Italy has given the go-ahead to the Tax Delegation Law, paving the way for a major overhaul of the country’s gambling regulatory framework. This marks the latest effort by the Italian government to reorganize the sector after several failed attempts over the last decade mainly due to political fallouts and changes to government leadership.

New Player Protection Measures on the Way

Under the legislation, the government will introduce changes to gambling tax duties, with new player protection measures also set to be implemented. The move is aimed at promoting transparency and accountability within the industry. 

The Italian government will adopt a phased approach to implementing the changes, with Phase 1 focusing on reforming the gambling concession model and putting in place unified laws regarding the operations of gambling venues across the country’s 20 administrative regions. The self-exclusion scheme will also be modified to better protect vulnerable customers.

Reform Decrees Expected in September

Italy’s gambling authority, the Agency of Customs and Monopolies (ADM), is also expected to examine existing stake limits and machine payouts to enhance player protection. Additionally, a ban on betting on underage sports competitions and a mandatory training for concessionaires, operators, and dealers, will be implemented. 

The ADM is scheduled to submit a draft of the reform decrees by September 20, 2023.

Liquor & Gaming NSW, the gaming regulator in New South Wales (NSW), Australia has come under criticism after it was discovered that the agency did not provide relevant documents to an investigation into money laundering.

Regulator Did Not Provide 125 Docs for Project Islington 

A call for papers initiated by Sydney MP Alex Greenwich found that the gaming regulator had not forwarded 125 key documents to the NSW Crime Commission when it conducted Project Islington, a probe into money laundering in pubs and clubs across NSW. 

A final report on the investigation found that pokie machines were used by criminals to launder money, but they were not prosecuted due to a lack of information regarding their identities. The report recommended the implementation of cashless gaming cards to tackle the issue.  

Following the discovery, Greenwich has cast doubt on Liquor & Gaming’s ability to properly investigate gaming-related crime. He called on Gaming and Racing Minister David Harris to review the regulator’s role and make changes where needed.

Gaming Minister Allays Concerns 

Supporting Greenwich’s call for papers, Minister Harris said that the Minns government takes gambling reform seriously and is committed to minimizing harm and addressing money laundering. 

Harris also highlighted further actions taken by the government so far in this area, including deploying more compliance officers and investigators under changes to the Liquor & Gaming NSW’s Hospitality and Racing organizational structure.

Sands China Ltd, the Macau arm of the US-based gaming operator Las Vegas Sands Corp, has made it to the list of top-performing companies in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives issued by credit rating agency S&P Global Ratings.

Sands China Ltd Included in S&P’s 2023 Sustainability Yearbook

Sands China Ltd, which operates multiple gaming properties in Macau, is among 88 companies out of 1,600 achieving top rankings in S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment for 2022. The firms were evaluated based on sustainability criteria specific to their respective industries. 

Those belonging to the top 15 percent, including Sands China, are featured in the Chinese edition of S&P Global’s 2023 Sustainability Yearbook. Sands China owns and operates the Londoner Macao, the Parisian Macao, and the Venetian Macao casino resorts in Cotai, as well as the Sands Macao casino-hotel locate in the heart of the Macau peninsula.

Sands China Welcomes ESG Recognition 

Sands China President Wilfred Wong Ying Wai welcomed the recognition by S&P which he said is a testament to the company’s long-standing commitment to corporate social responsibility. Globally, Sands China’s parent firm Las Vegas Sands Corp was also included in the top 1 percent for its ESG efforts. S&P Global’s sustainability assessment covers more than 10,000 companies from various industries across the globe.

Crown Resorts is placing increased focus on safer gambling with the upcoming launch of a digital self-exclusion system that will allow customers to ban themselves from Crown casinos via an online portal. 

This means players experiencing gambling problems no longer have to personally visit Crown’s designated responsible gambling center to request for their names to be blocked from gaming venues run by the operator. 

New Safer Gambling Program for Crown

The digital self-exclusion platform forms part of Crown’s new safer gambling program which will also see the group form a gambling policy team that will be tasked with tracking customers’ gaming behavior and putting in place interventions to protect them from gambling harm. 

Crown has introduced a series of new measures to promote safer gambling and improve player protection since it became the subject of inquiries in all Australian states where it operates over allegations of money laundering, fraud, and other illegal practices.

Crown Committed to Creating Safer Environment for Players

The casino operator was ordered by authorities to go through a remediation program to fix its system after being found unfit to hold a gaming license in Australia. The group has been proactive so far in this aspect, introducing new measures such as limiting gambling hours and requiring customers to take breaks every three hours. Additionally, Crown has also transitioned to cashless gaming at its Melbourne and Sydney properties.

Norwegian gambling operator Norsk Tipping will have to reduce its advertising spend by at least 20% in 2023 under an order by the country’s gambling regulator, Lottstift. Norsk Tipping holds a monopoly on betting and lottery in Norway and is one of only two operators (the other being Rikstoto) permitted to promote their products and services on national media. 

Norsk Tipping Must Reduce Advertising Spend by NOK 45 Million

Lottstift has ordered Norsk Tipping to cut its advertising spend by NOK 45 million (around €5 million) as part of the government’s efforts to reduce the exposure of children and other vulnerable people to gambling ads. 

With unlicensed gambling operators now unable to promote their services to Norwegian customers via key marketing channels including digital TV, there is no need for Norsk Tipping to maintain a high exposure, and must therefore implement major changes to conform with the shift in Norway’s gambling market, Lottstift stated.

Norsk Tipping Has Until Aug. 11 to Comply

Norsk Tipping already cut its advertising spend from NOK 314 million to NOK 227 million earlier this year over potential regulatory risks. The gambling monopoly has until August 11 to submit a plan to further reduce its advertising budget as per Lottstift’s order. It may also appeal the decision under Norway’s gambling laws.