Recent Steps Towards Regulated and Responsible Gaming in the World
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The gambling industry is going through a transformation, as many countries strive to provide their citizens with regulated gaming and secure their responsible gambling behavior. Following the news about a recently approved decree that focuses on young players and players at risk in Spain, new restrictions have taken effect in Georgia, and gaming is banned for certain categories, while the Australian government works towards time limits for gamblers. At the same time, the Philippines and Denmark fight against illegal gaming. The details of changes in each market are given further in the article.
1.45 MILLION PEOPLE IN GEORGIA BANNED FROM GAMBLING
The decree on responsible gambling in Georgia, which was approved last year, took effect in March. Thus, strict restrictions are imposed both on casinos and on players.
One of the most unusual norms of that decree is that certain categories of citizens are banned from gambling. According to the new law, players under 25 years, socially vulnerable citizens, those who have been blacklisted from gambling by courts, those who self-excluded themselves from operators, and public employees are now banned and cannot play casino games at any operator in the country.
This ban is not the only restriction that the gambling industry faces in Georgia. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili also approved a series of new strict rules for gaming. One of them is the possibility of holding online gambling licenses only by those operators that have land-based destinations in the country. It means that only such brands as Adjara Group, Crystalbet, and Iveria are eligible to offer online gambling services. Nonetheless, there are exclusive licenses that can be issued to online casinos only, but the companies are expected to pay a fee of €1.6m to obtain them.
Moreover, all forms of promotions and advertisements related to gambling are now prohibited. This is relative for all major spheres, so no advertising on TV, public places, or websites. Finally, gambling taxes have been raised.
Moreover, the government plans to impose a ban on casinos on ships in the near future.
GAMBLING TIME LIMITS IN AUSTRALIA
While some categories of Georgian citizens are banned from gambling, players in the Victorian province of Australia might soon face time limits for their gambling activities.
The Victorian state government issued a direction with a requirement to Crown Melbourne to make updates in the Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct and impose strict time limits on how long an individual can gamble each day and each week.
This new rule does not allow Australian players to gamble more than 36 hours within one week. Moreover, those who gamble continuously for three hours should take a 15-minute break. At the same time, those who played casino games for 12 hours within a 24-hour period should be banned from gambling for the next 24 hours.
If a player reaches the set limits, there should be a responsible staff within an operator who asks them to leave the casino floor. If casinos do not follow those restrictions, they can pay a fine of up to AU$100 million.
DENMARK AND EU FIGHT ILLEGAL GAMBLING
The Danish Gambling Authority has published a report in which it mentions the measures that have been taken in the county to fight illegal gambling in 2022. The agency plans to continue this work in 2023.
However, Denmark is not the only European country that takes steps towards legal and regulated gambling for Danish players, so there was a statement issued by REF (Gaming Regulators European Forum) that declares the consolidation of EU members and highlights their cooperation in combating illegal gambling. The Danish Gambling Authority took an active part in the formulation of that statement.
According to it, EU countries plan to exchange information on those websites that offer gambling services without permission. Behind that statement is the concern that players who decide to play games on such illegal websites cannot benefit from transparent and fair customer protection policies.
SHUTDOWN OF OFFSHORE GAMBLING IN THE PHILIPPINES
Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sherwin Gatchalian claimed in its chairman’s report that the risks of offshore gambling outweigh its benefits for the county and that offshore gambling should be shut down. One of the arguments to support that statement was that there is currently no auditor to monitor the situation.
At the same time, The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) strives for the preservation of the integrity of the gambling industry in the Philippines and is currently searching for an independent third-party auditor that can assess and verify gross revenues from offshore gambling.
Moreover, learn more details about the new strict gambling regulations in Spain.
