Compliance Updates
SIS awarded ESIC Gold Standards accreditation for Competitive Gaming offering
Endorsement marks out supplier as only esports betting events provider to officially meet new integrity measures
SIS (Sports Information Services), the leading multi-channel supplier of 24/7 live betting services, has been awarded the Esports Integrity Commission’s (ESIC) Gold Standards, the highest possible accreditation from the industry association.
The award sees SIS become the first esports betting events supplier to meet ESIC’s stringent new criteria, created to set unmatched levels of integrity and safety in the esports betting industry, for its Competitive Gaming portfolio (Esoccer, Ebasketball and CS:GO).
The purpose of the ESIC Gold Standard is to build on its existing principles by setting out a list of standards for tournament organisers, ensuring that events are run to the highest level of integrity and safety for the benefit of all stakeholders.
With stringent integrity measures in place, SIS Competitive Gaming follows best practice outlined by ESIC in addition to strict operational measures in place to ensure that each event is fair.
Each SIS Competitive Gaming head-to-head match, all of which take place from within SIS’ UK-based self-contained studios, is streamed live with experienced casters providing live in-game commentary. The streams take place through a secure platform that is exclusive to licensed operator sites where the age of the audience has been verified and is not available on open streaming services, meaning there is less danger of toxic messaging of the sort that is often carried on unlicensed sites.
All events are overseen by a dedicated ESIC-trained integrity referee and have a real-time link to SIS’ expert trading team, which closely monitors betting activity. Rigorous gamer competitiveness and predictability tracking measures are in place, through supremacy and volatility reporting, with all events taking place in a jurisdiction with well-respected legal and employment rights.
The new ESIC Gold Standards have been created to elevate transparency and impartiality, and required SIS to meet a number of rigorous requirements across the board, including:
- No communication devices allowed anywhere in the gaming studios
- Minimum of three employed personnel (independent from gamers) watching every event
- Controlled fixed game settings to ensure fair and competitive play
- Employees are fully background checked for criminal records, with references taken
- Ensure all gamers are of sufficient skills and expertise to compete against other pro gamers.
- ESIC anti-corruption code to be signed by all staff and gamers
SIS continues to work with ESIC to evolve the Gold Standards to improve Integrity and the visibility of clear tangible rules and standards by which tournament organisers should run events.
Adam Conway, Head of Esports & Competitive Gaming at SIS, said: “We are extremely proud to have received this new accreditation, which shines a light on the very high integrity and safety standards we have always put at the core of our Competitive Gaming offering.
“Our operator partners and their customers appreciate our high levels of integrity, such as visible referees invigilating every game, making us the only esports betting events supplier to do so.”
Ian Smith, Commissioner at Esports Integrity Commission, said: “ESIC’s new Gold Standards set heightened levels of integrity and safety in the Esports industry for the benefit of all stakeholders, and through ongoing assessment of SIS’ Competitive Gaming operations, which meet all the key integrity requirements, we are delighted to award SIS with ESIC’s Gold Standards, our highest possible accreditation”.
An Arkansas casino is seeking approval to operate an iGaming app, allowing people within the state to go online to play casino games such as slots, blackjack, craps and more.
On March 13, Carlton Saffa, Chief Market Officer for the Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, wrote to Arkansas Racing Commission Chairman Alex Lieblong asking for a change in the rules to allow Internet casino gambling, which is often referred to as iGaming or iCasino platforms.
On Monday, Saffa told Gambling.com he hopes to appear before the Arkansas Racing Commission on May 6 seeking approval to offer iGaming. The Arkansas Racing Commission regulates all gambling matters in the state including horse racing and casino games.
iGaming Doesn’t Hurt Bricks-And-Mortar Casinos: Saffa
Nationwide, only a half dozen states from Michigan to Connecticut offer Internet casino gambling. Arkansas would be the first in its region with iGaming, permitting users who want to log onto a computer or download an app to play traditional casino games for money. Other states in the region already offer sports betting.
In his March 13 letter to state regulators, Saffa said estimates indicate Internet casino gambling from the Saracen Casino Resort alone would generate an additional $12 million in taxes annually for the state. Internet casino gambling, or iGaming, generally raises more tax revenue than sports betting in states that have both.
