto Hamburgs head of IT.
We are also happy to have GLI support our QA team in the
implementation phase, which adds significant value to our quality process and
allows us to internally focus on the implementation of the new system and our
processes, while GLI expertly leads the QA process with the
vendor.
Lotto Hamburg is no doubt
in the vanguard among European lotteries with this multi-tenancy capable system
renewal, said Thomas Bierbach, GLIs Director of Lottery
Services.
We are proud to support
Lotto Hamburg in this industry-leading effort by offering them our decades of
unparalleled expertise in lottery systems modernization and quality assurance
services, delivered through our Bulletproof-branded QA labs and resources;
whose experience in lottery systems renewal and QA testing is unmatched in the
industry.
The contract for QA and testing
services was awarded to GLI after it successfully provided Lotto Hamburg with
independent technical verification and validation (IV&V) of vendor-offered
concepts, validating that the submitted concepts would indeed meet Lotto
Hamburgs technical requirements.
About GLI
Gaming Laboratories International,
LLC delivers the highest quality land-based, lottery, and iGaming testing and
assessment services. GLIs laboratory locations are found on six
continents, and the company holds U.S. and international accreditations for
compliance with ISO/IEC 17025, 17020, and 17065 standards for technical
competence in the gaming, wagering and lottery industries. GLI also holds ISTBQ
certification. For more information, visit gaminglabs.com.
CONTACT: Christie Eickelman, Vice
President of Global Marketing, T: +1 (702) 914-2220 or E:
c.eickelman@gaminglabs.com.
SOURCE: Gaming Laboratories
International, LLC.
New
Campaign Highlights Lotterys Benefits to Wisconsin
Initial broadcast spot
featuring players and retailers debuted Monday
MADISON, Wisconsin (February 5,
2019) -- The Wisconsin Lotterys new beneficiary campaign unveiled Monday
shines a spotlight on how the Lottery benefits the state. The series titled
What Do Lottery Winners Look Like? debuted with a
winter-themed spot featuring state players and retailers engaged in everyday
activities.
The broadcast spots personalize the
Lottery experience by showcasing winners, retailers, and Wisconsin homeowners
who in part, represent the recipients of 93 percent of Wisconsin Lottery
revenue. Since 1988, the Wisconsin Lottery has paid over $8.2 billion in
prizes, generated more than $4.3 billion in property tax relief for state
homeowners, and surpassed $920 million in retail compensation.
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Residents across Wisconsin
feel positive effects of the Lottery every day, said Wisconsin
Lottery Director Cindy Polzin. Homeowners, retailers, and prize
winners are Lottery success stories in communities throughout the state. Seeing
our players in some of their favorite everyday activities generates a genuine
Wisconsin feel that we can associate with our own hometowns.
Including the winter scene currently
airing statewide, the spots present actions of players who won Wisconsin
Lottery games and retailers who own sales locations. Each of the
campaigns spots were produced and filmed in Wisconsin by Square Joint
Productions, edited by post-production design studio Wonder Wonder, and ideated
by advertising agency Hoffman York, all based in Milwaukee. Filming sites
included retail locations in Green Bay, Manitowoc, and West Allis.
Spots will air on broadcast/cable,
sports programming, and connected television programming. Following its Jan. 28
debut, the winter theme continues airing into February. Two additional spots,
each featuring different scenes, will hit airwaves during the spring, summer
and fall months.
Prize winners featured in the
campaign include members of the Wisconsin Lottery Players Club. The men and
women appearing in the spots hail from around the state, including Beaver Dam,
Beloit, Eau Claire, Madison, Oshkosh, Sullivan and Watertown.
ABOUT THE WISCONSIN
LOTTERY
The Wisconsin Lottery enriches
communities statewide by giving back 93 percent of its revenue to winners,
retailers, and Wisconsin homeowners. Since 1988, the Wisconsin Lottery
generated:
- More than $14.5 billion in total revenue
- Over $8.2 billion in prizes paid
- More than $4.3 billion in funding for property tax
credits to eligible Wisconsin homeowners
For more about the Wisconsin
Lottery, visit wilottery.com. The Wisconsin Lottery is on social media via
Facebook and YouTube (/wilottery) and Twitter and Instagram (@wilottery).
CONTACT: Wisconsin Lottery
Communications, T: 608-261-8412, E:
WILotteryCommunications@wisconsin.gov.
SOURCE: Wisconsin Lottery.
