Compliance Updates
Massachusetts Gaming Commission Names Director of Investigations and Enforcement Bureau and Executive Director
The MGC met on January 31 in a public meeting to interview candidates for the role of IEB Director. Following those interviews, commissioners voted 5-0 to appoint Caitlin Monahan Director of the agency’s IEB. Monahan served as Interim Director of the IEB and before that served for three years as a member of the MGC’s legal division, recently as deputy general counsel. Prior to joining the MGC, Monahan was a litigator in the Boston office of the law firm WilmerHale. She started her career as an assistant in the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. Monahan graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
“I am excited for this important opportunity to lead the Commission’s Investigations and Enforcement Bureau. Having served in the MGC’s legal division previously and in this role on an interim basis, I know the essential work in front of us and look forward to continue to collaborate with my colleagues across the MGC to ensure the integrity and safety of gaming in the Commonwealth,” said Monahan.
The IEB is the largest division at the MGC and is responsible for ensuring the integrity of Massachusetts gaming operations. The IEB has an investigatory side, staffed with members of the Massachusetts State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit and financial investigators, who complete background checks and ongoing suitability determinations on operators, vendors and employees of the gaming establishments. The IEB is a law enforcement agency, with subpoena power and broad investigatory authority to make sure that the people and business entities involved with gaming meet the established standards of integrity, honesty and good character. The IEB also has an enforcement side, staffed with Gaming Agents, who ensure that the Massachusetts casinos are in compliance with all regulations promulgated by the Commission. Additionally, the IEB oversees the MGC’s licensing division.
“Caitlin has been a valued member of the MGC team for a number of years, first in the legal division and recently as interim IEB Director – this experience will help ensure her success as she begins this new role. Her contributions have been essential to the work of the MGC in the regulation and oversight of casino gaming, horse racing, and establishing sports wagering in the Commonwealth, and I know she will continue to meet and surpass our high expectations as a leader of our organization,” said Chair Cathy Judd-Stein.
Much like final interviews for the IEB Director, Commissioners met in a public meeting on Monday March 18 to interview two final candidates for the role of executive director. Following interviews and deliberations, commissioners voted 4-0 to appoint Dean Serpa as executive director of the MGC. Throughout his career, Serpa has served in multiple senior roles throughout Massachusetts state government including leadership roles for the office of Governor Charlie Baker. He currently serves as the chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Policy Advisory Committee (GPAC).
“I want to thank the commissioners for entrusting me with this important role, and I look forward to joining the committed team at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. I am passionate about moving projects from inception to competition and working with teams to get things done – I am excited to build on my experience with GPAC as I get started as executive director of the Commission,” said Dean Serpa.
The executive director serves as the executive and administrative head of the MGC and is responsible for administering and enforcing the provisions of the law relative to the commission and each of the agency’s administrative units. The executive director reports to the five-member Commission.
“Dean’s unparalleled operations experience and record of leadership and service to the Commonwealth will allow him to step into the role of executive director and have an immediate impact on the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. His time as chair of the Gaming Policy Advisory Committee will provide him with an essential level of familiarity regarding MGC policies and programs as he begins his tenure,” said Commissioner Eileen O’Brien.
Commissioners Nakisha Skinner (chair) and Brad Hill served on the initial screening committee for the new IEB director and were joined by Chief People and Diversity Officer David Muldrew. Commissioners Eileen O’Brien (chair) and Jordan Maynard served on the initial screening committee for the executive director and were joined by Chief People and Diversity Officer David Muldrew and Chief Financial and Accounting Officer Derek Lennon. Former interim IEB director, Heather Hall, also served on the ED screening committee until she departed the Commission.
Compliance Updates
Brazil’s Ministry of Finance Appoints Régis Dudena as Secretary of Prizes and Betting
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.
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
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.”
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