This Wednesday, six leading US gambling affiliates announced the formation of the Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association, dedicated to upholding consumer protection, responsible advertising and marketing, and high integrity standards within the industry. The organization will function as an independent trade association, comprised of the following companies – Better Collective, Catena Media, Gambling.com Group, Oddschecker Global Media, XLMedia plc, and Spotlight Sports Group.

The said businesses will focus their attention on fostering an environment where affiliates will cater to the needs of the legal remote gambling marketplace. Besides promoting responsible gambling marketing and advertising practices, the affiliates will embark on a mission to encourage sound regulations and protection of consumer interests. As their official web page manifests, they have identified the need for striking a balance between consumer protection and the mechanics of digital advertising through reasonable advertising regulation.

As soon as the RGAA appoints a President, it will make an official announcement. The President will serve the important role of molding the future of responsible affiliate practices for the regulated online gambling sector in the US.

The Chief Executive Officers of the six founding members commented on the organization’s goals in the conditions of the US gambling market where ongoing changes are swiftly reshaping the regulatory landscape.

Mark Frank Pedersen, CEO of North America, Better Collective, underlined the importance of promoting gambling as a form of entertainment and encouraging customers to enjoy it in a responsible manner. He added:

“Not only is this the right thing to do for our customers, it’s the best thing to ensure the success and longevity of the industry and our businesses.”

Stuart Simms, Chief Executive Officer of Oddschecker Global Media, emphasized the organization’s ambition to promote “fair play for all”, reaffirming its intention to uphold social responsibility in the affiliate sector and create a safer gambling environment in the continuously expanding US gambling market.

The RGAA Identifies Five Key Areas of Focus

Although the affiliate marketing sector is subjected to regulation, the six founding companies have recognized the untapped potential for further improvement in the field. The newly founded organization has identified five key areas of focus.

Firstly, the trade organization will promote competitive gambling markets, underlining their major role in providing a sufficiently wide choice of remote gambling services to consumers. Other than the fair competitive environment, it will support industry education and invite new businesses to join over time. Thirdly, the RGAA will pay special attention to consumer protection by guiding players to locally licensed and regulated operators, offering the highest customer service standards.

Next, there will be a focus on the advertising of codes of conduct, ensuring ethical marketing and advertising practices while simultaneously reducing problem gambling behavior to a minimum. Last but not least, the organization will observe responsible gambling practices both in relation to consumers and industry participants.

Court documentation obtained by 8 News Now revealed that Las Vegas law enforcement has arrested two dealers for helping players cheat in baccarat. The Nevada Gaming Control Board was alerted of the alleged violations in May 2022 by an individual working for the Rampart Casino in Summerlin’s JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort.

What followed was a meeting between representatives of the gambling watchdog and the casino’s staff, which led to the disclosure that two regulars of the casino had raised suspicions among staff members for abnormally frequent wins. An examination of security surveillance footage was also conducted, and it revealed that Yuxuan Leng and another baccarat dealer would show cards to the patrons in question before wagers were placed. The evidence revealed that this form of cheating had happened on six occasions.

The Cheating Players Pocketed Thousands of Dollars

Investigators noted that this practice gave the players an advantage and allowed them to place their bets based on the games’ outcomes. This led to the patrons cashing in winnings amounting to $5,000 per player. Two of the violations were committed by Leng, while the one responsible for the rest of the cheating incidents was not named.

One of the patrons confessed to requesting the revealing of cards and exploiting the knowledge. Although the unnamed dealer did not admit to showing cards in exchange for money, investigators did arrest them over their alleged wrongdoings. Their current status is unknown. As for Leng, an arrest warrant resulted in her being taken into custody in early November. She is facing potential charges on several counts, including cheating and the class C felony of attempting or conspiring to cheat. These felonies can each result in between one to five years of prison time and substantial fines.

Cheating Scandals are Relatively Common in Las Vegas

Given Las Vegas’ reputation for having the most retail casinos in the USA, issues surrounding cheating are not rare. The past several years seem to have been particularly eventful for the city, as multiple cheating cases besides Lang’s were uncovered.

In 2020, another baccarat dealer was accused of assisting a patron in winning and of receiving tips in exchange. The individual who worked for The STRAT was accused of only paying out when the aforementioned player achieved a winning hand. Upon being confronted by law enforcement, the dealer did not admit to committing the alleged transgressions.

