X, the global social network formerly known as Twitter, has received a fine worth 1.35 million euros from an Italian authority after having breached the gambling advertising ban imposed by the country’s laws.

The Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni, the government body in charge of overseeing the communications industry in Italy, had issued the fine to Twitter International Unlimited Company, which is the corporation that owns X.

The social network allegedly violated the so-called “dignity decree”, which has been in place in Italy since 2019. The respective law bans any form of advertisement, sponsorship or communication of promotional content regarding sports betting or gambling.

The Italian authority found nine violations from verified accounts on the respective social network, accounts that have advertised websites that offer gambling and sports betting services with cash winnings. The reasoning behind the fine is closely related to the blue check mark which each of the nine accounts had, that made X liable for those accounts’ activities according to the Italian authorities.

Moreover, the authority has issued an order for access inhibition for two of the aforementioned nine accounts that are still active on the social network. Another inhibition order has been adopted for all further uploaded content that would be in breach of the regulations.

More Social Networks Fined

The decision to issue a fine for X (Twitter) comes just a few weeks after the Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni fined Meta, the company which owns Facebook and Instagram. In that case the fine was worth 5.58 million euros but the reason was the same: gambling advertising.

The Italian government authority found promotional content for gambling and sports betting on 18 different social media profiles, five on Instagram and thirteen on Facebook. Another 32 sponsored video and image posts were considered aimed at promoting or advertising online casinos or sports betting websites.

Similar penalties had previously been issued to Google, Twitch and YouTube. Google received a fine worth 700,000 euros in August 2022 for advertisements that appeared on the Spike YouTube channels. However, the Italian government authority did not specify which were the gambling operators advertised on the platform.

The gambling advertising ban imposed in Italy in 2019 has been loudly contested by football clubs in the country because many of them had partnerships in place with gambling and sports betting operators. The law still permits partnerships for sports teams but only when they are focused on other markets (mainly Asia) but football clubs in Italy’s top two leagues have argued that they have still lost income due to the ban.

Source: “X hit by €1.35m penalty for Italian gambling ad ban breaches“. iGaming Business. March 15, 2024.

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The latest company to have been handed down a fine is Casino Cosmopol which admitted fault and agreed to pay SEK2 million, or $200,000, to the regulator. This penalty is awarded in relation to anti-money laundering (AML) breaches outlined in the watchdog’s conclusion of the case and the two-year investigation.

Cited Breaches Are a Matter of the Past

Spelinspektionen says that certain elements of Casino Cosmopol’s AML processes were insufficient, and the operator had “failed” customer knowledge.  The regulator specifically looked into AML practices, citing previous concerns about compliance with the Money Laundering Act.

Casino Cosmopol, although acquiescing to the latest enforcement action, said that the issues described by the regulator were now an issue of the past and not something that Casino Cosmopol had overlooked to rectify.

The regulator has reflected on the positive changes that the operator had enacted as a result of the intervention and said that it expects Casino Cosmopol to indeed comply with all regulatory criteria moving forward.

Among those are improved money laundering training for staff which should help ensure that team members are fully prepared to meet the highest regulatory standards in the country. Apart from training, the operator uses different tools that help detect and flag suspicious transactions, enabling the company to respond in a timely and firm manner.

Gambling Regulator Is Tough on Financial Crime

Spelinspektionen has been calling for stricter measures when it comes to financial crime in the gambling industry and recently applauded a proposal pitched by the government and designed to, among other things, address AML deficiencies. Interestingly, though, the regulator does not believe that a credit card ban is needed in the country right now.

The proposal, however, also wants to increase the tax collected from gambling businesses to 22% from the current 18%, which has ruffled industry feathers and issued a response from BOS, a trade group that protects the industry’s interests and liaises with the government on various matters, including player protection and regulatory course-correction.

The Swedish Gambling Authority has not spared any effort in going after companies that it thinks are also coloring around regulatory lines. Recently, the watchdog named Videoslots as one of the operators to have breached the country’s CFT and AML mandates and rules.

The amount of the penalty was considerably larger at the time, with the company handed down a $810,000 fine.

