EUROPE IN FOCUS

UKGC CEO emphasizes supplier due diligence, KSA levies big fine on WPN, Norsk Tipping lowers loss limits for young players and more.

EUROPE IN FOCUS

UKGC CEO: Suppliers Supporting Black Market Could Put Operators at Risk

In a webinar hosted by industry law firm Harris Hagan on Jan. 15, U.K. Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes reiterated his advice for the sector to carry out due diligence against supplier partners, warning operators will suffer if a partner’s license is revoked for working with unlicensed operators.

Rhodes said if a supplier has their license revoked by the Gambling Commission their activities must cease immediately in the U.K., and this would disrupt operators and other suppliers utilizing their services.

In November Rhodes advised stakeholders to carry out their own due diligence on suppliers to ensure they are not providing services to the black market. But a number of stakeholders said they believed it would be a hugely difficult task to track all their supplier partners, and it was ultimately up to the regulator to enforce these practices within its own work.

Addressing viewers of the Harris Hagan webinar, Rhodes said the industry appeared to have misinterpreted his comments in November.

“Some interpreted my remarks as meaning the industry should police this rather than the regulator and actually, I don’t understand why anyone in the licensed industry would want to be in business with a company that would be supporting illegal competition,” he said.

 

Dutch Regulator Issues $1.34 Million Fine To Winning Poker Network

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has fined Winning Poker Network $1.3 million for operating unlicensed online poker operations in the country.

KSA reached the decision last month but revealed the sanction on Jan. 14. Winning Poker Network (WPN) is ruled to have breached Dutch law by operating online poker without the relevant license.

According to the regulator, Dutch players could access and gamble online via the WPN-run AmericasCardroom.eu (ACR) website. The site features a range of poker games and tournaments, as well as various promotions for customers.

Detailing the case, KSA said it first flagged WPN in September 2022 for activity across both the ACR site and WinningPokerNetwork.com. It found the ACR was accessible to players in the Netherlands despite the operator not holding a license.

Players were able to create an account, deposit using a Dutch credit card and participate in online poker. KSA also flagged how several casino games were being offered on the same website. Online poker is legal in the Netherlands through licensed operators but there is an outright ban on online games of chance, which include slots.

 

Norsk Tipping Sets Lower Monthly Loss Limits For Younger Players

Norwegian state-owned monopoly Norsk Tipping has enforced further reductions in loss limits for younger players, with those aged between 20 and 24 to face tighter measures.

Norsk Tipping customers aged 20 to 21 will only be able to lose a maximum of $264 per month. Loss limits will be set slightly higher at $441 for players between the ages of 22 and 24.

Both new loss limits will come into effect from Feb. 1, the operator has confirmed. They will apply to all games available at Norsk Tipping.

The decision comes after loss limits were previously announced for younger players. In May 2023, a maximum monthly loss limit of $176 was set for users aged 18 to 20.

 

Swedish Regulator Denies Reports of Self-exclusion Data Breach

Spelinspektionen, the national gambling regulator in Sweden, has rejected claims of a data breach in its Spelpaus, insisting there is no evidence that information is “leaking” from the country’s self-exclusion register.

Aired on Sveriges Radio channel P1 on Jan. 7, the ‘Kasinoläckan’ documentary series examines Europe’s casino industry. It features a six-month collaboration between investigative journalists across gambling markets in several countries, including Sweden.

Flagged in the documentary is a supposed data breach of Spelpaus. The regulator’s national self-exclusion scheme launched in Jan. 2019 to accompany the roll out of legal online gambling in the country.

Spelinspektionen on Jan. 10 hit back at these claims, rejecting the claims that information had been leaked from Spelpaus to the public. It said there has been no evidence of such an incident.

“All information in the register is encrypted,” Spelinspektionen said in a statement. “There is no information about whether the person who has excluded themselves is addicted to gambling or not.

 

Stake Eyes Denmark Move with Mocinoplay Acquisition

Crypto gambling operator Stake is set to expand its presence into regulated markets after entering into an agreement to acquire Danish operator MocinoPlay, the company behind the VinderCasino brand.

Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, and the acquisition remains subject to approval by Denmark’s regulator Spillemyndigheden. Stake did not say when it expects to complete the purchase of MocinoPlay.

Stake does not yet have a presence in Denmark and said the acquisition would establish a foothold in Northern Europe.

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