Daily Archives: October 7, 2020

How would college football experts bet this weekends Miami vs. Clemson game?

The Cover 3 crew from CBS Sports shared their best bets surrounding the Miami-Clemson game on CBS HQ on Tuesday.

The Cover 3 was operating under the following lines: Clemson as a 14 point favorite and the over/under point total at 63.5 points.

How would the Cover 3 bet the game?

Here are their picks

EMORY HUNT: Two things that can help win in football is a run game and defense. That has been the tried and true formula since 1869. When you look at what Miami brings to the table is a run game and defense. They have two tremendous defensive ends and they have a quarterback that is a plus in the run game in DEriq King. I think that is enough to keep this game close. You look at what Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong did last week against this Clemson defense and I think DEriq King is that plus ten-times more. I would say take Miami and the points.

Best Bet: Miami +14

DANNY KANNELL: All outstanding points, Emory. You know who else has an incredible run game with Travis Etienne? Clemson. You know who has a great quarterback, maybe the best in the country? Clemson. You know who else has a really good defense? Clemson. I think they are 14 points better too. I am going to lay the points. I am slightly nervous about the X-factor of DEriq King. I do think he is the type of player that can bail you out of bad situations if you are getting pressured at the quarterback position. I think he can be the great neutralizer in the game. Miami has done it against UAB, Louisville, and Florida StateUAB might be the best defense they have played and they struggled the most against them. That is nowhere near the test they will see against Clemson. We have seen this story before. When Miami is back and everybody is talking about them, that is when they fall flat on their face. Until they change that trend, I am going the other way. I am going Clemson and laying to two touchdowns.

Best Bet: Clemson -14

TOM FORNELLI: Look at that total, man. That is way too many points for a Clemson and Miami game. You have nailed my thought process for taking the under. These are two teams that are good at running the ball and these are two teams that are really good on defense. I think we will see a lot of running, a lot of defense, and a lot of punts based on the total. Another thing to consider is the weather on Saturday night, it is forecasted to have a lot of wind and a lot of rain. I think this is going to be a sloppy game and played in mud. Miami wants to play at a fast tempo and keep it moving and it is harder to do that on a field of mud. I am taking the under. I think this could be a game of 40 points, not 60.

Best Bet: Under 63.5 total points.

CHIP PATTERSON: Say it with me now, Big Game DaboSince the start of 2015, Clemson has played in 11 regular season games against ranked opponents. The average number of points allowed in those games has been 18.5 points. Hes tight. He gets a little bit conservative. He doesnt really want to put Clemson in a position to lose these games. 24-10 against Texas A&M. 14-6 against Auburn. 27-7 against a Boston College team that was charging late in the year. He is not going to put Clemsons offense in a position to make any game breaking mistakes because he knows you just have to win by one point in these regular season games. In the playoffs and in conference championship games, they open it up a little bit more and have been a little more aggressive offensively. Dabo is going to run the ball, play defense, and take field goals. He is going to be all about field position and he is going to be about Brent Venables leading them to success. That is going to take us to under-town in Death Valley.

Best Bet: Under 63.5 points.

How would you bet this weekends Miami vs. Clemson game?

Answer in the comments below.

Follow this link:

CBS Sports experts share their Miami vs. Clemson gambling picks - 247Sports

Financial products based on the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are to be banned from sale to retail consumers by the City watchdog.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said consumers were at risk of "sudden and unexpected losses" from the investments, and that the ban would save them about 53m a year.

It said the crypto derivative products, popular with male investors aged 20 to 44, were "primarily used for speculative purposes akin to gambling".

The ban will apply from 6 January and applies to trading in derivatives - effectively bets on cryptocurrency prices - rather than the assets themselves.

It could lead to about 75m in fees and charges being lost to UK firms, the FCA said.

Shares in trading platforms Plus 500, CMC and IG fell by between 2% and 3% on the announcement. IG said the products formed "a very small part" of its business.

The FCA said the products were "ill-suited to retail consumers due to the harm they pose".

