BetBlocker, a renowned Responsible Gaming Charity, expands to help a range of players from Spanish-speaking countries. The company partnered up with Coolbet to deliver a Spanish version of the blocking app.

Great help to gambling addicts

The users of the BetBlocker app are allowed to set limits to their devices and forbid themselves access to more than 85.000 online gambling websites.

The founder and trustee of BetBlocker, Duncan Garvie, commented on the launch of the Spanish version: “Blocking software offers a great tool to both restrict the access of those in crisis and support those looking to maintain control. And because so much of the funding for responsible gambling charities is derived in English-speaking markets, it is very easy to take an Anglocentric world view. It is easy to be complacent and view it as ‘job done’ if you provide the service in English.”

He added that many users from all over the world are struggling with the tool due to language obstacles. He described the situation as: “Ears ringing, heart thundering, head unable to think clearly. In that condition, being presented with a support service that is in a language you don’t speak is absolutely useless.”

Gambling addiction and problem gambling exist in the UK, Canada, and the U.S. However, the problem exists in other countries as well, such as Spain, Argentina, and Peru, and that’s why the app is much needed in this speaking area.

Coolbet recognized that need and partnered with BetBlocker to bring the app to the new markets and allow about half a billion people to get the much-needed help they are craving and ease their access to the sources they were looking for.

Increasing quality of life

Both companies are positive that the app will greatly affect the lives of Spanish-speaking gamblers, as it has already done in English-speaking countries. BetBlocker thanked Coolbet for allowing them to increase the quality of lives of many more players in the world.

On the other hand, Endre Nesset, the President of Coolbet, is also very proud of this partnership. He said: “Coolbet is a brand built on fairness and transparency. We believe that the entertainment and thrill that comes with gambling must go hand in hand with responsibility. BetBlocker is a great ally in our purpose to provide consistent, responsible gaming tools to all, making sure gambling continues to be fun and safe.”

Source: Pal, Hunor, “BetBlocker Opens Support to Spanish Language Speakers”. European Gaming. September 18, 2023.

The post BetBlocker and Coolbet Release Blocking App in Spanish appeared first on Keno Wizard.

In its latest action, ACMA has identified five offshore gambling websites – Viperspin, Just Casino, Betandplay, Play Fina, and Comic Play Casino – operating in breach of Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The authority has been steadily intensifying its efforts, hoping to curb illegal offshore gambling activities within the country. 

ACMA Intensifies Its Efforts as Violations Remain Rampant

The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 is the cornerstone of Australia’s regulatory framework for online gambling. This legislation aims to protect Australian consumers by ensuring that only licensed operators can offer gambling services within the country. The Act also prohibits unlicensed overseas providers from targeting Australian players, directing them to more secure alternatives.

Australians who use illegal gambling services are not protected by Australian laws.

ACMA statement

215 illegal gambling services have ceased operating in the country since ACMA began enforcing its new stricter regulations. This latest round of blocking requests brings the total number of gambling and affiliate websites prohibited in Australia to 835. The frequency of bans has dramatically increased in 2023, with the ACMA adding new companies to the list almost monthly.

ACMA remains crucial in enforcing Australia’s gambling regulations, particularly online. The authority first identifies and investigates offshore operators operating illegally in the country. Once these companies are confirmed to be breaching local laws, ACMA takes legal action, including requesting ISPs to block access to their websites.

International Cooperation May Be the Only Long-Term Solution

Website blocking is an extreme measure, usually reserved for illegal operators. The ACMA also actively oversees the regulated market, delivering milder punishments for offenses like licensing issues, advertising violations, or offering prohibited services. The authority treats all operators equally and is unafraid to go after even high-profile companies.

Despite the ACMA’s ceaseless efforts, the Australian market remains beset with offshore operators. The authority recently asked for help from the Curaçao government, as Curaçao-based online gambling companies remain a pressing problem in Australia. These operators have demonstrated no intention to exit the local market willingly and routinely attempt to circumvent restrictions, necessitating international cooperation.

The authority’s proactive approach to identifying and banning illegal operators reflects its commitment to safeguarding Australian consumers. However, legislative issues related to offshore enforcement mean the ACMA can only take limited measures, enacting local bans by ISPs while the offending companies continue running rampant. Despite these challenges, the authority’s ongoing efforts remain instrumental in shaping Australia’s gambling landscape.

