Compliance Updates
Alabama Lawmakers Push Sweeping Gambling Bill That Would Allow Lottery and Casinos
A group of Alabama lawmakers unveiled a sweeping gambling bill last week that could authorize a state lottery and 10 casinos across the conservative Deep South state as some Republicans look to get the question before voters in November.
Alabama is one of few states without a state lottery, after lawmakers in 1999 rejected a proposal to allow one. And unlike neighboring Mississippi, the state has been resistant to full-fledged casinos with table games and slot machines. Lawmakers estimate the proposal could provide more than $800 million in annual revenue to the state.
If approved by three-fifths of lawmakers, the proposal would be put on the ballot for voters to decide.
āWe believe that people deserve the right to vote on this issue,ā said Republican Rep. Andy Whitt, who led a group of legislators who worked on the bill.
The gambling bill, now backed by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, was among several controversial measures put forward by lawmakers to kick off the legislative session. A committee advanced legislation that would make it a crime to return another personās absentee ballot, a restriction Republican supporters said they want to enact before the November presidential election.
A draft of the gambling legislation was distributed to lawmakers last week and supporters said the bill could be up for a vote in committee and on the House floor as soon as this week, depending upon support. Republican backers of the bill will need to whip votes from within their ranks and also win the votes of a substantial number of Democratic lawmakers.
āWeāre trending in the right direction,ā Republican Rep. Chris Blackshear, who will sponsor the bill, said of efforts to get the needed 63 votes to pass the bill in the Republican-dominated House.
Several lawmakers from both sides on the aisle said they needed more time to review the bill before determining how they will vote.
Supporters pitched the bill as a means to crack down on small electronic gambling machines that have cropped up in convenience stores and small gambling halls. The state has been in a long-running legal battle to shut down electronic bingo machines, which have whirling displays that make them resemble slot machines. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians, who are not under state jurisdiction, have three sites with the slot machine lookalikes.
The proposed constitutional amendment would allow a state lottery, seven new casino sites, sports betting and also authorize the governor to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians that would enable the tribe to offer casino games at their three existing locations. The tribe would also be able to offer such games at a new casino site in north Alabama that could attract customers from Tennessee and Georgia.
Lottery proceeds would go to education programs such as scholarships for two-year community and technical colleges and dual enrollment. Casino and sports betting revenue would go to the general fund, where lawmakers would decide each year how to allocate it.
The controversial bill to enact absentee ballot restrictions would make it a misdemeanor to deliver someone elseās absentee completed ballot or distribute an absentee ballot application prefilled with someone elseās name. It would be a felony to give and receive payment for helping people vote absentee.
Supporters say the change is needed to combat voter fraud, but opponents say it would discourage voting by absentee ballot.
Republican Sen. Garlan Gudger said the bill would stop bad actors ātrying to steal our electionsā. Gudger said the bill was changed from an initial version that sparked heated debate last year and would have largely prohibited any help with absentee ballots.
Democrats on the committee and opponents who spoke at a public hearing, questioned the need for the bill.
āThis bill doesnāt just erect barriers, it obliterates the bridge connecting disenfranchised citizens to their democratic right to vote,ā said Tari Williams, who works with a Birmingham-based nonprofit that works with low-income people.
The same committee last week delayed a vote on legislation that would regulate which flags could be displayed outside public property in Alabama. The bill listed certain flags such as the American flag, state and city flags and others that would be allowed. A Democratic lawmaker questioned the need for the bill and language suggesting flags from previous governments would be allowed.
āAre we going to put the Confederate flag all over? The Spanish flag?ā asked Sen. Linda Coleman Madison, a Democrat from Birmingham. āIt looks like this is opening up a can of worms,ā she added.
Compliance Updates
IGSA Welcomes Sharp Vision as Silver Member
The International Gaming Standards Association (IGSA) has welcomed Sharp Vision as a new Silver member. Sharp Vision is a leading provider of regulatory turnkey solutions for gaming authorities.
āWe are delighted to be a part of IGSA and we look forward to contributing to the advancement of best practices among regulators in the fast-growing gaming industry,ā Damien Raymond, COO of Sharp Vision, said.