It pointed to a prevalence of market abuse and financial crime as well as "extreme volatility" in the crypto asset prices on which the derivatives are based.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Sheldon Mills, interim executive director of strategy and competition at the FCA, said: "Significant price volatility, combined with the inherent difficulties of valuing crypto assets reliably, places retail consumers at a high risk of suffering losses from trading crypto derivatives.

"We have evidence of this happening on a significant scale."

The FCA had set out initial plans for a ban in a consultation launched last year.

Opponents argued against the watchdog's claim that the cryptocurrencies on which the derivatives are based have no intrinsic value.

They pointed out that Bitcoin was accepted by companies including Starbucks and Microsoft as a form of payment.

But the FCA said evidence showed cryptocurrency prices were driven by speculation.

Derivatives linked to commodities, currencies and other assets are commonly traded on financial markets, often as useful tools for businesses to hedge their bets against big price movements.

But the FCA argued that crypto derivatives did not serve a legitimate investment need.

It said that while some consumers could use them to hedge their exposure to the crypto asset market, this was not common.

"Feedback from retail investors suggest that crypto derivatives are primarily used for speculative purposes akin to gambling," the watchdog said.

Laith Khalaf, financial analyst at investment platform AJ Bell, said the watchdog had "delivered a blow to the crypto world".

He added: "On balance, given how new these markets are, how instinctively appealing they can be to the younger generation and the potential for fraudsters and cowboys to muscle in on the act, it's understandable the FCA wants to play it cautiously."

See original here:

Cryptocurrencies: Watchdog bans type of investment described as being 'akin to gambling' - Sky News

11 Gateway casinos will open between tomorrow, October 8, and October 10. Playtime Hanover, Gateway Casinos Woodstock, Gateway Casinos Clinton and Cascades Casino Chatham will open tomorrow, while Starlight Point Edward, Gateway Casinos Sarnia, Gateway Casinos London, Gateway Casinos Sudbury, Gateway Casinos Sault Ste. Marie, Gateway Casinos Thunder Bay and Gateway Casinos Innisfil will welcome gamblers back starting Saturday. Casino Rama Resort, however, is still going to remain closed for now.

Gateway CEO Tony Santo says of the relaunch, We are excited to be able to re-open our Ontario properties and welcome back some of our team members and customers. The health and well-being of our employees and guests is our top priority. We look forward to fully re-opening and welcoming more of our guests back in the future as capacities are increased and restrictions are lifted.

Despite the announcement, gamblers in and around Ontario shouldnt get too excited. According to Gateway, patrons are going to have to reserve their play time online in advance, and only My Club Rewards members will be able to make a reservation. Even then, the casino will have to first send an invitation to the member in order for him or her to be able to place the reservation no invite, no reservation, no casino visit.

Those fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to head to a casino will deal with restrictions similar to those found elsewhere in the global casino industry. In accordance with government-mandated guidelines, only slot machines will be operational, and casinos cant permit more than 50 people on the gaming floor at one time. There wont be any table games offered, and the amount of non-gaming amenities provided will be kept to a minimum.

The temporary operating procedures, apart from those implemented by the government, are expected to help control COVID-19, while allowing Gateway to get back on its feet. Santo adds, This system will allow our staff to properly prepare the gaming floor for our guests, and ensure there is no congestion at the entrance as they wait to enter. Things may look and feel a little different around the property, but we remain committed to making your visit enjoyable.

Originally posted here:

Gateway ready to wade back into the gambling waters in Canada - CalvinAyre.com

Dont miss out on all of the latest announcements. Our Press Release section is updated constantly.

Betsson extends Yggdrasil partnership to YG Masters program

The operatingpartner joinsMasters program to accessGATI technologyand to develop & distribute games

Leading global operator Betsson has extended its long-standing relationship with Yggdrasil to join its rapidly growing YG Masters program. Joining Masters will enable Betssonto access, create and distributegamingcontent usingYggdrasilsrevolutionary GATI technology.

