Wire EMEA
Malta Protectionism Enrages EU States
Maltese Minister, Silvio Schembri, has proposed an amendment to enable Maltese courts to refuse recognition and enforcement of any foreign judgements.
Lawyers from Austria and Germany have argued in a letter to the EU Commission that the proposed amendment is in total disregard for EU law
MALTA LEGISLATION
UK - Paddy Power and Betfair fined PPB Counterparty Services, trading as Paddy Power and Betfair, has been fined £490,000 by the Gambling Commission for sending promotional push notifications to devices linked to customers who had self-excluded.
On November 21, 2021, the operator’s app distributed an offer of enhanced odds for bets on an English Premier League football match to devices either linked to accounts that were GAMSTOP registered or linked to accounts that were self- excluded with the licensee. This breached rules requiring gambling businesses to take all reasonable steps to prevent any marketing material being sent.
Slovenia - Zitro appoints Andreas Leitinger Zitro has appointed Andreas Leitinger as Sales Manager, based in Slovenia, to oversee markets including Germany, Luxembourg, and Slovenia. Leitinger brings years of experience in leading companies in the gaming industry, and his expertise will help Zitro expand its reach in these regions. In addition to the aforementioned markets, Krystian will now be responsible for overseeing operations in Poland, Ireland, Sweden, and Egypt.
Malta - GiG Group CEO to step down Gaming Innovation Group’s Board of Directors has agreed with Richard Brown for him to step down as Group CEO on December 31. Earlier this year, the company initiated a strategic review that was designed to ultimately split GiG into two separate corporate groups; GiG Media and Platform & Sportsbook.
Spain - Madrid veers towards anti-gambling Alejandra Jacinto and Roberto Sotomayor, members of left-wing populist political party in Spain Podemos have put forward a number of strict measures as part of their manifesto. Both were running for the Madrid elections scheduled for the end of May with results announced prior to publication.
The measures proposed by Jacinto and Sotomayor, candidates for the presidency of the Community of Madrid and the Mayor of the City Council of the Spanish capital respectively, could lead to the closure of nine out of 10 bookmakers. Among the regulations proposed by the candidates is the absolute ban on gambling advertising in all municipal spaces and a minimum distance of 500 meters between betting venues and centres frequented by minors, as well as between the venues themselves.
In practice, this would mean, according to Jacinto’s own calculations, that “88 per cent of the existing premises” would currently fail to comply with this condition, resulting in the closure of nine out of 10 betting shops in the region.
P10 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
A Bill tabled in Malta’s Parliament is set to send shockwaves through the gaming industry. Lawyers from Austria and Germany have stated that the amendment to Malta’s Gaming Act – Bill 55, which went through its first reading on April 24th – “blatantly undermines European Rule of Law by blocking the fundamental rights of EU citizens and Residents”.
Maltese Minister Silvio Schembri has proposed the amendment to the country’s Gaming Act that would enable the Maltese courts to refuse recognition and enforcement of any foreign judgement, including decisions related to online gambling. Te proposed amendment comes in response to legal action taken by Austria and Germany against Maltese gaming companies that have been offering online gambling services to their citizens illegally.
According to Austrian law, only the Casinos Austria subsidiary ‘win2day’ is allowed to offer games of chance on the internet in Austria. Despite this, some Malta-based companies are ignoring this and offering their games online. Currently, the number of cases in Austria is around 3,500 with more than €350m awarded as winnings, however, the cases span 30 years,
Germany SIS pens long-term racing deal with German Tote
Sports Information Services (SIS), the leading provider of 24/7 live betting content, has further enhanced its international content offering by striking a new long- term deal with the German Tote.
Te extension provides SIS with continued access to premium content from the German Tote, the most valuable betting broker of horse racing in Germany, across retail and online channels.
It means that races, including Hamburg’s famous Deutsches Derby, will be made available to SIS partners worldwide, adding to an offering featuring high-quality content from over 170 racecourses and tracks from five continents, including meetings from Europe, Africa, Latin America, and the United States.
Te addition of German racing content furthers SIS’ focus on providing an extensive array of round-the-clock betting
opportunities while delivering an increased volume of events for operators that significantly raise revenues.
Riko Luiking, Managing Director at German Tote, said: “It’s great to have secured this agreement for the long-term across online and retail, as it helps to showcase German racing to a huge international audience. We look forward to continuing to work together, providing excellent, competitive entertainment around the clock.”
Conall McSorley, Head of International Horse Racing, said: “We have established a strong relationship with the German Tote, and we are delighted to extend our partnership over the long-term. Our racing portfolio is of the highest quality, and we believe that our customers will enjoy the top-quality action that we can continue to provide them with from Germany.”
and it is estimated over €900m has been lost to ‘criminal’ organisations who have capitalised on Austrian players. Bill 55 would result in thousands of Austrian citizens being unable to claim these losses.
Te Maltese argument hinges on the EU’s free movement of goods and services. Teir case proposes that because each has a licence in Malta, that gives their companies the right to offer services in every market of the EU. In actuality, the EU permits its member states to develop individual country-specific legislation in relation to gaming regulations to protect nationals from acts deemed criminal by their own laws.
If the new Bill is passed, however, the amendment would grant the Maltese courts the authority to reject foreign judgements that are deemed to be in violation of Maltese law. Maltese gaming companies as a result could avoid repaying the plaintiffs in the class action lawsuits being brought against them. Tis move is intended to safeguard the interests of the Maltese online gambling industry, which has been a key contributor to the country’s economy for many years.
Switzerland
Sportradar Group’s generated revenue in the first quarter of 2023 increased 24 per cent to €207.6m compared with the first quarter of 2022. Te RoW Betting segment, accounting for 52 per cent of total revenue, grew 25 per cent to €108.5m, primarily driven by strong performance from managed betting services and live odds.
Te US segment revenue grew 55 per cent to €39.7m compared with the first quarter of 2022, driven by higher sales of betting products as well as the company’s digital advertising (ad:s) product. Te US segment generated positive adjusted EBITDA for the third consecutive quarter with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 17 per cent.
Total profit for the first quarter was €6.8m compared with €8.2m for the same quarter last year.
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