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Compliance Updates

Parliamentary Group Launches Inquiry into Conduct of UK Gambling Commission

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4 years ago

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

The Parliamentary All Party Betting & Gaming Group has decided that for the year 2021/2022 it shall focus some of its time undertaking an investigation into the competence and effectiveness of the regulator of British gambling, the Gambling Commission.

​The Gambling Commission was widely criticised in a number of reports published in 2020 by the Public Accounts Committee, the National Audit Office and House of Lords Select Committee on the Social and Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry. The appointment of the interim CEO, Andrew Rhodes, came with the express instruction that the organisation needed “rebooting” in the terms of the Secretary of State.

​The Group feels that for much of the industry, the Gambling Commission has suffered many more faults than those identified by the 2020 Reports. There is a demand, amongst many in the industry, for much deeper structural and cultural changes within this organisation.

​The Group feels that with the current Review of the Gambling Act 2005 being undertaken by DCMS, the forthcoming appointment of a new Chair and CEO, now is an opportune time to review the effectiveness of the regulator.

​“We are very conscious that for many operators and their advisers, they have no real avenue to express their concerns, as the only way to complain about the Gambling Commission is to submit a complaint to the Gambling Commission. We are also conscious that many operators are actually scared of complaining about their regulator as they fear retribution either directly or indirectly,” the Group said.

​The Group, therefore, wishes to provide a platform for the industry and its advisers to provide examples of where the Commission has been found wanting and do so in an anonymous manner.

“We will provide the industry and its advisers with the means to submit their complaints to us, identifying who they are so we can ensure such complaints are from valid organisations, and then anonymise these complaints and present them in a report,” the Group added.

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Compliance Updates

New channelization assessment from the Gambling Authority confirms Sweden’s problem

Published

10 hours ago

on

September 1, 2025

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

BOS – the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling – comments the assessment of the channelization rate for 2024 in Sweden that the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) presented today: https://www.spelinspektionen.se/nyhetsarkiv/kanaliseringsgrad-pa-den-svenska-spelmarknaden-2024/

The assessment in summary:

The Gambling Authority estimates that channelization in the Swedish competitive gambling market is 85%.

This is a decrease of 1 percentage point from last year’s estimate of 86%.

Fewer sources have been used for this year’s assessment. H2 Gambling Capital is now excluded and therefore does not contribute to the estimate of 85%. H2GC recently adjusted its estimate for Sweden down from 91% to 72%.

The estimate of 85% should be compared with the state’s channelization target for a long-term sustainable gambling market: at least 90%.

Gambling verticals such as betting and online casino have also been measured individually. They show large differences. Betting, including the popular betting on horse racing in Sweden, is estimated to have a channelization rate of between 92-96%. Online casino is estimated to have a channelization rate of between 72-82%.

Five main reasons are given as motivations for gambling unlicensed, including a better selection of games on the unlicensed gambling market and having disconnected oneself from licensed gambling on Spelpaus.se.

The SGA will present an estimate of the channelization rate on the Swedish gambling market once a year.

BOS Secretary General Gustaf Hoffstedt comments: “With this assessment, the SGA confirms that Sweden’s major problem in the gambling market is online casino. It is unacceptable that around a quarter of all online casino gambling is leaking out of the licensed market. It is equally unacceptable that this has been accepted by political decision-makers for half a decade, since the channelization has also been low in previous assessments, without effective regulatory measures being taken.

Later this month, gambling investigator Marcus Isgren’s proposal to change the scope of the Gambling Act will be presented. It is a welcome change in the law that will criminalise almost all unlicensed gambling in Sweden. But anyone who understands the gambling market knows that the elephant in the room is that the licensed market is so tightly regulated that it does not appear attractive enough in the eyes of the consumer. Without a review of, for example, the total ban on bonuses and other loyalty programs, next year’s channelization assessment from the SGA will also be a disappointment.”

The post New channelization assessment from the Gambling Authority confirms Sweden’s problem appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Compliance Updates

Nevada Rep. Dina Titus to Add FAIR BET Act to 2026 Defense Budget

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4 days ago

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August 29, 2025

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Nevada Rep. Dina Titus is strategically pushing forward her Fair Accounting for Income Realized from Betting Earnings Taxation Act, commonly known as the FAIR BET Act. She intends to attach it to the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a key piece of legislation that must pass annually. This maneuver, revealed on August 27, is designed to increase the chances that her proposal will be enacted into law.

The FAIR BET Act seeks to reverse a disputed provision introduced under former President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The provision lowered the gambling loss deduction from 100% to 90%, which is set to take effect in January 2026. This change has met significant resistance from both the gaming industry and individual gamblers, who argue that it unfairly taxes money that they never actually won.

Representative Titus, who co-leads the Congressional Gaming Caucus, initially introduced this succinct bill in July. However, it stalled in the House Ways and Means Committee. To overcome this hurdle, she is leveraging a common legislative tactic by attaching the amendment to the NDAA. Around two decades ago, a similar strategy helped pass the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act amid a port security bill.

The initiative enjoys strong support from major gaming industry leaders and state officials. Prominent executives from companies such as MGM Resorts, Caesars, and Wynn Resorts have expressed concern to lawmakers about the financial impact this deduction limit could have on both players and casinos. The American Gaming Association has also condemned the recent tax rule, stressing that it unfairly penalizes a legal and regulated industry.

The FAIR BET Act is gaining momentum across party lines. So far, ten members in the House have endorsed it as co-sponsors. In addition, a Republican counterpart titled the WAGER Act was introduced in July by Representative Andy Barr of Kentucky. In the Senate, Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto has proposed a similar measure known as the FULL HOUSE Act.

Supporters emphasize the importance of this amendment for states like Nevada, where gambling significantly contributes to the economy. However, some critics argue that inserting tax policy changes into a defense authorization bill represents an overreach by lawmakers.

The amendment is currently under review by the House Rules Committee, with a vote expected within the next several weeks.

The post Nevada Rep. Dina Titus to Add FAIR BET Act to 2026 Defense Budget appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Compliance Updates

Romania Blocks 30 Unlicensed Gambling Websites

Published

5 days ago

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August 28, 2025

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Romania’s gambling authority, the ONJN, has blacklisted 30 gambling websites after finding they were offering online casino and sports betting without local licences. Internet service providers (ISPs) now have 15 days to cut access, redirecting users to an official ONJN page explaining the block.

The 30 blocked sites range from obscure names to platforms that had been attracting steady traffic. Domains include wazbee.casino, jacktop.com, roostake.com, a string of “nv” branded casinos (nv5.casino through nv93.casino), and several under the ybets label.

Some of these platforms appeared almost overnight and marketed heavily on social media. Others had been active for months, drawing Romanian players with offers that licensed brands simply cannot match under current advertising rules.

The ruling obliges Romanian ISPs to redirect any traffic from the blacklisted domains to a designated ONJN IP address. Players trying to access those sites will instead see a page confirming the operator is not authorised to operate in Romania.

The post Romania Blocks 30 Unlicensed Gambling Websites appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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