Thenewagreement is a significant milestone for Yggdrasils YG Masters initiativeas itmarks the first timean existing operating partner has joined the program. For Betsson, the opportunity is to create new content, based on its experience as a successful operator, and have that content distributed via the extensive Yggdrasil network. GATI is the technology facilitator for the enhanced partnership and willaccelerate value creation and global distribution.

GATI isa preconfigured, regulation-ready development toolkitthat enablesstudios and game developers toapplystandardised technology to develop and distribute games anywhere in the world. This means YG Masters partners can source, build, and distribute contenton a global basis to maximizerevenue. Yggdrasil provides the singlestandardised interfaceand significant reach.

Masters partnersintegrated to GATI get access to thelong-establishedYggdrasil operator networkplusthefast-growingYG Franchise network.Masters in tandem with GATI is a brand new approach to game aggregation. Development and distribution of new games is much quicker and far less complicated than traditional models. It is truly a revolution and Yggdrasil are very proud to add Betsson to their Masters roster.

Betsson is one of Europes leading sports betting and gaming brands with more than five decades in the gaming industryand multiple brands across a range of markets.

Cricket or Rummy: Its time to Win and Enjoy: Rummyculture unfolds its Mega Indian Rummy League around the same time as IPL

Cash Prizes worth Rs. 6 crore to be awarded to the winners of the tournament

This month will be a thrilling one for all the game lovers, be it cricket or rummy, all thanks to IPL and the Indian Rummy League. With the much-awaited IPL now in full swing, Rummyculture, Indias fastest growing online gaming platform has also organized the most rewarding Indian Rummy Tournament for the rummy players around Diwali. This traditional game that is most evidently played during Diwali with friends and family has gained much online traction in recent years through online gaming platforms like Rummyculture itself. In this 56-day rummy tournament, which started on 19thSeptember, the players will have mega opportunities to grab the highest cash rewards. The event will close on 13th November, rewarding the winners with Cash prizes worth Rs. 6 crore.

Game Payment Technology smash forecasts with average value of electronic funds ahead by more than 400%

Feedback from the Game Payment Technology (GPT) early adopter programme has exceeded pre-launch forecasts and challenged conventional thinking surrounding the take-up and acceptance of technology by players in older demographic groups.

With the roll-out of the first 350 GPT enabled AWPs continuing, despite the new Covid restrictions, initial data has shown the average monthly value of electronic funds per machine to be in excess of 108. This is more than five times the forecast that GPT included as part of the business plan that was set in partnership with bactas Cashless Committee. Significantly, the profile of players has confounded some of the stereotypes and accepted views surrounding age and the use of technology. Data has shown that the majority (62 percent) of those using the GPT cashless app were aged 40-years and older, a characteristic that underlines both the widespread acceptance of apps in general as well as GPTs simple and user-friendly navigation.

Pronet Gaming enlists Mark Schmidt to spearhead African expansion

Local industry heavyweight appointed as Director of Sales for Africa

Pronet Gaming has recruited Mark Schmidt as Director of Sales for Africa as it looks to accelerate growth across the region with its fully-customisable sportsbook, casino and omni channel platform.

Schmidt, who has more than 11 years experience in the continents sports betting industry having held senior roles with leading regional B2C and B2B brands, will spearhead business development in the African region as Pronet Gaming look to accelerate their expansion into emerging markets.

Bringing a thorough understanding of the local market requirements and operating conditions, Schmidt joins Pronet Gaming from IMG Arena. In his role as Business Development Manager for MEA there he signed some of the regions top tier names over the last three and a half years.

His CV also includes a stint as Sportsbook Manager for Hollywood Bets, which he held for four years. He was then appointed as Sales Manager for Betradar, playing an incremental role in the companys regional growth.

NetEnts live casino portfolio launched with Svenska Spel Sport & Casino

After a completed technical integration, NetEnts live casino games are now available to players with Svenska Spel Sport & Casino.

NetEnts Blitz Blackjack, Auto Roulette Studio and Perfect Blackjack games have gone live with state owned Svenska Spel Sport & Casino, one of the biggest operators in Sweden, increasing the suppliers footprint in the live casino market.

