U.K. Gambling Commission Embarks On Black Market Study
The U.K. Gambling Commission (UKGC) is developing its first-ever comprehensive study of the U.K. black market to help improve its monitoring of illegal online gambling operations.
The first iteration of the study will be released in late spring 2025.
“With a better understanding of why and how consumers access unlicensed gambling websites, we can identify ways to data to identify unlicensed websites and make estimates of their usage by GB consumers,” the UKGC said in a note breaking down the study’s methodology and aims.
In its research the commission will estimate the back market’s gross gambling yield (GGY) by combining web traffic data collected from unlicensed sites and an average GGY amount it has determined from collecting player spend data across seven leading operators. It has determined the average GGY per minute for online slots is £0.32.
Ireland Passes Gambling Regulation Bill, Law to Be Enacted “Within the Year”
Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Bill was passed on the evening of Oct. 16 by the lower house of the Irish parliament Dáil Éireann, after a final debate on the long-awaited bill was concluded.
The Gambling Regulation Bill was first introduced to Dáil Éireann on Dec. 2, 2022, with the aim of establishing a gambling regulator and modernizing regulations, including new methods to safeguard players and vulnerable groups.
The bill’s lead deputy James Browne said he expects the legislation to be enacted within the year. “That would certainly be the aim, [although] we can never be certain about these things,” he said.
However, the next Irish general election must be held no later than March 2025, which could impact the bill’s next stage.
France Considering Legalizing Online Gambling
The French government is seeking to legalize online gambling in 2025 to boost tax revenues. A proposal was first presented to parliament on Oct. 19, in which a 55.6 percent tax rate was suggested for online casino games. The move, the government said, would also help curb the proliferation of black market gambling sites in the country.
The land-based casino sector has hit back at the measure, which will form part of parliament’s 2025 budget, insisting online casinos could lead to a 20 percent to 30 percent drop in land-based gross gaming revenue. Casinos de France Union President Grégory Rabuel told Les Echos up to 30 percent of establishments could be forced to close due to depleted earnings as players transition online.
Report: Swedish Government Should Clarify Black Market Law
A new report from Sweden’s National Audit Office (Riksrevisionen) has called on the government to improve the law surrounding what is considered an illegal operator. This, the office said, could provide better enforcement capabilities to the gambling regulator. At present there is a lack of clarity around operators licensed outside of Sweden, but not by the local regulator, in Curacao for example.
These operators are technically not operating illegally in Sweden if they offer products in English that are not fully localized to a Swedish consumer. The report recommends the law is investigated and updated to help improve the gambling regulator’s fight against the black market.
The 97-page publication also raised some concerns about the gambling regulator, saying that, at present, it is “not effective enough” in its supervision of the market.
BetMGM Launches in Sweden as European Expansion Continues
LeoVegas has taken the BetMGM brand to Sweden, marking its third market launch outside North America.
The brand was initially developed for the U.S. market via a joint venture between MGM Resorts and Entain. MGM snapped up LeoVegas in a $604 million deal in 2022 to expand its BetMGM product into Europe and Latin America.
It subsequently bought Tipico’s U.S. betting platform in June to bring LeoVegas’ sports betting tech in-house.
LeoVegas CEO and founder Gustaf Hagman told iGB in September 2023 that MGM’s intention was to grow internationally in the digital space, with LeoVegas as the powerhouse.
Setting BetMGM live in the U.K. was its first point of call in September last year. This was followed by the Netherlands in April as the operator sought to replicate its initial success in the U.K. market elsewhere in Europe.
The same offering will be available in Sweden, centered around BetMGM’s core Las Vegas theme. But new real-time live casino games will also be available in the Swedish market, enabling players to bet on table games streamed live from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The live dealer offering was developed by MGM in partnership with Playtech.
