Compliance Updates
Pace-O-Matic Files Lawsuit Against Pennsylvania Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement
Pace-O-Matic, which powers Pennsylvania Skill games, filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court against the Pennsylvania Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement (BLCE), alleging it engaged in coordinated harassment against Pennsylvania Skill operators and location owners where these legal skilled games are played.
The company is seeking to permanently block BLCE from targeting Pace-O-Matic (POM) games along with the veteransâ organizations, fraternal clubs and small businesses where the games are located.
In one of the most damning parts of the complaint, POM alleges that BLCE has been in direct contact with the casino industry as part of a conspiracy to disparage POM and assist casino operatives in slandering POM. As documented in the complaint, a casino public relations operative contacted the Clearfield County District Attorney regarding a skill games seizure there as part of the alleged cooperative effort with BLCE.
âIt is undeniable that BLCE officials coordinated with a for-profit company to harass POM and organizations and businesses where Pennsylvania Skill games are played,â said Mike Barley, spokesman for Pace-O-Matic. âThis is a clear betrayal of the public trust by a law enforcement agency.â
The complaint alleges the following:
- Starting in 2018, BLCE began targeted harassment towards POM and its business partners.
- BLCE targeted only locations with Pennsylvania Skill games with threats and seizures. BLCE leadership, in fact, trained enforcement officers to differentiate Pennsylvania Skill games from competitorsâ games, including training the officers on the colors and logos of Pennsylvania Skill. Locations with Pennsylvania Skill games received harsher treatment than locations with other gaming machines.
- BLCE leadership instructed bureau officers to misstate gaming law or court decisions in an effort to scare locations into removing their skill games. When those efforts failed, officers threatened citations that would lead to a loss of the locationâs liquor license.
- BLCE  â in conjunction with casino public relations personnel —  recruited the Clearfield County district attorney to seize Pennsylvania Skill games. In fact, BLCE has been in contact with lawyers and lobbyists for casinos in a conspiracy to disparage POM and assist casino lobbyists in interfering in POMâs business.
- Some locations cited for maintaining skill games were contacted by BLCE lawyers, who offered to reduce citation fines in exchange for assistance in building a case against POM and Pennsylvania Skill.
- BLCE has contacted district attorneys throughout the Commonwealth to enlist prosecutorsâ help in seizing Pennsylvania Skill games.
Operators of casinos in Pennsylvania, which are seeing record revenue, have opposed skill games for years, claiming they cut into casino profits. Research by a Villanova University economics professor, however, demonstrates that this is false.
Pennsylvania Skill operates games in locally owned small businesses such as bars, restaurants and convenience stores, along with fraternal clubs and veterans organizations.
Skill games can be won every time if the player uses mental skill and patience, unlike slot machines that are games of pure chance. In 2014, a Common Pleas court determined that Pennsylvania Skill games are legal because of the skill factor.
The complaint states that BLCEâs âconduct is all the more remarkable, and wrongful, because the Bureau has never articulated a factual or legal basis for maintaining that the Skill Game is an illegal gambling deviceâ following the 2014 court decision.
Compliance Updates
JCM Global Receives Approval to Operate in West Virginia
JCM Global announced that it has successfully passed regulatory review and received a manufacturerâs license from the West Virginia Lottery Commission. The license enables JCM to directly sell to and service customers in the state.
âAt JCM, we are committed to our customers. While attaining licensing was not required, we pursued it because it allows us to directly provide JCMâs leading technology and advanced systems, backed by our world-class service, and support, resulting in faster service times and simplifying the entire relationship between JCM and our customers,â said JCM SVP â Sales, Marketing & Operations Dave Kubajak in a statement.
JCM recently announced it has attained licenses in Colorado and New Mexico, bringing the companyâs total number of active gaming licenses to 177.
In West Virginia, JCM will provide technology, including the iVIZION bill validator; ICB Intelligent Cash Box System, which boosts security and efficiencies across the gaming floor; and the GEN5 thermal printer, which delivers TITO, personalized promotions, and rewards directly to the player.
Compliance Updates
SYNOT Games Officially Certifies Over 140 Games in Brazil
SYNOT Games has announced that more than 140 of its games have now been officially certified in Brazil.
âWe are delighted to announce that more than 140 of our games have now been officially certified in Brazil. This significant achievement allows us to expand our reach and introduce a diverse selection of games to this dynamic market. Brazil represents a key opportunity for growth, and we are committed to delivering exceptional gaming experiences to the Brazilian audience,â the Company said.
âWe are thrilled to introduce our portfolio in Brazil, offering innovative and engaging gameplay that promises to captivate and entertain players,â Martina Krajci, CCO at SYNOT Games, said.
Compliance Updates
Delasport Now GLI-Certified for Sports Betting in Brazil
Delasport has just become one of the first suppliers to obtain a GLI certification for its sportsbook in Brazil, two weeks before the historical regulation comes into effect.
Continuing its global growth, Delasport is bringing several operators on board in Brazil. In order to complete the process, operators that are applying for a new Brazilian license have 30 days to provide all relevant platform certificates from the moment that they are notified by the regulator that their initial submission has been accepted. This is also the moment that they can pay the license fee. Still, failure to provide platform certificates will result in the application being placed on hold.
Delasport turned to Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) for the certification of its sportsbook against Brazilian technical standards. The historical partnership with GLI was further strengthened by the news, a few months back, that GLI had become the first laboratory to achieve the local accreditation to certify for betting systems, live game studios, and online games by the Secretaria De PrĂȘmios e Apostas (SPA) in Brazil.
Delasport has successfully met all technical requirements for providing its sports betting solution to the largest country in South America. The certificate is evidence of the teamâs experience, expertise, and determination to lead the way in key jurisdictions.
Obtaining a GLI certification for Brazil is a step towards cementing the trust players and operators have for Delasportâs products. This serves to show that the award-winning supplier is capable of meeting even the strictest industry standards for integrity and fairness.
âWhen we learnt that providing platform certificates to the regulator was on our partner operatorsâ critical path for obtaining the license, we immediately prioritized submitting the system to GLI for testingâ, Delasportâs Chief Compliance Officer Filippo Ferri said. âNeedless to say, GLI did a tremendous job of working with us to conduct the tests in record time, to match the submission deadline of some of our clients. I am also very proud of how our internal departments worked together to obtain this certificate, and of how they continue to push forward with the delivery of a datavault system that complies with SIGAP requirements.â
Operators that plan on entering the newly regulated Brazilian market will now have numerous advantages if they partner with Delasport. They will be able to provide their players with personalization features like My Sportsbook, My Event Builder, and My Combo that skyrocket revenues and retention.
Furthermore, Delasportâs KYC and AML provider is a market leader that guarantees the highest level of compliance for all operators that choose to go on this route.
Also, Delasport has already partnered with numerous local payment system providers and offers a real-time AI-powered Responsible Gambling system which can easily adapt to local regulations.
Last, but not least, operators will feel Delasportâs support from the get-go all the way to establishing themselves as a market leader. Delasport is knowledgeable of cultural and regional differences and can address all localization needs from the early stages of engagement.
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