Legal gambling market a winner, Maryland online bill snuffed out

The week has had several important developments that are worth noting. First, the UK Gambling Commission published its corporate strategy for the period 2024-2027, outlining several main pillars, which will focus on data innovation and ensure that operators intervene in cases where consumers are exposed to harm.

The commission will introduce tools, skills, and technology that specifically enhances these capabilities, the regulator explained in an update. In the meantime, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), France’s gambling regulator, has taken a look at the market and the efforts that have been put by regulated operators to ensure that consumers are protected.

Operators, said the ANJ, were falling in line and introducing stricter measures to ensure the safety of consumers and place safeguards that protect them against gambling harms. Yet, the ANJ warns that with the arrival of major sports events, such as UEFA Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics, operators would need to remain vigilant as well.

More good news is coming from the regulated market in Ontario, Canada, where the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) found out that the rate of channelization into the regulated gambling market was 86%, up from 70% of players who played illegally before the market was launched in 2022.

The trend is upward, and AGCO expects these numbers to improve over the coming years, as players’ ability to differentiate between regulated and offshore market operators improves. Canada and Ontario in particular has not pursued a more aggressive approach towards unregulated operators but are depending on customers opting for the regulated market instead.

Speaking of the regulated market, Kansspelautoriteit has teamed up with Cloudflare to strengthen the legal gambling market in the Netherlands. Thanks to this tie-up, Cloudflare will help block certain websites from targeting the Dutch market, with two companies already named as part of the partnership. This collaboration is expected to pick up over the coming months.

Similarly, the regulator also asked DigitalOcean to cut access to affiliate websites to the regulated market. DigitalOcean is not complicit, the regulator explained but added that because the affiliate websites were anonymous, the onus was now on the services provider to ensure that they are prevented from targeting the market.

The Danish Gaming Authority was similarly involved in a regulatory move only recently, with the watchdog naming Skill on Net Ltd. as the target of its latest enforcement action. The company was hit with three orders and two reprimands, with the regulator citing various shortcomings that it wanted to be amended.

Meanwhile, the Betting and Gaming Council has announced a shake-up at the top, with the organization promoting Grainne Hurst as its new Chief Executive Officer. Hurst is an experienced iGaming veteran who brings a lot to the table and will help steer the organization in the right direction. The outgoing CEO, Michael Dugher, will take over the reins as Chairman from Brigid Simmonds OBE.

Meanwhile, Maryland lawmakers have voted against the passage of an online casino bill that would have made it possible for the state to introduce regulated iGaming. The House of Representatives-backed bill died in a committee in Senate and never moved past that point.

From all over the industry

The week did not go without its fair share of content partnerships, naturally. NetBet, a leading casino operator in the European iGaming market, has added a new supplier in the face of G Games in Denmark. As a result, the supplier will deploy its full range of games with local players.

In other regulatory news, Romania, which is one of the fastest-growing gambling markets in Europe, has announced a new measure that will block land-based gambling venues in towns and villages that have fewer than 15,000 residents. The idea is to ensure that the harm done to locals is minimized and that responsible gambling tenets are upheld.

Hacksaw Gaming has teamed up with TOPsport, an iGaming and betting brand, in Lithuania. The partnership will see the two companies collaborate and expand their respective footprint in the Baltic region.

Meanwhile, Glitnor Group has become a member of the International Betting Integrity Association through its Ontario operations and the LCKY Group. The collaboration will see Glitnor Group join IBIA’s efforts in monitoring global sports and flagging suspicious betting activity.

Light & Wonder and Trustly have teamed up to deliver a new cashless experience that seeks to empower the land-based gaming experience and allow players to top up their accounts in a quick, safe, and reliable way through the RAPIDPLAY solution powered by Trustly.

In other important news, Casino Guru has been nominated for the AffPapa iGaming Awards in both the "Rising Star of the Year" and "Casino Affiliate of the Year" categories. You may vote for Casino Guru by visiting this link.

Commenting on the nominations, Daniela Sliva, PR and Creative Projects Director of Casino Guru, expressed gratitude for the recognition, stating, "We are honored to be nominated in two prestigious categories for the AffPapa iGaming Awards 2024. These nominations validate our relentless pursuit of excellence and our unwavering dedication to responsible gaming practices. We remain committed to delivering unparalleled value to our users and partners."

We also had the opportunity to catch up with many interesting people from the industry. Ivan Kurochkin, 4H Agency Partner and Head of the Eastern Europe Desk, shared his thoughts on the Czech Republic, taking a deep dive into the market, the regulatory headwinds it faces, and the opportunities that it presents for local players and stakeholders.

We also had the opportunity to catch up with BETCORE CMO Vladislav Slyusarenko who spoke about the role of keno, a game that is increasingly popular in casino gameplay, and the way BETCORE has made use of the interesting genre to boost engagement and loyalty.

In the meantime, CasinoBeats announced the dedicated "The Women in Gaming Day," which is held as part of the upcoming CasinoBeats Summit in Malta. Not least, we caught up with Casino 999, the winner of the Casino Guru Awards in the Most Transparent Casino category.

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