However, in some states without iGaming, casino operators have fought legalization, contending customers won’t visit a bricks-and-mortar casinos and spend money at restaurants and on other amenities including entertainment and lodging if they can log onto cellphones or computers and gamble from anywhere. In his letter to state regulators, Saffa pointed to research showing iGaming doesn’t cannibalize bricks-and-mortar casinos but instead gives them ‘a lift’.
State Rule Change Required
Arkansas already allows online poker, though that has not been made available to consumers, Saffa said. He said the ability to allow iGaming would require the Arkansas Racing Commission to amend a rule to include Internet casino games in addition to the currently legal online card games such as poker.
“A solution exists by amending ARC Rule 5, which already authorizes online poker, to include other types of table games and slots,” Saffa told Gambling.com on Monday. “Doing so would provide significant tax revenues to government and, just as important, ensure that operators be held accountable by the government. Given that we have seen online operators in the fantasy sports space ignore cease and desist demands from the state, merely attempting to police the matter is not a workable solution.”
Saffa recently made a similar argument on the topic of unregulated gambling, telling Gambling.com on The Edge he opposes a ban on college player props bets, saying, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
“People in Arkansas are already gambling in online casinos and those companies are not regulated or taxed by the Arkansas Racing Commission,” Saffa said Monday. “Those companies are not held to the standards the people of Arkansas set forth for operators to include that a customer must be 21.”
Liquor & Gaming NSW is urging licensed venues across the state to plan ahead and have proper measures in place to ensure safe and responsible ANZAC Day commemorations.
Pubs and clubs can face additional challenges on April 25 that come with managing larger than normal crowds and the playing of two-up.
Two-up was a popular game among World War I veterans and, while illegal as an unregulated form of gambling most of the year, is legally played every ANZAC Day, Remembrance Day and Victory in the Pacific Day in their memory.
Liquor & Gaming NSW Executive Director Regulatory Operations, Jane Lin, said inspectors would carry out checks of licensed premises in Sydney and regional areas on ANZAC Day to ensure compliance with the state’s liquor and gaming laws.
“Two-up is a great Australian tradition and a way for people to come together at pubs and clubs to enjoy the ANZAC spirit,” Lin said. “While venues do not need a permit to host two-up, they are encouraged to fully understand and observe the traditional rules of the coin-tossing game.
“Licensed venues are reminded to properly manage potential risks linked to larger crowds, increased rates of intoxication, gambling disputes, extended high volume trading and special ANZAC Day liquor promotions.”
Venues’ advertising and promotions must align with liquor promotion guidelines.
More information about ANZAC Day in New South Wales is available at https:/ /www.NSM.gov. au/about-nsw/anzac-day-nsw. Two-up rules can be found at https:/ /www.LiquorAndGaming.nsw. gov. au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/858562/fs3098-two-up-factsheet. pdf.
The post Venues Warned to Play by the Rules on ANZAC Day appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Boldplay, the renowned provider of premium casino games, has been awarded a remote operating licence from the UK Gambling Commission, to sit alongside their existing licenses in Gibraltar, Malta, Romania, Argentina, and Peru.
This latest development marks a significant step for the company and further solidifies Boldplay’s position as a trusted provider within the iGaming industry. The UKGC licence will allow the company to further expand in regulated territories, a key element of their growth plan, and establish new partnerships within the vibrant UK market.
Having fulfilled the criteria to provide services to UK players Boldplay is well-positioned for success. With a diverse catalogue of over 100 titles, ranging from slots and table games to bingo, keno, and virtual scratch cards, the company is well-known for its innovative features, including their trademark Boldplay Spins.
Speaking of the UK Gambling Commission’s decision to grant the operating licence, Boldplay CEO, Valli Fragoso, said: “We are proud to receive our remote software supplier licence from the UK Gambling Commission. This milestone reflects our commitment to providing high-quality, engaging casino games to licensed operators while upholding responsible gaming standards. We can’t wait for UK players to try our games.”
The post Boldplay Awarded UKGC Licence appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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