Compliance Updates
Regulatory action against EU Lotto
A gambling business must pay a £760,000 fine and undergo extensive independent auditing after a Commission investigation revealed social responsibility and money laundering failures.
EU Lotto – which operates the lottoland.co.uk website – has also received a formal warning for the failures which occurred between October 2019 and November 2020.
Social responsibility requirement failures included neglecting to take into account the Commission’s formal customer interaction guidance.
Examples included:
- customers frequently changing deposit limits not being considered as markers of harm
- no evidence of suitable financial and affordability assessments being conducted to identify whether a customer was being harmed or at risk of harm
- customer interactions predominately consisted of an email detailing the responsible gambling tools available and did not require a customer response – there was little evidence of interactions being adapted depending on the extent of potential harm.
Anti-money laundering failures included:
- not effectively reviewing or analysing bank statements provided by customers to prove address
- not restricting customer accounts following source of funds (SoF) requests
- allowing customers to register third-party debit cards (such as those in a different name to the customer) to their account
- relying too heavily on ineffective threshold triggers and generally lacking information regarding how much a customer should be allowed to spend based on income, wealth or any other risk factors.
Helen Venn, Commission Executive Director, said: “This case, like other recent enforcement action, was the result of planned compliance activity. All operators should be very aware that we will not hesitate to take firm action against those who fail to meet the high standards we expect for consumers in Britain.”
Read EU Lotto’s full penalty on the Commission’s regulatory sanctions register.
Nigel Birrell, CEO of Lottoland commented: “Lottoland is fully committed to ensuring the highest standards of compliance, including its anti-money laundering and social responsibility obligations in all of the jurisdictions in which it operates. The Gambling Commission fine was related to legacy issues around some of our compliance controls which have now been addressed. Lottoland has extensive compliance measures in place and we are confident that our current policies and processes meet all relevant standards.
Remedial action taken included significantly increased investment in our compliance function, more than doubling headcount, alongside a host of other initiatives including bringing in third party support, enhancing training and a review of key policies. In addition, we recently committed to building our individual processes into an automated system to improve the system even further. “
Compliance Updates
Kambi Group plc secures licensing approval in Nevada
Approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission paves the way for Kambi to provide its premium sports betting solutions in Las Vegas and across the Silver State
Kambi Group plc (“Kambi”), the home of premium sports betting solutions, has received approval for its Nevada gaming licence applications, marking a significant step towards launching in one of the world’s most iconic betting markets. The Nevada Gaming Commission approved Kambi’s application for Manufacturer & Distributor Licenses and an Information Services License, following a unanimous recommendation by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (“NGCB”) earlier this month.
The licences will enable Kambi to provide its industry-leading sportsbook technology and services to nonrestricted gaming establishments in Las Vegas and across the state of Nevada for the first time. With limited B2B competition in the state due to the high regulatory requirements, Nevada presents Kambi with future growth opportunities in line with its strategy to expand its footprint across the Americas.
Kambi has been at the forefront of the regulated US sports betting industry since 2018, processing the first legal online wager outside of Nevada following the repeal of PASPA. This latest achievement underscores the company’s dedication to delivering world-class sportsbook solutions while adhering to the highest standards of regulatory compliance and corporate probity.
Werner Becher, CEO of Kambi, said: “Securing approval for our licences in Nevada is an important milestone for Kambi and a testament to our market-leading technology, regulatory expertise and corporate integrity. Nevada is widely known as the gold standard for betting and gaming regulation, insisting on a standard that few companies can meet, and is therefore recognition of Kambi’s unwavering commitment to excellence. We would like to thank both the Commission and NGCB for their thorough review and approval of our applications.”
The post Kambi Group plc secures licensing approval in Nevada appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Compliance Updates
Michigan Lottery Achieves iCAP Re-certification for Responsible Online Gaming Practices
The Michigan Lottery has received re-certification for its commitment to responsible gaming after completing the Internet Responsible Gambling Compliance Assessment Program (iCAP) through the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).
The Lottery first earned iCAP certification in October 2015 and was the first lottery in the United States to achieve this certification.
“We are incredibly proud to have once again received certification for our commitment to responsible gaming through the iCAP program, underscoring the Lottery’s dedication to player safety and well-being. We will continue to prioritize responsible gaming practices and provide Michiganders with the resources and support they need to play responsibly,” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli.
Developed by the NCPG, iCAP is the first and only online responsible gaming assessment program in the US. The NCPG evaluated the Lottery’s compliance with Internet Responsible Gaming (IRG) standards developed based on best practices from jurisdictions around the world. IRG standards are the highest standards for online responsible gaming in the nation. The nine areas of focus for the NCPG iCAP certification are:
• Corporate policy and commitment to responsible gaming
• Staff training
• Information available to players through com, and player account features to assist players in informed decision making
• Assisting players who indicate they are in distress or experiencing problems
• Self-exclusion and player-initiated restrictions on online play
• Advertising and promotion
• Game and website features that assist with gambling responsibly
• Research based on the transparency of play data
• Payment controls and limits
• iCAP re-certification provides Lottery players assurance that MichiganLottery.com is trustworthy and has adopted the best standards of player protection.
The NCPG, a non-profit organization founded in 1972, leads state and national stakeholders in the development of comprehensive policy and programs for all those affected by problem gambling.
Michigan Lottery players have a chance to win up to $500,000 instantly playing online. Players also may win prizes ranging from $1 up to multi-million dollar jackpots playing Powerball, Mega Millions, Lucky for Life, Lotto 47, and Fantasy 5 online. Through its online platform, the Lottery offers players more than 200 different games with plays ranging in price from .05 cents to $20.
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Argentinian market
SYNOT Games Takes a Leap Forward with Certification Milestone in Argentina
SYNOT Games announced that 140 of its top-tier games have been officially certified for the Argentinian market.
The certifications, issued by Gaming Labs International mark a significant step in SYNOT Games’ commitment to delivering high-quality, compliant, and entertaining products to the Latin American market.
In addition to the 140 games, the certifications include the renowned SYNOT Progressive Bonus and advanced Random Number Generator technology, providing operators and players with a superior and trustworthy gaming experience.
SYNOT Games is committed to certifying its entire game portfolio for the Argentinian district shortly. This will further solidify the company’s presence in the rapidly growing Latin American market and reaffirm its position as a trusted partner for local and global operators.
Martina Krajci, CCO at SYNOT Games, said: “We are delighted to achieve these certifications and bring our innovative products to Argentina. This is an important milestone in our global expansion strategy, and we look forward to offering our Argentinian partners and players access to our certified games, backed by industry-leading technology and robust compliance standards.”
The post SYNOT Games Takes a Leap Forward with Certification Milestone in Argentina appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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