Compliance Updates

Iowa Legislator Introduces Bill to Legalize Online Slot and Table Games

Published

2 years ago

March 20, 2023

A lawmaker in the American state of Iowa has proposed legislation that looks to further expand the Midwestern jurisdiction’s iGaming market by legalizing the provision of online slot and table games.

Iowa is home to almost 3.2 million people and has allowed local sports betting aficionados to place wagers online since August of 2019. The state’s 17-strong club of licensed sports wagering domains has since gone on to rack up more than $5.4 billion in aggregated handle and contribute nearly $24.9 million in associated tax revenues.

Bobby Kaufmann is a Republican member of the Iowa House of Representatives and has now lodged his prospective House Study Bill 227 (HSB 227) as part of an effort to bring online slot and table games to punters in ‘The Hawkeye State’. The 38-year-old legislator revealed that the successful passage of his bill would result in a lot of benefits for the state’s embryonic iGaming market along with as much as $35 million in extra tax revenues every year.

Six American states encompassing Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, Michigan Pennsylvania and West Virginia currently allow residents to enjoy slot and table games entertainment over the Internet while Nevada permits online poker. Kaufmann asserted that he introduced HSB 227 so as to keep the conversation on the local expansion of iGaming current with his proposed bill having already been referred to the Iowa House of Representative’s Ways and Means Committee, in which he serves as Chair.

A virtual clone of the unsuccessful HSB 604 measure Kaufmann introduced last year, HSB 227 seeks to allow the 19 land-based and riverboat casinos in Iowa to obtain licenses for the provision of online slot and table games. Although no tax details have been included within the language, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission detailed that the jurisdiction’s retail gambling establishments generated more than $143 million in adjusted gross revenues in February including some $11.9 million from sports betting.

However, Kaufmann conceded that HSB 227 is not likely to be approved anytime soon and may not even be put up for a full vote before the start of the state’s 2024 legislative session. The bill’s prospects have been further complicated by a measure approved by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds in June that implemented a two-year moratorium on the issuance of any new gaming licenses.

Casino operators in Iowa supported the licensing freeze to July of 2024 in hopes of bringing stability to a market that is continuing to suffer from the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic alongside the recent appearance of gambling establishments in the neighboring jurisdiction of Nebraska. Jack Whitver from the Iowa State Senate asserted that the last few years have seen ‘a lot of changes to our gaming laws’ and there now potentially exists ‘a little, maybe a lot, of gaming fatigue within the Capitol’.

Up Next

New Jersey Chalks Up Impressive Swell in February Sports Betting Winnings

Don't Miss

Interblock to Exhibit Ground-Breaking Technology at IGA 2023

Stake - Best Online Casino & Sports Betting Platform

Compliance Updates

VIP Play Obtains Interim West Virginia iGaming and Sports Wagering Management Service Provider Licenses

Published

2 hours ago

April 3, 2025

Niji Narayan

VIP Play Inc. announced the approval of its interim License in West Virginia for both Sports Wagering and iGaming managed services. This follows the recently announced market access partnership between VIP Play and Delaware North’s Wheeling Island Casino.

This milestone marks the company’s initial expansion beyond Tennessee, where it currently operates as a mobile Sports Wagering Operator. The interim License in West Virginia also adds iGaming to the company’s book of business, and allows VIP Play to participate in the rapidly expanding i-Gaming industry. VIP Play expects to begin serving West Virginia customers in the coming months.

Bruce Cassidy, VIP Play CEO & Chairman of the Board, said: “The acquisition of our interim Sports Wagering and i-Gaming License in West Virginia marks a significant milestone in our journey to expand, underscoring our commitment to provide innovative experiences to a wider audience. As we grow our presence, our dedication to excellence stands firm, and we’re excited to play a role in enriching West Virginia’s dynamic gaming community.”