Over the last year NetEnts live casino portfolio has undergone a major facelift with a number of product enhancements and new games being launched, including Perfect Blackjack and Auto Roulette Studio. NetEnt has also shown its dedication to optimising the player experience by continuously improving the UIs, graphics and usability.

The partnership with Svenska Spel Sport & Casino also includes great marketing tools with tailored campaigns for both acquisition and retention that will benefit Svenska Spel Sport & Casino and help the operator grow its live casino business.

Income Access Honoured with Two Bronze Stevie Awards for Women in Business

Paysafe company recognized in categories for Women-Run Workplace and Female Executive of the Year

Income Access, Paysafes marketing technology and services provider, has been recognized twice by the 17th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the winners of which were announced earlier today. The company won Bronze Stevie Awards in categories for Women-Run Workplace of the Year and Female Executive of the Year (Canada), awarded to SVP and General Manager Tara Wilson.

The Stevie Awards, which honour female employees, entrepreneurs and executives across the globe, has now handed Income Access four awards in the last three years, reinforcing its status as a company dedicated to diversity and inclusion at all levels. In 2019, Income Access took home bronze for Women-Run Workplace, while Wilson won silver for Female Executive of the Year (Canada) in 2018.

Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) Director of Global Technical Compliance Peter Wolff Named to theELG 40 Under 40 Class of 2020-2021

Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) Director of Global Technical Compliance Peter Wolff, has been named an Emerging Leader of Gaming (ELG). Wolff joins an elite class of professionals from across the industry spectrum in the 2020-2021 ELG 40 Under 40 presented byGlobal Gaming Businessand the Innovation Group.

Skrill partners with Betfred USA Sports

Paysafe digital wallet continues 2020 U.S. expansion by extending global Betfred Group partnership to American sportsbook subsidiary

Paysafe, a leading specialized payments platform, today announced a new partnership for its Skrill digital wallet with Betfred USA Sports, the wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of U.K.-based bookmaker Betfred Group. Building on Skrills long-standing payments support for Betfred internationally, the digital wallet has been added as a payment method to Betfred USA Sports recently launched mobile and online sportsbook for the Iowa market.

Midnite integrates HooYu to deliver esports betting customer sign-up KYC journey

HooYu selected to power customer sign-up and KYC journey for young & global esports customer demographic

Leading KYC and customer onboarding specialist, HooYu, today announced a partnership with esports betting operator, Midnite, to power their customer sign-up and KYC processes.

Midnite is a UK Gambling Commission regulated esports betting operator that enables customers to watch and bet on the latest CSGO, Dota 2, and LOL matches and tournaments.

Whilst esports betting has enjoyed a meteoric 2,922% rise in GGY from March 2019 to March 2020, its younger and more geographically diverse customer base brings with it challenges to be able to quickly and smoothly check customer age and identity before gambling can take place.

As a new gaming operator designing its platform from the ground up, Midnite selected HooYu to provide a range of database check, ID document validation, facial biometric and identity confidence scoring technology. As well as orchestrating the KYC technology behind the scenes, HooYu also embeds UI and UX tools in the Midnite sign-up process to guide users through the sign-up process and maximise customer acquisition success rates.

Link:

Gambling Industry Announcement and Partnership Roundup October 6, 2020 - CalvinAyre.com

Zoos across Thailand will be investigated for possible involvement in the black market wildlife trade. The probe follows a case where 2 rare albino barking deer went missing at Songkhla Zoo and a top zoo official investigating the disappearance was shot and killed at the zoo in an apparent murder-suicide.

After suspicion that the deer were stolen and sold in the illegal wildlife trade, the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand board set up a panel to investigate zoos nationwide for possible involvement in the trade. The zoos that fall under the organisations responsibility are in Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Songkhla, Ubon Ratchathani and Chon Buri.

The panel will determine whether or not illegal wildlife trading and trafficking is happening at the zoos, according to the board chairperson and former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives Chavalit Chookajorn.

Chavalit says the board also wants answers to the disappearances of the 2 albino barking deer at Songkhla Zoo. They went missing in February and September. The latest missing deer is believed to be eaten by a python. The boards acting director Smitti Darakorn Na Ayudthaya says the deers carcass was found in a snakes stomach.

