Chair of Belgian Gaming Commission warns that advertising ban could lead to black market growth
Magali Clavie, Chair of Belgium's Gambling Commision has publicly warned that the country's proposed ban on gambling advertising could stimulate players to turn to black-market alternatives.
Clavie: “We want players to remain in the regulated market. However, if licensed operators may no longer advertise, there is a risk that players end up in the illegal market where we are unable to carry out checks. Unfortunately, such illegal online operators are becoming increasingly important.”
The proposed measures include bans on broadcast and outdoor advertising, as well as a ban on personalized advertising by email, post, SMS, or social networks.
MGA: “We have no connection with ommer-automaten.nl”
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has released a statement declaring that it has no connection with ommer-automaten.nl – a URL that closely (but misleadingly) resembles the website of a Dutch land-based slots operator.
The website ommer-automaten.nl serves to promote the Gammix-owned BlueVegas online casino. Last year, the Netherlands Gambling Authority issued an incremental penalty of up to €4.5m to MGA-licensed Gammix Ltd for offering online gambling in the country without a Dutch license.
Apparently, Gammix has decided to blatantly ignore the Netherlands Gambling Authority's cease-and-desist order.
For now, the MGA appears to offer no other help to the Dutch regulator than to distance itself from the .nl affiliate that illegally promotes one of its licensees in a different jurisdiction.
It remains to be seen whether Gammix’s behavior will have any impact on its MGA license. If not, it would be a clear sign that the Netherlands Gambling Authority would have very little to expect from any cooperation with the MGA.
VIXIO GamblingCompliance Global Regulatory Awards 2023 nominations are now open
Nominations for the seventh annual VIXIO GamblingCompliance Global Regulatory Awards are now open. Nominations will close on May 26, 2023.
Since their launch in 2017, the independently adjudicated Global Regulatory Awards recognize those who demonstrate excellence in responsible gambling.
This year’s VIXIO GamblingCompliance Global Regulatory Awards ceremony will be held on November 29, 2023, in the prestigious De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in central London.
Upcoming events
The following event(s) may be of interest to the GiH community.
The 2023 Gaming in Spain Conference, which will take place in Madrid, has been rescheduled from March 28 to May 18, 2023. Confirmed speakers include both the current and former leadership of Spain's national regulator DGOJ. Registration is now open!
Dutch online gambling advertising code extended until June 1, 2023
The current advertising code for online gambling services, which entered into force on December 15, 2022, has been extended until June 1, 2023. The advertising code will terminate earlier if the government-proposed ban on untargeted gambling advertising enters into force prior to that date.
In the meantime, licensed operators are evaluating the advertising code together with other stakeholders. The current advertising code will also be updated to be brought into line with future laws and regulations.
The evaluation of the advertising code will be jointly carried out by trade associations VNLOK and NOGA, in cooperation with an independent research agency.
Dutch advertising codes are voluntary agreements between industry sectors and broadcast partners.
Other news
Holland Casino has extended its live casino offering with two new Dutch-language games.
GGPoker has added online casino to its Dutch product portfolio.
British problem gambling rates have decreased from 0.3% in 2021 to 0.2% in 2022.
Spain’s National Police Centre for Sports Integrity and Gambling (Cenpida) has launched an investigation into the alleged fixing of a match in the Copa del Rey domestic club football competition.