Buenos Aires operators demand regulation changes
Argentina regs call, Copa America sponsor, ANJL warning, Uruguay bill +Más
Argentina: CAOLAB proposes changes in face of “economic hardship.”
En +Más: Colombia tax rate debate, PandaScore/3ET deal.
Betano to sponsor the next two Copa America tournaments.
Brazil: ANJL warns betting tax could lead to illegal gambling.
Uruguay introduces new bill to combat gambling addiction.
There's a chance that we might fall apart before too long.
CAOLAB proposal
Supply and demand: The Chamber of Official Lottery Agents and Related Activities of Buenos Aires (CAOLAB) has demanded the Buenos Aires Provincial Lottery and Casinos Institute (IPLyC) modifies the regulations to include new games, which would allow them to “recover lost ground” in the face of the “economic hardship” affecting the sector. The proposal includes:
Installing VLT machines in lottery agencies, for the offer of Quiniela Instantánea, Bailarina, Raspaditas and others.
Implementing the virtual lottery platform with the same conditions as the in-person game.
Implementing the capture of in-person sports bets.
Allowing digital or virtual collections to be integrated into the IPLyC system, at no cost.
Mind the gap: “The situation is very serious, we are reaching a critical point of no return,” read the letter signed by Marcelo Iglesias and Claudio Marino, president and secretary of CAOLAB respectively.
CAOLAB demanded it be allowed to take these measures to close the gap between revenue dynamics and inflation, which in some of the recent years has exceeded three digits.
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+Más
Taxing times: The upper house in Colombia has confirmed it will debate the potential to raise the tax rates applicable to gambling tomorrow, Friday. The current tax framework includes a 15% GGR tax for operators that maintain an RTP of 83% of total stakes. A 17% GGR rate is charged on operators that register an RTP above 83%.
The submission process for the second running of the BetConstruct BFTH Arena Best FTN Game Awards has opened (as of Feb. 6), with a new prize fund of 3.33 million FTN (about $5.4m).
PandaScore will provide 3ET with its award-winning odds feed for three of the most popular esports: CS:GO, Dota2 and League of Legends. The agreement marks the Eurasia Sports-owned 3ET’s first foray into sports betting.
Belatra Games has launched a new game for the LatAm market. Sweet Lotto offers a twist on the classic lottery, giving players the option to manually swap the digits on their cards.
Pro League Network has entered a new strategic partnership with player acquisition agency Acquire.bet that aims to grow new users for the sports media and entertainment company as well as drive its brand awareness and monetization strategy.
Copa America sponsorship
Net gains: Brazilian betting company Betano has announced it will sponsor the 2024 and 2028 Copa America, with this year’s tournament taking place in the US from June 20 to July 14.
Giorgos Daskalakis, founder and CEO of Betano’s parent company Kaizen Gaming, said the deal demonstrates the firm’s commitment to sport and the American continent.
The president of Conmebol, Alejandro Dominguez, added that Betano’s passion “for football and its commitment to innovation are fully aligned with our vision for the future of this sport in Latin America.”
The sponsorship runs until 2028 and will include all competitions organized by Conmebol.
Kaizen is also a global sponsor of UEFA for Euro 2024.
Brazil tax warning
The big push: The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) has warned the tax on sports-betting and online games prizes could push players to illegal websites. ANJL’s president, Wesley Cardia, explained that his institution is not against the tax rate being 15%, but rather against the way in which it should be collected and calculated.
In the association’s opinion, complicating the calculation or making payment difficult would undermine legal activity and the income of casinos and the state through lower revenue that would go to the illegal sector.
The issue will have to be addressed by the National Congress once the recess ends, when the government’s vetoes on Law 14,790, which regulates gambling in Brazil (approved at the end of last year) will also be voted on.
The deadline for Congress to evaluate these observations is March 3.
New broom: Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Finance created the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets, which will be responsible for regulating and inspecting sports betting and online games.
The secretariat will also authorize the distribution of prizes and gifts, supervise lottery exploitation, carry out actions against money laundering, market surveillance and prevention of compulsive gambling.
Uruguay bill
Ill-gotten gains: Nationalist deputy Álvaro Dastugue has presented a bill before the Chamber of Deputies that establishes rules for the “prevention and regulation of excessive consumption of gambling,” with a focus on physical casinos. The initiative is being reviewed by the Special Commission on Addictions, which the same legislator is part of.
Uruguay “is one of the few countries in the world” where the state, which owns casinos, “profits from the illness” of some people, said the deputy.
He added: “Gambling is normalized and we want to break that culture, inform and raise awareness of the harmful consequences of gambling when it becomes problematic and addictive.”
In 2019, there were 35,000 people addicted to gambling in Uruguay, and it is estimated this figure has increased.
The rule of five: According to Gracy Gómez, a psychologist and member of the Program for the Prevention and Treatment of Pathological Gambling, promoted by the Directorate General of Casinos (DGC) and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of the Republic (Fmed-Udelar), each person who “has a problematic use” of gambling “affects” five others among friends, family or neighbors.
The initiative aims for the State Health Services Administration (ASSE) to design a mental health protocol and to designate the last week of June each year as the “awareness week for gambling addiction or ludopathy.”
“Prevention and education play an essential role in this effort,” said the deputy.
Paraguay protection plan
Meeting of minds: The Minister of Childhood and Adolescence of Paraguay (Minna), Walter Gutiérrez, met with the president of the national gambling regulator Conajzar, Carlos Liseras, to develop a plan and coordinate actions to protect children and adolescents from the existence of gambling machines in prohibited sites or unauthorized premises.
Law 6903/23, passed at the end of 2023, prohibits betting and the installation of gambling games in public places where children and adolescents are present, such as markets, warehouses, beauty salons, internet cafes, pharmacies, restaurants and in any business unrelated to the gambling sector.
In the meeting, they agreed to implement measures to strengthen the regulation and supervision of gambling sites, in order to prevent minors from accessing these establishments and protect them from the risks associated with gambling.
Peru licences
From Tuesday, February 13 until March 13, companies wishing to offer remote gaming and sports-betting services in Peru must submit their application for operating authorization virtually to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), minister Juan Carlos Mathews has announced.
Failure is not an option: Failure to do so and starting operations could result in fines of no less than $203k, in addition to criminal charges and disqualification from carrying out the activity.
“Law No. 31557 and its regulations will regulate the exploitation of remote gaming and sports betting, generating regulated economic activity and tax payments,” Mathews said.
“And, above all, [it will] provide security for the bettor, responsible gaming and formalize the activity.”
Mathews revealed that 115 companies offering remote gaming and sports-betting services have been identified in the country, of which only 29 have a domicile in Peru.
No April fools: When companies have met the requirements and obtain their authorization – starting on April 1 – they will be subject to taxes and levies that could exceed $50m annually, which would be invested in the reactivation of tourism, promoting sports and addressing mental health programs.
It is estimated the volume of bets placed in Peru during 2022 was close to $1bn.
Calendar
Mar 4: Gaming Insights Rio
Mar 5-7: SBC Summit Rio
Publishing schedule
This is the English version of the LosIngresos+Mas newsletter published yesterday (14 February).
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