Camelot Global Changes to Camelot Lottery
Solutions
Camelot Unveils New Brand
Identity and Company Name
LONDON, UK (February 4, 2018) --
Camelot Global, the leading solutions and technology provider to lotteries
around the world, today announced its name change to Camelot Lottery Solutions.
Alongside its name change, Camelot Lottery Solutions also launched a complete
rebrand, including a new logo and website at
www.camelotls.com.
With more than 20 years of
experience delivering technology, services and lottery operations to lotteries
around the world, Camelot Lottery Solutions helps its customers reach new
players through increasing engagement with the lottery brand, leveraging
digital technology, and providing new ways to play.
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We help lotteries deepen
engagement with their players and build solutions today to ensure a bright and
sustainable future for good causes, says Wayne Pickup, CEO of Camelot
Lottery Solutions.
Responsible growth comes when
players have a great experience and a personal connection to the games they
play. Because when players are engaged, lotteries grow, and communities
thrive.
Camelot is the integrated lottery
business manager for the Illinois Lottery, business management services partner
with the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, and its digital platforms and services
power some of the most innovative and fastest growing digital lotteries in the
world, including Loterie Romande and the UK and Irish national lotteries.
With next-generation digital lottery
and data platforms, innovative digital tools, and personalized marketing
services, Camelot provides custom solutions that put players first and increase
lotteries impact to the community.
Camelots technology and
business advisory partnerships are proven to support innovation and growth, and
responsibly maximize player engagement by better understanding the player
journey and enhancing the player experience.
With more than 400 employees,
Camelot Lottery Solutions continues to be a trusted name in the lottery
industry with an unrivaled track record of delivering long-term digital and
retail growth, supported by a history of integrity, security and
transparency.
Camelot Lottery Solutions is the
sister company to Camelot UK, which operates the UK National Lottery.
CONTACT: Emilia Mazur, Director of
Corporate Affairs, Camelot Lottery Solutions E:
emilia.mazur@camelotls.com, T:
+44 7889 232 755.
SOURCE: Camelot Lottery
Solutions.
New
Mexico Lottery Launches Pick 4 and Releases Four New
Scratchers
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (February 4,
2019) -- New Mexicos newest draw game, Pick 4, and four new Scratchers
from the New Mexico Lottery are on sale now:
Pick 4
Pick 4 plays the same as Pick 3, but
with four numbers and a top prize of $5,500. Tickets are $1 per play, per draw.
Drawings are held twice daily at 1 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
New Super Tuesday Scratchers feature
games totaling over $5 million in prizes:
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- $10 Big Money is the newest oversized
ticket featuring a number-matching playstyle with chances to win up to forty
times and top prizes of $100,000. Players can win two, five and ten times the
prizes and bonus prizes of $10, $20 and $50.
- $5 Lucky has top prizes of $50,000 and
is available in a green four-leaf-clover scene, a black and gold horseshoe
scene and a gold and white pot-of-gold scene. Lucky symbols are revealed for
chances to win five times the prize shown or all twenty prizes shown on the
ticket.
- $2 $10 Grand is a purple ticket with a
number-matching playstyle, featuring chances to win all 10 prizes shown and top
prizes of $10,000.
- $1 3 Times Lucky is a bright yellow,
green and blue ticket with a tic-tac-toe playstyle, offering chances to win
triple the prize shown and top prizes of $1,000.
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All eligible non-winning Scratchers
can be entered into the My Rewards program at nmlottery.com, or by
scanning them with the NM Lottery Official App for a second chance to win. All
February, players can enter for a chance to win a summer vacation (one prize
of
$5,000), a streaming TV membership
(ten prizes worth $120 each) or $100 in Lottery Bucks (ten prizes of $100). Get
all the details and enter at nmlottery.com.
Legislative Lottery
Scholarships
All profits from the sale of New
Mexico Lottery games fund an in-state college tuition assistance program. Since
1996, the New Mexico Lottery has raised $801 million for education and more
than 122,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery
Scholarships.
More information about Legislative
Lottery Scholarships is available at
www.nmlottery.com.
Follow the New Mexico Lottery on
Facebook (www.facebook.com/nmlottery)
CONTACT: Wendy Ahlm, T: (505)
342-7638 (800) 642-6689, ext. 7638, E: wahlm@nmlottery.com.
SOURCE: New Mexico Lottery.

Sports
Betting in 2019: Americans Overwhelmingly Support Legal Sports
Betting
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 30, 2019)
-- An overwhelming majority of Americans 63 percent support the
U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down the federal ban on sports betting,
according to research released today by the American Gaming Association (AGA).
A record 8-in-10 Americans support legalizing sports betting in their
states.
