The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found that sports streaming service Kayo, provided by Hubbl Pty Limited (Hubbl), breached gambling advertising rules by presenting gambling advertisements during live sports events outside allowed times.

The ACMA investigated Hubbl following complaints from viewers relating to live streams of a number of sporting events on Kayo. Gambling advertisements must not be shown by online content providers during live sport events between 5 am and 8.30 pm, including in the five minutes before and after the event.

The ACMA’s investigations identified 16 different gambling advertisements were provided outside the allowed times across a total of 267 live sport events. Hubbl said that this was caused by a system error that affected viewers using iOS applications in a six week period over February and March 2023.

ACMA Authority member Carolyn Lidgerwood said the scale of the error as well as Hubbl’s failure to identify a system bug affecting the playout of gambling ads across a large number of live sport events was very concerning.

“Online streaming services as well as broadcasters all have a responsibility to put robust systems in place so that they adhere to these long-standing gambling advertising rules,” Ms Lidgerwood said.

“The rules are there to reduce viewer exposure to gambling ads, particularly for impressionable young audiences and those vulnerable to gambling harms. In this case Hubbl has let those viewers down.”

The ACMA has issued Hubbl with a remedial direction requiring it to arrange an external audit of its technical systems and processes, including the measures that it has implemented subsequent to the breaches.

If Hubbl fails to comply with the terms of the remedial direction it may be ordered by the Federal Court to pay penalties of up to $626,000 per day.

By: Danil Emelyanov, Head of AI Labs, Betby

First of all, the regulation of AI is inevitable. The EU was the first to step into this arena with the EU AI Act, setting a precedent that other parts of the world will likely follow. This proactive approach positions the EU as a leader in AI governance, but it also means that regions adopting similar regulations later might benefit from the lessons learned and adjustments made in response to early implementations.

The downside is that those who come last to the regulatory scene might indeed benefit the most. For instance, the competitive landscape in AI innovation currently favors new entrants in the US or UK over Europe, partly due to the stringent compliance requirements of the EU AI Act. This regulation could potentially affect the flow of investments into European AI ventures, making regions with more flexible or yet-to-be-defined regulations more attractive for AI start-ups and investors.

However, the positive aspect is the collaborative approach the EU has taken in drafting this legislation. It’s not a one-way mandate from legislators to businesses; rather, it involves dialogue and input from various stakeholders, including tech companies and open-source communities. Notably, there are exemptions for open-source AI models, likely influenced by contributions from French and German tech firms like Mistral and Aleph Alpha, which have been vocal about the importance of open-source innovation.

The AI Act predominantly focuses on regulating foundation models rather than classic machine learning models. The legislation sets a computational power threshold at 10^25 floating-point operations per second (FLOPS), below which AI systems are generally exempt from stringent regulations. This threshold implies that unless an organization is training a model on the scale of GPT-3.5 or larger, compliance concerns are minimal. This serves as a reminder of the value of simpler machine learning techniques like logistic regression and random forests, which can effectively solve business problems without the complexity and regulatory scrutiny of more advanced models.

For the iGaming industry, the implications of the EU AI Act are relatively manageable. Our legal teams will diligently study the law to ensure compliance, even if it means a slight reduction in the accuracy of our models. This cautious approach is necessary because the fines for non-compliance are substantial, ranging from 1.5% to 7% of global turnover, depending on the severity of the offense and the size of the company. Additionally, some aspects of the Act are vaguely defined, which could pose challenges in interpretation and application.

Despite these challenges, the iGaming sector should remain vigilant. Staying informed about regulatory updates and actively engaging with the regulatory process can help mitigate risks and ensure smooth compliance. The EU AI Act sets high standards for transparency, accountability, and ethical AI use, which, whilst demanding, also push the industry towards more responsible AI deployment.

LiveG24 Ltd., a leading provider of live casino gaming solutions, is thrilled to announce that it has been officially licensed to offer its live games to the Greek market. This license, issued by the Hellenic Gaming Commission, allows LiveG24 to provide its premium live gaming services to all concessionaires holding valid Greek gaming licenses.

The certification marks a significant milestone for LiveG24 as it continues to expand its footprint in regulated markets across Europe. With this approval, Greek operators can now integrate LiveG24’s state-of-the-art live gaming suite, which includes a wide range of live dealer games such as Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, and other popular casino titles.

“We are incredibly proud to have achieved this new license from the Hellenic Gaming Commission,” said Angelo De Gobbi, COO of LiveG24 Ltd. “This approval is a testament to the quality and integrity of our live gaming solutions. We are excited to bring our immersive live gaming experience to Greek players and look forward to establishing strong partnerships with local operators.”

LiveG24 is renowned for its high-quality live streaming technology, professional dealers, and engaging user experience. The company’s live games are broadcasted in real-time from sophisticated studios in Malta, ensuring players enjoy a seamless and authentic casino atmosphere from the comfort of their own homes.

Greek operators can now leverage LiveG24’s innovative features and flexible integration options to enhance their gaming portfolios and provide their customers with a superior live gaming experience. The certification underscores LiveG24’s commitment to compliance and excellence in the regulated gaming industry.