The organisations director, Suriya Saengpong, initially went out to Songkhla Zoo to investigate the 2 disappearances. He was allegedly shot and killed by senior veterinarian Phuwadol Suwanna who later allegedly killed himself. After the fatal shooting, some have cited concerns that the deer may have been stolen and sold in the illegal wildlife trade. The case prompted the prime minister to order the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to investigate.

The Zoological Park Organisation panel plans to look at the current state and numbers of animals at the zoos under their jurisdiction and determine if there are signs of illegal wildlife trading. The system for reporting animal populations at the zoos needs to be updated, Chavalit says, adding that the process is complicated and time consuming. He also says the organisation plans to list zoos information on their website with animals birth and death dates.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

Catch up with the latest daily Thailand News Today here on The Thaiger.

See the original post:

Pattaya woman accused of prostituting granddaughter to repay gambling debts - The Thaiger

Christian McCaffrey is not only one of the best running backs in the NFL today, but he is also one of the best players at any position. In 2019, McCaffrey became just the third player in history to rack up 1,000 yards in both rushing and receiving over the course of a single season.

The Carolina Panthers depend so heavily on McCaffreys production that this year head coach Matt Rhule is even considering using McCaffrey as a returner. Critics have warned that that approach could represent a serious health risk. Here we take a look at McCaffreys NFL career so far, his potential new role, and how it could be a dangerous move for both McCaffrey and the team.

The Panthers drafted McCaffrey with the eighth pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. The 5-foot-11 running back put together a solid rookie season, rushing for 435 yards, with two touchdowns, and receiving for 651 yards, with five touchdowns. In his second season, those numbers leaped to 1,098 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns,and 867 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.

That performance earned McCaffrey Second-team All-Pro honors in 2018. 2019 was McCaffreys true breakout year, with the hyper-athletic running back racking up 1,387 rushing yards and 1,005 receiving yards. Among receivers who were targeted more than 100 times, McCaffrey had the second-best catch percentage, at 81.7%.

As a result, he earned his first Pro Bowl selection. After just three seasons, McCaffrey has also set numerous franchise records with the Panthers, including single-season records for most receptions, most scrimmage yards, and most receiving yards by a running back. Provided he can remain healthy, McCaffrey should be the Panthers core player for many years to come.

RELATED: Panthers Stephen Weatherlys Proposed Social Justice Patch Could Create Problems

As Christian McCaffreys considerable talent on the field became apparent, his usage rate climbed correspondingly. That increase already had some fans worried about increasing McCaffreys risk of injury. And how Panthers head coach Matt Rhule is openly discussing the possibility of using McCaffrey for kickoff and punt returns as well.

Rhule made it clear that he hadnt yet decided to use McCaffrey in that role just that he was keeping the possibility open. So long as Pro Bowler Pharoh Cooper remains healthy and productive, the Panthers will likely stick with him as their primary returner.

As Rhule himself put it to the media (per Sports Illustrated): We think weve got something really good in Pharaoh [Cooper], but McCaffrey, D.J., anybody will be used if it gives us an advantage.

RELATED: Panthers Legend and NFL Network Analyst Steve Smith Says Taco Bell Saved His Life

Many pundits have already weighed in on Rhules comments, with most of them agreeing that using McCaffrey as a returner would be a risky move. Simply put, it increases his injury risk profile to an unacceptable level.

For one thing, taking the field with special teams would increase McCaffreys playing time even more. With that increased utilization comes a higher risk of injury.

The risks increase even more when you consider that kickoffs and punts are the two most dangerous plays in professional football and the two most likely to result in concussions. The reason is simple: players have a huge runway, and as a result, they slam into each other at top speeds. For years, commentators have been clamoring for the league to do away with kickoffs entirely.