In the months since the Supreme
Court deemed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA)
unconstitutional, ten states and the District of Columbia have authorized
sports betting. Fifteen states have active or pre-filed bills to legalize
sports betting in their jurisdictions and an additional dozen states are likely
to consider sports betting legislation in 2019.
Two thirds of those surveyed (66
percent) agree that regulation and oversight of gaming should be left to those
jurisdictions.
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Additional findings include little
public support for professional sports leagues taking a share of sports betting
revenue by getting a cut of the amount wagered on sports. Only 23 percent of
Americans believe that the leagues should collect a fee from the amount wagered
on sports, while 55 percent oppose.
The results of this
research are overwhelmingly clear: consumers want legal sports betting, they
believe it should be regulated by state and tribal governments and they
dont think the leagues should get a cut, said Sara Slane,
senior vice president of the American Gaming Association. This
weekend, 23 million Americans will wager a staggering $6 billion on the Super
Bowl. To put that in perspective, Americans will bet around the same amount on
this one event as they bet legally in all of 2018.
However, Americans will
continue to bet illegally without access to safe, regulated alternatives. With
sports betting legislation flooding state capitals across the country,
legislators can pursue these opportunities knowing they have the support of
their constituents. AGA will continue to advocate for the inclusion of sensible
gaming policies wherever it is being considered, including consumer protections
and reasonable tax rates that enable the legal, regulated market to compete
with illegal bookies and offshore operators.
About AGA:
The American Gaming Association is
the premier national trade group representing the $261 billion U.S. casino
industry, which supports 1.8 million jobs nationwide. AGA members include
commercial and tribal casino operators, gaming suppliers and other entities
affiliated with the gaming industry. It is the mission of the AGA to achieve
sound policies and regulations consistent with casino gamings modern
appeal and vast economic contributions.
For more information CONTACT:
Caroline Ponseti, (202) 552-2675.
SOURCE: American Gaming
Association (AGA).
6000
Tickets Sold Per Minute: The Retail Impact of $100 Million Powerball
Jackpot
BRISBANE, Australia (February 1,
2019) -- It was the record-breaking lottery jackpot that captured the attention
of the nation, a massive $100 million Powerball jackpot was up for grabs and up
to one in three adult Australians from far and wide bought an entry hoping
their lottery dreams would come true.
But while everyday Australians were
dreaming about how they would spend the life-changing jackpot prize,
franchisees from the Lott Australias official lotteries were
working hard behind-the-scenes to ensure every customer had a valid entry into
the momentous draw.
With nearly 6,000 tickets sold per
minute at the peak of sales leading up to the draw, the Lott outlets
experienced an unprecedented frenzy of activity. There were queues out the door
of first-time lottery players grabbing a QuickPick, faithful regulars playing
their favourite marked numbers and an extraordinary amount of private
syndicates meant that the Lotts retail network of nearly 4,000 stores saw
a massive boost in foot traffic.
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The Lott franchisee, and owner of
West Doncaster News and Lotto, Dhanesh Amarsi said he was absolutely run off
his feet the entire week in the lead up to the draw.
Wed had a big week
before in the lead up to the $80 million draw, but from Friday morning onwards
when everyone saw the Powerball jackpot to $100 million, tickets were flying
out the door, he explained.
We saw a lot of existing
customers increase their average ticket spend. We also saw infrequent customers
drop in too, as well as people we hadnt met before.
It was very exciting! Such
a great atmosphere in store. The staff really enjoyed it and the customers
loved it too. It was absolutely great!
Since the draw, weve
had plenty of the same customers come in to check their tickets. Some used
their winnings to purchase lottery products but it also gave them exposure to
other parts of the business that we offer, like dry-cleaning.
Its also great to
show new customers that its possible to win. There has been awareness
that they can win any prize and I think that has brought people back.
Its created a really
positive feeling amongst our customers and customers of
lotteries.
Director of Franchise Advisory
Centre Jason Gherke said customers may not realise that the outlet where they
buy their lottery tickets are independently owned and operated franchises.
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The business owners at
these outlets is not a corporate employee but instead a person who is an active
part of the local community, and who shares the excitement of their
customers, he said.
Franchisees are the
backbone of Australian small business and their hard work and dedication
creates employment opportunities for local communities, while at the same time
providing products and services to local markets.
Customers in a hurry to buy
their lottery tickets have more time when they come back to check their
numbers, and in doing so, begin to realise that their local franchisee offers
so much more than just lottery tickets.
