News In Brief: March 10-March 14, 2025

A man has been charged in the UK for facilitating unlicensed gambling and advertising.

Haydon Simcock, 39, of Weston Coyney, Stoke On Trent, has been charged with providing facilities for gambling to consumers in Great Britain without holding an operating licence between October 18, 2023 and September 11, 2024, and advertising those facilities between May 26, 2023 and March 1, 2024, according to the Gambling Commission.

Simcock was arrested in September 2024 as part of an investigation led by the regulator and supported by Staffordshire Police.

He will appear in court on March 24, 2024.

Legislation pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee would strengthen illegal gaming penalties in Nevada by adding regulations requiring those found to be offering gaming without a license to give up their profits.

Existing state law prohibited a number of illegal activities when it comes to gambling, including people prohibited from engaging in gaming without a state gaming license and cheating or manipulating casino games. But it does not include language to seize assets from illegal gambling. 

Senate Bill 256, authored by Democratic Senator Rochelle Nguyen, would require all profits confiscated by the state to be paid to the state treasurer and deposited in the state’s general fund. Currently, those convicted of illegal gambling face a state prison term of one to ten years and a fine of up to $50,000.

The bill was filed prior to the Nevada Gaming Control Board issuing a cease-and-desist order to prediction exchange market Kalshi on March 4, alleging the company’s contracts on sporting events and political elections are unlawful in the state.

Kalshi was instructed to cease offering them by Friday (March 14). 

The head of Hungary’s Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SZTFH), which oversees gambling supervision, has met the head of the National Media and Communications Authority (NMHH) to strengthen their cooperation in the fight against illegal gambling.

SZTFH president László Nagy said the cooperation between the two authorities will also help them pay increased attention to protecting consumers online in a press release on March 11.

“To this end, we continuously monitor illegal and unlicensed websites in Hungary, and based on the inspections, we impose fines, order their inaccessibility, and, if the conditions for this exist, we file criminal charges,” Nagy said.

NMHH president András Koltay agreed it is “essential” to keep up with the latest gambling industry trends and technological challenges posed by illegal gambling sites.

The NMHH “will continue to pay increased attention to the rapid verification and efficient implementation of the inaccessibility decisions in its database, and for this purpose, if necessary, we will provide a permanent on-call system. Cooperation between our authorities and the coordinated, continuous development of our practical methods are essential for effective action,” Koltay said. 

A New Jersey lawmaker is proposing legislation to prohibit sweepstakes after a previous effort to regulate the online sites was met with opposition by legislators and the gaming industry.

Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese, a Democrat, introduced A 5447 that aims to prohibit online sweepstakes sites offering casino games and sports betting while establishing new penalties for illegal gambling operations and practices.

Calabrese’s bill also directs the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs and Division of Gaming Enforcement to enforce penalties. As of Tuesday (March 11), the full text A 5447 had not been released, and the measure was still waiting to be referred to an Assembly committee.

Calabrese pivoted from supporting regulating sweepstakes with A 5196 to urging his colleagues to approve a ban. Opponents of the bill described it as “a reckless attempt to ban sweepstakes in New Jersey.”

“This shortsighted legislation abandons the state’s progressive stance on gaming, directly contradicting the regulatory framework championed by … Calabrese earlier this year,” the Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA) said in a statement. 

The SPGA supported A 5196 in part because it “would ensure oversight, licensing, and taxation, bringing sweepstakes in line with other regulated gaming entities."

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s (MGC) Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) has handed a $200,000 fine to MGM Springfield for repeated security staffing violations and incidents of underage gambling. 

On a list of non-compliance enforcement actions posted Tuesday (March 11) on the MGC’s website, the IEB noted at least six violations of state gaming regulations and two violations of MGM’s security manual and security plan.

The casino was fined $90,000 for repeated violations of security staffing, while another $110,000 penalty was assessed for incidents of underage gaming. No specific information on either violations was released by the MGC.

The penalty agreed upon address security staffing issues that occurred between December 2023 and June 2024 and underage issues that occurred between January 2024 and July 2024. 

A bill to create a federal oversight structure for state-authorized sports betting was reintroduced on Tuesday (March 11) by two Democratic lawmakers who face an uphill struggle to get the measure through the Republican-controlled Congress. 

The Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act (SAFE Bet Act) will be introduced in the House by Representative Paul Tonko of New York, and a companion bill will be introduced in the Senate by Senator Richard Blumenthal.

The SAFE Bet Act aims to reduce gambling addiction and establish minimum federal standards for sports-betting advertising and the use of artificial intelligence (AI), among other topics.