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Singapore’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) announced that it has penalized Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) over due diligence failures. According to the authority, the casino failed to perform the checks outlined in the Casino Control Act 2006 (CCA) and the Casino Control (Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing) Regulations 2009 (PMLTF Regulations).

Back in 2020, the GRA asked RWS to review the activities of some of its customers. As a result, the operator recorded instances of non-compliance, prompting further investigation by the GRA. The regulator eventually discovered that between December 2016 and December 2019, RWS committed multiple due diligence failures.

The GRA learned that RWS’s employees did not perform checks for certain transactions of over 5,000 Singaporean dollars and did not establish the identity of the third-party depositors, thus violating the PMLTF Regulations.

As a result of its serious violations, the casino resort was handed an S$2.25 million fine (roughly $1.67 million in USD). The GRA has also canceled the special employee license of one of the employees involved in the breaches. The authority is still conducting investigations to determine the culpability of the other special employees involved in the violations.

RWS Will Try to Do Better

The GRA reported that RWS had a PMLTF framework and controls in place. Despite that, systematic failures in certain controls prevented the company from detecting some of the instances of non-compliance.

The authority pointed out that RWS took immediate action to address the non-compliances once they were detected. The regulator also noted that RWS engaged an independent party to review its standard operating procedures. In the meantime, the casino resort has undertaken a review of its corporate culture, aiming to reinforce its internal controls and corporate governance.

The GRA concluded that RWS’s violations are very serious. It reminded operators that it will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against errant casino companies and will continue to exercise “tight supervision” over their compliance matters.

This is in line with Singapore’s recent plans for reinforcing its regulations. In November, the country, which already has strict regulations on gambling, considered stringent cryptocurrency regulations.

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Currently, there are strict rules when it comes to regulating gambling in Ontario, Canada. The province’s gambling regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), constantly monitors the sector to ensure that licensed operators adhere to the established rules. Ultimately, established regulations in the province seek to safeguard the consumers from excessive gambling, prevent and support users that might be affected by the activity.

On Thursday, the AGCO revealed that its Registrar issued a notice of monetary penalty against the online gambling operator PointsBet. The CA$150,000 ($108,600) penalty comes after the Commission alleged that the operator breached several responsible gambling provisions by letting one customer spend more than CA$500,000 ($361,900) over a period of three months.

In light of the notice of monetary penalty, PointsBet can appeal the decision with the License Appeal Tribunal, which is an adjudicative tribunal separate from the gambling watchdog.

“In Ontario, iGaming operators have an obligation to proactively monitor their patrons’ play for signs of high-risk gambling, and to take appropriate actions to intervene and reduce the potential for gambling related harms.“

Dr. Karin Schnarr, CEO and Registrar at AGCO

Dr. Karin Schnarr, AGCO’s CEO and Registrar, revealed that licensed gambling operators in the province are required to monitor the activities of their customers and prevent excessive gambling. She added that licensees are obligated to take action and reduce gambling harm or at-risk behaviors. “The AGCO will continue to focus on player protection by holding all registered operators to these high standards,” said Schnarr in conclusion.

Recently, the AGCO announced a CA$80,000 ($59,000) monetary penalty against Toronto’s Woodbine Casino. Back in September, the regulator cited an investigation that uncovered insufficient controls at the venue against cheating and collusion between employees and visitors.

The Gambling Regulator Explains the Alleged Breaches

Describing the alleged breaches, the AGCO claimed that PointsBet failed to provide assistance and properly intervene with a player who potentially was experiencing gambling harm. The Commission said that the user was able to lose more than CA$500,000 ($361,900) over three months which is why they were flagged as “high-risk,” by the gambling operator. Additionally, the same customer that kept incurring significant losses also made multiple withdrawal cancellations.

In addition to those warning signs, the AGCO alleged that PointsBet failed to enforce a mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period once the player canceled their deposit limit. Moreover, the regulator alleged the operator engaged in direct advertising without the player’s consent, offering credits, bonuses and inducements.

