Category Archives: Gambling

The Philippine online gambling industry is facing further changes to the rules involving its business process outsourcing (BPO) partnerships.

Last week, an announcement was posted to the website of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) alerting the industry as to the new accreditation of Special Class of BPOs affected by the POGO [Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators] rules and Executive Order No. 13.

The announcement defines this new Special Class of BPOs as those servicing legitimately licensed gaming operators abroad and do not in anyway [sic] handle betting but purely product marketing and are not servicing any of PAGCOR POGO licensees.

The criteria for being designated as a Special Class of BPO requires firms to adhere to all the requirements of regular POGO Service Providers. In addition, these BPOs can supply services only to duly licensed gaming operators located abroad.

The local gaming licenses of these international operators must be duly authenticated and consularized by the BPO operator. PAGCOR also wants to see copies of the service agreements between the gambling operator and the BPO detailing the types of services to be rendered and these services cannot involve accepting bets, engaging in gambling or illegal activities.

Other requirements include holding a valid Philippine business license, employing a workforce that is 90% Filipino, and ensuring that the BPO handles only product marketing and customer relations without handling any of the betting activities of the gaming operator.

BPOs also have to hold the necessary permits and a Letter of No Objection issued by the Local Government Units (LGU) that exercise jurisdiction over the area in which the BPO resides.

Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes EO #13, which was issued in February, redrew the map of the Philippine online industry, reducing the importance of online licensing jurisdictions such as the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), whose licensees are no longer able to operate BPO services outside the physical boundaries of their licensing jurisdiction.

EO #13 also sought to boost the national governments bottom line by taking a larger cut of the local online gambling industry. Similar motivations appear to be behind PAGCORs new BPO designation, which will deny BPOs a tax holiday while imposing new annual tariffs of US $100k.

PAGCORs announcement came shortly after the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) announced plans to bar BPOs from leasing office space in PEZA-accredited buildings in tech-friendly areas, including metro Manila.

Most building managers reportedly dont intend to evict their online gambling BPO tenants, in part because a PEZA accreditations primary value was as a marketing draw, and that importance has diminished as these buildings have filled up.

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New rules for Philippine online gambling sites' support services - CalvinAyre.com

The state House and Senate are close to passing the first major gambling legislation since the 2010 agreement with the Seminole tribe, but a few serious gaps remain.

The House on Wednesday had agreed to allow the Seminoles to offer craps and roulette, and pari-mutuels to end racing but keep their casinos. But House members wanted only one new casino in Miami-Dade County rather than two new casinos in Miami-Dade or Broward, as proposed by the Senate. On Thursday, the Senate stuck with its position of two new casino licenses in South Florida.

State Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, the Houses chief negotiator, feared that any gambling legislation that includes another casino in Broward County would scuttle agreements with the Seminole tribe, which operates casinos in Hollywood and Coconut Creek.

I dont disagree with [Diaz], they dont like that. But I also dont have a deal with the Seminoles right now, said state Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, the chief negotiator on the Senate side. So Im looking to maximize revenue to the state. Thats not to say it would be something that would be part of a final deal with the Seminoles.

The two casinos would bring in $42 million to state coffers, money that would be needed as less money could be coming from the Seminole tribe if they dont get the deal they want.

dsweeney@SunSentinel.com, 954-356-4605 or Twitter @Daniel_Sweeney

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Gambling deal inches closer in Legislature - Sun Sentinel

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Fighting Compulsive Gambling Among Women New York Times Hard numbers are difficult to find, but Keith Whyte, the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, said that gambling addiction among older women near or in retirement appears to be increasing in scope and severity, with a ... CCGNJ Executive Director Neva Pryor Discusses Problem Gambling on Another Thing with Larry MendteDigital Journal all 3 news articles »

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Fighting Compulsive Gambling Among Women - New York Times

Experts are warning that the UK must face up to the scale of its gambling problem with a lack of research, and industry influence, preventing proper scrutiny of a growing national habit.

Joey Bartons 18-month suspension from football on betting-related charges, and the players response in which he spoke of an explosion in sports betting, has brought the spotlight back on to a practice that is increasingly ubiquitous within the national game, though its influence hardly ends there.

According to the most recent estimates, Britons lost 12.6bn through gambling last year, almost 300 per person, with 48% of people questioned by the Gambling Commission having admitted to gambling at least once in the previous month. The number of problem or pathological gamblers registered at 0.7%, up from 0.5% in 2015, but as many as 5.5% of those questioned identified as at risk gamblers, more than double the figure recorded the previous year.

