56 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2024 P U L S E is an up-front, in-your-face attestation, putting the company on record as to its answers to the questions.” Asked by Casino Reports to clarify the term “illegal gambling,” MGCB Public Information Officer Lisa Keith advised, “the term ‘illegal’ is not a defined term on the form; therefore, the common and ordinary meaning of this term should be applied.” The U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a ruling allowing a tribal and state compacts to include statewide online gaming eases their path for adoption The U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a ruling allowing a tribal and state compacts to include statewide online gaming won’t impact the timeline of California tribes pursuing sports betting in the future, but eases their path for adoption, tribal leaders said Wednesday. The Indian Gaming Association hosted its New Normal podcast to talk about last week’s ruling by the high court, which decided not to take up a challenge of a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. The lower court in 2023 allowed tribal-offered online wagering off reservations, saying that it didn’t violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act approved by Congress in 1988. The opponents, West Flagler Associates and the Bonita-Fort Myers Corp., a racetrack and poker room operator, challenged the state of Florida granting sports-betting exclusivity to the Seminole Tribe. The decision, which sent shockwaves through the gaming industry, could pave the way for significant expansion of tribal gaming into sports betting and online casinos, analysts have suggested. Florida sports betting challenge turned down by U.S. Supreme Court The court's decision keeps online sports betting in Florida in the hands of the state's Seminole Tribe. In a major win for the Seminole Tribe, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to upend a 30-year, multibillion-dollar deal giving the tribe control of sports betting throughout Florida. The case was focused on a “hub-and-spoke” system in the deal allowing the Seminoles to accept bets anywhere in the state, with the wagers run through servers on tribal land. The deal said bets “using a mobile app or other electronic device shall be deemed to be exclusively conducted by the tribe.” U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, whose agency oversees tribal gambling, allowed the deal to go into effect. California Lottery Warns Against Digital Ticket-Ordering “Courier” Companies; Tickets Ineligible to Win The California Lottery is sending a directive to its more than 23,000 retail partners about the dangers of selling to online lottery couriers, which are businesses that offer California Lottery ticket-ordering via websites or mobile apps. In the directive, the California Lottery cautions that any retail partner knowingly engaging in ticket sales to online lottery couriers, their employees, agents, and/or contractors may be subject to the termination of their retailer contract. “Online lottery ticket courier services are illegal in California,” said Carolyn Becker, California Lottery spokesperson. “We are thankful for the support of our retail partners in helping our customers play safely, rather than exchanging money with a third-party, unregulated business. Any California Lottery player who buys their games through an online courier is not eligible to win.” Because these services are illegal, the California Lottery is prohibited from knowingly paying a prize on any ticket acquired through a digital service, and no retailer bonuses would be paid if the winning ticket was sold online. Couriers operate, but are unregulated, in many states. Currently only two states, New York and New Jersey, license and regulate couriers, such as Lotto.com, The Lotter, and JackPocket. These companies are required to comply with a framework of regulation that includes things like age verification and responsible gambling measures. While some states tolerate couriers, California does not, and has been one of the most vocal in denouncing them. In a statement this week, Lottery spokesperson Carolyn Becker emphasized that such services were illegal in the state. Alberta estimates that unregulated operators have 55% of its sports betting and iGaming market Coquille Indian Tribe has lashed out at efforts by other tribes to oppose its plans for a casino in the city of Medford, Ore In an op-ed for Oregon Live this week, Coquille tribal chair Brenda Meade accused fellow tribal leaders of “throwing tribal sovereignty under the bus” in order to retain their regional gaming monopolies. WORLD NEWS Danish Gambling Authority to host third round training anti-money laundering (AML) and financing of terrorism case-based training event Germany’s black market gambling operators recorded up to $648M GGR in 2023, says regulator Germany’s gambling regulator, Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), reported that illegal gambling revenue accounted for up to 4% of the country's total gross gaming revenue (GGR) in 2023. An insider-betting scandal helped sweep the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the UK general election Kindred Group’s Trannel subsidiary has been ordered by a Dutch court to return more than €676,000 to a losing player. The plaintiff is a player in the Netherlands who gambled on Trannel’s Malta-licensed website between September 2011 and September 2021, when the company was not licensed by the Netherlands authorities. During that time, the player lost a total of €676,224.77 with Trannel, which the court has now ordered the company to return to the player. Lotteries and legal betting sites unite to report 254 illegal gambling platforms in Argentina The German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) issues warning over black market growth The German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) warns that Germany's offshore sports betting market is drawing a growing number of players away from regulated offerings. To halt this development, stricter enforcement should be taken against black market operators, while simultaneously taking steps to increase the attractiveness of legal alternatives. Macau Casino Suspicious Transaction Reports Catapult by 90% Macau casinos filed 89.1% more suspicious transaction reports (STRs) in Q1 of 2024 than in the corresponding period last year, according to new data from the special administrative region’s (SAR) Financial Intelligence Office. The numbers reflect a growth in transactions generally, as Macau’s post-pandemic rebound continues, but also the tightening of regulatory controls in the casino hub. STR’s are prompted by customer behavior that could be indicative of money laundering, such as the conversion of chips when no or minimal gaming has taken place, or the conversion of chips on behalf of third parties.
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