Compliance Updates
Elys Game Technology and Grand Central Announce License Approval in Washington
Elys Game Technology, an interactive gaming and sports betting technology company, and Grand Central LLC, an independently owned operator of the Grand Central Restaurant & Bar located in the Adams Morgan area of Washington, announced the grant by the District of Columbia’s Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) of a Class B Operator license to Grand Central to operate a sportsbook within the Grand Central Restaurant & Bar and of a provisional Class B Standard Management Services Provider License to Elys in conjunction with management services to be provided to Grand Central.
The Grand Central venue will offer sports betting alongside food and beverages providing a unique customer experience and is believed to be the first sportsbook of its kind to be operated within an independently owned business establishment in the US. The Class B license allows a full-service sportsbook with no restrictions on maximum bets to be wagered and where all winnings can be redeemed on-site.
Elys will provide Grand Central with the turn-key retail betting solution on POS and kiosk hardware as well as managed services to operate the sportsbook, including back-office and business intelligence, odds and event offerings, risk management and trading services, while both Elys and Grand Central will collaborate on customer-engagement campaigns, marketing, and any co-branding ventures. To allow sufficient time for staff training and hardware installation, it is expected that wagering on sports will be offered at Grand Central in or around October 2021 with the on-premise mobile app to be launched in 2022.
“We have been a part of the vibrant Adams Morgan neighborhood since Grand Central opened in 2007. We are looking forward to offering our customers an extraordinary experience to wager on their favorite teams while enjoying our signature dishes and beverages for lunch, dinner or gathering for team events and special games or even just dropping in to place a wager. We are very honored to have been approved as the first Class B licensed operator by the DC Office of Lottery and Gaming and believe that our establishment will serve as a showcase example for this operational model and a key role in the economic growth of this rooted residential and commercial neighborhood, as well as the greater DC area,” Brian Vasile, owner of Grand Central, said.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be granted our first US-based sports wagering license and are looking forward to launching our Elys Gameboard U.S. platform at Grand Central Restaurant & Bar, in Washington, DC. We also wish to recognise Brian Vasile, his partners and staff who worked tirelessly with our engineering team housed within our group technology subsidiary, Odissea, and our U.S. operations team to achieve this significant accomplishment,” Michele Ciavarella, Executive Chairman of Elys, said.
“For ages, sports events and championship games have been consumed and enjoyed the most in restaurants and bars, and we believe that the unique Class B classification established by the DC Office of Lottery and Gaming will pioneer an entirely new and exciting vertical where sports wagering could elevate the dining and gathering experience at bars and restaurants throughout North America. We also believe that this model could be adopted across multiple states to support local and growing businesses, and that Grand Central can become the quintessential model for operating a sportsbook within a business that is accessible by all fans of sports.”
Ciavarella continued: “With a low-cost of deployment and high scalability, our leading-edge micro-services technology is perfectly suited to operate sportsbooks in the massive network of small businesses across Canada and the U.S., and we believe small businesses could be a major contributor to local and regional economic development for years to come. The addition of US Bookmaking is expected to serve a key role in the product offering and bookmaking at Grand Central, as well as the potentially rapid expansion expected by Elys at small businesses across the country.”
Elys is operational in approximately 1200 venues throughout Italy, in both online and retail channels and is now live in 5 states with 6 tribal casinos and a restaurant bar. The Company is planning to process applications to offer sports wagering through its leading-edge betting platform to large and small casinos and independent business venues in the US and Canada representing one of the most exciting long-term growth opportunities for Elys. The provisional Standard Management Services Provider License granted to the Company expires August 26, 2022.
The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council through its executive director issued $50,000 in fines to Bovada.lv, an unlicensed and therefore illegal sportsbook operating in Tennessee.
Bovada failed to comply with cease and desist letters delivered to addresses in Curaçao, and Council investigators placed wagers through Bovada’s platform on three separate occasions, including as recently as October 16, 2024.
The Sports Gaming Act authorizes the Council to impose a $10,000 fine for the first offense of accepting wagers without a license, which rises to $15,000 for the second offense, and $25,000 for the third offense. Subsequent offenses may lead to the imposition of a $25,000 fine for each occurrence, an occurrence being a single wager accepted in Tennessee.