“We are not here today because we want to stop the gambling industry from breaking more (revenue) records, nor are we here to prevent Americans from wagering on sports should they choose to,” Tonko said at a news conference on Capitol Hill. 

“We are here today because government at every level has failed to pay attention to or understand the impact of gambling-related harms,” Tonko said. “It’s important to balance public health with competing economic interests.”

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May 2018, 39 U.S states have legalized and 38 already offer sports betting. Missouri is expected to launch it sports betting market later this year.

Tonka and Blumenthal initially introduced the SAFE Bet Act in September to create a federal oversight structure for state-authorized sports betting.

The Thai government has postponed final approval for draft legislation that would legalise casinos as part of integrated resorts, amid growing pushback from political and civic groups.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra told her weekly media conference on Tuesday (March 11) that the Cabinet has delayed giving the green light to the draft Integrated Entertainment Business Act for parliamentary debate until further feedback is received.

“I would like all details to be carefully reviewed. I don’t want the ministry to rush it to the Cabinet because Thailand has never had casinos before,” the Nation daily quoted her as saying.

“It is crucial for the ministry to gather opinions on the bill and its related regulations. So, I would say there is no need to expedite its return to the Cabinet. Let all issues be thoroughly examined first.”

There is now no indication when the bill will be sent to the legislature, nor what degree of feedback will be considered sufficient for the process to continue.

The delay follows a series of public protests, media scepticism over the benefits of casinos and mixed messages from the government on inclusion of an ultra-VIP clause in the draft that would prevent Thais from gambling in casinos unless they have at least 50m baht ($1.5m) in savings.

Cabinet officials at first suggested that the highly disruptive clause, supported by the Council of State draft law review body, had been dispensed with, before confirming that it remains in the draft.

A group of lawmakers have filed identical bills in Rhode Island’s House of Representatives and Senate to allow for multiple operators to compete in the state’s sports-betting market.

The Rhode Island Lottery’s Sportsbook Rhode Island is currently the only authorized online sports-betting platform in the Ocean State. However, the lottery contracted an independent consultant late last year to review whether a competitive market served by multiple operators would be preferable from both a fiscal and regulatory perspective.

As introduced on Friday (March 7), House Bill 6048 and Senate Bill 748 would instruct the lottery not to renew its current sports-betting technology contract past July 1 of this year. Prior to the contract’s expiration, lottery officials would be required to open an application process and award “at least five individual sports-wagering vendor contracts” to multiple operators.

The bills have been co-sponsored by four senators and seven representatives, all Democrats. Neither the House Speaker nor the Senate President is named as a sponsor of the bills, however.

Rhode Island’s 2025 legislative session is scheduled to adjourn on June 30.

Australia’s most aggressive state gambling regulator, the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC), has named senior public servant Suzy Neilan as its incoming head after the early departure of reformist CEO Annette Kimmitt.

Neilan currently serves as executive director for strategy at the state government’s environmental protection agency, and has executive experience with the state’s building authority and justice department, all pointing to continuity in the VGCCC’s hard line on industry misconduct.

VGCCC chair Chris O'Neill said Neilan’s experience in “digital and technology transformation, and her deep understanding of education, enforcement and compliance” will “ensure the Commission is well placed to meet future challenges and ensure the integrity, safety and fairness of the gambling industry".

A first challenge for Neilan could be an Australian Football League (AFL) decision, reported by The Guardian on Sunday (March 9), to dramatically increase fees for online bookmakers amid wider integrity failures, potentially triggering a spike in customer inducements to cover bookmaker costs.

Most AFL teams are based in Victoria.

Neilan will lead a regulator that was created in the wake of the unravelling of the Crown Melbourne casino’s reputation and with a mandate to effect dramatic change in supervision of every facet of the state's gambling industry.

Kimmitt’s “holistic vision and tenacious drive” fulfilled this mandate, O’Neill said.

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) says it has shut down several illegal in-person poker tournaments and fined the organisers up to €110,000.

The regulatory action came as part of a special focus on uncovering underground poker rings in Autumn 2024, the KSA said.

“Illegal poker tournaments are often part of undermining crime, where criminals use legal businesses (such as catering establishments) or citizens for criminal activities.

“In addition, poker players are at risk of gambling addiction, especially when playing in an uncontrolled environment with high stakes,” the regulator said.

Illegal games were uncovered in Amsterdam, Asten, The Hague, Rotterdam and Tilburg, the KSA said.

Holland Casino has the exclusive rights to offer land-based poker for money in the Netherlands.