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Compliance Updates

JOA Group Becomes the First French Operator to Meet the ECA’s Responsible Gambling Framework Criteria

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France-based casino operator, JOA Group, has achieved certification according to the ECA Responsible Gambling Framework following an independent audit conducted by Pieter Remmers, Chairman of the Board of G4 (Global Gambling Guidance Group). Certification of its 33 casino estate ensures that JOA is operating in adherence with the latest standards in Responsible Gambling upheld by the licensed land-based casinos industry in Europe.

“Compliance strengthens the confidence of our customers in our business. It also contributes to the positive image of our industry and that of our company, as the first French group certified at a European level,” Pauline Boyer Martin, Chief Marketing Officer at JOA Group, said.

Seeking to achieve the goals set forth within the framework, JOA realised it needed to take its own responsible gambling action plans to a new level.

“We have put in place e-learning for 100 per cent of the front and back-office teams and we have also implemented training in regards to responsible alcohol policy. The process is very comprehensive and involves participation from the entire company to meet the certification goals. Many different teams have been working on the process: the gaming division of course, but also the digital department, HR, the communication teams, the GMs, the compliance team, etc. Certification requires that we consider the customer journey from a new perspective to ensure we offer the best protection to the players who choose to visit our land-based casinos,” Pauline Boyer Martin said.

JOA joins an ever-increasing list of ECA members currently certified according to the Responsible Gambling Framework 2018, which includes Casino Cosmopol (Sweden), Casino 2000 (Luxembourg), Spielbanken Niedersachsen, Spielbanken Baden-Württemberg and Spielbanken Sachsen Anhalt (Germany) Holland Casino, Casinos Austria and the Veikkaus casinos in Tampere and Helsinki, with several other leading operators currently undergoing the process of certification.

“The continued adoption of the ECA’s Responsible Gambling Framework by our members is a source of pride for the whole land-based gaming sector in Europe. Upholding the highest levels of responsible gambling practices and ensuring our guests experience only the best customers service combined with leading player protection principles is a goal for all members of the association. We congratulate JOA Group for participating in the process and achieving certification,” Per Jaldung, Chairman of the ECA, said.

Laurent Lassiaz, President and CEO, JOA Group and ECA board member, has been closely involved in the JOA process of certification.

“For me, it is key for the future of our industry that 100 per cent of members adopt the standards because we need to move the lines and show that our industry is virtuous and clean, which is not always the feeling in the general opinion. We must act for the better, for the future,” Laurent Lassiaz said.

The ECA communicates the views of its members across a wide range of industry critical topics, including anti-money laundering policy, anti-corruption and the fight against illegal gaming. Included within this remit is the responsibility of all land-based operators to ensure player protection is maintained to the highest possible standards.

“For JOA, playing is a relaxation and must remain a pleasure. The achievement of this certification, a seal of excellence, is a source of great satisfaction for all JOA Group employees, because it confirms the relevance and soundness of our years-old practices in responsible gaming. It recognises all the efforts that are invested in it. This certification is a reflection of who JOA is: an innovative and responsible operator. The certification process represents a tremendous amount of work, investment and enthusiasm on the part of the teams, which I am sure will be very proud that JOA is the first French casino operator to obtain this certification at European level,” Pauline Boyer-Martin said.

The main criteria of the ECA Responsible Gambling Framework covers the following topics:

  • Employee Training
  • Player Education
  • Entrance Policies
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Advertising and Marketing
  • Research and Awareness

Australia

NSW Govt Appoints New Board Members to ILGA

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The NSW Government has made appointments to the board of the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA), including a deputy chairperson and two new members.

Associate Professor Amelia Thorpe and Nicholas Nichles have been appointed following a rigorous public expression of interest selection process. Additionally, existing member Chris Honey has been appointed deputy chairperson.

ILGA is a statutory decision-maker responsible for a range of liquor, registered club and gaming machine regulatory functions including determining licensing and disciplinary matters.

The appointments follow the end of the term of appointment for outgoing deputy chairperson Sarah Dinning, and also fill vacancies that existed on the board.

Mr Honey, who was appointed a member of ILGA earlier in 2024, has been named deputy chairperson until the end of his current appointment term (11 February 2027).

Mr Honey has extensive experience in the advisory and restructuring field, including working extensively in highly regulated sectors.

Associate Professor Thorpe and Mr Nichles have both been appointed for four years commencing 6 November 2024.

Associate Prof Thorpe is with the Faculty of Law & Justice at the University of New South Wales and an Acting Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court.

