Compliance Updates
Norway Expected to Authorise DNS Blocking
Director of the Norwegian Lottery Authority Henrik Nordal said that the government is “in favour” of granting the body new powers to DNS block unlicensed sites, with a speculated implementation date of January 2024.
The new powers granted to the Norwegian Lottery Authority would mark the end of a process that began close to two years ago, when Norway first put DNS blocking unlicensed sites to consultation.
Nordal argued that unlicensed gambling sites represented a particular danger to Norwegian customers due to the “aggressive” nature of the games that make it possible to lose a large amount of money in a short time period.
Highlighting a 2019 population survey, Nordal highlighted the fact that 55,000 Norwegians currently struggle with a gambling problem, while 122,000 are at risk of developing one. Subsequently, problem gambling costs the Nordic country KR5.0bn (€440m) per year in societal costs.
“DNS blocking makes the riskiest gambling games less available and thus protects Norwegian players. It also means that many people are not aware of the risk of playing with the illegal gambling companies. With DNS blocking, the players will be notified and stopped when they are on their way to such a money game. This is an effective information measure that will also have a preventive effect,” Nordal said.
In addition to the blocking Nordal emphasised other measures implemented to mitigate the unlicensed sector in Norway. These include a ban on television advertising and a payment intermediary ban that led to a number of banks severing commercial relationships with the gaming businesses.
“We are getting more and more tools and collectively we see that this has a good effect. We have advocated introducing DNS blocking as soon as possible, because it is a good measure,” said Nordal.
Once the new regulations come into force in 2024, gambling businesses that do not cease from broadcasting unlicensed gambling into Norway will be subject to DNS blocking orders.
The Authority said that it intends to use the intervening time to conduct legal proceedings against such organisations with the threat of a compulsory fine if they do not halt their activities, as the regulator has imposed on Unibet and Betsson in the past.
“We will give this work high priority. When it concerns companies that intend to withdraw from Norway and have implemented measures that show that it is real, we will prioritise guidance over reaction and DNS blocking,” Nordal added.
Carey Theil
Greyhound Advocates Applaud Oregon Governor Tina Kotek for Signing Historic Internet Betting Ban on Greyhound Races
The largest greyhound protection group in the world thanked Oregon Governor Tina Kotek for signing a bill to outlaw the processing of internet bets on dog races, calling the new law a landmark victory for greyhound advocates.
“This is the biggest victory for American greyhound advocates since Florida outlawed dog racing in 2018. The walls are closing in on the final remnants of this cruel industry,” said GREY2K USA Executive Director Carey Theil.
Internet wagers on dog races can only be legally processed in two states, Oregon and North Dakota. More than $155 million was gambled on dog racing in 2024 through these Advance Deposit Wagering platforms, with Oregon processing 57% of all internet greyhound bets nationwide. House Bill 3020 phases out the processing of greyhound bets by July 1, 2027. It also ends remote gambling on dog races in Oregon, known as simulcasting.
Greyhound racing is a dying industry, and only continues to exist at two tracks in West Virginia. Florida voters outlawed the activity in 2018 by a vote of 69% to 31%, closing twelve operational racetracks. A bill to prohibit gambling on dog racing nationwide was introduced in the 118th Congress. The bipartisan Greyhound Protection Act earned the support of 80 cosponsors and more than 250 humane groups, anti-gambling organizations, and local animal shelters.
Since 2022, greyhound simulcasting has been outlawed in the seven states of Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Oregon. When all of these laws take effect, gambling on greyhound racing will only be legal in fourteen states.
All mainstream animal protection groups oppose dog racing due to animal welfare concerns. At the final two tracks in West Virginia, state records indicate that 487 greyhounds were injured in 2024 including 162 dogs that suffered broken bones and thirteen greyhounds that died. Thousands of dogs also endure lives of confinement at West Virginia tracks, kept in cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around for long hours each day.
Formed in February of 2001, GREY2K USA is the largest greyhound protection organization in the US with more than 300,000 supporters. As a non-profit 501(c)4 organization, the group works to pass stronger greyhound protection laws and end the cruelty of dog racing on both national and international levels. GREY2K USA also promotes the rescue and adoption of greyhounds across the globe.
The post Greyhound Advocates Applaud Oregon Governor Tina Kotek for Signing Historic Internet Betting Ban on Greyhound Races appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Compliance Updates
UK Gambling Commission Publishes Further Data on the Gambling Industry in Great Britain
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published further data on the gambling industry in Great Britain.
This data, sourced from operators, reflects the period between March 2020 and March 2025, inclusive, and covers online and in-person gambling covering Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) found on Britain’s high streets.
This release compares Quarter 4 (Q4) of financial year 2024 to 2025, with Q4 of 2023 to 2024, looking at how the market has changed in comparative periods over a year.
The latest operator data shows:
• online total Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) in Q4 (January to March) was £1.45 billion, an increase of 7% from Q4 the previous year. The overall number of total bets and/or spins increased 5% Year-on-Year (YoY), to 25.2 billion, whilst the average monthly active accounts in the quarter increased 2%, to 13.5 million.
• real event betting GGY increased by 5% YoY to £596 million. The number of bets decreased 1%, while the average monthly active accounts in Q4 decreased 2%.
• slots GGY increased 11% to £689 million YoY. The number of spins increased 6% to 23.4 billion while the average monthly active accounts in Q4 increased 6% to 4.5 million per month.
• the number of online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour increased by 5% YoY to 10.1 million. The average session length stayed consistent at 17 minutes. Approximately 6% of all sessions lasted more than one hour, the same as the Q4 the previous year.
• LBO GGY decreased by 3% to £554 million in Q4 2024 to 2025, compared to the same quarter last year. The number of total bets and spins decreased by 5% to 3.1 billion.
The post UK Gambling Commission Publishes Further Data on the Gambling Industry in Great Britain appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Former World Championship semi-finalist Andy Jenkins has been handed an 11-year ban and £17580 fine for match-fixing.
Following a hearing before the DRA Disciplinary Committee Jenkins was found guilty of fixing 12 matches between 22 February 2022 and 5 July 2023 and passing information relating to this to bettors.
Jenkins also admitted using his own account to place 88 bets on matches between 17 March 2022 and 4 May 2023, breaching a DRA rule preventing any player from betting on any darts event.
The UK Gambling Commission’s Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) supported the investigation by facilitating information gathered in the course of its enquiries.
Full details of Jenkins’ failures can be found on the DRA website.
John Pierce, Commission Director of Enforcement, said: “This case sends a strong and unequivocal message to all sportspeople – if you fix matches, you are likely to be caught and face serious consequences.
“Betting customers in Britain deserve confidence that the markets they engage with are fair and free from corruption.
“Our Sports Betting Intelligence Unit will continue to work closely with partners such as the Darts Regulation Authority to identify and prevent match-fixing.”
The post Darts Player Andy Jenkins Gets 11-year Ban for Match-fixing appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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