To utilize a player as talented as McCaffrey as a returner represents an unacceptable level of risk for the Panthers. Whatever they might sacrifice by losing out on his returning abilities, they would more than make up for by keeping him healthy during the rest of the time he spends on the football field.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference

Read the original here:

The Panthers Could Be Gambling With Christian McCaffreys Health This Season - Sportscasting

Regulation, rather than a ban, could bring with it several benefits as seen in other countries

A few weeks ago, Google pulled Paytm from the Play Store for violating its gambling policies. The growing popularity of gaming platforms like Dream11 and Paytm First Games raise questions about whether they are proxies for online gambling as they can involve financial transactions but are currently classified as games of skill. In a conversation moderated by Jayant Sriram, Jay Sayta (has extensively tracked issues pertaining to the gaming industry and gaming laws over the last decade and now advises several gaming companies on policy, regulatory, tax and legal issues) and Vidushpat Singhania (Managing Partner of Krida Legal and specialises in sports and gaming laws) discuss the current legal position in India on games of skill versus games of chance, the size of the gambling industry, and issues of regulation. Edited excerpts:

Well start the discussion with Paytm First Games and Dream11, both of which, I think, most people are familiar with now. The current legal position is that though they are transaction-based, various courts have held that they are games of skill rather than games of chance. Is this settled law now or is there still some grey area?

Jay Sayta: As you said, games of skill are exempt from the ambit of gambling. Gambling and betting are a State subject. Every State has its own legislation on gambling, and most States have an exemption for games of skill. However, these statutes are pretty old, and they do not clearly define or enumerate which games fall within this skill category. Nagaland, for instance, has a separate legislation which details what are games of skill. But for the most part, most States do not have that kind of clarity. So, it falls within the judiciarys ambit to interpret whether a particular game falls within the ambit of skill or not.

Now, with regards to Dream11 and daily fantasy sports, the matter has gone to multiple High Courts starting from 2017. In 2017, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that the format of Dream11, which involves picking 11 players from a real-life match from both sides and allocating points based on their real-life performance, is a game of skill and does not fall within the definition of gambling. Following that, in 2019, the Bombay High Court also passed a similar ruling. The Rajasthan High Court gave a similar ruling earlier this year. However, on March 6 this year, the Supreme Court, while hearing the appeals from the Maharashtra government against the Bombay High Courts order on Dream11, issued notice to all parties and stayed the operation of the Bombay order, which means that they will go into the merits of the matter in detail and adjudicate finally on whether it is a game of skill or not.

Vidushpat Singhania: The State Acts largely dont define what is a game of skill. What you go by is the interpretation given by the Supreme Court in various judgments starting from Satyanarayana (pertaining to the card game Rummy), where it said skill predominates over chance. Its still open to interpretation for a range of other games. The Rajasthan High Court, Punjab and Haryana High Court, and then the Bombay High Court all held that in the format being offered currently, Dream11 is a game of skill. There have been several appeals filed and dismissed against these judgments. But earlier this year, in another petition that is pending, the Supreme Court looked at it and stayed the order of the Bombay High Court and is looking to hear the matter afresh. What this means is, if the Supreme Court says that daily fantasy sports are games of chance, then the entire industry shuts down and the issue goes back to the States in a sense. State governments can issue licences for these games. If the Supreme Court says it is a game of skill, then the industry is open all over India.

Also read | Online gaming companies see 24% spurt in traffic

The user base has grown phenomenally for online gaming, especially in this lockdown period. Are most of these transaction-based in some way? What is the size of the industry we are talking about in monetary terms?

Vidushpat Singhania: Its a very tricky question because the gaming industry has legal as well as illegal components. And not everything is about paid gaming; there is also a lot of free gaming, casual gaming, gaming just for entertainment. Some parts of it are regulated. Betting on horse racing is regulated, casinos in Sikkim and Goa are regulated, certain games of skill are also regulated in States like Nagaland. According to companies like KPMG, the gaming industry in India would be worth about $150 billion.

Jay Sayta: Within that, the category of skill-based games is a complicated one because while these games can involve monetary transactions, they are largely offered for free. These skill-based games themselves could cross a billion dollars in value, the KPMG report states, and are growing at around 30% annually. Now thats the skill part, but if youre looking generically at gaming, both skill or chance, it is a very high number. Largely it is unregulated and in the grey space.

