Compliance Updates

Deputies and Experts Await Voting on Gaming Law After Presidential Election in Brazil

Published

2 years ago

July 1, 2022

Deputy Bacelar (Pode-BA) opened the panel by providing a background on the regulatory framework for gaming, noting that the initial project, from 1991, was discussed and shelved on several occasions for years until, in 2016, it was again discussed with emphasis and a lot of professionalism.

“In 2017, after we approved the regulatory framework in the House Committees, a group that advocated the legalization only of casinos in large integrated resorts, caused the process to stop. Along with this, the opposing groups contributed to the suspension of the procedure,” he recalled.

According to him, the approval in February of this year of Bill 442/91 in the Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies was the result of many discussions and intense work by the Working Group created by the president of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL).

“We were able to approve the regulatory framework for gaming in February, thanks to the support of various sectors of society, the dedication of the rapporteur Felipe Carreras (PSB-PE) and the important help of other parliamentarians who understand the sector as an important economic activity for the country,” he explained.

For Bacelar, it would be very important for the Senate to vote on the Bill after the elections, “since President Bolsonaro does not have enough support in Congress if he vetoes the bill. If he vetoes it, I am sure that in Congress we will override the veto,” he assured.

Then, Herculano Passos (MDB-SP) once again defended the approval of gaming due to the importance of the activity for the economy: “Brazil needs the resources in the form of taxes and we can no longer wait any longer to approve the activity in the country, which will represent billions of reais in taxes and hundreds of thousands of jobs.”

According to him, “the approval of Bill 442/91 encourages us that the project will also pass the Senate and I hope that it follows the same pattern as the Presidency of the Republic for sanction.”

“President Jair Bolsonaro has said that he can veto the project, but I am sure that Congress will override the veto,” he guaranteed, also remembering that tourism will benefit greatly from the approval of the legal framework for gaming in Brazil.

Daniel Homem de Carvalho, from the National OAB’s Gaming Commission, said that “gaming is not prohibited in Brazil. What is prohibited is private gambling and for this reason the government is always very reticent in approving a law for the activity.”

According to him, “we’ve always had bad lottery products and it’s time for the big world players to arrive in Brazil to offer innovative and modern products. The national OAB intends, together with the state OABs, with the States and with players, to present the best possible regulation to the market.”

Asked about a possible non-presentation of the presidential decree regulating sports betting, he said that “on December 13, if the regulation is not reached, the market will continue to operate without it.” In other words, there will be points to be defined regarding the protection of the citizen and the form of taxation.

Karen Sierra-Hughes, Vice President for Latin America and Caribe for GLI, was asked by the moderator about how the international market sees Brazil’s current moment and what the country can’t go wrong in regulating the gaming sector. The GLI executive said that the gaming industry is seen around the world as an important economic activity. “In practically all countries, a large portion of the resources invested in the social area come from the gaming sector and I see that Brazil can – and should – follow the examples of good international experiences,” she commented.

For her, regulation must be discussed and well understood by the government, the regulator and all market players so that a country can achieve a really important activity to leverage its economy.

“GLI has global experience in dealing with regulatory bodies in many jurisdictions that have worked hard to organize the gaming industry in their countries. We focus on compliance, responsible gaming and anti-money laundering practices and this allows us to have a very broad view of the sector,” she commented.

According to her, GLI has always made itself available to Brazil to offer knowledge and help the country achieve good regulation of all verticals. “The world market sees Brazil as one of the main ones in the world and the country really has exactly this characteristic and needs to take advantage of the moment to offer society an extremely rich activity due to the taxes and jobs it can generate,” concluded Karen.

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Compliance Updates

Brazil’s Ministry of Finance Appoints Régis Dudena as Secretary of Prizes and Betting

Published

23 mins ago

April 25, 2024

Niji Narayan

Regis Dudena, a seasoned lawyer with expertise in Public and Regulatory Law, has been appointed as the new Secretary of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance in Brazil. Dudena’s appointment ordinance is signed by Rui Costa, Minister of the Civil House.

The new secretary had already been visiting the Ministry of Finance and getting closer to the entire group at the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting, until then led by Simone Vicentini, deputy secretary.

The appointment of the lawyer is attributed to the Executive Secretary of Finance, Dario Durigan. Dario and Dudena worked together at Palácio do Planalto during Dilma Rousseff’s government.

Both worked in the Legal Affairs secretariat of the Civil House. Dudena’s name is linked to other names on the left. He has good relations with Edinho Silva (PT), mayor of Araraquara (SP).

The SPA started operating two months ago. Since then, it had been without a permanent boss. Lawyer José Francisco Manssur, special advisor to the Ministry of Finance who coordinated the regulation of sports betting from the beginning, was the most likely to take on the position. But he was exonerated under pressure from Centrão politicians.

Bets representatives welcomed the name Régis Dudena.

From the beginning, the SPA was under the responsibility of Simone Vicentini, appointed as deputy secretary. Since then, it has edited the ordinances that defined requirements for laboratory accreditation and the sector’s regulatory policy.

Under her supervision, three laboratories have already been approved, GLI, eCogra, and BMM. Last week, the ordinance establishing the rules for payment transactions to be complied with by sports betting and online gaming operators was also published.