This comes at a time when online or remote gambling, particularly betting on football matches and the in play events within them is exploding in popularity. Yet according to academics not nearly enough is known or understood about the effects of gambling on those who do it, while the industry and its associated technologies continue to become more sophisticated.

What we have [with online gambling] is a new platform for providing a whole range of existing gambling services which effectively increases exposure and availability to unprecedented levels, says Dr Sean Cowlishaw of Bristol University. It is a profound change and vulnerable groups such as young people have the ability to gamble 24 hours a day from the comfort of their home. And we have no idea of the extent of the problem.

Technology advances at such a fast pace the structures that are tasked to control it dont keep up, says Professor Gerda Reith of the University of Glasgow, who has been working in the field of gambling harm for more than two decades. Thats a fact of life but I think by not recognising that its such a problem were creating a problem. Were not facing up to the potential for harm, particularly with regards to remote gambling that could lead to problems in the future.

Cowlishaws most recent research interviewed 1,000 men between the ages of 18-24 and found that as many as one in four displayed signs of a gambling problem. He believes effective research is being stymied by a lack of funding and undue influence on the part of the gambling industry.

There needs to be a recognition there are conflicts of interest that need to be actively managed, Cowlishaw says. Most of what we know [about gambling harm] isthrough research and evidence heavily influenced by industry. Industry funds all the research in the country through Gamble Aware. The amount of money put up is incredibly small and the industry has been able to maintain control over the topics addressed.

Gamble Aware is the charity formerly known as the Responsible Gambling Trust, charged by the department for culture, media and sport with commissioning research into, and treatment of, gambling harm. It is funded entirely by contributions from the gambling industry (while a donation is mandated by government, the amount is not).

Cowlishaw believes this structure is problematic. Its implicit in the structure that the gambling industry is an acceptable partner, he says.

If we look at research into tobacco and, increasingly, alcohol we can see the involvement of commercial groups can impede effective policy development. When we look at proposals for dealing with problem gambling, such as self-exclusion schemes or identifying people gambling in harmful ways, they all rely on partnerships with industry.

Self-exclusion is a process by which problem gamblers ask a bookmaker or casino to exclude them from gambling for an agreed period of time.

Professor Jim Orford is a vocal critic of the UK gambling industry. He is part of the School of Psychology at Birmingham University and the founder of the group Gambling Watch UK.

The way I see it is theres a collusion between the industry and government and that pulls in a lot of researchers and treatment providers who become dependent on industry financing to keep their work going, he says. I call this the gambling establishment. People become complicit in it.

Its in the interests of industry [to behave this way]. Im not blaming them entirely, if theyre told their activities are legitimate they are going to do what businesses do.

Its in their interests to say its safe and there are a small number of people who are pathological gamblers. The truth is these things are on a continuum. For every one who is so obvious that they are pathological there are 10 who are gambling in a risky way, some of whom will be able to pull back and some who wont.

Five of Gamble Awares 13 trustees have direct links to the gambling industry. In the financial year 2015-16, it raised 7.6m in contributions from the gambling industry. Of that it spent 919,654 on research. Meanwhile 3,788,698 was given to the gambling harm treatment charity Gamcare. Of Gamcares 11 trustees, six have direct connections to the gambling industry.

Gamble Aware was the subject of a complaint of conflict of interest to the charities commission last year. It was cleared of the charge and found by the commission to have a suitable conflict of interest policy in place. It strongly rejects claims it is too close to the industry and say collaboration is vital.

The government has prescribed a voluntary donation-based system to fund research, education and treatment to deliver a national responsible gambling strategy, says the Gamble Aware chief executive, Marc Etches, in a statement given to the Guardian. Gamble Aware has always been totally transparent about industry funding and relationships. They put us in a stronger position to help people with gambling problems and prevent gambling related harm in the first place.

Our research relies on data and information sharing from the gambling industry and our treatment services rely on staff who work in the industry to make sure those at risk get the support they need. Given those circumstances, we believe its only sensible and pragmatic for us to have trustees from the industry and staff with experience of it.

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Experts warn of 12.6bn scale of UK gambling problem - The Guardian

"I'm excited about the direction this is going," Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, a Miami Republican who is the House's chief negotiator, said Thursday morning.

The issue of slots in the eight counties --- Brevard, Duval, Gadsden, Hamilton, Lee, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Washington --- remains one of the main sticking points in the negotiations, after Diaz made an offer Wednesday that included major concessions to the Senate.

In that offer, the House partially agreed to the Senate's plan to allow nearly all dog and horse tracks to do away with live racing but keep more lucrative cardrooms or slots, a process known as "decoupling." The House, however, would require voters to approve decoupling in county referendums.

