Regulator found lacking

Sweden��s National Audit Office, the Riksrevisionen, has stated that the country��s gambling regulator, the Spelinspektionen, is failing in several of its duties.

the Spelinspektionen was found to be ��less effective than desirable��

The audit was commissioned to determine the results of the first five years of legal and regulated gambling in Sweden. Since the new gambling act was passed in 2019, the Spelinspektionen was found to be ��less effective than desirable��.

The audit found a series of persistent issues with the regulator, including a mismanagement of resources and a lack of follow-ups after taking action against operators.

Shortcomings exposed

One of the main themes of the report was the Spelinspektionen��s poor resource use and inefficient time management priorities.

License application reviews and government assignments were considered to have been prioritized over other important tasks,

Hedvig T?ngd��n, the project leader on the audit, stated: ��In this situation, it is particularly important that the supervisory resources are used where they bring the most benefit.��

��To achieve this, the Authority needs to base its supervisory planning on systematic risk analysis. This is not currently the case.��

the regulator had only followed up cases on one solitary occasion since 2019

Another major shortcoming that was highlighted was following up with operators who had been subjected to regulatory supervision. After decisions were made, the regulator had only followed up on cases on one solitary occasion since 2019, raising serious questions over whether its decisions are actually being enforced.

Work to do

The audit��s conclusion listed several recommendations for improvement, including incorporating long-term plans into supervision actions, a risk management-based approach to resource allocation, and providing regular reports to the Riksdag, Sweden��s main decision-making body.

Responding to the audit, the Director General of Spelinspektionen Camilla Rosenberg said: ��We welcome the National Audit Office��s review, and since the re-regulation [we] have carried out ongoing change work and still have work to do.��

A lack of funding has been a persistent complaint by the regulator, who also acknowledged their own shortcomings. Last year, this led to a budget increase of SEK 2.4m ($227,764), which Rosenberg hopes will help address the issues.

��Several issues are still awaiting resolution in court. The Authority has also received increased budget funds for 2024 that we requested, which is a decisive factor in being able to develop the business further.��

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Macau officials get busy

Authorities in China��s Special Administrative Region (SAR) of Macau have announced an investigation into alleged entry fees into Venetian Macao.

According to the Macau News Agency, a trending thread posted to the Chinese equivalent of Instagram over the weekend stated that MOP200 (US$25) was required to gain entry to Venetian Macao.

alleged casino entry charge levied upon bettors arriving on group tours

As of Tuesday morning, the post had attracted over 530 comments and spurred Macau��s Government Tourism Office (MGTO) to commit to probing the alleged casino entry charge levied upon bettors arriving on group tours.

In another gaming twist for Macau, the recently passed gambling crimes bill has an immediate impact on one of the oldest institutions in the SAR. News emerged over the weekend that sales of tickets for the Mark Six lottery run by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will result in fines or a maximum of two years in prison.

Lottery ban, alleged casino scam

The Mark Six lottery sale ban will directly affect family-run and small to medium businesses, and by extension, the HKJC. 

Macau lawmaker Ron Lam argued that Mark Six lottery tickets were ��often sold by small local shops that did not engage in organized illegal operations.�� Macau��s Government Secretary for Administration and Justice Andr�� Cheong Weng Chon, however, overruled Lam, stating a ban was needed ��to prevent young people from easily accessing lottery tickets.��

The ban has already snared a married couple after they were found selling 58 Mark Six tickets at their corner shop. According to Focus Asia Pacific, the couple has allegedly made MOP1,960 ($245) in profits since the pair started selling the HKJC lottery tickets in February.?

Also on Macau��s hot topics list is the alleged Venetian Macao entry fee scam. Director of MGTO Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes told the media Sunday she was aware of the allegations and that investigations were underway.

