2020 and 2021 Regulation Review, by Shenaly Amin Davdra, Digital Growth and Acquisition Specialist, Rightlander
In this article you’ll find a round-up of compliance monitoring requests and most common concerns faced by operators in 2020, and what to keep an eye on in 2021.
COMMON CONCERNS IN 2020
With so much regulatory change, there has been a significant increase in the number of operators now using compliance monitoring software such as Rightlander. The majority of our scans are set up to capture the most comprehensive, in-depth data possible. As much as we like detail, we also aim to provide our clients with exactly what they need. In
2020 we found a number of operators requesting customised reports around 3 main concerns:
- Monitoring bonuses with significant Terms and Conditions
- Checking for outdated offers on affiliate sites
- Identifying affiliates that haven’t updated certain words/values on current offers
Other requests included the monitoring of affiliates using specific terms such as Covid-19, self-exclusion, credit card casinos & non-gamstop to promote online operator’s clearly not following the rules set out by regulatory bodies earlier in the year.
A CHALLENGING YEAR
2020 has been a challenging year for most online and land-based gambling operators across the world. Covid-19 halted land-based activity causing a surge in online gambling. This brought about the need for more stringent measures to ensure player safety and responsible gambling. With tougher measures being introduced across the globe, it’s safe to say 2021 will see an increasing amount of operators leaving certain markets and affiliates having to once again find innovative ways to market products online without reverting to grey markets.
KEY REGULATORY CHANGES TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2021
Germany
The 3rd Amendment Treaty which re-introduces a sports betting license process and proposes to keep the ban on online casino, is scheduled to come into force from 1st July 2021.
UK
A new Gambling Act was expected in the autumn of 2020, however, delays largely caused by disruption due to corona virus means a new act is now more likely in early 2021. No provisional measures have been announced, however, we’d expect the new rules to cover VIP schemes, loyalty points, self-exclusion rules, responsible gambling tools, online stake limits, online game timings, TV and sport advertising and sponsorship and many more changes based on UKGC findings in 2020.
Spain
The Royal Decree approved in November 2020 set out provisions for operators to end all existing football club sponsorships by June 2021, as well as any existing contracts with celebrities for commercial advertising by April 2021.
Netherlands
The Remote Gambling Bill is expected to come into force on 1st January 2021. It is understood that operators that have directly ‘targeted’ the Dutch market will face a 30- month cooling-off period before being eligible for a licence. Full implementation of a licensing regime is not expected until 1 September 2021.
USA
As it now stands, 24 states have legalised online gambling in some form or another. There are several bills already in play for legalising online gambling in the many states including: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont & Wyoming. In 2021, betting could be legal in almost every state.
GET IN TOUCH
While Rightlander offers a recommended set of standard reports for each GEO and vertical, we also pride ourselves on continually innovating, providing our clients with a host of entirely customisable scanning solutions and reports to meet almost every requirement.
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