The Lott offers Australias
official lottery games from NSW Lotteries, Golden Casket, Tatts and SA
Lotteries. This includes games like Saturday Lotto, Monday & Wednesday
Lotto, Oz Lotto, Powerball and Instant Scratch-Its.
Investing in a the Lott
franchise gives small businesses the potential to increase revenue and join a
strong Australian retail network that has been operating for more than a
century.
A franchise from the Lott is the
perfect complement to a range of small businesses; including convenience
stores, convenience supermarkets, pharmacies, tobacconists, newsagents and
more.
For more information visit
thelott.com/franchisee or email:
franchiseenquiries@thelott.com.
For more information please
CONTACT:
Bronwyn Spencer
the Lott
Senior Public Relations
Executive
0457 731 671
bronwyn.spencer@thelott.com |
Lauren Cooney
the Lott
Public Relations Executive
0457 759 945
lauren.cooney@thelott.com
|
SOURCE: the Lott.
UK and
Gibraltar Discuss Future and Conclude Agreement on Gambling
Ministers held the eighth
meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council (Gibraltar EU Negotiations) to discuss
our EU exit.
From: Department for Exiting the
European Union
BIRMINGHAM (January 28, 2019) -- UK
Ministers met with Ministers from the Government of Gibraltar at the eighth
Joint Ministerial Council (Gibraltar EU Negotiations) in London, where they
discussed preparations for our exit from the EU, reached an agreement on
gambling and explored ways to deepen cooperation across a range of areas
including environment and transport.
Five Ministers, representing
departments from across the UK Government attended the meeting on the 24
January to update on their ongoing work with the Government of Gibraltar to
ensure our close relationship is maintained and strengthened.
It followed a productive meeting
between Secretary of State Stephen Barclay and the Chief Minister of Gibraltar
Fabian Picardo last month where they discussed how the UK will work with
Gibraltar for the best possible outcome on Brexit.
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The meeting was attended by DExEU
Minister Robin Walker, the Minister for the Armed Forces, the Minister for
Europe and the Americas and the Economic Secretary to the Treasury for
substantive discussions on Gibraltars preparations for exit. The Economic
Secretary to the Treasury stayed at the meeting afterwards to discuss the
UK-Gibraltar relationship.
Following the meeting, Minister
Walker said:
Today was another
opportunity to ensure the close UK-Gibraltar ties can move from strength to
strength outside the EU.
This positive and
constructive meeting was marked by further progress including confirming that
the Gibraltar Protocol and accompanying MOUs protect Gibraltars
interests, and should form the basis of the way forward in securing an EU Exit
that works for Gibraltar.
The Minister for Sport and Civil
Society, Mims Davies, announced the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) to enable closer working between gambling regulators in Great Britain and
Gibraltar, building on the commitment that gambling operators based in
Gibraltar will continue to access the UK market after we leave the EU in the
same way they do now.
On the gambling MOU, Minister Davies
said:
I am delighted to welcome
this agreement which will enable closer working between gambling regulators in
Great Britain and Gibraltar. Regulatory cooperation is a valuable tool in our
collective efforts to ensure gambling is fair and safe while enabling socially
responsible growth.
Both sides continued to explore ways
we can strengthen and, where possible, deepen cooperation across a range of
areas including environment and transport. On financial services, the
Government of Gibraltar reaffirmed their commitment to meeting the highest,
shared standards of regulation, supervision and enforcement.
They also provided assurance that
they will adopt a similar and reciprocal approach to the UK with their EU Exit
legislation in order to support bilateral financial services market
access in the short-term, whilst
working constructively with the UK towards an appropriate longer-term framework
outside of the EU.
Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian
Picardo said:
We had another excellent
meeting with the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at DExEU Robin Walker
and with the Minister for Europe Sir Alan Duncan, Armed Forces Minister Mark
Lancaster, Treasury Minister John Glen and Mims Davies, Minister at the
Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
We were able to update each other
on the planning for a no deal Brexit both in Gibraltar and in the United
Kingdom. This is in line with the policy of the Government of Gibraltar to
prepare for every eventuality. A general discussion on the future arrangements
also took place.
As usual, the meeting was
positive and helpful and we were able to build on the output of various working
groups. I am grateful to all those associated with this work, which continues
to enhance the close relationship between Gibraltar and the United
Kingdom.
SOURCE: Gambling Commission.
Isle
of Man Gambling Supervision Commission Introduces Software Suppliers
Licence
ISLE OF MAN, (February 4, 2019) --
In a move that is set to make life simpler for gaming operators and suppliers
on the Island, the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission is introducing a
licensing scheme for software suppliers that will go hand-in-hand with the
creation of a centralised software database.