In light of the alleged deficiencies, the AGCO also claimed that PointsBet failed to ensure proper training for its employees on how to deal with customers who may be experiencing problem gambling. The regulator claimed that the operator failed to properly inform its employees of the importance of responsible gambling.

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Gambling regulators across the United States constantly monitor their respective markets, ensuring that licensed casinos, online gambling and betting operators adhere to the established regulations. Whenever breaches are uncovered, usually, a fine may be imposed. However, in more severe cases, gambling regulators can also consider license revocation.

One sports betting operator that was recently impacted by a fine in New Jersey over regulatory breaches is PointsBet. As reported by The Associated Press, the company received a fine from the gambling regulator in New Jersey, the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), over violations of the established sports betting laws.

The recent report reveals that the monetary penalty against the company was imposed late last month, on August 23, but details from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office were not released publicly before Wednesday this week. Reportedly, PointsBet reached a settlement with the DGE and agreed to pay the fine over three violations of the sports betting regulations.

The Violations Occurred in 2021 and 2022

One of the violations is related to an esports competition dating back to October 29, 2021. At the time, PointsBet offered bets for a League of Legends competition. While the company accepted four bets for that esports competition, one of the participants in one of the teams was 17 years old.

This was in breach of the established regulations that require bets to be placed on individuals with a minimum age of 18. Although PointsBet accepted four bets, totaling $1,225, the company confirmed that those bets were voided. Explaining the violation, the sports betting operator confirmed that it didn’t verify if all participants in the esports competition were aged 18 or older. Still, PointsBet confirmed that it has implemented a procedure that seeks to eliminate such future breaches.

Another breach dates back to August 2021 when PointsBet reportedly accepted pre-game bets for a game that had already started. One sports bettor placed $13,500 in bets, securing $28,275. PointsBet confirmed it uncovered the error, explaining it originated from “an unresolved communication issue” between a third-party data feed provider and the company. The aforementioned bets were voided, the DGE explained.

The last breach involves accepting bets for an ineligible game in New Jersey. This violation dates back to March 25, 2022, when PointsBet accepted two bets for a game with the Saint Peter’s men’s basketball team. The operator accepted two bets, totaling $60 but this tournament was ineligible for wagering in the state. Consequently, both bets were voided, and the sports betting operator explained that this was the result of a human error.

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The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed the provisional suspensions of three professional athletes. According to the announcement, Timur Khabibulin, Sanjar Fayziev and Igor Smilansky breached the codes of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) by trying to manipulate the outcomes of games.

The players in question will remain provisionally suspended until their official sanctions have been considered. The decision was made by Janie Soublière, an anti-corruption hearing officer.

The ITIA justified its provisional suspension with the following rule outlined in the TACP:

In the event that the Covered Person is found liable of one or more of the charges against them and sanction is not determined at the same time as the decision on liability, the AHO, either of the AHO’s own volition or on an application by the ITIA, must impose a Provisional Suspension pending the final decision on sanction.

TACP excerpt

As of July 25, the trio can no longer compete or attend any sanctioned sports event organized or recognized by the tennis governing bodies.

The Players Violated the TACP on Multiple Occasions

The ITIA reported that the Khabibulin, Fayziev and Smilansky have career peaks of 753, 253 and 451, respectively.

According to Soublière, the Kazakhstan-born Khabibulin violated the TACP 18 times between 2014 and 2018. The Uzbekistani athlete Fayziev and the Israeli athlete Smilansky, on the other hand, committed 5 and 3 breaches of the TACP, respectively, in collaboration with Khabibulin.

The three players conspired together to contrive aspects of matches for wagering gain. They also failed to report corrupt approaches. In addition, Khabibulin offered money to other players to influence their performance.

ITIA Continues to Crack Down on Fraud

The ITIA is an independent body founded by the International Governing Bodies of Tennis that seeks to identify and protect the sport from fraud and manipulation.

The body recently banned the Bolivian umpire Percy Flores over similar violations of the TACP. The umpire will be excluded from the sport for 12 whole years.

