Compliance Updates
The Peach State’s gambling supporters eagerly anticipating the 2019 legislation

The supporters of pari-mutuel and casino gambling in Georgia have been pushing for the inclusion of a legislation in the General Assembly session of next year. A scrutiny released on Wednesday by the Georgia Horse Racing Coalition shows an integrated project of a racetrack and a casino in suburban Atlanta with a 300-room hotel, along with an entertainment centre and lounge venues. The facility holds the potential to generate up to US$1.2 billion a year.
In view of this, the Georgia Representative, Brett Harrell, R-Snellville, said that he is planning to present the proposal to the House Rural Development Council after the current legislative session ends next week and work hand-in-hand with state Senator Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, to introduce a legislation during the 2019 legislative session that would give go-ahead to three venues in different parts of the Peach State.
Harrell emphasised that “A horse racing facility would create thousands of jobs, deliver tens of millions in new state and local tax dollars and bring new revenues and business development to rural Georgia through its equine industry. Georgia is one of only six states that have no gaming outside of its lottery, and I believe horse racing would bring together different strengths our state has in tourism and agriculture,” he added.
Despite the efforts, this is not the first time that supporters have tried to legalise casino gambling in the state. A previous plan even included measures to increase tourism and raise additional revenue for the state’s scholarship programme. However, the legislation died because of the oppositions from the Governor Nathan Deal and General Assembly members.
The report carried out by The Lewis Group established that a racetrack-casino with an investment of US$525 million would create over 4,000 construction jobs and approximately 2,300 permanent jobs. It would also generate US$210 million in state and local taxes during its first year of operations.
Beach said: “This report gives lawmakers a clear vision of what a horse racing facility would contribute to Georgia. We will work to pass legislation that enables a horse racing track in Georgia that is one of the nicest in the world.”
Compliance Updates
IBAS Unveils New Plans to Become the First Gambling Ombudsman

The Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) has unveiled plans to become the new Gambling Ombudsman.
IBAS believes the long-awaited UK Government White Paper will call for the creation of a new Ombudsman, once released. IBAS claims it is the perfect candidate for the role, aiming to protect consumers from gambling harm while raising industry standards across the board.
The body already offers an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service – as opposed to the Gambling Commission, which is the official route for resolving issues.
Per its bid to become the UK’s first Gambling Ombudsman, IBAS has outlined its aims and goals should it assume the position.
IBAS has called for its Ombudsman governance framework setting to be produced outside its remit; new and compulsory funding from the industry to ensure impartiality remains central to all gambling disputes; and a Fair Play Code – outlining the criteria for deciding complaints, including fairness terms & conditions for harmful gambling complaints.
“IBAS’s experience, expertise and commitment to independent decisions are unparalleled – having resolved over 85,000 gambling disputes. I welcome the creation of a new Ombudsman, but for this to work it needs to be run by an organisation that understands the sector and has a track record of helping and protecting consumers. An Ombudsman with additional resources, built on the foundations of IBAS is best placed to hit the ground running, protecting consumers, and raising industry standards through fair, consistent decision making and constructive dispute avoidance feedback,” Richard Hayler, Managing Director of IBAS, said.
“It’s an exciting time for the gambling industry. There is a real opportunity to enhance the service offered to gambling customers through a new Ombudsman. IBAS has been committed to providing an accessible, fair, and independent service to all gambling consumers. Our plan for a Gambling Ombudsman would make sure consumers are protected and avoid the backlog of complaints. On top of this, this plan provides a solution that works for Government, the Regulator, and the industry,” Andrew Fraser, Chairman of IBAS, said.
Baltics
Lithuanian Regulator Issues Fines to Gaming Strategy Group and Tete-a-Tete Casino

Lithuania’s Gambling Supervisory Authority has issued fines to Gaming Strategy Group, the operator of Betsson-owned Betsafe in the country, and Tete-a-Tete Casino.
Gaming Strategy Group was fined €25,000 for breaching rules regarding advertising after it distributed a newsletter to 10,430 customers about an online game.
Sent in February this year, the newsletter included information about the game and its features, as well as the option for players to click on links to log in to their account or to request a new password if they had forgotten their login details.
Last year, the Lithuanian government introduced a ban on range of gambling advertising, including promotional bonuses. The law on gambling prohibits the promotion of gambling through activities such as special events, test games, promotions, discounts, gifts and other incentives.
In its ruling, the Gambling Supervisory Authority said that as the newsletter’s intention was to draw attention to a gambling service and specific details about the game, including its win percentage and free spins features, this was in breach of Article 10 (19) of Lithuania’s gambling regulations (ALI).
In the case of Tete-a-Tete Casino, the Gambling Supervisory Authority issued the operator a fine of €15,000 for allowing players located outside Lithuania to gamble through its website remotely.
The regulator said this breached Article 205, Part 3, Article 201, Part 1 of the ALI as gambling with an operator licensed in Lithuania while not physically located in the country is illegal on the part of the gambling operator.
Tete-a-Tete Casino was also warned that its licence could be suspended if it does not put in place the relevant processes to halt such activity in the future. The operator has until 10 August to comply with the request.
The Gambling Supervisory Authority noted that neither decision was final, and both of the operators can appeal the rulings.
Africa
BMM Testlabs South Africa Now Licensed to Provide Compliance Testing Services in Tanzania


-
eSports6 days ago
Allan Phang Departs From Galaxy Racer
-
Gambling in the USA6 days ago
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – July 25-31
-
Asia6 days ago
ESports Premier League (ESPL) Season 2 Important Announcement
-
Conferences in Europe6 days ago
CEEG Awards 2022 voting session is now live – Check out the new rules, nominees and vote for your favorites!
-
Eastern Europe6 days ago
Roundtable – What is the state of play in the Romanian market?
-
Latest News6 days ago
Flows launches app marketplace on no-code automation platform
-
Asia6 days ago
BOOM Esports Leverages High-Performance Technology To Optimize Team Performance
-
eSports6 days ago
Veloce Esports announces long-term partnership with Next Level Racing