Connect with us
romania-bans-gambling-venues-in-small-towns-and-villages romania-bans-gambling-venues-in-small-towns-and-villages

Compliance Updates

Romania Bans Gambling Venues in Small Towns and Villages

Published

12 months ago

on

Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

Romania has announced a ban on gambling venues in small towns and villages with populations of less than 15,000 residents.

What’s known as the “law of slot machines” was passed by deputies in the lower house of parliament. “It is the first law adopted in Parliament in 30 years against this mafia that has controlled the political world until now,” said Alfred Simonis, the leader of the Social Democrats.

“Right now we are fighting an industry that has a total turnover of €10-12 billion.”

Industry figures complain they were not consulted, and hope that the authorities will control the black market as they promised.

Despite the unanimous vote, there was some dissent within the chamber. Two opposition parties that want to ban the “scourge” of gambling outright accuse the government of collusion with the gaming sector for not taking a stronger position.

On another front Ionut Mosteanu, the leader of the opposition USR, questioned how lawmakers had set the threshold.

“They thought that slot machines only damage 15,000 people,” he said. “There was not even a debate to see how many townships qualify for this 15,000. Why not 16, 17, why not two million and you would ban them definitively?”

Gambling venues have become ubiquitous across Romania over the last few decades. The National Gaming Office, the state body that monitors and approves the sector, has registered 12,000 sports betting, bingo, casino, lottery rooms.

The state collects taxes from gambling venue licenses and online ticket sales as from the amount betting houses spend on advertising.

There are no recent data to indicate how many people in Romania are addicted to gambling. The last survey was conducted in 2016, and found that there could be around 100,000 addicted people across the country. The number today could be much higher.

The post Romania Bans Gambling Venues in Small Towns and Villages appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Asia

Thailand Postpones Parliamentary Debate on Casino Bill

Published

27 minutes ago

on

April 10, 2025

By

thailand-postpones-parliamentary-debate-on-casino-bill
Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

A parliamentary debate on Thailand’s Entertainment Complex Bill that had been planned to take place on Wednesday has been postponed until the next session amid rising anti-casino sentiment and concerns the bill is being rushed through.

Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra confirmed that the government would instead focus in the meantime on more pressing matters such as the aftermath of the recent earthquake and how to deal with the impact of the US tariffs.

Passage of the Entertainment Complex Bill has been coming under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks with anti-gambling advocates stating protests and a group of senators voicing their opposition to the speed with which the bill was seemingly making its way through parliament.

That’s despite the addition of a clause requiring locals to hold at least THB50 million (US$1.5 million) in their bank accounts to gain entry to Thailand’s legal casinos – a clause experts say would essentially force international operators to ditch their Thailand casino bids.

The post Thailand Postpones Parliamentary Debate on Casino Bill appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Compliance Updates

UKGC Issues License to Incentive Games

Published

27 minutes ago

on

April 10, 2025

By

ukgc-issues-license-to-incentive-games
Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

Incentive Games has announced that it has been awarded a UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) licence on 27 March 2025. This allows the company to bring its innovative suite of real money games to UK-licensed operators.

The UKGC is recognised as one of the most stringent and respected regulatory authorities within the global gaming industry. This achievement underscores Incentive Games’ unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards of compliance, service quality and operational integrity. Obtaining this licence, which requires excellence in areas such as security and responsible gambling, provides access to one of the key regulated igaming markets.

Ahmed Baker, chief commercial officer at Incentive Games, said: “Securing our UK Gambling Commission licence is a major milestone for Incentive Games. It reinforces our dedication to meeting the highest regulatory standards while continuing to develop world-class products for our partners.

“The UK is a critical market for us and we’re thrilled to introduce our industry-leading real money games to UK operators and players. This achievement marks a pivotal step forward in our growth strategy.”

 

 

 

The post UKGC Issues License to Incentive Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

BETER

BETER Makes U.S. Debut with vendor registration in New Jersey

Published

1 hour ago

on

April 10, 2025

By

beter-makes-us.-debut-with-vendor-registration-in-new-jersey

 

BETER, the award-winning provider of fast betting content, data, and live streaming, has obtained vendor registration from the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), the regulatory authority in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

This marks BETER’s first regulatory approval in the United States, enabling the company to deliver its real-time data and live streams to licensed operators in New Jersey—empowering them to offer players non-stop, fast-paced betting experiences.

The first product approved by the New Jersey DGE is BETER’s flagship Setka Cup table tennis tournaments, which are already live on the New Jersey domain of tier-one sportsbook bet365, also operating in multiple U.S. states.

BETER arranges over 11,000 Setka Cup matches per month across over 16 arenas worldwide, offering  30+ betting markets per event. All contests are monitored 24/7 by BETER’s in-house integrity team, which is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of fair play and transparency.

In total, the provider organizes more than 46,000 fast betting events monthly across esports and sports disciplines. Its portfolio features ESportsBattle tournaments, which include popular titles such as eFootball, eBasketball, and eHockey, alongside classic sports like basketball, tennis, and table tennis. Additional disciplines are scheduled for release later in 2025.

BETER also provides an Esports Odds Feed which delivers market-leading odds for more than 450 tournaments globally with 40,000+ pre-match and live events each year. Odds are calculated using official data and are compiled by a team of expert traders.

Gal Ehrlich, CEO of BETER, said: “This is a milestone moment for the BETER team, as we see tremendous potential for our fast betting products and solutions in New Jersey and across the U.S.

“We’ve already built a strong reputation as a go-to provider in key markets from Latin America to Europe, and that trust has been instrumental in securing the approvals needed for our U.S. launch.

“Setka Cup has cultivated a loyal following worldwide, and we’re thrilled to introduce it to bettors in New Jersey—and in other U.S. states where we plan to go live in the coming months.”

Valeriia Tarchynska, Chief Legal Officer at BETER, added: “Securing our first U.S. approval marks a significant legal and operational achievement for BETER. Our legal team, in close collaboration with our trusted partner, the law firm Blank Rome, worked tirelessly with the New Jersey DGE to bring this to life.

“But we are not stopping there. We are accelerating efforts to certify our ESportsBattle product for the New Jersey market, while actively pursuing licenses in all U.S. states where gambling is permitted—the key ones, as of today, being Colorado, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.”

The post BETER Makes U.S. Debut with vendor registration in New Jersey appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

Trending