W H AT ’ S N E X T F O R E G A M I N G ? / C OV E R S T O RY
E ME RG I N G
MA RK E T S
03
GLOBAL
REGULATION
UPDATE
WTHE LONG-GAME IN ASIA IS ONE FEW
ARE WILLING TO PLAY
With many European markets highly competitive or restricted
by taxation – or in some cases, both – egaming operators
may look to find growth from farther flung pastures. Asia in
particular has long been considered the region of the future,
but in reality the pace of change is glacial at best. While
grey market revenues remain in their abundance, regulatory
progress in the continent continues to frustrate.
Land-based regulation in Japan, while looking promising
at the start of the year, has subsequently died a long drawn
out death and a number of other Asian countries have
more recently sought to clamp down on online gambling.
Singapore’s recent legislation has prohibited all online
wagering aside from a limited number of sports wagering
markets to be maintained by domestic not-for-profit
organisations, and regulatory developments in Malaysia in
November sent Playtech’s shares down approximately 10%.
Playtech CEO Mor Weizer has repeatedly reiterated his
confidence that Asia will come round to the prospect of
regulated online gambling and likened the continent to
Europe several years ago. But there needs to be significant
movement if he is to be proved correct. India could be the
unlikely first mover if a long-awaited court ruling finds poker
to be a game of skill and exempt from its gambling laws. But
elsewhere grey markets show more signs of turning black
than white in the near term. p
SWEDEN
GERMANY
Plans to regulate online gambling in Sweden
are set to be accelerated after the country
was hit by an infringement proceeding
from the European Commission. It is widely
expected to implement a Denmark-styled
licensing framework.
The controversial
Interstate Treaty has been
widely condemned and
suffered several setbacks,
but online sports betting
in the country inched
closer in September
with the awarding of 20
licences. The legality of
the process is currently
under investigation with
an outcome expected in
H1 2015.
M A L AY S I A
Malaysia is expected
to modernise its
gambling laws next
year and is likely to
follow neighbouring
Singapore’s recent
move to prohibit online
gambling in all forms.
There is still hope
Malaysia may look to
regulate its market.
NETHERLANDS
Regulation is currently
passing through the Dutch
parliament and the country
could open its doors in late
2015 or early 2016, almost
a year later than previously
planned. The prospective tax
rate of 19% is, however, higher
than hoped.
BRAZIL
SOUTH AFRICA
After previously attempting to close a legal loophole that allows
remote operators to target customers in the country, politicians have
reportedly thrown their support behind a fledgling bill that would
legalise all gambling verticals.
A bill to regulate online gambling had hoped to be passed in time for
the market to open early next year. However, doubt now surrounds the
legislation after the country’s Department for Trade and Industry made a
dramatic U-turn and said it would favour a ban on online gambling instead.
W W W. E G R M A G A Z I N E . C O M
53