The post ACMA Remains Vigilant, Blocking Five More Offshore Gambling Websites appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Hungary’s Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SZTFH) announced today that the blocking of bank accounts linked to illegal gambling operators would begin from July 1.

Payments to Illegal Gambling Websites Will Be Refused

The SZTFH notified all interested parties that it would work in close cooperation with the banks to implement restrictions on deposits to and withdrawals from bank accounts held by unlicensed gambling websites, and effective tomorrow, the banks will refuse bank card payments to such businesses.

The Authority used the occasion to remind the public of the dangers of gambling with unlicensed websites as the operators utilizing these intellectual properties (IPs) have no obligation to comply with the strict regulation of Hungarian law covering the protection of minors and other vulnerable groups, as well as player personal and banking data.

The SZTFH also noted that once payment service providers implement the restrictions on payments to and from illegal operators, players gambling with unlicensed websites risk not getting their winnings.

To avoid having their funds in limbo, the regulator recommended to players to check on the SZTFH website whether a firm is authorized to offer gambling products and services, highlighting that cross-checking with the official operator register there is the only way they can guarantee the safety of their funds and personal data.

Surveillance and Enforcement Powers

The “Act of the Reorganization of Gambling” Hungary passed in 2022 not only dismantled the state monopoly but also gave the state regulator powers to continuously monitor the gambling space, as well as a set of enforcement measures.

The SZTFH can issue orders to internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to illegal gambling websites, order payment providers to refuse transactions linked to such IPs, and fine payment providers which do not comply.

Seeking to deliver on its primary goal of ensuring consumer safety and protection, the SZTFH recently imposed a fine of HUF30 million ($87,000) on an unnamed resident for running an illegal lottery operation.

The Authority also reminded the public that running illegal gambling operations in Hungary is subject to criminal prosecution bearing a penalty of up to three years of jail time, besides financial sanctions of up to HUF100 million ($290,000).

Under the gambling reform, operators seeking to obtain a license should have at least five years of operation in a licensed gambling jurisdiction within the European Economic Area (EEA) and have discontinued their illegal offering to Hungarian customers within five years of the application date.

Candidates should also maintain capital reserves of no less than HUF1 billion ($2.9 million), pay a 15% tax on gross gambling revenue (GGR), as well as a supervision fee of 2.5% of GGR capped at HUF10 million ($29,000).

The post Hungary: Regulator to Start Blocking Illegal Gambling Payments appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Norway plans to introduce DNS blocking, barring offshore gambling sites from offering their products to local customers. This measure has been talked about for more than a decade and may finally become a reality.

The proposal is backed by the current minister of culture, Anette Trettebergstuen, who hopes to ban offshore sites from 2024. Unlike her predecessors who rejected the idea of DNS blocking, Trettebergstuen believes that the measure would make it very hard for companies to reach local audiences.

The DNS blocking, many believe, will protect Norsk Tipping, Norway’s gambling monopoly, from foreign competition. The new law will be proposed this fall and if approved, may come into power on January 1, 2024.

Under the new rules, the Norwegian Gambling Authority will be responsible for the implementation of the ban. The regulator will have the power to ask internet service providers (ISPs) to block certain websites and gambling companies from accessing Norway.

The Battle Isn’t Going to Be Easy

The measure goes against earlier projections that Norway would eventually introduce a licensing model like Sweden and Denmark. In fact, only The Progress Party (FRP) seems to be supporting this idea currently.

FRP member Silje Hjemdal addressed the matter, sharing her skepticism about the DNS blocking. According to her and other critics, the measure might not have the expected effect. In addition, opponents believe that blocking such sites is censorship that infringes on customers’ privacy.

While the Conservative Party is against the introduction of a licensing regime, it will likely oppose the current proposal. While the measure seems similar to the one proposed by the conservatives in 2021, the party currently claims that blocking would be inefficient because of how simple it is to circumvent it.

The DNS blocking proposal has been in limbo for a while, without significant progress being made. When the measure was out for consultation in the fall of 2021, it attracted strong opinions from both gamblers and operators.

The Norwegian government emphasized that not all offshore websites will be blocked but rather a number of brands deemed to be dangerous. However, it is likely that the DNS blocking might also lead to legal battles between the Norwegian government and gambling operators.

Betsson, for example, has previously slammed the efforts to introduce DNS blocking as a measure that breaches the EEA agreement. Trettebergstuen said that she is aware that any measure that limits the gambling juggernauts’ reach will be met with resistance. However, she vowed to not give up.