Compliance Updates

Arkansas Casino Seeks iGaming Approval

Published

21 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Alan Campbell

An Arkansas casino is seeking approval to operate an iGaming app, allowing people within the state to go online to play casino games such as slots, blackjack, craps and more.

On March 13, Carlton Saffa, Chief Market Officer for the Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, wrote to Arkansas Racing Commission Chairman Alex Lieblong asking for a change in the rules to allow Internet casino gambling, which is often referred to as iGaming or iCasino platforms.

On Monday, Saffa told Gambling.com he hopes to appear before the Arkansas Racing Commission on May 6 seeking approval to offer iGaming. The Arkansas Racing Commission regulates all gambling matters in the state including horse racing and casino games.

iGaming Doesn’t Hurt Bricks-And-Mortar Casinos: Saffa

Nationwide, only a half dozen states from Michigan to Connecticut offer Internet casino gambling. Arkansas would be the first in its region with iGaming, permitting users who want to log onto a computer or download an app to play traditional casino games for money. Other states in the region already offer sports betting.

In his March 13 letter to state regulators, Saffa said estimates indicate Internet casino gambling from the Saracen Casino Resort alone would generate an additional $12 million in taxes annually for the state. Internet casino gambling, or iGaming, generally raises more tax revenue than sports betting in states that have both.

However, in some states without iGaming, casino operators have fought legalization, contending customers won’t visit a bricks-and-mortar casinos and spend money at restaurants and on other amenities including entertainment and lodging if they can log onto cellphones or computers and gamble from anywhere. In his letter to state regulators, Saffa pointed to research showing iGaming doesn’t cannibalize bricks-and-mortar casinos but instead gives them ‘a lift’.

State Rule Change Required

Arkansas already allows online poker, though that has not been made available to consumers, Saffa said. He said the ability to allow iGaming would require the Arkansas Racing Commission to amend a rule to include Internet casino games in addition to the currently legal online card games such as poker.

“A solution exists by amending ARC Rule 5, which already authorizes online poker, to include other types of table games and slots,” Saffa told Gambling.com on Monday. “Doing so would provide significant tax revenues to government and, just as important, ensure that operators be held accountable by the government. Given that we have seen online operators in the fantasy sports space ignore cease and desist demands from the state, merely attempting to police the matter is not a workable solution.”

Saffa recently made a similar argument on the topic of unregulated gambling, telling Gambling.com on The Edge he opposes a ban on college player props bets, saying, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”

“People in Arkansas are already gambling in online casinos and those companies are not regulated or taxed by the Arkansas Racing Commission,” Saffa said Monday. “Those companies are not held to the standards the people of Arkansas set forth for operators to include that a customer must be 21.”

Compliance Updates

U.S. INTEGRITY AND ODDS ON COMPLIANCE ANNOUNCE REBRAND AS INTEGRITY COMPLIANCE 360

Published

1 day ago

April 24, 2024

George Miller

U.S. INTEGRITY AND ODDS ON COMPLIANCE ANNOUNCE REBRAND AS INTEGRITY COMPLIANCE 360

Following the successful completion of their merger, U.S. Integrity and Odds On Compliance Launch IC360, Establishing the One-Stop-Shop Standard for Integrity and Compliance Solutions

U.S. Integrity and Odds On Compliance announced the completion of their merger and the launch of the combined entity’s new name, Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360). The merger cements IC360 as the unequivocal global leader in delivering best-in-class integrity and compliance regtech products and services for the sports betting and gaming sector.

IC360 will leverage the combined expertise, resources, and industry knowledge of U.S. Integrity and Odds On Compliance to continue delivering innovative solutions that empower organizations to achieve and maintain the highest standards of integrity and compliance.

“The coming together of U.S. Integrity and Odds On Compliance represents a strategic alignment of values and a shared commitment to excellence,” said IC360 CEO Matt Holt, formerly CEO of U.S. Integrity. “As IC360, we are dedicated to providing our clients with 360-degree solutions that address their unique compliance challenges, ensuring they can operate with integrity and confidence in today’s complex regulatory environment.”

The strategic unification of these two prominent organizations reflects a commitment to providing unparalleled compliance and integrity solutions in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. “Our vision is clear: to help lead our industry forward on compliance and integrity standards, empowering our partners to raise the bar. We believe the IC360 brand represents just that. This is only the beginning of an exciting chapter for Integrity Compliance 360,” commented Eric Frank, President of IC360, formerly CEO of Odds On Compliance. The merger creates a comprehensive and dynamic suite of solutions and services.

IC360’s portfolio of services includes integrity monitoring, compliance advisory, and education, along with established products like the Integrity Monitoring dashboard, a foundational product for monitoring real-time sports integrity issues, PlayBookAI, the robust online repository of sports betting laws and regulations, and ProhiBet, the pioneering solution for ensuring compliance for athletes, coaches, and staff.

“With a comprehensive suite of services and leveraging the collective expertise of U.S. Integrity and Odds On Compliance, this is an evolution of a journey dedicated to setting industry benchmarks and creating a one-stop-shop for integrity and compliance needs,” added Scott Sadin, COO of IC360, formerly COO of U.S. Integrity. “Integrity Compliance 360 looks forward to a future marked by continued growth, impactful partnerships, and a steadfast dedication to the highest standards of integrity and compliance.”