Macau travel agencies may have been spreading misinformation

Fernandes�� comments suggest her organization believes that Macau travel agencies may have been spreading misinformation. If this is the case, Fernandes warned, ��fines will be imposed as a primary punishment.��

The MGTO head added the censure ��could potentially impact�� travel agencies wishing to renew their licenses. Plus, Fernandes said, unauthorized tour guides found to have been involved would incur separate penalties. 

Low-budget tours in spotlight

According to Macau Business, the MGTO head urged travelers to avoid low-budget tours, which she attributed as the source of such long-running issues like the alleged Venetian Macao scam. 

Such tours to Macau are mostly routed from the mainland China province of Guangdong.

A Legislative Assembly committee is mulling new legislation aimed at combatting the ��zero-cost�� tours, with operators facing penalties from MOP50,000 ($6,218) to MOP70,000 ($8,741). The discounted tours often depend on visitors making purchases to generate commissions, which, according to media reports, ��could result in coerced purchases or even disputes during the process.��

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UKGC on war footing

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has fired a warning shot at unregulated gambling markets ahead of its announcement that it will publish its report on the black market sector in the spring of 2025. 

UKGC CEO Andrew Rhodes revealed the UK government��s gambling regulator is mustering multiple forces to tackle the black market with the immediate target being unregulated ��prize draws and competitions.��

Ahead of its 2025 report, the UKGC has published a new ��evidence-led�� methodology paper outlining its strategy to identify and take down unlicensed online gambling operators.

introduction of a new cease-and-desist process��

According to reports, ��a key development will be the introduction of a new cease-and-desist process�� aimed at firms offering illegal prize draws and competitions. This is an area of prime concern for UK government agencies, including HM Revenue and Customs and the National Crime Agency.

Regulator on a roll

The UKGC CEO on Monday asserted the regulator will uphold its ��corporate strategy to increase investment, resources, and capacity to tackle illegal gambling,�� which the UK government views as an economic threat and a crime impacting society.

As such, the body has set out its priorities for 2025, which include improving its processes to combat illegal markets more effectively.?

��We are committed to making it difficult to provide illegal gambling at scale to consumers in Great Britain,�� Rhodes stated. Central to the UKGC��s 2025 strategy is data-driven action and collaboration. 

��The partnerships we��ve built with international regulators, technology partners, and search engines are already delivering results, and we��re determined to keep up this momentum,�� Rhodes emphasized. 

The results Rhodes is talking about is recent victories the regulator has enjoyed against unlicensed operators via blocking URLs, denying payments, and making illegal online sites inaccessible.

255 websites taken down

According to the Commission, collaboration with technology partners, international regulators, and other parties has seen it issue over 750 cease-and-desist notices. In addition, more than 78,000 URLs have been flagged up and removed by Google and Microsoft, with 255 websites taken down.

Tech giants on board

��By using data analytics to improve our enforcement efforts, we��re not just reacting to the problem, but proactively targeting illegal operators,�� Rhodes said.

According to media reports, the UKGC has built on its successful collaboration with Google by developing a working relationship with Microsoft and its platforms, such as Yahoo Finance and Bing, to remove black market gambling content from search results.

The Commission added that it will up its engagement with enforcement bodies like the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit and strengthen links with payment providers ��to disrupt illegal transactions.��

The UKGC will also commission research into discovering why some bettors use unregulated operators and what motivates their choices. 

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Casino patron showered

A patron of a Pittsburgh casino who fell ill after being up covered in sewage due to a burst pipe at the venue is now seeking damages.

Live! Casino Pittsburgh operator Stadium Casino Westmoreland and the owner of the mall where the venue is located, CBL & Associates Properties, have both been named in the lawsuit.

Shortly after the incident, she fell ill for more than two weeks.

Plaintiff Rita Romagnoli of Greensburg, Pennsylvania is seeking $30,000 in damages from the two companies. Shortly after the incident, she fell ill for more than two weeks.

Plumbing negligence

Romagnoli visited the casino in Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania, with her husband Robert on July 28, 2024.