A year later, three men were alleged to have cheated in poker-like table games. As shown in court documents acquired by 8 News Now, Nevada’s gambling regulator was notified of the wrongdoings by Paris Las Vegas’ casino manager. The individuals had visited casino multiple establishments, and according to the allegations, they had utilized a technique dubbed “card bending,” which involves bending the corners of a card in order to disclose its value. This resulted in illegitimate winnings of over $120,000, and financial penalties and prison time served as the trio’s punishment.

Billionaire and owner of the New York City Mets baseball team, Steve Cohen, revealed his intentions to build an $8 billion casino and sports complex in Queens, New York City. In a nod to the team’s corporate name, the complex will be named “Metropolitan Park.”

The proposed project, if approved, will be built on the asphalt-covered land around the Citi Field baseball stadium. Its facilities will include a casino, sportsbook, 20-acre park, live music venue, renovated train station, and more. As reported by the New York Post, the proposal promises to create 15,000 job positions in the area.

Cohen has partnered with Hard Rock International, Field Operations, McKissack, and SHoP Architects for the purpose of making this project a reality. According to SHoP Architects’ Gregg Pasquarelli, Metropolitan Park will serve as a major landmark in New York City, and it will significantly change the land surrounding the City Field Stadium. Cohen also expressed his enthusiasm regarding the project, saying that it will grant New York City “the sports and entertainment park it deserves.”

However, reaching the stage where development can officially begin is not going to be easy. Cohen and Hard Rock International will need to gain legal approval from New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the state’s authorities before proceeding with construction. This will entail the introduction of a bill that, if passed, will change the land’s current designation as parkland, thus giving its owners the green light to develop commercial buildings on the property.

Potential Licensing Difficulties

Apart from gaining approval to build a commercial center in the area surrounding Citi Field, a gaming license will also be necessary, given Cohen and Hard Rock International’s plans to build both a casino center and a sportsbook on the complex’s premises. This could prove to be challenging, however, due to the casino licensing legislature of New York.

Licenses can only be issued by the jurisdiction’s New York State Gaming Commission, and a limit of three licenses is imposed on the downstate New York area. Currently, casino giant MGM is planning on acquiring a permit for its Empire City Casino. Another establishment that has the potential to receive a license is Genting-owned Resorts World Queens. As both companies’ applications are likely to be accepted according to predictions, this means that a single obtainable license will remain, and Cohen and Hard Rock Entertainment will not be the only ones aiming to gain approval for a casino project.

What is more, Cohen’s past could prove to be another hurdle in gaining authorities’ approval. SAC Capital, a hedge fund the billionaire founded in 1992, was charged for insider-trading and pled guilty to wire fraud and securities fraud in 2014. The hedge fund paid a total of $1.8 billion in legal penalties. Although Steve Cohen himself was never charged, the case could, nonetheless, affect Metropolitan Park’s chances of gaining approval. This is due to the fact that, according to the NY State Gaming Commission’s rules, applicants need to provide proof of their “good character, honesty, and integrity.”

Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, has officially disclosed plans to increase the taxation rate of gambling operators. Instead of the current 10%, their profits will be taxed at 15%, in line with a government initiative to restrict the public’s participation in the gambling sector.

This is not the single change expected to impact the industry though, with a sceduled correction of the cash withdrawal fees for players. As part of the plan, Garibashvili also said that the withdrawal fees would increase to 5%, from the current 2%. Following these amendments in the corporate tax on gambling profits, an additional GEL400 million from the gambling business is expected to be collected in 2024.

The Georgian Prime Minister shared that he was equally surprised and saddened by the increase in turnover:

“Here, on the one hand, I would like to express my surprise and, on the other hand, my sadness, that the turnover of the gambling business is increasing”.

He added that despite the governmental measures to limit the industry,

“too many citizens are still involved”.

Gambling Turnover Increases Despite Government Measures to Limit Participation in the Industry

The total turnover from the industry swelled from GEL48 billion to GEL52 billion (approximately USD19.2 billion) in 2022, which the Prime Minister described as “catastrophic”.

Although the Georgian government seems intent on halting the industry’s prompt expansion, the number of citizens participating in it is on the rise. Last year, the authorities introduced a ban on gambling advertisements across national media.