Prior to that, the ITIA teamed up with the ITF to launch mandatory integrity education for players with an active Juniors International Player Identification Number. The program seeks to teach players about the nature of fraud, its nature and its consequences.

In July, the body also sanctioned Mark Philippoussis over violations of the sponsorship rules in professional tennis. The Australian coach had participated in a voiceover where he promoted a gambling operator’s products.

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Hollywood York, a Category 4 casino, has been found in breach of minimum security workforce breaches of the state’s existing gambling law. The property is owned by Penn Entertainment, previously known as Penn National Gaming, and the regulator has now found that for a period of 55 days, the casino had not actually met those requirements.

Security Shortages Considered Serious Flaw by Regulators

According to the PGCB, the casino was short on security staff in 2022, specifically for the period between May through September. Although this information is not publicly available it may be requested by the watchdog’s Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC).

The enforcement action has resulted in a settlement in which both parties have agreed to the terms and conditions set out by the regulator. The OEC recommended a $78,000 fine because of the security failings and said that $2,500 in administrative costs ought to be paid as well.

A representative for the company, Ruben Warren, who is the general manager, said that the casino had indeed struggled to hire security officers because of the COVID-19 pandemic which has caused widespread labor shortages in the industry and made it much harder to recruit staff when and where necessary.

Penn Entertainment director of compliance Alex Hvizda assured that although the casino was indeed short on security staff, at no point was public safety threatened, which is one of the issues touched upon by the regulation and the OEC during the investigation.

Public Safety Was Never a Concern at Hollywood York

“When you hear we’re short a security staff member or two, I want to assure you that’s not impacting public safety,” Hvizda said. Overall, the casino has kept a very decent floor with security incidents, even during peak hours such as Friday and Saturday nights, being kept to generally one per hour.

The PGCB did not just convene to decide what to do with Hollywood York. Similarly, the regulator continued to target individuals that have been found in serious breaches of casino etiquette and protocols. Five people were banned from entry into casinos in the state, with all five people leaving children unattended so that the culprits could access gaming floors at casinos and play.

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UK’s gambling regulator, the Gambling Commission, constantly monitors the market in the country to ensure that licensees adhere to the established framework and that consumers are protected. In case any breaches are uncovered, the gambling regulator imposes sanctions which can be monetary or in severe cases, suspends or revokes licenses.

On Thursday, the Commission unveiled that it uncovered a social responsibility breach by an operator, which resulted in a fine. The gambling watchdog said that an investigation into PPB Counterparty Services Limited, trading as Paddy Power and Betfair, uncovered breaches of social responsibility. Describing the breaches, the Commission claimed that the company sent promotional notifications to customers that have previously self-excluded from gambling activities.

Under the current gambling regulations, licensed operators must adhere to self-exclusion, which means that they need to take all necessary steps to ensure that such individuals do not receive marketing offers. Once a person self-excludes from gambling, gambling businesses need to take action within two days and ensure that this person doesn’t receive any further marketing communication.

The Commission said that the social responsibility breaches date back to November 21, 2021, when the “operator’s app distributed an offer of enhanced odds for bets on an English Premier League football match to devices either linked to accounts that were GAMSTOP registered or devices linked to accounts that were self-excluded with the Licensee.” Due to the aforementioned breaches, the regulator imposed a £490,000 ($606,300) fine against PPB Counterparty Services Limited.

The Commission Continues to Monitor Gambling Activities

Details about the fine come after recently, the gambling watchdog imposed a $380,000 financial penalty against SkillOnNet. At the time, the Commission said that it uncovered breaches related to safer gambling and anti-money laundering regulations.

“Although there is no evidence the marketing was intentional, nor that all the people with apps saw the notification or that self-excluded customers were allowed to gamble, we take such breaches seriously.“

Kay Roberts, executive director of operations at the Gambling Commission

Addressing the latest fine, the Commission’s executive director of operations, Kay Roberts, acknowledged that no evidence supports that the breach was intentional. Additionally, she said that it is unclear whether or not the self-excluded people have seen the push notifications.

Yet, Roberts stressed that the Commission takes breaches of the regulations seriously. Finally, the executive director urged operators to ensure that their systems comply with the established framework regarding self-exclusion in an effort to protect such consumers.