āIGSA is very excited to welcome Sharp Vision to our membership. We believe that IGSA Standards can enhance Sharp Visionās products supporting regulatory authority oversight. We look forward to their participation in IGSA committees,ā Mark Pace, President of IGSA, said.
Compliance Updates
PGCB Places Seven Individuals on Involuntary Interactive Exclusion List for Online Gaming Fraud
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) on Wednesday approved recommendations by its Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC) for the placement of seven individuals on the iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List.
The online transactions that these seven individuals engaged in, totaling $27,168, were investigated by the Boardās Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement (BIE) and found to be fraudulent in two major respects:
- an individual used a fraudulent scheme to obtain an online account or accounts in another personās name and identifiers, placed funds into these accounts utilizing other personsā payment methods, and without engaging in any gaming activity, managed to have funds withdrawn from the fraudulently-established account or accounts directly into their own bank account; or,
- requested and received a refund for a disputed credit or debit card transaction from a card issuer even though that refund was fraudulent.
The specific fraudulent conduct of each individual is further described below:
- Created two separate online sports wagering accounts using the personal identification and credit cards of other individuals, and withdrew $300;
- Created 13 separate online casino-type games accounts using the personal identification and credit cards of other individuals, and withdrew $545;
- Created six separate online sports wagering accounts using the personal identification and credit cards of other individuals, and withdrew $1000;
- Created four separate online sports wagering accounts using the personal identification and credit cards of other individuals, and withdrew $1123;
- Created two separate online sports wagering accounts using the personal identification and credit cards of other individuals, and withdrew $1500;
- Illegally requested and received six chargebacks to a credit card associated with an online casino-type games account totaling $10,100;
- Created one online sports wagering account using the personal identification and credit card of another individual, and withdrew $12,600.
The Boardās actions in these matters stem from its commitment to keep individuals who have committed fraud from gaming online in Pennsylvania. The additions made bring to 37 the total number of individuals who are currently on the iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List.
The Board also placed four other individuals on its Casino Involuntary Exclusion List. The number of individuals currently on that list totals 1197 and stems from various reasons including theft, cheating, child endangerment disorderly conduct, and using counterfeit currency.
Compliance Updates
PandaScore secures their first US betting license, by entering Colorado
After a meticulous and measured research process in consultation with the needs of its clients, PandaScore has acquired a license to operate in the US state of Colorado.
Through the license, PandaScore has signalled its intentions in the US market: forging a supplier-led path to esports betting success in the US. Existing PandaScore clients can now enter the Colorado market, scale up their esports offering and build their future audience in the stateās esports-friendly regulatory framework.
Future clients can also be confident that working with PandaScore supports their growth strategy in the lucrative US market. The stateās esports-friendly regulatory framework serves as a solid foundation to cultivate an esports audience and take advantage of PandaScoreās innovative, revenue-driving products such as BetBuilder, player props and microbetting.
PandaScore selected Colorado as its first point of entry into US licensing thanks to the stateās large catalogue of esports titles and competitions that are eligible for regular betting, and the wide range of markets that can be offered. Additionally, the stateās flexible and innovation-friendly licensing regime makes it a strong market for PandaScore and its clients.
Securing the license also serves as proof of concept for the French esports supplier, PandaScore Legal Counsel Alexis Brunet noted that āsecuring the Colorado license is a strong signal of our intentions in the US and are serious about its potential. Esports in the United States is a fast-evolving regulatory environment, but itās only going in one direction: expansion. We intend to provide our best-in-class products and services to our customers no matter where they are, and service one of the largest markets in the world.ā
For PandaScore CEO Flavien Guillocheau, entry into Colorado in the US market was the natural next step in the companyās client-first, service-oriented approach: āFor esports to succeed in the US, suppliers must lead from the front. Suppliers need to address the uncertainty around regulation which has held back operator investment and thus growth of the vertical.
āWeāve proven we know the market, get a license efficiently and do it in a way that puts operators first. Weāre confident that if our clients are seeking entry into a given market, we can be completely straight with them, show them the viable pathway to success, and create the foundation and access they need to fully harness the potential of esports in one of its biggest consumer markets.ā
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