Considering the growing popularity of gambling, it is no surprise that this week had tons of interesting news. Many of you may have missed out on some of them, but Nostrabet.com is here to highlight those that stand out. Let’s go over all of the things that deserve more information.
The Police in Hong Kong Arrested 122 People For Illegal Gambling
Hong Kong is one of the places that often finds its way into the news for many reasons. The region started several times that it may legalize basketball betting in the future, but until then, most forms of gambling are illegal. That is one of the reasons why the Hong Kong police arrested a total of 122 people. According to the information, they ran an illegal gambling and entertainment operation in Yen Long.
The arrest came after a two-week operation. Following the action, the people received different charges (drug trafficking, money laundering, unlicensed activities, and more). According to the details, the authorities even seized different items and close to $64,000. The places where these people operated were very well hidden, which made the police’s job even harder.
Wynn May Soon Open Its Doors in Manhattan
New York is one of those places where you can find pretty much everything, and it seems like locals will also have access to a Wynn Casino. Based on the information we have, Hudson Yards’ Western Rail Yards was the subject of attention from the City Planning Commission. Following a successful vote, this space will go through a rezoning plan and could become a potential casino.
The proposal for the rezoning came from Wynn Resorts and Related Companies. Alongside the casino, there should also be several housing units that should be “affordable”.
All of these talks come just 2 years after the state legalized sports betting. Since New York reported some of the highest revenue for sports betting, officials are looking to expand this and offer casino products.
The Court in Europe and Germany’s Online Lottery and Casino Restrictions
Germany is one of the few countries in Europe where local gamblers may have difficulties enjoying their hobby. The country has strict gambling regulations that affect many companies. That’s why some of them decided to take these regulations to court, and now people are waiting for the Court of Justice of the European Union to say something about it.
According to the information, the problem is that Germany imposes restrictions on online betting operators who do not have a license and offer secondary lottery bets. Everything seems okay when you look at it at first. However, this case is related to Germany’s ban on sites that allow people to bet on its state lottery.
This is an interesting case where we will have to wait and see what will happen.
YGAM Launches a Gaming & Esports Programme
The Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust decided to announce a special education program aimed at young people and their parents. The program will be about gaming & esports and the potential harms that come from these industries.
One of the reasons why this program came into existence is because of several alarming stats. According to a study, close to 70% of people between the ages of 16 and 24 played video games, and a large percentage of them do that online. Due to the growth in the number of people who are playing, YGAM decided it needs to educate people on things like microtransactions, how the game works, and what could happen if people decide to become professional Esports players.
UAE Grants Novomatic a Gaming Vendor License
UAE is one of the most interesting places in the world because it attracts some of the wealthiest people. Dubai keeps growing in popularity, and the local authorities decided to allow a casino on its soil (this would be the first casino in the arab world). This decision happened a few months ago, but a few days ago, the country’s General Commercial Gaming Regulator Authority decided to grant an official gaming vendor license to Novomatic.
According to the news, the license will allow Novomatic to offer its services in the Wynn Resort Al Marjan Island. Wynn Resorts will open the first casino in the UAE after obtaining a license from the local authorities.
The most recent decisions allows Novomatic to join two other reputable gambling organizations in the UAE market. It will be very interesting to see if whether other leading software studios will receive a permit from the local regulators.
Marina Bay Sands Gets a 3-Year Casino License
Marina Bay Sands has to be one of the world’s most iconic resorts and Singapore’s crown jewel. It is also one of the most popular casinos in the world and the region, so it’s no surprise that the Gambling Regulatory Authority in Singapore decided to grant the casino a license. This will allow Marina Bay Sands to continue operating for the next three years.
According to the information, the people who run the casino had fulfilled all the criteria required to get the license. Some of you may not know, but the Marina Bay Sands casino belongs to Las Vegas Sands. It has numerous gaming flours and all sorts of other things that make it popular among tourists and locals.
The Netherlands Gambling Authority Announced €1.47B Gambling Revenue in 2024
The gambling market in Europe is boiling, and the Netherlands is no exception. It is one of the countries where local gamblers spend a lot of money. As a result, it’s probably not surprising that the KSA (Netherlands Gambling Authority) revealed that the Gross Gaming Result for 2024 is €1.47B. In other words, this is 6% higher than it was last year.
Aside from the growing revenue, the KSA also noted that the illegal market is growing. Based on the information, illegal parties are responsible for up to 50% of gambling expenditures. The good news is that around 91% of Dutch gamblers are registered with legal platforms.
KSA’s report also shows that the responsible gaming measures implemented in October positively affected people’s gambling losses. Despite that, young adults (aged 18-23) seem to be more prone to losing because they are responsible for around 11% of the losses in total.
The UKGC Charges 15 People Due to General Election Betting Allegations
Modern betting websites and shops allow people to wager on many things, including politics. It seems like some gambling fans decided to take advantage of that and placed a bet on the 2024 General election in the UK. The problem is that these people did not just place random bets because, according to the UKGC, they had inside information.
Following the investigation, the Gambling Commission charged 15 people. It seems like they breached Section 42 of the Gambling Act, which is related to cheating in different gambling activities.
Everyone who received charges will have to go to the Westminster Magistrates’ Courty in June 2025.
The Rotterdam District Court and Betsson
Betsson and Corona Limited are two of the largest iGaming operators in Europe. People usually associate them with legitimate gambling operations and sites, but this was not the case 10 years ago because there was no online casino regulation in the Netherlands.
One person ended up using such a site and lost a total of $436.226. Based on the information, the player used several platforms in 2014, a time when online casinos had no regulations in the Netherlands. While playing there, he lost a lot of money (the amount mentioned above) and decided to sue both companies for that.
Even though moost people did not expect much to come out of this lawsuit, the plaintiff won. Based on our information, the Rotterdam District Court ordered Betsson and Corona Limited to pay that person $436.226. Alongside that, the two companies need to pay an additional 5751 EUR.
The KSA Fines An Operator With €734K
This week was full of news about the Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA). Another interesting thing that took place in the Netherlands was a jaw-dropping fine of €734K. This fine came following an investigation that revealed a given gambling operator failed to act on indicators that revealed there was excessive gambling activity among young adults.
The investigation itself came into existence after the KSA received many reports that people had lost thousands of euros. After investigating these reports, it became clear that the operator itself did not meet its duties. Based on local legislation, companies must take action when they notice harmful behaviour.
Since this was not the case, the KSA decided to take matters into their own hands. This resulted in a record fine of €734K.
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