The Senate's counteroffer Thursday rejected the requirement of decoupling referendums and maintained a Senate position that would also allow jai alai frontons to quit holding matches while keeping more lucrative gambling activities.

The two chambers are also inching toward agreement on the issue of controversial "designated player" card games.

A portion of a 2010 agreement, known as a compact, gave the tribe "exclusive" rights to operate banked card games, such as blackjack, at most of its casinos. That portion of the agreement expired in 2015.

But the Seminoles filed a lawsuit, and a federal judge last year ruled that the state had violated the exclusivity agreement by allowing the designated player games --- in which a player acts as the "bank" --- at pari-mutuel cardrooms. The state has appealed the decision.

Wednesday's House proposal would cap the number of designated-player tables that cardrooms could have at 25 percent of the total number of tables. Bets would be capped at $25 per hand, a significant reduction from the unlimited bets that now can add up to thousands --- or tens of thousands --- of dollars.

In the offer made Thursday morning, the Senate's chief negotiator, Bradenton Republican Bill Galvano, proposed a $100 limit on the games and a 50 percent cap on the total number of tables.

Both proposals also would lower the current 35 percent tax rate on slots at racinos in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to as low as 25 percent, if the pari-mutuels agree to a maximum of 1,500 machines --- about 100 more than any facility currently operates. The Senate plan would also allow the racinos to add up to 20 blackjack tables, with caps on maximum bets.

Pari-mutuel operators remained upbeat about the direction the negotiations were headed after Thursday's meeting.

"We're happy there's movement, happy there's progress. All we've ever asked for is a road map for how to run our business," said Isadore Havenick, whose family owns facilities in Miami and Bonita Springs.

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Florida lawmakers inch closer to gambling deal - Jacksonville ... - Jacksonville Business Journal

By: Mike Vasilinda; Capitol News Service April 27, 2017

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) For the first time since 2010, state lawmakers are increasing the odds a new gambling deal will emerge by the time they wrap up the legislative session. It could result in fewer greyhounds being raced and more slots in counties that have approved them.

Lawmakers are moving toward allowing dog tracks to stop racing greyhounds. But it is undecided whether county voters where dog tracks are located must first vote on this change.

Animal rights activists are elated.

Im confident that we'll pass those referendums, but there will be a delay. More dogs will be injured. More dogs will die, says Carey Thiel with Grey2K USA.

Gambling legislation is moving for the first time since 2010 because lawmakers fear a pending court ruling.

Lobbyist Ron Book says, Thats what in part is certainly pushing the House, the court decisions, and not wanting further expansion by judicial edict as opposed to conscious edict by the policy makers.

Lawmakers also want a quick decision because they face pressure from a proposed initiative that would allow citizens to make any future gambling changes.

Still on the table is whether eight counties where voters have already approved slots will get them. The Senate, which proposed the idea, is holding firm, but offered to reduce the number of machines to appease a reluctant House.

The Federal courts, they continue to take positions that expand gaming in Florida. And if we really want to curb gaming, it would make some sense to expand a little, says Rep. Jose Felix Diaz.

Naples-Ft. Myers dog track operator Izzy Havenick is hopeful.

Its the hardest thing to run a business when any day things could change. You dont know tomorrow whats going to be legal, you dont know two days down the road.

The legislation, as proposed, would also remove any legal questions about daily Fantasy sports games.

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Gambling deal could lead to fewer greyhound races and more slots - WCTV

Mississippi ranked fifth in WalletHub's study of most gambling addicted states, due to the widespread legality of daily fantasy sports gaming and gambling-related arrests per capita. Photo courtesy Flickr/Lutmans

Mississippi sees the most gambling-related arrests and is in the top five states in the country for gambling addiction, a recent study from WalletHub found.

A gambling disorder is much like other addictions. The American Psychiatric Association classified it as an impulse-control disorder back in the 1980s, and now labels it an addictive disorder because it is similar to substance-related disorders, the APA's latest manual says.

"Research to date shows that pathological gamblers and drug addicts share many of the same genetic predispositions for impulsivity and reward seeking," an article in the Scientific American says. "Just as substance addicts require increasingly strong hits to get high, compulsive gamblers pursue ever riskier ventures. Likewise, both drug addicts and problem gamblers endure symptoms of withdrawal when separated from the chemical or thrill they desire."

Mississippi ranked No. 1 in widespread legality of daily fantasy sports leagues in WalletHub's study, too. The Legislature addressed the state's lack of regulations and rules, and revised the Fantasy Contest Act this past session to set guidelines for companies operating fantasy contests, such as fantasy sports leagues mainly run online.

