UK gambling companies to face levy, French senators back tax increase

After rumors surfaced over the weekend that the United Kingdom would be considering passing a statutory levy, obligating gambling companies to contribute a percentage of their gross gaming yield to responsible gambling initiatives, research, and funding, the measure was finally confirmed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport this week.

Apart from charging anything between 0.1% and 1.1% on gross gaming yield, the new measure will also introduce a mandatory £5 betting cap on every online slot round. Slot games have been increasingly cited as one of the leading causes of addiction.

The French Senate has made a surprise decision, swimming against the tide, with legislators in the upper chamber of Parliament backing a proposed tax hike for next year’s budget.

Although the measure was originally dismissed after strong opposition from the land-based sector, French senators have now said that they would support an increase of the gambling tax hike to help tackle a gaping hole in public finances. Whether this vote is likely to sway lawmakers in the lower chamber remains to be seen.

Kindred Group has finalized the withdrawal of its platforms and products from the Polish iGaming market, with the company shutting down its sportsbook and not accepting any new wagers. As part of the FDJ acquisition, Kindred Group has vowed to withdraw from international dot com domains that may not always hold local licenses.

The Dutch Gambling Authority has issued a €1,125,000 penalty to Blue High House SA, the operator behind BetOnline. The penalty was issued as part of a broader investigation that found that the company had failed to comply with a request to withdraw its offering from the Dutch market.

In the meantime, the Indian Gaming Association has said that there can be no question of negotiating with sweepstakes operators in the United States and compared these websites to "terrorists."

Wyoming has said that it will include people who harass athletes online over their performance on the state’s involuntary exclusion list.

Business and finance

DraftKings has been fined $425,000 in Ohio for offering restricted bets and allowing players to use unauthorized payment methods to top up their sportsbook accounts.

Meanwhile, sportsbooks have reported that the fight between Mike Tyson versus Jake Paul has set record betting volumes and handles.

Hawk Tuah Girl, the alter ego of 22-year-old social media influencer and Internet celebrity Hailey Welch, announced that she is entering the world of cryptocurrency.

Responsible gambling

In the meantime, the Campaign for Fairer Gambling has published a new study in which it outlined that the prevalence of gambling products in a society could be what actually fuels gambling addiction. In other words, it’s not just a matter of certain people being susceptible or vulnerable per se.

The more gambling products there are, the more likely people are to become addicted, despite good intentions such as "responsible play" guiding legalization efforts.

In his analysis, Šimon Vincze, Casino Guru's Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling, takes on who is responsible for the reduction of gambling harm and how risk-taking actually works.

The analysis delves into the current myths and best practices, along with regulatory changes. "It is a shared responsibility between all stakeholders involved in the gambling activity, including the player," notes. Read the full analysis here.

Casino Guru’s team this week underwent an exclusive KYC training by Lyon Xuereb. The training, which lasted over3.5 hours, was attended in person by the entire office. It was also made available online for remote participants. Lyon covered a comprehensive range of topics, including KYC essentials, AML procedures, and practical examples from his extensive experience.

The voice of the industry

This week we had the opportunity to speak with ICRG President and SecretaryArthur Paikowskywho discussed the work of the organization, the increasing funding the ICRG has received over the past months, and the fact that the organization is now exploring new ways and spearheading fresh research to equip operators with the tools necessary to minimize harm to players.

EvenBet Gaming’s Business Account Manager, Nikita Golodaev, has recently discussed how building a community can help attract and retain customers in poker, arguably one of the more challenging iGaming verticals.

Not least, HIPTHER launched its HIPTHER Academy, a new initiative that will appear alongside the company’s official events, and offer attendees the opportunity to gain distinctive certifications that can have a career impact.

Image credit: Casino Guru News