UKGC Ushers in Milestone Credit Card Ban
Te UK's gaming regulator, the Gambling Commission, says the credit card ban will add another vital layer of protection for consumers.
Te ban on the use of credit cards for consumer gambling, including the use of e-wallets, came into force in the UK on April 14
UK LEGISLATION
Te UK's gaming regulator, the Gambling Commission, says the credit card ban, which came into force on April 14, adds another vital layer of protection for consumers.
In January, the Gambling Commission and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced the widely-publicised ban – meaning that from April 14, any consumer gambling will not be able to use a credit card as payment. Te ban extends to credit card gambling through e-wallets.
Te Commission said it is an important step forward in protecting the 10.5m people who gamble online from harm – with statistics showing that 800,000 individuals in the UK use credit cards to gamble. Research also highlights that 22 per cent of online gamblers using credit cards are problem gamblers, with even more suffering some form of gambling harm.
Neil McArthur, Gambling Commission chief executive, said: “Tis credit card ban will further protect consumers from financial harm and from today, nobody in Great Britain can use a
credit card to gamble. It is a ban which ultimately reduces the risks of harm to consumers from gambling with money they do not have. Te ban also comes at a vital time as we are seeing an increase in the use of some online products, such as online slots and virtual sports, and our online search analysis shows an increase in UK consumer interest in gambling products since the lockdown began. Tis highlights just how important it is for gambling operators to keep people safe and the credit card ban will help that. Tis is another milestone and we will continue to looking for ways to make gambling safer.”
Te Commission also reminded operators that they can only accept customer payments via e- wallets if those e-wallets prevent credit card use for gambling.
Some players may be changing their gambling habits during the Covid-19 outbreak and the Commission has also taken steps in order to remind consumers of how gambling operators should be keeping them safe when gambling online.
Slovenia Športna Loterija specifies CPI for betting terminals
Športna Loterija, the Slovenian sports betting lottery, has signed a preferred partnership agreement to install all new betting terminals with the SC Advance bill validator and G13 coin validator from CPI.
“We’re switching to CPI because we needed a technology partner who could give us the kind of products and support we could count on,” said Janez Ravas, Systems and Development Director of Športna Loterija. “CPI’s team is very responsive to our needs, and their products are known to have the best acceptance rates and reliability in the field, so we are very confident that we’ve made the right decision to use CPI exclusively as we begin to upgrade our field base.”
Like SC Advance, the 3.5” G13 coin validator is also known to deliver superior performance and reliability. It employs best-in- class multi-frequency technology, to accurately validate coins while
Northern Ireland protecting against manipulation.
“CPI is proud the Slovenian sports betting lottery recognises CPI as a trusted partner,” said Anette Jauch, CPI Sales Director for Gaming EMEA. “Signing the preferred supplier agreement for both our note and coin validators ensures they will get the best products and after-sales support along with the added benefit of a simplified sourcing strategy.”
IAGA has confirmed the postponement of its IAGA Summit 2020 to June 14-17, 2021. Te venue remains the same, the Culloden Hotel & Spa in Northern Ireland, and is to be held in parallel with the Gambling Regulators European Form Annual meeting. IAGA has confirmed that registration fee will be returned to those many delegates who had already registered for this year’s event. In a statement, IAGA President, John Hagan, added: “It will come as no surprise that we have decided not to proceed with our 2020 Summit in Northern Ireland due to the current Covid-19 Tese are unprecedented and challenging times, but I very much hope that our 2021 Summit will give you all something to look forward to in your professional lives when we emerge from this crisis, as we surely will and ultimately stronger than ever.”
SPAIN – Spanish gaming company Cirsa has presented a temporary employment regulation file (ERTE) which affects 83.5 per of the workforce in Spain which is made up of about 5,300 people. Cirsa justified the measure as it has had to close its casinos, bingo halls and gaming rooms throughout Spain as a consequence of the coronavirus prevention measures now in place, and to guarantee the future sustainability of the business, sources from Cirsa told news agency EFE.
Cirsa was forced to close all its bingos, gambling halls and casinos in Spain in mid-March. The establishments that had to close employ around 4,425 people. Cirsa is present in nine countries and has a total of 143 casinos, 243 gaming rooms and 84 bingo halls, and is also the owner of Sportium sports betting houses. In April, Codere also presented an ERTE for 1,071 of its employees - 69 per cent of its workforce.
An ERTE allows Spanish businesses to suspend employment contracts or reduce staff hours indefinitely due to ‘force majeure’ circumstances, while applying for the state to pay a portion of employee wages. In November Cirsa reported an operating profit of €333.4m during the first nine months of the year, reflecting a nine per cent growth over the same period the previous year. The company reported operating income of €1,154.2m until the third quarter of the year a 7.3 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2018.
SPAIN – The Spanish Minister of Consumer Affairs, Alberto Garzón, has stated that the government has detected an increase in online gaming since Spain introduced lockdown measures last month. As a result the Council of Ministers decided to limit gambling advertising.
While sports gambling has decreased the government said that online casino gaming had increased due to the confinement of Spanish citizens in their own homes which has caused “an explosive situation that can lead to a pathological problem for certain social groups,” he said. Therefore, in order to protect public health, the government has decided to prohibit the advertising of gaming on any advertising medium during the current state of emergency, with the exception of the time slot from one in the morning to five in the morning on television. Gambling advertising is banned for the rest of the day.
Garzón has had the industry in his sights for some months and it could well be the case that the current crisis means that the government can more swiftly implement its anti gaming measures. This could well be an issue going forwards in many jurisdictions as governments are granted wide sweeping powers.
NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA P15 EMEA
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