Mr Nichles was previously a Consul General and Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner for Australian Government agency Austrade, based in the US.

The new appointments bring the ILGA board membership to seven. The new appointments will join chairperson Caroline Lamb, new deputy chairperson Mr Honey and current members Cathie Armour, Jeffrey Loy APM and Dr Suzanne Craig.

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Compliance Updates

Ireland’s New Gambling Regulator to Begin Work on Phased Basis Next Year

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Ireland’s new gambling regulator is likely to begin overseeing betting businesses in the Republic midway through next year, industry figures predict.

President Micheal D Higgins recently signed the new Gambling Regulation Act, which overhauls licensing and creates a new authority to govern betting firms, into law. Industry figures forecast that the new regime should begin operating midway through next year, a key point for many businesses as they will have to renew online betting licences by that time.

Government also has to pass several milestones before the new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland can start functioning, including appointing the seven people the body requires.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee appointed senior civil servant Anne Marie Caulfield as chief executive designate of the authority in summer 2022. Her office has 11 staff. According to the Department of Justice, the State’s Public Appointments Service will shortly begin recruiting the authority’s seven members.

The Minister will appoint the candidates the service recommends.

The department could not say when the authority would start regulating but noted this would happen in a phased “timely manner” after its establishment.

Jack Chambers, Minister for Finance, earmarked €9.1 million for the authority next year in this month’s budget. That includes €4 million for technology.

Ms Caulfield wrote to industry organisations last week confirming that her organisation would begin its work on a “phased basis” but pointing out that it has already completed many preparations. In a statement she said that the authority was committed to keeping the industry fully informed so businesses can “plan for the new regulatory regime”.

Meanwhile, the Public Service Appointments Service last week advertised for someone to head the authority’s social fund. Under the new law’s provisions, betting businesses will contribute to this fund which the authority will use to tackle problem gambling.

Betting businesses regard the fund’s establishment as one of the key steps towards establishing the new regime.

Alongside that, they say that the authority will also have to set up its new licensing system. The law demands that all gambling businesses operating in the Republic be licensed and makes it a criminal offence to operate without a proper permit.

Lawyers at Arthur Cox recently noted that current permits are preserved until licensing sections of the act come into force. Existing high street and online bookies’ licences will have a run-off period, but lawyers said that how this would work in practice depended on how the regulator developed the new system.

Betting businesses are keen that the authority works on a national self-exclusion register for customers who voluntarily ask bookmakers not to take their bets. Currently, most individual bookies have systems where customers who fear they have a problem, or are at risk, can exclude themselves in this way.

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Compliance Updates

UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour – operator data to Oct 2024

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UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour - operator data to Oct 2024
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The Gambling Commission has published further data on the gambling industry in Great Britain.

This data, sourced from operators, reflects the period between March 2020 and September 2024, inclusive, and covers online and in-person gambling covering Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) found on Britain’s high streets.

Comparison should not be made with the industry statistics dataset, as this dataset may include free bets and bonuses and does not include data from all operators.

This release compares Quarter 2 (Q2) of financial year 2024 to 2025, with Q2 of 2023 to 2024, looking at how the market has changed in comparative periods over a year.

The latest operator data shows:

  • online total Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) in Q2 (July to September) was £1.32 billion, an increase of 11 percent from Q2 the previous year. The overall number of total bets and/or spins increased 12 percent Year-on-Year (YoY), reaching a new peak for the third consecutive quarter of 25.2 billion, whilst the average monthly active accounts2 in the quarter increased 8 percent
  • real event betting GGY increased by 6 percent YoY to £453 million. The number of bets decreased 10 percent, while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 9 percent
  • slots GGY increased 16 percent to £680 million YoY. The number of spins increased 13 percent to 23.3 billion while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 16 percent to 4.4 million per month. Although this is a new peak for GGY in this dataset for the slots vertical, it should be noted that one operator has re-classified some of its products into the slot vertical this quarter, which has had an impact on the vertical data
  • the number of online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour increased by 9 percent YoY to 10 million. The average session length remained at 17 minutes. Approximately 6.1 percent of all sessions lasted more than one hour compared to 6.6 percent in Q2 the previous year. The number of spins per session has fallen from 147 to 142 YOY, whilst the GGY per session has fallen from £4.20 to £4.13 in the equivalent timeframe
  • LBO GGY decreased by 1 percent to £533 million in Q2 2024 to 2025, compared to the same quarter last year, while the number of total bets and spins decreased by 0.1 percent to 3.1 billion.
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