Also read | Lockdown brings spotlight on online gaming addiction

Lets get to the issue of regulation and what that might look like within each of these categories. Lets start first with illegal gambling.

Jay Sayta: Just taking a step back from how to go about regulation or legalisation, the question we need to ask is whether this is desirable or not; whether a ban or more stringent laws are the answer; or whether we need to take a more nuanced perspective and recognise that even if we pass new laws, this would still continue in some manner or shape.

In my view, regulation, rather than a ban, has certain benefits. One is the revenue argument. Since its happening largely underground, its a huge source of black money. So, if it is legalised and taxed in a realistic and reasonable manner, it can be a huge source of revenue for the government. The second is with regard to sports betting where there are a lot of allegations of match-fixing. Now, regulated and licensed betting regimes, as in the U.K. and many European countries, have a strong mechanism to monitor each of the betting websites, track suspicious patterns if there is a sudden spike in betting for certain events, and investigate them. And there are, of course, other ancillary benefits like employment.

Also read | Centre urges Madras High Court to dismiss case against online gambling

Vidushpat Singhania: By way of a legal framework, we have regulations in Goa and Sikkim, where there is a licensing regime to allow certain types of casino games. So, you could expand that kind of legislation itself. Or you could look at international examples like the U.K. which has the Gambling Act of 2005. The Act has four or five categories, and they regulate it based on those categories. So, they have casual gaming, mid-level gaming, serious gaming, high-stake gaming. Theyve divided the games into four or five categories, and then based on that, they have a licensing regime. This applies across all games, whether skill or chance. That is the closest we could also go, where we divide various games into various categories and have a different licensing fee for each. Now, whether that can be pan-India or State by State is the issue.

Games of skill seem to exist in a legal grey area. How is this nascent industry being regulated?

Vidushpat Singhania: Games of skill are largely self-regulated. There are bodies such as the All India Gaming Federation, FIFS [Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports] and The Rummy Federation which have developed self-regulation codes for advertisements, the way of playing, taxation... The only State where gaming or skill gaming has been regulated is Nagaland. Otherwise, games of skill are generally self-regulated by these industry bodies, which is not bad. I dont think we need the government to step in to regulate everything. Maybe a basic level of licensing regime can come in, but the operational regulation, I think, should always be with the industry.

Also read | Enforcement Directorate to probe 1,100-crore online gambling racket

Jay Sayta: I have a bit of a different opinion because self-regulation, be it in gaming or in broadcasting or anywhere else, has always been less than satisfactory. There are no sanctions or penal measures that can be invoked against any erring operators. While it is great that these guidelines or charters are there, there are various operators out there who dont follow them and there is nothing that can be done against them apart from naming and shaming them. A lot of people must have also seen advertisements about skill gaming companies. Some of them are misleading and give false assurances.

The Consumer Protection Ministry has issued certain guidelines on advertising. Perhaps these real money games can be included in that ambit and certain dos and donts [can be specified]. For example, I dont think it is appropriate to give the message that during the lockdown, you can play day and night on these platforms and use them as instruments to solve your social or financial problems. So, the government should step in.

Also read | Gaming: a question of skill

One issue that immediately stands out is whether there should be a cap on the amount of money people can play with. Is there regulation on this aspect?

Vidushpat Singhania: This is an issue that the Law Commission of India has also gone into. It has said we will have to demarcate serious gaming and casual gaming limits. If somebody is putting up 100 or 200 a day, you can allow it as a kind of social gaming, because the prizes will also be limited in that sense and you dont really need a licence. But where the monies are bigger, say you are allowed to put 5,000 and you can win up to a crore, that goes into the serious gaming or gambling aspect and that will definitely need complete regulation.

Column | Captains suggest a (legal) bet on things changing

What is the revenue possibility for the government? And how does that tie into the question of regulation?

Vidushpat Singhania: GST [Goods and Services Tax] and income tax are still applicable to these games. Its only a licensing fee which may not be applicable at this point of time. Dream11, for instance, is paying GST, and the winners will end up paying income tax as well. So, if it is regulated as a game of skill, and the court allows it, then there will be an exponential growth in this game and the collection of GST will increase.

