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, NASPL’s 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 industry’s 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. DOJ’s 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 industry’s 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 DOJ’s 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 industry’s 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 INTRALOT’s 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 Hamburg’s 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 Hamburg’s 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. INTRALOT’s 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.”

INTRALOT’s Group Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Nikos Nikolakopoulos commented: “Following the recent contract award for the delivery of LOTTO Hamburg’s new Lottery Suite, we are honoured by LOTTO Hamburg’s 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 Hamburg’s Strategic and Operational objectives. The Lottery’s 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 lottery’s strategic lottery central system renewal project.

Lotto Hamburg’s 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.

“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 Hamburg’s 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, GLI’s 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 Hamburg’s technical requirements.

About GLI

Gaming Laboratories International, LLC delivers the highest quality land-based, lottery, and iGaming testing and assessment services. GLI’s 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 Lottery’s Benefits to Wisconsin

Initial broadcast spot featuring players and retailers debuted Monday

MADISON, Wisconsin (February 5, 2019) -- The Wisconsin Lottery’s 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 campaign’s 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.

Camelot’s 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 Mexico’s 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 don’t 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 gaming’s 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 – Australia’s 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 Lott’s 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.

“We’d 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 hadn’t 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, we’ve 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.

“It’s also great to show new customers that it’s possible to win. There has been awareness that they can win any prize and I think that has brought people back.

“It’s 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 Australia’s 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:

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 Gibraltar’s 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 Gibraltar’s 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:

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“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 Island’s 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 we’ve 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, we’re 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 it’s possible, with a following wind, that it’ll become a sort of directory of games.

“We’re not expecting everyone to want to jump on straight away, but so far, we’ve 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 that’s not its primary purpose.”

Commenting on the application process for suppliers, he added: “It’s essentially the same law that we’ve 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 doesn’t 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 Dekker’s 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 today’s 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 Dekker’s 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).