game this fall (set to launch nationwide
on Oct. 19) and other states will be added
in 2015.
Atlantic Lottery Wants Talk About
Allowing Online Gaming
Under the heading of “The Competitive
Reality” in the annual report, the lottery
corporation notes the gaming landscape
has changed:
“In recent years, we’ve seen
an explosion in gaming technology and ac-
cessibility. Along with it came the introduc-
tion of more than 2,500 unregulated online
gaming providers from places like Malta
and Gibraltar. Atlantic Canadians are
spending millions of dollars annually on
these gambling sites that operate outside of
any regulations established by our govern-
ments. Unlike Atlantic Lottery, those sites’
profits don’t stay in the region to support
our communities.”
According to an Industry Survey, Only
30% of Mobile Gambling Revenue is
New/Additional Revenue for Operators
PGRI Note:
This is an odd article.
First, the implication is that 30% of the
revenue being from new consumers who
otherwise would not have played is low,
as if it constitutes an under-performance
because it’s not a higher percentage.
Nowhere does it discuss what percent-
age would be considered a high enough
percentage. Second, it is not at all clear
how reliable this assessment is. For some
reason, it seems to want to impugn the
business prospects of mobile gambling.
Maryland Lottery and Casinos Con-
tribute More Than $849.2 Million to the
State in Fiscal Year 2014, and Increase
of 2.4% from the Previous Fiscal Year
Traditional lottery sales dipped slight-
ly from FY2013.
“Lottery sales certain-
ly have been impacted by the growth of
Maryland’s casino industry,”
MLGCA
Director Stephen Martino said.
“But we
continue to innovate and modernize our
traditional lottery brand so we can bet-
ter compete for the public’s entertain-
ment dollars. A reduction in traditional
lottery revenue occurred last fiscal year,
but that money combined with Educa-
tion Trust Fund proceeds from casinos
produced an overall increase in gaming
revenue to the state.”
Gov. Christie Vetoes Sports Betting
Bill in New Jersey
Read letter from Christie to the NJ
Senate in full. It includes passages:
“After a spirited legal effort, the Third
Circuit’s opinion that PASPA prevents the
implementation of New Jersey’s sports
wagering law represents the binding and
final judicial interpretation of federal
law. While I do not agree with the Circuit
Court’s conclusion, I do believe that the
rule of law is sacrosanct, binding on all
Americans. That duty adheres with special
solemnity to those elected officials privi-
leged to swear an oath to uphold the laws
of our Nation …
“While I support the intentions of
the Legislature to continue our shared
commitment to enhancing the economic
viability of our gaming industry, I cannot
sign this bill, which was introduced on the
same day the Supreme Court declined to
hear our appeal, and then was rushed to
final passage just three days later. Ignor-
ing federal law, rather than working to
reform federal standards, is counter to
our democratic traditions and inconsis-
tent with the Constitutional values I have
sworn to defend and protect.”
European Commission Publishes
Recommendation on Online Gambling
The European Commission has adopted
its Recommendation on common prin-
ciples for the protection of consumers and
players of online gambling services and for
the prevention of minors from gambling
online. The European Lotteries Associa-
tion recalls that Member States remain
the best placed to set gambling regulation
and protect consumers and points to the
importance and the primary competence
of Member States to regulate gambling on
their territory in a manner that guarantees a
high level of consumer protection.
EL supports the goal of protecting
consumers and players and in particular
minors and stresses that a high level of
consumer protection in the gambling sector
is reached notably by taking into account
the national specificities and cultural fea-
tures, as ruled on several occasions by the
European Court of Justice and confirmed
by the European Parliament. Gambling ser-
vices and advertising for gambling services
should only be allowed for operators who
are legal i.e. who hold a specific authorisa-
tion in the Member State of the consumer.
Accordingly, EL calls on the Commission
to take a clear position on this matter.
EL President Friedrich Stickler:
“The
purpose of the Recommendation—protect-
ing consumers and minors—is laudable.
We recall that in the specific economic
activity that is gambling, Member States
hold the primary competence to decide
how to regulate it on their territory in
order to best protect consumers. The Rec-
ommendation may never prevent Member
States from maintaining more stringent
measures or from adopting, if necessary,
new measures.”
In that context, EL points
to the importance of Member States tak-
ing effective enforcement measures at
the national level and the importance of co-
operation between Member States, rightly
addressed in the 2010 Council Conclusions
on a legal framework for gambling and
betting in the EU Member States. These
Conclusions also called for the recognition
of the specific contribution of lotteries to
society in any discussion on gambling at
the European level.
EL provided input to the follow-up of
the European Commission’s Action Plan
through contributing its ‘EL ambitious
model for the best protection of consum-
ers’ in April 2013 wherein the association
provided its thoughts on the relevant points
the European Commission Recommenda-
tion should take into account. EL stresses
the importance of fully respecting the
jurisprudence of the European Court of
Justice and the confirmation of the primary
competence of Member States to regulate
the gambling sector. Also the European
Parliament has considered in its 2013
Resolution on online gambling that a Eu-
ropean sectoral legislative act on gambling
would not be appropriate.
Along with Seven Other i-Gambling
Operators, Betclic, Bwin and Lad-
brokes Blacklisted by the Hungarian
Gambling Supervision Department
Santa Ysabel Launching Real Money
Online Poker for California Players
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September/October 2014 • Public Gaming International
