Compliance Updates
The Art of Staying Compliant w/ Greg Ponesse, Chief Revenue Officer at Compliable
How can operators and suppliers best ensure that they stay on track of ever-changing rules and regulation once they are live in a market?
Fundamentally, it’s about keeping a finger on the pulse of the market and curating a broad network of industry sources to ensure that you are up to date on any new developments. Industry press releases, newsletters and magazines are all excellent places to begin, and getting into the habit of checking regulator websites on a monthly basis is a good next step. In general, regulators maintain open communication with the public concerning new regulations; as it’s rare to have a dedicated contact person from any given agency checking in to ensure that you’ve kept up with any updates, however, it will still fall to you to make sure that you’re keeping current with any changes. Ultimately, it is always the responsibility of the licensee to ensure that it is compliant and, if mistakes are made, there are rarely, if ever, any get-out-of-jail-free cards.
Additionally, building a network of compliance professionals that you can reach out to on short notice can be a huge help, as urgent situations can arise without warning and require you to react quickly. It’s not always possible for every company to field an in-house compliance team that can deal with every request and change, even if that would be very preferable, so having experts just a call away is always a smart choice.
Compared with entering a market, how time consuming is maintaining compliance for teams?
While entering a new market is complex, maintaining compliance is equally important, and introduces its own challenges of minutiae and attention to detail. Renewal windows need to be carefully monitored, new regulations need to be constantly observed, and required updates need to be passed on to regulators in a timely manner.
These challenges are true no matter the size of the company in question. A small company could be licensed in 16 regions, with one person managing the process for all those markets. In such a case, that one person would probably need to spend a decent portion of their work days just to ensure that compliance was being maintained across all those markets, even if the individual number of licenses was low. A large company operating in fewer locations, on the other hand, might have thousands of employees and licenses to maintain for that location, and not one of those employees or licenses could be allowed to fall through the cracks. Each license would need to be tracked, and each renewal dealt with in a timely fashion. In either case, maintenance of compliance should be expected to take up a sizable amount of time.
Are there common mistakes that occur and what impact can this have on operations?
At the risk of sounding reductive, the most common mistakes are not filling out the application correctly or failing to include the correct documentation. Attention to detail matters so much in the process and taking the time to parse what can often be very complex sets of instructions is critical.
No matter the type of licensure, there is always going to be a large amount of information and documentation required, and making sure that you have all of that information and documentation at the ready before you begin is also critical to your success in the process.
Most simply, you could equate the process to that of buying a house. Everything needs to be in order before you place your bid, or it will fall through and someone else will likely swoop in and take the house right out from under you. It’s more or less the same when a company is going through the licensing process. If everything isn’t in order, you might have to wait a long time after submitting your initial application just to be told that something is wrong or missing. Once those issues are corrected, you would have to resubmit the application, starting from the back of the queue again. This would obviously delay the issuing of a license in an industry where first-mover advantage is crucial.
How can tech solutions help teams stay compliant once they are live in a market?
There are many ways in which such solutions can assist with compliance. Our platform, for example, allows you to input all of your information and upload all your documents exactly once, and to then output that information to multiple forms at the same time. It also tracks the application status, which can be very challenging to handle on your own if you are active in numerous regions or have a lot of employees. Furthermore, it reminds you of expiration dates, so you can be well prepared and organized when the time comes for renewals. Finally, because we store your information, you are also not required to re-enter all of your information year after year, making the renewal process much more efficient; you will only have to update information if the regulator has changed their forms, otherwise, everything will slot right in where it belongs.
We put an immense amount of effort into ensuring that our forms and other documents are kept up to date with all regulatory requirements and guidelines. Thus, when you use our service to generate forms for any application or renewal, you can be assured that you are filing the correct forms, and that all the questions on that form have been filled out correctly. In short, using our platform ensures that compliance teams can focus on other important tasks while resting safe in the knowledge that their licensure forms have been completed correctly, and that their licenses and renewals are being effectively tracked.
Compliance Updates
Florida Gaming Control Commission Collaborates with Local Law Enforcement Partners to Address Illegal Gambling Activity and Shut Down Illegal Casinos
Last week, the Florida Gaming Control Commission reaffirmed its dedication to the safety and wellness of Florida communities by continuing efforts to address illegal gambling activity. In collaboration with local law enforcement partners in Brevard and Volusia counties, FGCC agents assisted with shutting down five illegal casinos as well as seizing illegal gambling machines from two business establishments.