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The Philippine gaming regulator PAGCOR has cancelled the accreditation of offshore gaming customer relations service provider CGC Technologies after an investigation.

CGC, an accredited service provider operating under the offshore gaming licensee Oriental Game Ltd, had its accreditation revoked after an investigation revealed it engaged in criminal activities.

PAGCOR confirmed CGC was engaged in criminal activities and had breached certain conditions associated with its accreditation. The investigation revealed that CGC was operating six buildings within the Sun Valley Business Hub in Mabalacat, Pampanga, despite only two of them being accredited by PAGCOR.

Read more: Philippines online casinos

“The company was embroiled in various allegations, including credit card fraud, serious illegal detention, and human trafficking activities,” PAGCOR stated.

The cancellation of the accreditation comes within a week of issuing a stern warning to offshore gaming licensees and accredited service providers involved in illegal activities.

In addition to the cancellation order, CGC’s performance bond was also forfeited with immediate effect. Oriental Game Limited, the offshore gaming licensee, was also fined $350,000.00 for its failure to ensure the legitimate operation of CGC’s business.

Chairman and CEO of PAGCOR Alejandro Tengco warned the continued operation of the CGC after the cancellation of its accreditation was illegal and would not be condoned.

“Continued operations despite the cancellation of their accreditation or licences shall be considered illegal. Immediate action will be taken against those who are engaging in such behaviour,” Tengco said.

“PAGCOR strongly advocates responsible gaming to curb all forms of social ills linked to gaming.

“This is the reason why we continue to forge close partnerships with other government agencies.

“Through proper regulation and cooperation with our law enforcement agencies, we will continue to ensure that revenues from regulated gaming will be used for more worthy causes, especially nation-building.”

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Macau, known as the gambling capital of the world, is set to tighten regulations on gaming credit with the introduction of a new bill. Under the proposed legislation titled “Legal regime of credit concession for gambling in casinos,” the Macau SAR Government aims to crack down on any breach of the credit law by concessionaires. 

Gaming Credit Regulation Violations Carry Hefty Fines for Concessionaires and Junkets

The bill outlines that only concessionaires will be authorized to issue gaming credit, while casino management firms will be strictly prohibited from engaging in such practices, reported Asgam. However, licensed junkets will be permitted to enter into agreements with concessionaires, enabling them to extend credit to players.

To ensure proper supervision, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), Macau’s gaming regulator, will oversee the credit activities of concessionaires and any associated junkets. The bill empowers DICJ’s supervisory staff to conduct monitoring duties at any given time without prior notice. It emphasizes that concessionaires must grant access to the monitoring officers and facilitate their work.

As part of the bill’s penalty scheme, severe consequences await those who violate the regulations. If a concessionaire conducts credit operations through a third party or transfers credit qualifications, they could face fines ranging from MOP2 million to MOP5 million ($246,000 to $615,000). Junkets found to be in violation of relevant regulations may be subject to fines ranging from MOP600,000 to MOP1.5 million ($109,000 to $185,000).

Enhanced Obligations for Credit Entities in Macau’s Proposed Gaming Credit Law

In addition, the bill introduces an article, which outlines the general obligations of credit entities. According to this provision, both concessionaires and gaming junkets must establish a robust system of credit risk control and conduct credit business in a prudent manner. They are also required to maintain a clear record of credit activities and implement data protection measures. Furthermore, a mechanism for handling customer complaints must be established to ensure effective resolution.

The proposed amendments to the credit law were initially announced by the Macau Executive Council, and the latest version of the bill has been made available on the website of the Macau Legislative Assembly for public scrutiny. DICJ Director Adriano Marques Ho confirmed that the bill is still in draft form and will be subjected to scrutiny and voting by the Legislative Assembly.

With these new regulations, Macau seeks to strengthen its oversight of gaming credit activities and ensure the integrity of the industry. By holding concessionaires and junkets accountable for their credit operations, the government aims to maintain a transparent and responsible gambling environment in the region.

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