Compliance Updates

QTech Games sharpens its LatAm focus with MINCETUR licence in Peru

Published

2 hours ago

April 3, 2025

George Miller

QTech Games sharpens its LatAm focus with MINCETUR licence in Peru

New certification for emerging-markets leader arrives ahead of key industry summit in Sao Paulo and awards recognition

QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for emerging markets, has had its platform and games successfully approved for the Peruvian market, demonstrating that its premier B2B platform and all-encompassing content conforms to the latest legislative updates to enhance and regulate Peru’s local gaming environment.

Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Tourism (MINCETUR) has now issued an online gaming licence to QTech Games, whereby all its platform products and games are now deemed legally permitted. This includes its new software service for retail, QTech Hybrid, which allows land-based partners to scale their operations online. QTech Hybrid simplifies transactions by enabling deposits, withdrawals and gameplay while allowing access to players both in-shop and on personal devices.

This breakthrough hybrid solution has quickly won clients and awards in the comparably fragmented African market (most recently in March for Best Innovation at AGE Lagos), and now promises to do likewise across LatAm, where QTech Games has already signed several major clients for both its aggregation platform and its QTech Hybrid solution. This activity has seen it again nominated for Best Aggregator at the SiGMA Americas Awards, which kickstart the SiGMA Americas summit (7-10 April) next week, as the igaming world converges on Sao Paulo for a must-attend conference in another of QTech Games’ “focus markets” for 2025.

Philip Doftvik, QTech Games’ CEO, said: “It’s fantastic to have certified our aggregation platform in Peru via MINCETUR – and I’m pleased to say we have more such approvals pending across the continent. We attended fantastic events in Rio and, more recently, SAGSE 2025 in Buenos Aires – and anticipate more of the same at SiGMA Americas in Sao Paulo next week, where we’re also thrilled to have been shortlisted for Best Aggregator at their LatAm Awards. Given the venue, Brazil will be dominating the discussion for many at SiGMA Sao Paulo. However, we’ll also be looking beyond Brazilian borders this year, and are already active in Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Paraguay. We know our QTech Hybrid solution will work very well wherever we put a pin on the LatAm map.”

QTech Games delegates will be present at five more LatAm summits in 2025, with SiGMA Americas (7 April) the next port of call – followed by GAT Expo Cartagena (28 April), SBC Americas (13 May), Peru Gaming Show (18 June) and GAT Expo Mexico (28 Aug).

Compliance Updates

IGSA Welcomes Eclipse Compliance Testing as a New Vertical Member

Published

2 hours ago

April 3, 2025

Niji Narayan

The International Gaming Standards Association (IGSA) has welcomed Eclipse Compliance Testing as a new Vertical member.

IGSA President Mark Pace said: “IGSA is excited to welcome Eclipse Compliance Testing as a new member, as their extensive knowledge in gaming product compliance testing for over 25 years will be invaluable.”

Eclipse Compliance Testing Founder Nick Farley said: “Eclipse Compliance Testing is pleased to add its voice and expertise in regulatory compliance testing. We have been on the fore front of the battle to help define what is legal and what is not and hope to contribute to the ongoing regulatory work that IGSA has undertaken.”

Eclipse Compliance Testing (ECT) is a full-service ISO 17025, 17020 and GSA accredited regulatory compliance Independent Test Laboratory (ITL) for the casino gaming, lottery, and amusement industries.

Founded in 2000 by gaming compliance testing pioneer, Nick Farley, and former General Electric executive, Janice Farley, ECT serves over 250 regulated markets globally with regulatory testing for devices and systems in Class III, Class II, skill games, electronic pull-tabs, iGaming, mobile gaming, sports wagering, DFS, and charitable gaming markets.

ECT also provides assistance in the preparation of technical standards and regulations, expert testimony services on behalf of legal professionals, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, on-site inspections and audits, consulting and technical advice, forensic evaluations, and training.

ECT is a current member of the International Gaming Standards Association (IGSA), North American Gaming Regulators Association (NAGRA), the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) and the Oklahoma Tribal Gaming Regulators Association (OTGRA).