The Government of Western Australia (WA) has increased enforcement powers and penalties to bolster the regulation of WA’s gambling industry through law reform.

The reforms address the findings and recommendations of the Perth Casino Royal Commission which found that the legislation needed to be modernised to be fit for purpose.

Amendments include significant increases in a range of penalties when there is a failure to comply with gambling laws and directions issued by the Gaming and Wagering Commission (GWC).

Advertisement

Gaming and Wagering Commission Chair Gary Dreibergs said: “I welcome the reforms which will greatly assist the Gaming and Wagering Commission in our important task to enforce gambling laws and disrupt illegal gambling in WA.

“The substantial increase in penalties will act as a more effective deterrent and a more appropriate punishment for law breakers who may regard current lower penalties as an acceptable risk when they consider the profits that can be made from subverting the laws.

“The extra powers for the GWC will help to significantly boost our ability to carry out successful investigations and prosecutions to stamp out illegal activity, which often attracts money launderers and organised crime gangs.”

Live streaming game provider awarded supplier licence from the Malta Gaming Authority with operator deals and new market launches to follow

Livespins, the live-streaming game provider that sits within the casino lobby, is now the proud holder of a supplier license from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).

Securing MGA approval is a milestone moment for the award-winning Livespins, which can now offer its socially-charged Bet With Streamers game to operators licensed by the regulator.

Advertisement

This significantly increases Livespins’ addressable audience both in terms of the number of operators it can work with and the markets it can enter.

Livespins has transformed the online casino space with its Bet With Streamers game, which allows operators to tap into the huge demand for streaming content.

Not only do players get to watch streamers fire up the reels on blockbuster slots from the biggest studios, but they can also bet with the streamers.

This creates a group bet and a shared experience but with each player able to select their own bet and number of spins. If the streamer wins, they win. It’s that simple.

Social engagement is at the heart of the Livespins experience with players able to chat with the streamer and each other throughout – they can even drop reactions, emojis and gifs.

Advertisement

This helps to build a community around Bet With Streamers and also the operator’s brand, allowing online casinos to unlock unprecedented retention rates as players keep coming back for more.

Because Livespins sits within the casino lobby, players are given all of the responsible gambling and safe gaming tools required under the operator’s local and international licences.

Michael Pedersen, Chief Commercial Officer at Livespins, said: “We are thrilled to have secured a supplier licence from the Malta Gaming Authority which is a testament to the quality of the product and experience we provide, and how it aligns with the regulator’s goals regarding responsible gambling.

“Malta licences are highly valued, allowing suppliers to engage with a large number of operators in markets across the world. With our licence in hand, we will now be striking deals with tons of MGA operators and taking the Livespins revolution to even more markets across the world.”

The Rīga city council is planning to ban gambling in the Latvian capital almost completely according to new regulations it has prepared.

The municipality has developed new binding regulations that will determine the territories in which the organisation of gambling will be prohibited. Rīga Mayor Vilnis Ķirsis said at a press conference that the main goal of the binding regulations is to make Riga gambling-free.

However, the plan is not in fact a blanket ban, though it stipulates that gambling is only possible in a few small areas.

Advertisement

Gambling will not be allowed to be organised in municipal real estate, neighbourhood centres, cultural monuments and their territories, their protective zones and in the building protection territories specified in the Riga spatial plan.

Juris Celmārs, Chairman of the Board of Olympic Casino Latvia Ltd., said that the planned restrictions could promote the development of a new niche of the shadow economy – unregulated, illegal gambling halls which would not generate any tax revenue.

“By preventing a legal and strictly supervised industry from operating, illegal places will begin to satisfy consumer demand,” Celmārs said.

The Latvian Interactive Gambling Association (LIAB) said that decisions must be proportionate and legal, otherwise the industry will be forced to go to court to defend its rights. There have already been lengthy legal battles over the matter.

“As a result, the industry’s losses and legal expenses may have to be compensated from the city budget,” LIAB representatives said.

Advertisement