While she was happily enjoying her time at the venue, a pipe burst directly above her head, covering her in fecal matter.

Following the incident, Romagnoli was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia and hospitalized for 15 days, which she claims was a direct result of her exposure to the waste. Sewage water is often contaminated with many pathogens which can cause the disease.

The plaintiffs further stated that both the casino operator and mall owner were aware of the issue, and that her illness was the direct result of negligence on their part.

Repeat incidents

Since the filing of the lawsuit, local news outlet KDKA-TV reported that another woman had come forward after experiencing a similar incident in the same casino.

It was in my hair. It hit my face, and it was all over my clothes.��

��I was sitting at a slot machine, and all of a sudden water came pouring down on me and another gentleman that I did not know that was sitting at the slot machine next to me. It was in my hair. It hit my face, and it was all over my clothes. I mean, I was like, literally, soaking wet,�� the woman claimed.

The woman, who did not wish to be identified, stated that the casino apologized but informed her that it was only water.

��It��s a little suspect that the same thing happened to this lady,” the woman said. “It��s very, very scary and very concerning.��

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BlockDance reopens illegally

BlockDance BV has been warned that it could face a fine of up to �840,000 ($910,800) if it does not immediately cease operations in the Netherlands.

The Dutch gambling regulator De Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) launched an investigation into the company and determined that it was illegally offering games of chance without a correct license across two different sites.

The sites, bc.game and bcgame.lu, denied access to Dutch gamblers following a previous inspection from the KSA, after which the regulator informed them that they would not face any penalties.

players were able to create accounts, make deposits, and gamble on games of chance

However, after further monitoring, the sites were once again accessible in the Netherlands, and players were able to create accounts, make deposits, and gamble on games of chance. As a result, BlockDance will now face the fine after all.

Weekly fines

The penalty will increase if the operator does not block all access from the Netherlands within four weeks of receiving the order.

The company will be subject to a fine of �280,000 ($303,858)?for every week that it remains operational and accessible by players in the Netherlands, up to the maximum fine of �840,000.

With a penalty payment order, illegal offers are often quickly stopped.��

��The Netherlands has a regulated gambling market to better protect players. We, therefore, take tough action against illegal offers. With a penalty payment order, illegal offers are often quickly stopped. Providers can also be fined for the period in which the illegal offer was available,�� read a statement from the KSA.

Netherlands cracking down

The issuance of a potential fine is the latest move in a series of crackdowns on illegal gambling sites in the Netherlands, with many cases dating back to before the introduction of a regulated market in 2021.

Last month, some operators faced court challenges to provide refunds to gamblers who lost money on the sites when they were offered before acquiring the relevant license in the Netherlands.

And at the start of this month, new restrictions limited gamblers to a maximum monthly deposit of �700 ($775), with proof of income required for any exception to be made.

With the stern restrictions likely to increase the appeal of unregulated gambling sites, the KSA will have its hands full and face increasing challenges in denying Dutch gamblers access to the sites.

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A man is dead after a shootout with police at an Indiana casino. The incident took place on Saturday after law enforcement received a call at approximately 1am about a man carrying a knife and chasing a woman around the Hollywood Casino Hotel in Lawrenceburg.

After receiving word that the suspect had shot a gun on the property��s fourth floor, officers confronted him in the hallway. He proceeded to start shooting at them, despite their orders for him to drop his weapon. The police returned fire and hit him at least once.

one person at the casino received treatment for minor injuries

The authorities won��t release the victim��s name until they get an official identification and notify the next of kin. Lawrenceburg Police Department officers came out of the incident unscathed, although one person at the casino received treatment for minor injuries after the suspect attacked them.

Talking about the ordeal to local media, a nearby resident said the scene was full of ambulances, police, and fire trucks, describing it as ��lit up like the Fourth of July or something.��

The Indiana casino is no stranger to serious incidents. A man tried robbing the cashier cage in March with a gun, taking a hostage as he tried to escape. Police officers eventually tracked him down to a nearby forest after using K-9 dogs, a drone, and a helicopter.