In addition, the government increased the legal gambling age to 25. Individuals aged under 25 were prohibited from gambling, which meant that approximately 1.5 million were denied access to gambling products of all sorts. This move was propelled by adherence to safer gambling practices and combatting problem gambling behavior, especially among younger demographics. Moreover, public employees and self-excluded players were barred from participation in gambling.

According to the new set of rules introduced at the beginning of the current year, the country’s ten retail gambling operators would be allowed to hold an online gambling license too. Online slots would be restricted to retail locations and sports betting aficionados would place their wagers at physical establishments too. Licenses permitting exclusively online gambling operations would be available, against an annual fee amounting to €1.6 million.

Alex Szilaghi, president of Szilaghi Consulting, an iGaming consulting company, commented on the fee, stating that it was rather substantial given the country’s dimensions and population.

According to the Georgian Gambling Association, licensed providers of gambling and betting services in the country encountered difficulties adopting the new regulations over the last couple of years. This, in turn, led to the arrival of a substantial number of illegitimate online operators targetting Georgian players.

Mahadev Book Online was targeted by a blocking order issued on Sunday by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). As announced in a government press release, the order will affect a total of 22 betting applications and websites that were found to have violated India’s laws.

Two individuals tied to Mahadev Book Online have been arrested, including Bhim Singh Yadav, an officer working for the Chhattisgarh Police. The other individual put in custody is cash courier Asim Das. Both are facing accusations of money laundering, and their arrest warrants were issued under Section 19 of India’s Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Mahadev Book Online is a betting application based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and the app’s targeting of Indian customers is deemed to be against the law by India’s authorities. According to allegations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Mahadev Book Online is utilized for the purposes of money laundering.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, stated that the government of Chhattisgarh failed to make a recommendation for the shutting down of the illegal betting website and application despite having the authority to do so. The Chhattisgarh government could have achieved this by citing Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.

India’s Crackdown on Illegal Betting Operations

The developments surrounding Mahadev Book Online follow the introduction of amendments to the Information Technology Rules made this spring, which now differentiate between legal online betting operations and ones that do not operate legitimately under Indian legislation. The year 2023 has thus far seen the prohibition of dozens of illegal betting operations that were in violation of Indian laws.

Ultimately, the request to ban Mahadev Book Online and the 21 other apps and websites was made by the ED, which is investigating a betting app syndicate with alleged ties to various political figures. In addition, Asim Das is the informer who, after being questioned by the ED, accused Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel of having received money from Mahadev promoters on a regular basis. Asim Das’ claims are supported by emails and forensic evidence that suggest that Baghel has received an approximate Rs 508 crore in payments. The ED will investigate the matter further, but Baghel has denied the allegations. The Mahadev situation also involves Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Huma Qureshi, among others, who were summoned for questioning by the ED.

Authorities have carried out multiple raids on alleged Mahadev centers across India as a result of the Mahadev Book Online case, including ones in Chhattisgarh. In September, raids in locations tied to the Mahadev app were conducted in Mumbai and Kolkata, as well as in other cities. This resulted in the seizure of Rs 417 crore in earnings suspected to have been generated from the illegal operation.

This Thursday, Oklahoma Governor, Kevin Stitt rolled out his plan to bring legalized sports betting to the Sooner State. Thus, wagering at retail and online venues can soon become a reality for Oklahomans.

In a press release published on November 2, 2023, Stitt reiterated his intentions to bring betting into the state the right way, and that “this plan does just that”. Above all, the Governor’s office would promote rules and regulations that consider closely “transparency, accountability, and consumer protection”. Stitt reminded that 35 states have already legalized sports betting and that it would generate fresh revenue for the state coffers. Oklahoma’s residents would be able to place mobile bets from across the state.

According to the Governor’s plan, retail wagering will be operated by Indian tribes conforming to a State-Tribal Compact, with their revenue being taxed at 15%. Mobile wagering at licensed operators will be allowed as well, with their revenue taxed at 20%. Applicants will be supposed to pay an initial $500,000 licensing fee plus an annual licensing fee amounting to $100,000.

There will be specific limitations, though. They will be concerned with wagering on the individual performance of student-athletes, referees, and coaches. Additionally, sports betting enthusiasts will be forbidden to place bets on player injuries, as well as prop bets on collegiate competition. Changes to these limitations might be applicable, depending on NCCA and athletic conference standards and regulations.

