Compliance Updates
NCAA Calls for Changes to Sports Betting Laws to Protect Student-Athletes
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has called on lawmakers and regulators in the US to update existing sports betting laws and regulations to protect student-athletes and ensure the integrity of college games.
The NCAA said it will begin advocating for updated sports betting laws in state legislatures to protect student-athletes from harassment or coercion, address the negative impacts of problem gambling, and protect the integrity of NCAA competition.
In the past five years, 38 states have passed 38 different laws legalizing sports betting, and while some contain robust protection and integrity provisions, many do not.
The NCAA surveyed student-athletes, engaged with key stakeholders and reviewed laws and regulations from across the country to identify model legislative provisions that it would recommend states pass. The provisions are intended to protect student-athletes, coaches, game officials and college sports personnel from harassment and problem gambling and to bolster integrity protections.
āThe NCAA is making changes to help student-athletes make smart choices when it comes to sports betting, but given the explosive growth of this new industry, we are eager to partner with lawmakers, regulators and industry leaders to protect student-athletes from harassment and threats. Some states have great policies on the books to protect student-athletes from harassment and coercion and to protect the integrity of the games, but as more states pass or amend laws, more needs to be done,ā NCAA President Charlie Baker said.
With several states still considering legalizing sports betting, the NCAA plans to work with lawmakers to include the provisions in pending legislation. All the provisions the NCAA is advocating for are currently in place in at least one state but not all, creating an uneven playing field and leaving student-athletes vulnerable.
To protect student-athletes from harassment or coercive behavior, the NCAA is advocating for mandatory reporting hotlines for gambling authorities to report such behavior to law enforcement, increased penalties for bettors who harass student-athletes and mandatory education for operators to help identify harassment.
Additionally, to protect the integrity of competition, states should have regulations identifying prohibited bettors and prohibit individuals younger than 21 from wagering on sports. Any sports wagering advertisement also should include information about the harassment hotline, problem gambling and prohibitions on harassment related to sports wagering. The revenue generated from sports betting should be allocated in part toward education to support the higher-risk college student population, including student-athletes.
āWe are in a time where student-athlete health and well-being is the main priority. With the legalization of sports betting, it is imperative that we take a proactive approach to protecting student-athletes from the potential of negative engagement with bettors. Thirty-eight states have clearly passed 38 different laws, but one thing that needs to be consistent across all is prioritizing the student-athlete experience and preventing harmful activity that jeopardizes the integrity of sports,ā said Morgyn Wynne, vice chair of the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
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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