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Expanding while suing 

One of the multiple owners of property suing the Formula One Group for loss of earnings over the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix has revealed a $35m expansion.?

Ellis Island Hotel & Casino announced plans for a major upgrade late last week

The owners of the off-Strip Ellis Island Hotel & Casino announced plans for a major upgrade late last week. The family-owned establishment is taking on the expansion while suing F1 and Clark County over damages Ellis Island claims resulted from the months-long construction for last year��s Vegas Grand Prix.

Las Vegas Locally took to X with an artist��s impression of Ellis Island��s proposed multimillion-dollar upgrade: 

According to Friday��s Las Vegas Review-Journal, the $35m project will include expansions to Ellis Island casino��s gaming floor, a new rooftop event space, and a center bar. The property��s existing Village Pub & Caf�� and karaoke lounge are also getting a revamp. 

The best kept secret

The property that dubs itself ��the best kept secret in Las Vegas since 1968,�� has given itself multiple upgrades since launching in the ��60s but none as extensive as its current project. 

Las Vegas-based firms Bentar Construction and Steelman Partners are taking on the design and construction, respectively, of the Ellis Island property.

upgrade will also include over 250 new slot machines

The multimillion-dollar upgrade will also include over 250 new slot machines and a new pit area in the facelift to its casino floor. According to the LVR-J, Ellis Island has ��a reputation among bargain-hunting gamblers for offering lower table game minimums,�� such as $5 blackjack and $10 roulette games.

Ellis Island Vice President of Operations Anamarie Ellis said her firm��s casino team was ��eager to expand our mix, bringing in more fan-favorite slots.�� The executive added Ellis Island was ��looking forward to bringing this new aesthetic to the floor.��

Anamarie��s sister Christina Ellis, who is Vice President of Development, expressed her excitement at getting the $35m upgrade project underway. She stated Las Vegas was growing and that the family-run business was ��eager to expand our offerings while staying true to what has kept us a staple on Koval Lane for 56 years.��

What next?

Ellis Island is located near the F1 Paddock Building on Koval Lane, site of a huge temporary bridge built for the 2023 Vegas Grand Prix. The organization in May filed a lawsuit against F1 and Clark County seeking damages of $50,000+ linked to financial losses and expenses brought about by the months-long construction project. 

Ellis Island states in court filings it lost millions of dollars in 2023 because the Vegas Grand Prix affected customer and employee access to the property for months before the event because of construction works and during the November race event itself

Ellis Island will no doubt appreciate a legal windfall to offset its historic expansion project. According to media reports, however, ��a judge heard oral arguments from both parties last month, but no action was taken.��

Ellis Island��s lawsuit follows a separate action against F1 by multiple Las Vegas business owners including Battista��s Hole in the Wall restaurant and its subsidiary, Stage Door Casino. Battista��s and other businesses claimed they lost $30m because of the 2023 race, and backed on online petition to stop the 2024 F1 race.

The 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, meanwhile, is scheduled to run from November 21-23.

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A man remains in critical condition in the hospital after getting shot multiple times in the legs while in the parking lot of the Rivers Casino in Philadelphia. The incident took place in broad daylight on Thursday, with onlookers expressing their shock after shots started ringing out at midday.

Speaking to local media, one individual said people need to be careful these days and warned: ��You got to watch your back wherever you go.��

still searching for the shooter who left the scene in a car

Police confirmed the injured party is a 37-year-old male who is getting treatment at Jefferson Hospital. They are still searching for the shooter who left the scene in a car, with law enforcement obtaining video footage from the casino.