As sports betting legislation in the state picks up speed, further rules and regulations will be implemented, which will be equally applicable to retail and mobile betting.

Governor Kevin Stitt Has Been a Proponent for Legalized and Properly Regulated Sports Betting Market in Oklahoma

Governor Stitt is widely regarded as a sports betting proponent, as he has repeatedly expressed his support for a legalized and properly regulated industry, governed by the principles of transparency and safe gambling practices. Over the last two years, Oklahoma lawmakers have attempted to legalize the sector. However, none of the bills was signed into law in 2023.

Ken Luttrell, a Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, introduced bill HB 1027 in 2023, which was similar to the one he filed in 2022. According to the bill, state tribes would be allowed to provide retail and online betting services.

The bill introduced sliding scale fees that would be adjusted depending on the tribes’ monthly net wins and reset at the beginning of each new month. Monthly net wins up to $5 million would be subjected to a 4% fee. The next $5 million would be levied with a 5% fee applicable to the adjusted gross revenues. All ensuing adjusted gross revenues would entail a 6% fee. This bill did not move to the Senate though.

The Wilton Rancheria Tribe is moving forward with plans to expand its Elk Grove-based Sky River Casino, according to Boyd Gaming. Sky River Casino is managed by Boyd Gaming, and it was launched in 2022. The establishment was the first casino to open in Sacramento County, California. Currently, Sky River Casino boasts 100,000 square feet of space dedicated to 2,000+ slot machines and 80 table games that give patrons the opportunity to play blackjack, Pai Gow, and baccarat, among other games.

As announced in October by the CEO of Boyd Gaming, Keith Smith, the casino has seen great success during its first year of operation. The company’s quarterly report showed that $17 million of Boyd Gaming’s Managed and Other Businesses earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and restructuring (EBITDAR) came from Sky River Casino. Thanks to these earnings, the Wilton Rancheria Tribe was successful in paying off the loan it had gotten from Boyd Gaming in order to kickstart and finish the casino’s construction.

The upcoming expansion will not be funded by loans from Boyd Gaming, and it will introduce a hotel, restaurants that will add to the casino’s current roster of dining venues, and a convention center. In preparation for the expansion, the Wilton Rancheria Tribe announced a purchase of 20 acres of land in October. Just like the casino, the new hotel will be under Boyd Gaming management.

The Wilton Rancheria Tribe Had to Fight for the Right to Build the Casino

Although Sky River Casino has been a resounding success for Boyd Gaming and the Wilton Rancheria Tribe, the Tribe did face serious hurdles before the casino’s opening. The project saw a legal battle between the Wilton Rancheria Tribe and special interest group Stand Up for California, where the latter aimed for the reversal of the US Department’s decision to put the Tribe’s land into trust. Stand Up’s ultimate goal was to prevent the Elk Grove project from opening. However, this issue was resolved once the US Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Wilton Rancheria Tribe. This allowed the Tribe to successfully finish the construction of Sky River Casino and launch the establishment in 2022.

The Wilton Rancheria Tribe is among the over 70 Tribes that have signed a Tribal-State Gaming Compact with the state of California. Such compacts are mandatory for tribal communities to sign, as they are what enable them to legally offer Class III games within the state of California. Games that fall under the Class III designation include slot machines, table games, and card games. All non-tribal-owned gambling operations in California are overseen by the California Gambling Control Commission (CGCC), which is in charge of regulating gambling activities and also serves as the entity that has the authority to license casinos and other gambling establishments.

Following a government order, the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) has allied with the Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen) to combat the proliferation of illegal gambling in the country. Both authorities are expected to release a final report by the end of April 2024. Meanwhile, Spelinspektionen has released a progress update on their joint efforts to curb the operations of unlicensed gambling operators.

Several meetings between the Spelinspektionen and the Finansinspektionen have been held throughout the year zeroing in on an effective agenda on how to prevent large transactions through unauthorized gambling sites.

The authorities commenced their joint work by establishing a shared plan including common areas of competence, transferring ideas between the two, and risk assessment. To succeed in the anti-money laundering initiative, the regulators explained that they might share relevant information about the illegal operators and their customers. The exchange of such information would be grounded on the common goal of suppressing gambling-related fraud.

