KSA launches online duty of care department
Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling regulator, has established a new department that will look to increase player protection efforts across the sector.
With new KSA chairman Michel Groothuizen at the helm, the Duty of Care Online department will ensure gambling companies maintain the safety of players by increasing supervision.
This includes a new policy with stricter measures for providers and investigations into indicators (in addition to, for example, large losses) that could point to addiction.
Groothuizen told the audience at iGB Live last week that compliance with the new rules was an “important and urgent priority” as the KSA looks to make strides towards its mission of making gambling safer.
Jaguars sue ex-employee for $66.6m
The NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars have lodged a $66.6m (£51.5m/€61.2m) lawsuit against a former employee who stole $22m from the team, in large part because of losses from a gambling addiction.
As reported by the Athletic, Amit Patel worked for the Jags in the franchise’s financial planning and analysis team but was found to have stolen money over a period of four years. The theft was revealed when Patel tried to place a sports bet in Kansas, breaching state and NFL rules as a result.
Aside from the lawsuit, Patel had already pleaded guilty to a number of charges in December 2023 and was handed a six and a half year prison sentence in March.
Sagi’s £53m ITG acquisition under the microscope
An article from The Guardian has revealed a £53m acquisition of In Touch Games (ITG) by Playtech founder Teddy Sagi in 2022 is being investigated in the courts over accusations of fraud.
Skywind, Sagi’s company, has said it was scammed into buying a failing business. It filed a high court claim stating regulatory failures from ITG, such as below-par money laundering checks that had slashed the value of the company to “nil or nominal”.
ITG had faced considerable pressure from the Gambling Commission in the years before its sale, including receiving a £2.2m fine and an official warning in March 2021 for “social responsibility, money laundering and marketing failures”. Following the sale, the Commission suspended ITG in September 2023 after fining the company another £6.1m for further breaches.
The legal dispute involves Skywind, ITG owner Simon Wilson and his estranged wife Yu-Lin Wilson. A whistleblower involved alleges Simon Wilson threatened him physically after highlighting concerns about ITG staff allegedly forging documents to ensure the company passed a third-party audit less than a year before the sale to Sagi and Skywind.
Grupo Orenes’ Versus brand to sponsor Bayern Munich
Grupo Orenes’ online sports betting brand Versus has been named as the new official sponsor of German football giants Bayern Munich in Mexico.
Versus, which recently launched in Mexico, will have access to Bayern’s intellectual property and hospitality assets, as well as legends from the six-time Champions League winners to help promote the brand.
Versus is Bayern’s first official partner in Mexico, with Grupo Orenes’ director of its online division Alejandro Torralba describing the move as “one of the most important days” in the company’s history as it looks to make moves in the competitive LatAm market.
Lotteria Correntina files complaints against 420 illegal sites
Lotteria Correntina, the gambling regulator of the Corrientes province in Argentina, has filed formal complaints against 420 illegal gambling websites.
As reported by local site El Diario De Curuzu, the regulator has lodged complaints against sites that have breached Article 301 of Argentina’s penal code, which references sites without the “relevant authorisation” to operate.
Lotteria Correntina states its complaints and attempts to ban such sites will help to protect players from the dangers of the illegal market, particularly in regards to underage gambling.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/weekend-report-ksa-sagi-jaguars/