The Isle of Man has announced that
it will shortly be rolling out a brand-new software suppliers licence
that will make it easier and quicker for operators to launch new products from
trusted firms.
Under the new rules, B2B firms now
have the option to apply for a licence which will allow them to list their
games and software on a register of pre-approved products. Rather than having
to produce specific certification for a new slot or third-party product, the
Islands gaming operators can refer to the register to see which products
they are able to deploy immediately.
The move promises to streamline
processes for both regulators and B2Cs on the Island, offering an innovative
way to deliver efficiency to the gaming community, while maintaining high
regulatory standards.
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Mark Rutherford, deputy chief
executive of the Gambling Supervision Commission, said: Over the years
weve had a number of software developers come to us and ask us if the
Isle of Man was considering licensing their business model, so this year at
ICE, for the first time, were delighted to be able to say
yes.
The benefit for the Isle of
Man operators the B2Cs is that they get to see what products they
can deploy straight away, secure in the knowledge that the GSC has already
approved them, and its possible, with a following wind, that itll
become a sort of directory of games.
Were not expecting
everyone to want to jump on straight away, but so far, weve had an
immensely positive reception from operators. We also recognise that for
suppliers, the register may have the benefit of making their games and products
more prominent, although thats not its primary purpose.
Commenting on the application
process for suppliers, he added: Its essentially the same law that
weve used for B2Cs, so the process in essence is the same, but without
actually having control over players an awful lot of our consumer-protection
law doesnt really apply. So, while we will be still be as thorough with
our diligence as we are with our B2Cs, software suppliers will need to supply a
lot less information and therefore the application process should be
swifter.
Software suppliers who want to take
advantage of the new register will be able to apply for a licence from the 22
February.
Isle of Man eGaming will be
exhibiting at ICE Totally Gaming in London ExCel Centre from 5-7 February at
Stand N6-220, N7. Contact Tony Jones on tony.jones2@gov.im or stop by the stand
to arrange a meeting.
SOURCE: Isle of Man GSC press
release.
EGBA
Calls for Dutch Online Gambling Regulation
Article from: Maarten
Haijer, Secretary General, European Gaming and Betting Association
(EGBA)
BRUSSELS, Belgium (February 4, 2019)
-- Ahead of a February 5, debate in the Dutch Senate on a proposed new online
gambling law for the Netherlands, the European Gaming and Betting Association
(EGBA) has issued its support for Minister Sander Dekkers ongoing work to
modernise the Dutch gambling framework and urges the Senate to approve his
proposals in the next weeks.
The Netherlands is currently one of
only three EU countries who do not regulate online gambling leaving its
online gamblers playing in an unregulated environment and depriving the Dutch
state of valuable tax revenue.
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For the specific measures to execute
the law, the European Commission issued useful guidelines on how EU member
countries can ensure a consistent, high level of consumer protection for their
online gamblers. EGBA believes that the new Dutch gambling law should be based
on these robust consumer guidelines in order to provide Dutch players with the
consumer choice and protection they need in todays online world.
The introduction of a Dutch
online gambling framework is urgently needed. The Netherlands is now one of the
few EU countries who do not regulate online gambling and this situation
is no longer tenable.
Despite the current lack of
regulation, recent research[1] shows that 1.9 million Dutch citizens
over 10% of the total population participated in online gambling last
year. These players played on websites which are based in other countries and
are neither regulated nor pay taxes in the Netherlands.
Online gambling is a popular pastime
but the uncertain policy basis in the Netherlands hurts normal,
law-abiding citizens and puts their protection at risk by forcing them to play
in an unregulated online environment. In 2018, the Dutch online market was
worth 592m, meaning the Dutch state is also unnecessarily losing about
175m in tax revenue each year.
That is why EGBA welcomes Minister
Dekkers ongoing commitment to modernise the current laws and advocates
for the introduction of a well-regulated, multi-license model.
For online gambling regulation to be
a success, it should be underpinned by a licensing system which is able to
attract enough companies to meet the demand of well-educated and internet-savvy
consumers. For Dutch people, whether they play poker or like betting on sports,
they should be able to find all the products they are looking for with
companies regulated in the Netherlands, that pay taxes there and apply local
consumer safeguards.
A licensing model which facilitates
this consumer choice will create a better functioning market with players who
are properly protected and valuable tax receipts for the Dutch state.
SOURCE: European Gaming and Betting
Association (EGBA).
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