TripAdvisor reviews for the property aren��t too flattering. One person, whose car was vandalized in the parking lot, told readers: ��Go and hang around in this place if you want to risk your life and property.��

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DCMS secretary allays fears

The UK Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has given those whose livelihoods depend on gaming a boost. She has claimed widely-covered reports that the government is planning a major tax hike in gambling taxes are untrue.??

essentially calling it fake news

DCMS Secretary Lisa Nandy poured cold water over a weekend report in The Guardian that the Labour government was considering a ��3bn ($3.90bn) tax raid on the gambling sector, essentially calling it fake news.?

��You can��t believe everything that you read in the papers,�� Nandy replied on Thursday to a question regarding the tax hike rumors as she joined fellow DCMS ministers in a House of Commons question time on Thursday.

Not only did Nandy scoff at the rumor, she also made a point of stressing Labour was aware of the value of the gambling industry and its importance to the UK economy. 

The DCMS Secretary added the government was also aware of the joy the gambling sector brings ��to many, many people, and the employment prospects that it offers to people in every nation and region of the United Kingdom.��

Words of encouragement

Nandy��s words take some of the sting out of the alleged misreporting that led to almost ��3bn ($3.92bn) being wiped off the value of UK gambling stocks. 

Monday��s stock shocker came after high-profile executives including Flutter Entertainment��s Peter Jackson, Betting and Gaming Council��s Grainne Hurst, and the British Horseracing Authority��s (BHA) Julie Harrington warned the tax hikes could cause the gambling industry serious harm.?

Nandy was asked what plans Labour had to reform gambling tax and affordability checks

Nandy��s responses to questions in House of Commons question time appeared to play down the execs�� fears of a Treasury tax hike, while she also had reassuring words for the BHA and the horseracing industry in general. Government support for the horseracing sector is up for debate in parliament next week and, as such, Nandy was asked what plans Labour had to reform gambling tax and affordability checks. 

According to The Racing Post, the culture secretary confirmed the Thursday debate in Westminster Hall while asserting the horseracing industry is worth ��4bn ($4.3bn) to the economy and that her government ��certainly takes it incredibly seriously.��

An appreciation for the sector

Nandy reinforced her horseracing background by stating The Tote, a firm owned by a consortium of 150 investors that operates the world��s largest online pool betting website, was based in her Greater Manchester constituency of Wigan.

The fact that the firm is headquartered in the Manchester-born Nandy��s constituency, she stated, gives her: ��an insight into the industry, which I have had a relationship with for many years.��

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A growing problem

Tribes in California are embroiled in a fight against cardrooms in the state over the exclusivity of player-banker games like blackjack and baccarat, going after sweepstakes casinos.

believes it is up to tribes to tackle these social casinos that are growing in popularity

Victor Rocha, the conference chairperson of the Indian Gaming Association, spoke on Wednesday during a weekly webinar about the issue. He believes it is up to tribes to tackle these social casinos that are growing in popularity and effectively exploit legal loopholes to offer unregulated gambling in California.

Sweepstakes casinos offer free-to-play casino-style games. Real money withdrawals are not possible in the traditional sense, but players can still use their money to buy non-withdrawable virtual coins.

A tribal issue

While Rocha clarified he doesn��t want to completely block these platforms, he believes the operators should go through the tribes to offer their products, saying: ��Any new entry of gaming in California begins and ends with tribes.��

Rocha plans to hold more webinars on the matter, and guests will include American Gaming Association representatives and a lobbyist from the Sports Betting Alliance. He has been vocal on X in recent days about the topic:

California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) Chairperson James Siva remarked that once unregulated gambling platforms become popular in a state, they become much harder to take down. He said CNIGA is getting ready to send letters to popular app stores to alert them about the presence of unlicensed apps.

Taking action

National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) Executive Director Jason Giles suggested getting tribes from around the country on board to send cease-and-desist letters to sweepstakes casino operators. A similar move has recently gained traction, with state gaming regulators sending such letters to offshore gambling site Bovada.