The post Norway May Introduce DNS Blocking for Offshore Operators appeared first on Keno Wizard.

France’s gambling regulator, l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has issued blocking and delisting orders against online gambling sites and has created and published a public blacklist in the form of a downloadable CSV spreadsheet of illegal gambling sites while the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has ordered eight more sites to be blocked, including an advertiser as well as gambling operators.

The French blacklist can be found through a link on the government’s official announcement page (here). It includes well over 500 entries, most of which are redirects or mirrors of sites that were obviously targeting players in markets the operators were not welcome in with operators such as VegasPlus accounting for nearly 10% of the total through more than 45 unique URLs relying on various reiterations of the core name.

Obvious Attempted Circumventions

MaChance casino accounted for more than 50 iterations while Unique / WinUnique clocked nearly 50 entries.

The internal list shared with legal authorities, certain operators, and internet service providers in France has tracked 532 websites from over 150 operators since June of last year but has finally been made public, albeit in a non-user-friendly format. The list will be updated monthly according to the ANJ.

Several months before the then-nascent list was compiled, the regulator was given extraordinary powers to block or demand the blocking of gambling websites as well as the power to delist them through requests or demands delivered to search engines and other indexing databases.

Legal censorship in the name of the public good is a craft the French regulatory body is perfecting with each new development and the ANJ no longer has to wade through 4-6 months of red tape to get the job done. Now, they can simply request that ISPs (internet service providers) block the sites after a quick consultation with an administrative judge, and the marketing websites as well as any known iterations of the gambling domains can be blocked within 30-60 days.

Only about 18 online gambling websites are sanctioned by the government in France as well as internationally in French-administered jurisdictions while La Française des Jeux enjoys an exclusive monopoly on lotteries and related games throughout French law-administered governments worldwide.

Google addresses delisting thusly: “Google may temporarily or permanently remove sites from its index and search results if it believes it is obligated to do so by law; if the sites do not meet Google’s quality guidelines, or for other reasons.”

A ruling by the European Court of Justice, the EU’s highest court confirmed in 2011 that France’s monopoly on horse race betting was justified and legal as long as its purpose was to prevent harm to the public and was applied in a consistent manner. The case (a law allowing Pari Mutuel Urbain a monopoly on horse-race betting) set the stage for further breaks in anti-monopoly law interpretations and upset the assured competition among member states throughout Europe.

The ANJ stated on its website last Wednesday: “Indeed, when a French Internet user plays on an illegal site (for example, in France, all online casino sites are illegal, no casino license can be granted under the legal framework in force), it exposes you to multiple risks:

• Collection of personal data;
• Payment fraud;
• Installation of malicious computer programs on the computer or mobile phone without the knowledge of the player;
• Frequent non-payment of winnings;
• Absence of any measure to prevent excessive gambling and underage gambling;
• Total absence of legal recourse in the event of a dispute with the site.

There are no known empirical data that shows the French are any more vulnerable to those risks than players in any other jurisdiction. The government relies on code enforcement on the supply side and the statements above to dissuade French gamblers from straying from the French-approved sites. Online gamblers in France are not subject to criminal penalties.

Australia Continues Crackdown on Unlicensed Sites.

As is the case in France, gamblers in Australia are not subject to criminal penalties. However, operators that offer unlicensed services to citizens can be punished civilly and criminally if they find themselves within reach of the law. All publicly traded companies have left the market, yet private companies continue to serve the market as Australians are among the most passionate and prolific gamblers in the world.

Offering online gambling services in Australia is not actually illegal as long as an operator is licensed in a state or territory. However, none have developed a framework nor issued any licenses for casino gambling.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued new orders for another handful of gambling sites to be blocked by Australian ISPs from allowing residents to access the websites.

As has often been the case in the past, the order affects not only illegal operators but their promoters as well. The latest batch of names includes Casino Jax, Kosmonaut Casino, Mirax Casino, N1 Bet Casino, Rolling Slots, Slotozen, and Wild Fortune Casino as well as an affiliate website that was purportedly directly marketing to Australian players.

The regulatory body has blocked well over 700 gambling websites since the Gambling Act Amendment of 2001 was strengthened in 2017.

Source: French regulator publishes gambling website blacklist, iGaming Business, March 14, 2023

The post France and Australia ISP blocking more casino websites appeared first on Keno Wizard.