“The cooperative relationships developed between the Florida Gaming Control Commission and our partner law enforcement agencies are essential to fulfill our mission, and these efforts are making an impact. Through innovative strategies, enhanced resources, and collaboration, these partnerships reflect our dedication to fostering trust and accountability while effectively addressing public safety concerns related to illicit gambling locations,” said Ross Marshman, Acting Executive Director of the Florida Gaming Control Commission.
On Tuesday, FGCC agents assisted the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office as they executed search warrants for five illegal casinos throughout the county. More than 500 illegal gambling machines, related equipment, and more than $845,000 was seized. A 2022 Chevy Silverado, which was actively being used to transport cash from the illegal casinos, was also seized. Criminal arrests are pending.
On Thursday, FGCC agents and the Port Orange Police Department addressed community concerns received by both agencies about two independently owned businesses. More than $6000 and 19 illegal slot and gaming machines were seized. Three arrests were made for charges of Operating illegal Gambling Establishments and Illegal Possession of Slot Machines and Gaming Devices. The two establishments included:
•Stop & Go Convenience Store, 5687 S. Ridgewood Ave, Port Orange
•Mark and Jill’s Village Tavern, 5263 S. Nova Rd, Port Orange
Citizen reports are important to share concerns about illegal gambling activities or facilities in Florida.
EGT Digital is excited to announce that it is now authorized to operate as a provider in Peru. The company has received a licence from the regulatory gaming authority, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR), which allows it to supply operators in the country with all of its core products – the X-Nave platform, the Gaming Aggregator, and the casino content.
EGT Digital’s in-house developed “all-in-one” betting platform X-Nave gives operators the technology and tools they need to build and develop a successful business online. It consists of 4 main modules: Sport Product, CRM Engine, Gaming Aggregator, and Payment Gateway. Еach can be part of the turnkey solution or operate independently, as they allow integration with third-party developments.
The Gaming Aggregator presents a wide variety of more than 12,000 games across 140 providers. It offers numerous player engagement tools and a Recommendation module through which operators can create highly personalized content for their customers based on users’ individual behavior and preferences.
EGT Digital’s gaming portfolio contains over 120 casino titles, including 4 top performing jackpots: Bell Link, High Cash, Clover Chance, and Single Progressive Jackpot. The company’s vast array of games is being constantly enriched with new additions designed to fit the tastes and requirements of different players. EGT Digital’s slots are currently presented in more than 50 markets around the world, having ranked among the favorites of gaming audiences in each one of them.
“This licence is an achievement of great significance for us,” said Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital. “Entering the regulated market in Peru will allow us not only to unleash the huge potential of our products on a local level but also to continue our expansion in the region and consolidate our positions as a leading supplier of iGaming solutions in LatAm.”
Compliance Updates
VI Casino Control Commission, Department of Health Announce Joint Initiative on Problem Gambling
In an initiative aimed at promoting responsible gaming in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission (VICCC) and the Virgin Islands Department of Health (VIDOH) announced that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been executed to train and certify counselors in the districts of St. Thomas-St. John and St. Croix to treat problem gambling disorders and addiction.
Under the terms of the MOU fully executed on October 24, 2024, the VICCC has provided the funds for six counselors, three in each island district, employed at the VIDOH’s Division of Behavioral Health to receive training through The Center for Addiction Studies and Research.
This training will include vital knowledge on etiological predictors and risk factors, implementing suicide prevention strategies, and employing effective treatment approaches for individuals affected by gambling addiction. Additionally, the VICCC will also provide the funds to ensure that the counselors receive supervision by a board-approved clinical consultant, leading to an international certification recognized by the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board.
Marvin L. Pickering, VICCC Chairman and CEO, said: “While our residents will continue to have access to 1-800-GAMBLER and other national resources, it has always been the position of the VICCC that, in fulfilling our legal mandate to provide programs to treat and prevent gambling addiction, we needed to ensure the availability of assistance locally, assistance that is confidential and free or low-cost and that can be easily accessed, seen and understood.”
“In all aspects, VIDOH was an excellent choice for the VICCC,” Pickering added.
VIDOH Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said: “We want to ensure that we strengthen resources and services for those facing challenges with gambling and that we equip the community with information to make informed decisions about gaming, whether it is bingo, lottery, VLTs, or slot machines. Overall, our goal is to encourage a culture of responsibility within the Virgin Islands gaming community.”
Chairman Pickering and Commissioner Encarnacion expressed appreciation to the teams at VICCC and VIDOH who effectively collaborated in bringing the MOU to fruition.
Chairman Pickering particularly applauded the unwavering efforts of Commissioner Carolyn P. Hermon-Percell, the Vice-Chair of VICCC for her leadership in bringing this first major step to fruition. Both look forward to this important measure that is expected to improve health and wellness and reduce the personal, social, and economic costs of problem gambling in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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