Dutch gambling laws inadequate, Missouri passes sports betting

This week begins with a number of regulatory updates. For starters, the Scientific Research and Documentation Centre in the Netherlands has published a new report in which it argued that the current regulatory measures used in the country to regulate the gambling industry were not proportionate to the task at hand.

In fact, argued the WODC, the introduction of regulated gambling has stirred higher levels of gambling participation and potential problem gambling in young adults. WODC has called for a revision of the gambling framework, with a focus on enforcement and protecting consumers.

The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, a UK-based charity, has announced a new initiative that is designed to help account providers, such as banks, to develop the tools and expertise to help detect problem gambling and intervene in cases where people may be experiencing harm and manifesting addictive behavior.

The initiative is designed to help select banks develop stronger guardrails that can ultimately protect consumers across the country and highlights the importance account providers play in ensuring that players are protected.

Norway has introduced mandatory loss limits for its bingo games, which have long been exempt from this requirement. By doing so, Norway has doubled down its commitment to maintaining a gambling industry that is fully focused on protecting consumers from harm.

Polymarket, a blockchain-based platform that issues future contracts, has come under further scrutiny in France, after the record-setting volume the platform processed on the recent US elections. The French Gaming Authority is considering blocking the platform so that it cannot be accessed from the country.

In the meantime, prediction market platforms have been allowed to operate in the United States, although legal challenges continue to loom.

Missouri, in the meantime, approved a measure that will allow it to now legalize sports gambling. In a bitterly-contested ballot measure, which won the vote with only 7,000 votes headway, the Show-Me-State will be getting its sports betting up and running after all.

Business and finance

In other news, Nevada Gaming Holding has pushed ahead with the acquisition of SpacesiksLLC, the operator of one of the largest gambling companies in Ukraine, Cosmolot. The acquisition is meant to transform Cosmolot into an international brand and elevate its standing in Ukraine, but also allow it to penetrate markets in Europe and the United States.

VGW is facing more pressure in Connecticut after the company withdrew. A lawsuit has been filed by a plaintiff who alleges that the operator had been offering illegal gambling and promoting its games illegally. The plaintiff said in their complaint that the platform had "pushed them into illegal gambling" as a result.

BetMGM Poker has combined its player bases in Michigan and New Jersey, taking another stride in the highly competitive online poker vertical. Thanks to this move, BetMGM Poker will be able to offer much better prize pools and more frequent and bigger events and regular games.

The voice of the industry

We had much to discuss this week with industry stakeholders, and some of the biggest sector names. For starters, we spoke with Games Global’s Chief Product Officer Andy Booth with whom we discussed the upcoming Floyd Mayweather-licensed slot game. Booth was happy to walk us through the incoming game and what to expect.

Casino Guru News similarly posted its interview with Aviatrix Chief Marketing Officer Lucie Kadlecová with whom we went into detail as to how Aviatrix has succeeded in creating one of the most rewarding crash game experiences by focusing on a single game alone. You can watch the full interview here.

Casino Guru News similarly published the story of how the Complaint Resolution Center has been able to help a player get back $1.35m from a casino. The interview with Complaint Specialist Branislav Bright carefully explains the entire process, inherent challenges, and ultimately what led out to the positive result.

Not least, Casino Guru News spoke with Matej Novota, Casino Guru’s Head of Data Complaints, who shed light on how, thanks to Casino Guru, the gambling industry is continuously trying to improve, with 608 casinos changing their T&C’s to reflect a more consumer-focused approach. You can read all about this in the full interview with Novota.

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