The revisions to state law on fantasy contests included limits to the number of submissions a person can make to any certain fantasy league as well as requiring the operator to be transparent with the player about the rules, values of prizes and other rules before the game begins.

The Mississippi Gaming Commission will have direct oversight over fantasy contest operators in the state, and all operators will have to apply to the commission, get a license and be subject to audits.

Despite ranking so high for gambling addictions nationwide, Mississippi does not have a state lottery, an idea that both the governor and some lawmakers have pushed to bring in more revenue for the state. House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, created a committee to study the feasibility of a state lottery this summer to see if it's even a good idea for the state.

"I don't think it's the golden egg everyone thinks that it is," Gunn told reporters in late March after the Legislature adjourned.

Email state reporter Arielle Dreher at arielle@jacksonfreepress.com and follow her on Twitter @arielle_amara.

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Gambling in Mississippi: State in Top 5 for Addiction, First for Related Arrests - Jackson Free Press

Spin the wheel and roll the bones: Craps and roulette could be headed to casinos in Florida.

A deal under negotiation in the state Legislature would allow those games at Seminole Tribe casinos for the first time.

The plan also would:

The plan emerged Wednesday as the House and Senate tried to reconcile their differing versions of gambling bills.

The changes had been at the heart of a gambling proposal passed by the Senate, but not in a more-restrictive version passed by the House.

As negotiations continued, House negotiators announced they had come around to the Senate positions. That gives the plan a pretty good shot at becoming law, since it dealt with many of the objections from all sides.

Allowing pari-mutuels to stop races but continue to operate casinos has long been a goal of both pari-mutuel owners and animal rights activists.

With the exception of thoroughbred racing, animal racing has dropped in popularity and is no longer a moneymaker for most operators.

There are 16 greyhound tracks in the country, according to the National Greyhound Association, and nine of them are in Florida.

Of those, two Magic City in Miami-Dade and Mardi Gras in Broward have large casinos with slot machines. The others operate card rooms.

Allowing them to keep operating lucrative card rooms while halting races could potentially mean the end of greyhound racing in Florida.

State Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, called the gambling deal substantial and said it addressed many of the big ideas that had been the cause of impasse between the House gambling bill and the Senate one.

The deal does contain a couple of catches. County referendums would be required to end greyhound, harness, quarter horse and some thoroughbred races and begin designated player games.

The Senate plan called for two new casinos in either Broward or Miami-Dade county. The House plan calls for one casino in Miami-Dade.

The Seminole Tribe, which owns casinos near Hollywood and in Coconut Creek, wanted to discourage more competition in Broward.

A lot of work still remains for gambling negotiators. The House and Senate are still far apart on blackjack and slot machines.

The Senate wants to allow blackjack at pari-mutuels in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, with slots in any county where voters approve them. Eight counties outside Broward and Miami-Dade, including Palm Beach County, have already done so.

The original House bill allows none of that, and the Houses counteroffer Wednesday keeps those positions.

Its quite a contrast to where the House was just a few days ago, said state Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, the Senates chief negotiator. One of the big issues that remains is the authorization of slots in the referendum counties.

dsweeney@SunSentinel.com, 954-356-4605 or Twitter @Daniel_Sweeney

Get Dan Sweeneys daily political newsletter, the Power Lunch, here.

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Craps and roulette could be coming to Seminole casino near you - Sun Sentinel (blog)

As top sports officials and the American public soften their decades-long opposition to legal sports betting, the American Gaming Association, one of the leading advocates for a regulated marketplace for wagers, says that an end to the federal ban on the popular pastime is near.

Both the NHL and the NFL voted to place permanent franchises in the U.S. gambling capital this year, even as they remain opposed to legal betting on their events. The commissioners of the Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer have each called for a reexamination of what a legal regulated market would look like in 2017, while NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has openly advocated for federal legalization. President Donald Trump is a former casino magnate that has expressed support for legalization in the past.

The AGA, which lobbies on behalf of the casino industry, will be one of the groups eventually tasked with presenting the case to repeal the federal ban on sports betting to legislators on Capitol Hill a development that is still likely years away. But Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the Washington D.C.-based advocacy group, says his organization has a clear strategy to take advantage of what he calls a perfect storm of events that show progress toward legalization.

This is really happening. There is tremendous demand and tremendous need for a regulated sports betting market, Freeman told FOX Business. I think were closer than at any point in the past several decades to making that a reality. With that said, theres a process here. Were committed to that process, which means working with the leagues and other interested parties to ensure alignment on all the key issues.