In the cease and desist letters, the Council ordered Bovada to allow all Tennessee users to withdraw any funds currently held by the unlicensed sportsbook.
“The Sports Wagering Council recommends that Tennessee users of Bovada withdraw their funds immediately. Our primary role is the protection of the public interest through a safe, regulated environment, and Tennessee sports bettors need to know that just because they can access a sports betting website or app inside Tennessee’s borders does not mean it is licensed to do business here,” Mary Beth Thomas, Executive Director of Tennessee Sports Wagering Council, said.
Legal sportsbook operators provide important bettor protections not found in the illegal market. If an individual wagers with unlicensed sportsbooks, their sensitive financial and personal information may not be protected and could even be shared with criminal enterprises. The bettor’s money could be withheld or disappear without a way to recover it.
The SWC is working closely with its network of law enforcement at the state and federal level to eradicate illegal sportsbooks such as Bovada and others.
Tennessee is the largest “online-only” sports betting market in the US, with more than $4.7 billion wagered in Tennessee last fiscal year through online sportsbooks licensed by the Council.
Award-winning iGaming supplier Delasport has just positioned itself as the most progressive supplier to date by meeting the new Brazilian regulation requirements for Sports Betting and Online Casino. The global technology developer has taken all required measures to comply in terms of certifications, Data vault integration, payment providers, KYC, AML, and much more.
Delasport’s team of over 400 experts worldwide are advancing to deliver its renowned products and services to the Brazilian market. They have partnered with GLI (Gaming Laboratories International) – the leading certification lab approved by the Brazilian Ministry of Finance.
So far, Delasport is fully certified against GLI-33 and GLI-19 – the standards that have inspired regulators in Latin America and likely in Brazil. Additionally, the team is in the process of submitting the platform for certification against Brazilian technical standards. Delasport is also advancing rapidly through data quality testing of its integration with the SIGAP Datavault system.
Key Advantages
Operators that plan on entering the newly regulated Brazilian market will 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, My Combo, and My Casino that skyrocket revenues and retention.
Furthermore, Delasport’s 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 PIX payment system operators and provides a real-time AI-powered Responsible Gambling system which can easily adapt to local regulations.
Another key advantage is the strong relationship with third-party casino suppliers that will soon be able to provide their exciting portfolios to this thrilling jurisdiction.
Last, but not least, operators will feel Delasport’s support from the get-go all the way to establishing themselves as a market leader. Delasport is knowledgeable of the cultural and regional differences within Brazil and can address all localization needs before they arise.
“Delasport stands on a solid foundation of experience, supplying Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 operators in highly regulated markets globally”, the company’s CCO Filippo Ferri comments. ‘This makes Delasport fully equipped to assist operators navigating complex platforms or adapting to modern jurisdictional requirements, such as Brazil’s.’
The supplier’s VP of Business Development Rosaire Galea Cavallaro adds: ‘It’s a great privilege to enter such a vast and exciting market with the confidence that we’ve gained at Delasport throughout the years. We’re looking forward to seeing our product in action in a new territory, achieving and maintaining solid margins for our partners, keeping the record of having double digit margins in sports betting and helping them scale with ease in both verticals to generate maximum revenue for their brands.’
Hot on the heels of its most attended conference in history, the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) is excited to announce that its 2025 conference will take place in Toronto, Canada, from October 20 to 23, 2025.
The event will be held in partnership with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the Westin Harbour Castle, offering stunning waterfront views and a premier, downtown Toronto location.
‘Fresh off the success of our Rome conference, we’re thrilled to continue the momentum with next year’s event in Toronto,’ said Ben Haden, IAGR President.
‘The IAGR 2025 conference promises to be another unparalleled opportunity for our global community to come together, collaborate and shape the future of gaming regulation. We’re looking forward to working with AGCO to bring it all together.’
AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr, added, ‘We’re excited to welcome IAGR and its members to Toronto. This partnership provides a great opportunity to share Ontario’s innovative regulatory practices and foster meaningful discussions that drive positive change in the industry.’
Stay tuned for registration details early next year.
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