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The launch of GamingLawPills brings news on eSports in the US and on a fine in the UK for improper handling of gambling addiction.
#eSports: The revised sports betting law in New Jersey and an apparent noteworthy exclusion – eSports
After the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which outlawed sports betting in most US states, legalizing gambling for all major sports, questions arised concerning betting in eSports. Many operators have believed the decision was a significant victory for eSports wagering in the United States, while just some weeks later eSport is mentioned in brief as a potential prohibited sports event in the new sport betting law in New Jersey.
According to the New Jersey’s official bill “[a] prohibited sports event includes all high school sports events, electronic sports, and competitive video games but does not include international sports events in which persons under age 18 make up a minority of the participants.”
Legal observers have noticed how it was unclear whether the clause applies to every kind of eSport, or it should be simply considered an exception so long as every player in the competitions is 18 or over. For this reason, the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement put out emergency regulations concerning the law proposing a change in the wording: “[a] prohibited sports event includes all high school sports events, including high school electronic sports events and high school competitive video game events, […].”
It is generally accepted that the original wording in the bill was meant to regulate against eSports events sponsored by high schools or consisting of players under the age of 18. However, this minor change to New Jersey’s sport betting law regulation could substantially affect the esports betting market.
#Gambling: Protecting consumers from gambling-related harm and money laundering
An online gambling company has been hit with a penalty £ 2 milion fine, which includes the payment of £ 1.3 million in lieu of a financial penalty, by a ruling of the UK Gambling Commission for failing to protect a problem gambler. Under the terms of licences to operate in the UK companies must intervene if it exists a concrete suspicion of customers’ behaviour addiction.
To this extent, suspicions of harm included customers’ admissions to gambling operator staff that they had spent too much, displaying frustration and chasing losses. On the contrary, the operator used to offer VIP status and free bonuses in order to stimulate the placing of continuous bets, instead of advice consumers.
The Executive Director of the Commission reminded that operators must take action when signs of problem gambling are spotted and they should carefully review all the customers gambling behaviour. The priority of the UK Gambling Commission is protecting consumers from gambling-related harm and when operators failing in their responsibility to keep their customers safe, the Commission will take tough action.
I am Vincenzo Giuffrè, you can drop me a line @vincenzo.giuffre@dlapiper.com.