Sports wagering has been illegal in the United States in all but four states since 1992, when federal legislators signed off on the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or PASPA. At the time, officials from top leagues like the NFL and NCAA argued the measure was essential to protect sporting events and athletes from corruption.

For critics of the push to legalize sports betting, that argument hasnt changed. The NFL, the preeminent holdout on the subject among sports leagues, remains adamantly opposed to an end to the federal ban. Commissioner Roger Goodell called the potential for a legalized marketplace a major risk for the league mere days after its owners overwhelmingly voted to approve the Raiders move to Vegas.

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"That is a major risk for us," Goodell said at a press conference earlier this month. "I think we have to make sure that we continue to stay focused on making sure that everyone has full confidence that what you see on the field is not influenced by any outside factors. That's our No. 1 concern. That goes to what I consider the integrity of the game, and we will not relent on that."

Silver and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, on the other hand, have said they are ready to reexamine the issue.

Manfred told FOX Business in March that MLB is past the stigmaassociated with Las Vegas, adding that Nevadas legal gambling market would not be a major factor in determining whether to place a baseball team in the city.

The fact of the matter is, people can gamble even on sports wherever they want to, we know that. Its a fact that we all live with, Manfred said at the time.

There are also signs that the American public is warming up to the idea of a legal market. In November 2016, a poll of more than 1,000 adults by researchers at Fairleigh Dickinson University found 48% supported a change to federal law that would allow states to legalize sports betting, compared to just 39% who opposed the notion.

Proponents of legalization especially the AGA say the federal ban has only served to empower illegal operators and offshore sportsbooks. The organization estimates that Americans place $150 billion in illegal wagers on sporting events every year.

While legislators on Capitol Hill will ultimately decide whether to repeal PASPA, Freeman said that conversation is the final step in the AGAs strategy. At present, the organization is focused on building a coalition of key figures in sports leagues, the gaming industry and the political world that would ultimately strengthen the argument in favor of legalization.

Our goal here is to make sure the gaming industry, the regulatory community, the leagues all those that need to be on the same page are on the same page before we go to Capitol Hill. I think thats the straightest path to victory here, and were well down that road, Freeman said. In any industry, when you bring an idea to Washington thats not fully baked, you make it very easy for legislators to do nothing.

Freeman argues that a regulated marketplace would utilize high-end data analytics to track wagers for any unusual or suspicious activity, which would allow sports leagues to monitor the integrity of their events even more closely. A close study of regulated gaming markets in Las Vegas and overseas in Europe provide a blueprint for how the system could eventually look throughout the United States, he said.

While lawmakers in several states, including New Jersey, are actively challenging the sports betting ban, Freeman says their efforts would only serve to [empower] an unregulated market. Instead, the AGA is calling on Congress to repeal PASPA and, potentially, to replace the measure with a framework of minimum standards for regulation. With a federal law in place, states could individually determine whether they want to opt-in to the legal marketplace.

In terms of how quickly can we get PASPA repealed, I think were looking at getting that done during the first term of this Trump administration, Freeman said. Everything Im seeing, everything were doing and that our allies are doing, leads me to be confident that we can get this done.

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Sports Gambling Ban Repeal Could Happen in Trump's First Term ... - Fox Business

April 25, 2017 3:21 PM By Kristina Dougherty

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) With several casinos in Atlantic City and its proximity to casinos in both Pennsylvania and New York, it may come as no surprise that a study finds New Jersey is among the most gambling-addicted states.

WalletHubs analysts compared the 50 states to determine where excessive gambling is most prevalent.

This Exercise Could Give You More Energy Than Coffee, Study Shows

According to the report, Nevada, South Dakota and Montana are the top three most gambling-addicted states. New Jersey ranked number six on the list.

While New Jersey didnt makethe top five most casinos per capita, or most gaming machines per capita, it did come in at number four for highest percentage of adults with gambling disorders, and number three for most gambling-related arrests.

According to WalletHub, experts say, While the estimated $240 billion gaming industry is no doubt a major contributor to the U.S. economy, its critics argue that gambling leads to social and economic problems, including gambling disorder and regressive taxes on residents of local economies where gambling facilities are present.

Girl, 8, Whose Father Died In Line Of Duty Secretly Pays For NJ Officers Meal

To determine their rankings, WalletHubs researchers compared the states across two dimensions, Gambling-Friendliness and Gambling Problem & Treatment.

To see the report, click here.

Kristina Dougherty joined CBS 3 in 2012 as a newsroom assistant and became a member of the CBS Philly digital content production team in 2013. Kristina produces daily breaking new articles, feature and lifestyle content as well as maintai...

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Report: NJ Ranks Among Top 10 Gambling-Addicted States - CBS Philly