Social casinos have received plenty of scrutiny from many circles in recent years. Numerous people have sued popular social casinos and the providers of app stores like Apple and Google for allegedly profiting from unlicensed gambling.

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System not permitted

The past three months have seen multiple fatal casino-related shootings in Las Vegas but, because of Nevada gaming law compliance issues, casinos in the state are forbidden to use a critically acclaimed AI firearm-detecting system.

used by Nevada��s Regional Transportation Commission

ZeroEyes digital detection gun-finding system is used by Nevada��s Regional Transportation Commission at its transit centers and by River Spirit Casino in Tulsa. The Oklahoma establishment is believed to be the first casino property in the US to install the system.

On Wednesday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday cited River Spirit��s Director of Compliance Travis Thompson as stating the deadliest solo mass shooting in US history in Nevada prompted his establishment to proactively search for a system like ZeroEyes to prevent a similar disaster in Oklahoma.

Despite the mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip, however, a Nevada industry expert has said current gaming laws prevent casinos in the state from implementing the AI-powered system.

Reasons and regulations

Las Vegas Security Chiefs Association President and Caesars Palace Vice President of Security, Rick Vonfeldt, admitted to the Review-Journal he ��was impressed�� with ZeroEyes.

Despite his praise after a demonstration of the firearm-detecting system at Caesar��s Horseshoe Las Vegas, Vonfeldt said ZeroEyes would not be allowed in Nevada casinos.?The security chief said the reason was that operators viewed ZeroEyes monitoring systems remotely, not onsite at the casino, which contravenes Nevada gaming law.

There are no such restrictions under Oklahoma tribal gaming law, and River Spirit Casino��s owner-operator, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, found ZeroEyes ��kind of fit�� its bill around the time of the Mandalay Bay shooting.

June 2022 shooting at Tulsa��s Saint Francis Hospital

What gave officials from the tribe��s corporate parent, the Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprise (MNGE), even more impetus to implement ZeroEyes came after the June 2022 shooting at Tulsa��s Saint Francis Hospital, when a gunman killed four people before committing suicide.?

Thompson said the tragedy ��hit kind of close to home to us,�� stating the hospital was close to the MNGE casino.

The AI-powered system further appealed to MNGE officials because it did away with the ��intrusiveness�� of using metal detection arches at casino entry points. Thomson explained that ZeroEyes machine learning detection software is linked to a mass database of firearms. ��It��s constantly using the camera feeds as a secondary stream to send that to an AI server.��

Pros and cons

The MNGE and the RTC actively use the AI system to detect patrons carrying firearms into casinos or onto buses, respectively. Both organizations seem satisfied with ZeroEyes, which is also used in schools, businesses, and government settings in 40 US states.

Thomson stated ZeroEyes ��allows us to react faster�� to gun threats. 

Retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer Joel Kisner, however, said ZeroEyes may have ��logistical problems�� when a gun is detected and security officers want to take immediate action. ��Precious seconds are spent matching the found weapon to a database.��

��ZeroEyes won��t give you 100 percent detection,�� Kisner added.

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Clark County has honored the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa security officer who saved lives when he intervened in a stabbing incident at the property in August.

Officials presented Jefferson Hrusovsky with an official proclamation certificate acknowledging his deeds during a ceremony at the Clark County Commission headquarters on Tuesday. The eight-year Marine said a few words during the presentation:

The incident started when a guest started verbally berating casino workers, which led to the attacker stabbing two employees. Hrusovsky intervened and non-fatally shot the 25-year-old suspect once. He received widespread praise for his sharp actions.

agreed the prosecution possessed sufficient evidence to get a conviction

The attacker, Shayne Sussmen, submitted a guilty by Alford plea on Tuesday to three counts of attempted murder. An Alford plea means that although he didn��t admit his guilt, he agreed the prosecution possessed sufficient evidence to get a conviction. Sentencing will take place on November 26 and he faces up to 20 years in prison.

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