Industry Criticises Italy’s Advertising Ban EMEA
Te Italian Senate voted by a narrow majority on August 6 to ban gambling advertising with heavy penalties for non-compliance.
Answering calls for more measures against the industry, Italian Prime Minister argued that legal gambling should continue to occupy a small place in Italy
ITALY LEGISLATION
UK – New rules from the Gambling Commission, which come into force from 31 October 2018, mean gambling companies that break advertising rules or breach consumer law will face tougher action. The new requirements, which follow an open consultation, provide stronger protection for consumers and ensure they are treated fairly by gambling businesses.
The changes mean: l
It will be easier to take action, including imposing fines, against gambling businesses that break the advertising rules (such as advertising that appeals to children or glamourises gambling)
l
Firms will face action for advertising failings by third party affiliates
l
It will be quicker and easier to take action for breaches of consumer law (such as unfair and misleading practices or unreasonable restrictions on withdrawals)
l
Firms will have to provide better complaints processes, including an eight week deadline for complaints to be resolved
l
Action can be taken against gambling firms that send ‘spam’ marketing emails or texts
The new requirements will come into effect on 31 October 2018.
LATVIA – Following a newly-signed agreement, Betsoft Gaming will count Latvian casino operator
11.lv as its latest content partner. Under the terms of the partnership agreement,
11.lv will add every Latvia-certified Betsoft game to its library, including key content from the Slots3 collection.
Founded in 2013, in central Riga,
11.lv experienced rapid, sustained growth - quickly becoming the third-largest online operator in the Latvian regulated market. Today, the company employs 15 people across its live betting, sports betting, RNG casino, and live casino operations. In recognition of that success, multinational gaming company MRG bid to acquire a majority stake in
11.lv in May 2018.
Annamaria Anastasi, Marketing Director at Betsoft commented; “
11.lv is a success story from several different angles, which is fitting for a company whose mission is ‘Growth through offering of world- class entertainment and emotions to our customers.’ The partnership between
11.lv and Betsoft will ensure that players are provided with the best possible selection of world-class slot games. We are thrilled to be able to part of the vision of one of the leading players in the exciting Latvian market.”
P24 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA
Te Italian Senate voted by a narrow majority on August 6 to ban gambling advertising with heavy penalties for non-compliance. After heated debate, the votes came in at 155 votes for and 125 votes against the decree meaning the new law will come into effect at the start of next year. Te author of the so-called Dignity Decree, Italian Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Economic Development, Labor, and Social Policies, Luigi Di Maio intervened in the discussion, referring to the protection of citizens with regard to the risk of gambling addiction.
He said: "Gambling is a social emergency that needed to be tackled immediately. We could no longer allow citizens to be encouraged to gamble, a vice that increasingly degenerates into a real disease: in Italy there are a million people at risk, including many children. I consider this rule an act of civilization that is implemented for the first time in the European Union. Finally, a record to be proud of.”
As Di Maio called for even more measures against the industry, Italian Prime Minister argued that legal gambling should continue to occupy at least a small place in Italy. “A small
Century delighted to move on from Poland's relicensing process
Poland
Canadian-based casino group Century Casinos has said it is pleased to have put the difficult relicensing process behind it in Poland. Te group has been left with eight casino licences in Poland which provides well over a third of the group’s revenues. It has currently six of these eight licences open with two venues operating in the capital Warsaw, including its flagship casino at the Marriott Hotel which gave an average annual revenue increase of 11 per cent over the last three years. Te other is the casino at the Hilton Hotel, which has increased its revenues by 15 per cent since its opening over a year ago.
Co CEO Peter Hoetzinger said: “After a rather turbulent few
part of these games must remain in public life in Italy, as its absence would otherwise lead to illegal gambling. We will fight this too,” the prime minister said.
Italy's Serie A football league said it was following developments ‘with extreme concern.’ Over half of the clubs in Serie A currently have deals in place with gambling firms. Te league said: "Te Lega Serie A is following with extreme worry the developments of the 'Decreto Legge Dignita' and the impact on Italian football of rules which ban advertising from betting firms.
“In highlighting the clear disparity compared to other countries in Europe and the world, where such bans don't exist, and showing the negative consequences of such a measure, the Lega Serie A points out that in the 2017-18 season 12 top- flight clubs had a partnership agreement with companies from the betting sector."
“Preventing companies in this sector from investing in promotion in our own country would cause competitive disadvantages to Italian clubs, diverting advertising budgets for our teams abroad,” it added.
quarters during which the official process for the award of casino licenses came under heavy criticism, especially for its late timing, which not only resulted in several casino closings throughout Poland, but also in lost gaming tax revenue for the government and additional cost and expenses for the operators, our subsidiary Casinos Poland has been awarded a total of eight casino licenses compared to seven we had previously. Six of the eight are already in operation. Te other two will open later this year.
“We are really glad that we can finally leave this relicensing mess behind us and look forward to generating much stronger EBITDA margins going forward. Just how strong the market really is may perhaps be demonstrated based by a comparison of the only two casinos that we had in operations throughout this entire licensing, relicensing situation,” he added.
France
Joa, the third biggest casino group in France, has won its 25th casino licence with the award of the future licence in Saint-Laurent-Grandvaux, an alpine village in Eastern France.
Joa, who was the only candidate who responded to the concession notice, will invest €7.5m in the project which is close to the boder with Switzerland. A parking of 138 places is already planned at first. As for all its establishments, Te Joa group does not want to be limited to casino games alone and will offer recreational areas. Te duration of the concession is 20 years, with a return of the building to the municipality at the end of it. It is aiming to be open by 2020.
Joa is looking to mirror the model of its casino at Giffaumont-Champaubert in Marne, which was an unexpected success, generating GGR of €11.4m.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116
