Each week, CasinoBeats breaks down the numbers behind some of the industry’s most interesting stories. We take a global outlook in this latest edition, encapsulating Sweden and the Netherlands in Europe, before getting an update into Japanese integrated resorts, and finishing with an Illinois sports betting bill.
9
Following a recent meeting at the city of Iki, it has been confirmed by the Kyushu Governor’s Association that the city of Nagasaki is to lead all efforts to develop an integrated resort on the island.
Confirming the passage of a “unique” special resolution, consisting of a petition to the central government, all nine prefectures within the Greater Kyushu region have agreed to support the efforts of Nagasaki in the development of an IR in the region.
This encompasses the seven prefectures on Japan’s Kyushu island, namely Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki and Kagoshima, as well as Yamaguchi prefecture on the largest Japanese island, Honshu, and Okinawa, the largest of Japan’s most southerly islands.
Now to be known as the Kyushu Regional Strategy Conference group as a result of the issuance of support for a Nagasaki situated IR, work is to now commence to establish a project team whose chief role will be to assist in all efforts related to the push.
2021
Dutch gaming authority, the Kansspelautoriteit, has unveiled its long term aims regarding the Remote Gambling Act that is set to come in to force, after a vote to accept implementation earlier this year came in excess of two and a half years after the bill was originally passed in its lower house.
The regulator has set an initial target of the act coming into effect on Wednesday July 1, 2020, with permit applications able to be processed from that date, and the market for online games of chance then able to be officially open from Friday January 1, 2021.
That is according to René Jansen, chairman of the Ksa, who revealed the latest update at a recent conference in the Netherlands, and emphasised that managing the licensing process in the context of the Remote Gambling Act will be a priority over the next two years.
Under current legislation it is not possible to apply for a license to offer online games of chance, with the new act, which was adopted by the first chamber on February 19, 2019, set to legalise online gambling under a series of strict conditions.
2
AG Communications and Genesis Global have again fallen foul of the Spelinspektionen, as the Swedish regulator issues more bonus related punishments.
Each licence holder has been found to have violated Swedish gambling legislation by informing players of the possibility of receiving recurring bonuses on their websites.
As a result AG Communications has been issued with a SEK 500,00 (£41,757) penalty, with Genesis Global’s punishment standing at SEK 1.7m (£141,975).
Earlier this year AG Communications were found to have violated self- exclusion rules, including a failure to implement its national register Spelpaus.se, for which the Spelinspektionen issued a penalty fee of SEK 3m (£247,000) as well as a warning into future conduct.
This followed Genesis and Paf Consulting being found to have committed similar offences, receiving penalty fees of SEK 4m (£329,427) and SEK 100,000 (£8,235) respectively.
690
Illinois is to become the latest US state to throw its hat into the sports wagering ring, thanks to a vote in favour of such a move taking place over the weekend.
Casinos, racetracks and sports venues with a capacity in excess of 17,000, such as Wrigley Field and Soldier Field, will now be able to offer legal land based and mobile sports betting, with such operators getting an 18 month head start on mobile only counterparts.
Furthermore, bill SB 690, passing 46-10 and concurring with house approval, is to also see the construction of six new casinos to add to its existing 10, one of which will be located in Chicago which currently has no such facility.
Additionally the city’s O’Hare and Midway airports will now be able to offer slots, with it said that the majority of the state’s gambling revenue will be used to fund a $45bn, six-year ‘Rebuild Illinois’ plan that includes roads, bridges, transit and education among other projects.