Both organizations also focused their competencies on pinpointing the way illegal gambling is conducted in Sweden. According to the Spelinspektionen’s extensive monitoring of the industry, unlicensed offshore providers were able to operate within the country thanks to the implementation of local methods facilitating deposits and withdrawals. By offering such payment processors, they enabled their customers to easily load funds to their accounts and, consequently, cash out their winnings.

Therefore, the Spelinspektionen and the Finansinspektionen would focus their efforts on effective mechanisms to intercept payment mediation associated with unauthorized gambling companies.

The interim report concludes by stating that both supervisory authorities would share their expertise within the areas of payment and gambling markets to reach the common goal of combatting illegal gambling in Sweden.

The Swedish Government Unveils Plans to Increase Spelinspektionen’s Funding

Earlier this year, in September, the Swedish Government unveiled plans to increase the funding allocated to Spelinspektionen, effective from 2024. The regulator would command an additional SEK 10.8 million (approximately $965,900) to effectively tackle the illegal gambling market. The government also intends to gradually increase this funding over the next two years.

The effectiveness of the governmental measures would also depend on the success of the collaboration between Sweden’s Gambling Authority and the Financial Supervisory Authority.

Niklas Wykman, Minister for Financial Markets of Sweden, noted that the increased funding allocated to the gambling regulator and the collaboration with the financial supervisory authority would enhance its monitoring capacity, and respectively, empower it to block illegal transactions to and from unauthorized gambling operators.

According to a report on the National Risk Assessment of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism released in 2021, Sweden’s iGaming market is at high risk. Consequently, Sweden has welcomed a proactive approach to thwart illegal gambling and gambling-related financial offenses.

On October 30, the Netherlands’ gambling watchdog, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), issued a fine of €6.7m to casino operator GoldWin Limited for accepting players from the Netherlands despite not having a Dutch gambling license. According to the KSA’s allegations, GoldWin’s WestCasino.com did not have the necessary measures in place to prevent Dutch players from accessing the website. WestCasino.com was also accused of failing to verify the age of Dutch players. The amount of the fine is based on an estimation of GoldWin’s turnover from Netherlands-based clients, according to which the operator must pay 7% of the estimated €230.2 turnover per visit of Dutch origin.

GoldWin has been under investigation by the KSA since December 2022, when KSA inspectors found that they were able to register and play games of chance at GoldWin’s WestCasino.com. According to the KSA, the operator’s website had been visited by Dutch-based gamblers 843,132 times in 2022.

January 2023 saw GoldWin being warned by the KSA to cease accepting players from the Netherlands illegally and that failure to comply would result in penalties. In another investigation, this time dated March 2, 2023, Dutch regulators found that GoldWin had not obeyed the KSA, and ordinary Dutch players could still access WestCasino.com. This warranted GoldWin receiving a financial penalty, but once again, the operator refused to abide by the KSA’s orders.

The KSA is Among the Strictest Regulators in the iGaming Sphere

Since the official legalization of online gambling in the Netherlands in 2021, the KSA has gained a reputation for being among the harshest gambling regulators when it comes to online gambling. Operators are required to apply for and acquire a license from the country’s regulatory watchdog if they plan on entering the Dutch online gaming market. Failure to do so results in gambling companies facing heavy consequences.

Many online operators have come under scrutiny for not complying with the KSA’s rules. In the watchdog’s annual financial report for the year 2022, released this March, it was shown that the KSA had fined operators with €29m in total over the course of 2022.

As for 2023, GoldWin Limited is not the only operator to have faced repercussions for not complying with the Netherlands’ gambling regulator. October 30 also saw MKC Limited receiving a hefty fine of €900,000. MKC Limited’s infringements had to do with the operator not preventing Dutch gamblers from wagering on the website BetWorld247. The online casino in question does not have a KSA license. Similar to GoldWin’s case, the investigation surrounding MKC began in 2022.

Another operator to face a financial penalty from the KSA this October was LCS Limited. The company was ordered to pay €2.1m, and just like GoldWin Limited and MKC, the penalty had to do with the gambling company offering bets to players from the Netherlands without having acquired the necessary licensing. Finally, gambling operator Blue High House received a KSA-issued cease and desist order in October. The company’s violations were tied to its Betonline.ag website.