Jay Sayta: The activity is already being taxed. The only aspect is the category of tax. Right now, the argument is that it has legal basis as a game of skill and so it does not fall within the sin category of, say, gambling and casinos. So they are paying a lower amount of tax. That is one aspect which needs to be thought through whether there needs to be a slightly higher rate of tax for these kinds of activities.

Also read | Enforcement Directorate freezes funds of companies running Chinese online betting applications

The revenue potential has also been weighed in. If taxed in a rational and reasonable manner, games of skill or chance could lead to tens of thousands of crores in revenue. For instance, the Maharashtra government is already looking at the aspect of regulating sports betting, as per reports.

Vidushpat Singhania is the Managing Partner of Krida Legal and specialises in sports and gaming laws; Jay Sayta has extensively tracked issues pertaining to the gaming industry and gaming laws over the last decade and now advises several gaming companies on policy, regulatory, tax and legal issues

Read more:

Should online gambling in India be regulated? - The Hindu

NSW's 95,000 poker machines bring in $1 billion in state taxes each year and create as many as 100,000 jobs, including in sophisticated gaming machine manufacture.

Loading

But poker machine expenditure is increasing and spiked during the pandemic, rising by more than $200 million or 12 per cent between June and August, compared to the same period last year, government figures show.

Mr Dominello last week released draft harm minimisation legislation for public consultation, which suggested facial recognition technology could be used to identify problem gamblers.

The gambling card was not included in the draft bill, but Mr Dominello has been consulting widely with his colleagues and MPs from all parties to shore up support for it.

Pubs and clubs have slammed the draft legislation released last week, warning measures such as facial recognition would cost the industry millions at a time when it can least afford it.

"Gaming revenue has fallen 14 per cent year-on-year as a result of the 10-week industry shutdown, while food and beverage takings are down 60 to 70 per cent," Clubs NSW chief Josh Landis said.

"I dont think anyone would agree that the middle of a pandemic is the right time to introduce onerous new compliance requirements."

The NSW Australian Hotels Association has also warned that pubs were already struggling to survive amid the pandemic and could not cope with expensive regulation.

"We dont believe our patrons want to be monitored through facial recognition each and every time they catch up with mates at the pub," AHA boss John Whelan said last week.

NSW relies on an industry-run self-exclusion scheme, which involves individuals signing a deed asking to be banned from one or more gaming machine venues.

But there are no sanctions for an individual or venue for breaching a banning order, and last year's NSW Gambling Survey showed that 92 per cent of excluded gamblers were successful in regaining entry to a venue.

The harm minimisation changes also propose a new exclusion scheme to allow family members to ask pubs and clubs to ban someone whose problem gambling is harming themselves or others.

Mr Dominello said NSW had the unenviable title of the "poker machine capital of Australia" and he was determined to use technology to bring the $6 billion gaming machine industry into the 21st century.

He said pubs and clubs played an important role in the community and were a "modern meeting place" that provided social support in the form of grants and donations.

Loading

"As a member of the taskforce to open up the NSW economy, I strongly advocated for an earlier opening of pubs and clubs as they provide employment for thousands of people," Mr Dominello said.

"While I understand their concerns, I vehemently disagree with their conclusion that we should just walk away from this reform or kick it down the road because it is all too hard.

"COVID has shown us how businesses can quickly adapt their practices when confronted with new realities like social distancing or the need for QR Codes to assist contact tracing.

"Pokie machine addiction is an old reality, and we have the technological solution to help which is what we must do when someone asks for it because its destroying their life."

Our weekly newsletter will deliver expert analysis of the race to the White House from our US correspondent Matthew Knott. Sign up for The Sydney Morning Herald's newsletter here, The Age's here, Brisbane Times' here and WAtoday's here.

Alexandra Smith is the State Political Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.

Read the original:

Cash ban as gambling card to overhaul $6b pokie industry in NSW - Sydney Morning Herald