UKGC Moves to Ban Credit Card Usage EMEA
Te Gambling Commission has announced a ban on gambling businesses allowing consumers in Great Britain to use credit cards to gamble.
Te credit card ban will apply to all online and offline gambling products with the exception of non-remote lotteries
UK REGULATIONS
PORTUGAL –Portugal’s online igaming market reached €54m in gross revenue in the third quarter of the year, which is equivalent to an increase of 39.1 per cent (€ 15.2m), compared to the same period of 2018, according to the data released by the regulatory body Serviço Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo (SRIJ). As of September 30, 2019, 11 entities were authorised to operate online gaming and betting activity in Portugal, two more compared to the same period in 2018. Taken together, these operators have 18 licenses (eight licenses for sports betting and 10 gaming licenses.
Tax for online gaming totalled €23.6m in the third quarter, an increase of about €6.4m (37.4per cent) compared to the same period last year. Gross revenue from gambling accounted for 52.2 per cent of the total, while sports betting generated 47.8 per cent (€28.2m and €25.9m respectively).
In the third quarter of 2019, 149,000 new player registrations were recorded.
SLOVENIA – Peter Mihelj has joined the Spintec sales team as Regional Sales Manager responsible for the Asian and Australian markets. Mihelj has more than 15 years of experience
taking leading roles in different industries. Research shows that 22 per cent of online
Renato Bicic, Spintec Sales Director, commented: "Peter's addition to the team will allow us to strengthen our presence in the Asia-Pacific markets and improve the support and service we are able to offer our customers. Thanks to his experience and knowledge, our company will achieve the set goals and improve sales to a higher level.”
UK – Connective Games, the Malta and Russia- based online poker and casino technology and services provider, has received UK certification from iTech Labs for its Texas Hold’em Poker offering.
The certification allows Connective Games to offer its Texas Hold’em product to operators in the highly regulated UK market.
Serge Mukhanov, CEO of Connective Games, commented: “We are delighted to have received certification from iTech Labs and to be able to offer our popular Texas Hold’em game to UK operators and their players.
“Our award-winning poker products offer the best possible player experience across desktop and mobile and we look forward to partnering with UK operators in the coming months, allowing them to offer their players a superior Texas Hold’em product.”
P24 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA
Casino Barrière Blotzheim outpaces local Swiss rival
France
Te casino in Blotzheim in the Haut-Rhin region of France expanded its gaming floor at the start of December, adding 18 new slot machines, including two Novomatic progressive games.
"Tis allows the casino to reach 280 slot machines," said Marc Karcher, Director of Casino Barrière Blotzheim.
In addition, the Barrière group has applied for a work permit at the end of November to open a 128m² terrace.
"Te space would include around 40 slot machines and an
Te Gambling Commission has announced a ban on gambling businesses allowing consumers in Great Britain to use credit cards to gamble. Te ban, which comes into effect on April 14, follows the Commission’s review of online gambling and the Government’s Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures. A public consultation was carried out between August and November 2019.
24 million adults in Great Britain gamble, with 10.5m of those gambling online. UK Finance estimate that 800,000 consumers use credit cards to gamble. Separate research undertaken by the Commission shows that 22 per cent of online gamblers using credit cards to gamble are classed as problem gamblers – with even more at some risk of harm.
Te ban, which will apply to all online and offline gambling products with the exception of non-remote lotteries, will provide a significant layer of additional protection to vulnerable people. Neil McArthur, Gambling Commission chief executive, said: “Credit card gambling can lead to significant financial harm. Te ban that we have announced today should minimise the risks of harm to consumers from gambling with money they do not have.
gamblers using credit cards are problem gamblers, with even more suffering some form of gambling harm. We also know that there are examples of consumers who have accumulated tens of thousands of pounds of debt through gambling because of credit card availability. Tere is also evidence that the fees charged by credit cards can exacerbate the situation because the consumer can try to chase losses to a greater extent.”
Mr McArthur said although he understood that some consumers used credit cards because they were convenient, the risk of harm to others was too high to allow the use of credit cards to continue. “We realise that this change will inconvenience those consumers who use credit cards responsibly but we are satisfied that reducing the risk of harm to other consumers means that action must be taken.” he said. “But we will evaluate the ban and watch closely for any unintended circumstances for consumers.”
Mr McArthur warned that although likely to reduce gambling harm, the banning of credit cards needed to be accompanied by other efforts. “Te ban is part of our ongoing work to reduce gambling harm. We also need to continue the work with gambling operators and the finance industry to ensure consumers only gamble with money they can afford to spend.”
electronic English roulette," explained the director of the casino. "We also hope that the space in question will allow smoking, but this will require five months, the minimum time for the procedure. We are optimistic, but if this does not succeed, the terrace will be non- smoking."
Te casino is also revising the layout of its gaming floor to open a VIP Room area including Black Jack, English roulette and Ultimate Poker. Mr. Karcher is pleased with the results of the 2018-2019 season which ended on October 31.
"For the first time in the history of the casino, we have achieved a higher gross gaming product at the casino in Basel in Switzerland, located 10km from us and which is our main competitor," he said.
Germany
Scientific Games Corporation has finalised a new five-year technology agreement with lottery partner Baden- Wurttemberg Lotto in Stuttgart in southwest Germany. Te company will launch its advanced, new Symphony gaming systems technology, migrating the gaming system it currently provides over the next year. Scientific Games will provide Lotto Baden- Württemberg software support and maintenance from its world-class European technology facility in Vienna, Austria. Pat McHugh, Group Chief Executive, Lottery for Scientific Games, said: “We thank Lotto Baden- Württemberg for its continued trust in our systems technology leadership with our new Symphony gaming system.”
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