Brazil’s Betting Ban, Finland’s Licensing Regime , Armenia’s Trademark on Gambling Terms & More Weekly iGaming News

Staying updated with the latest developments in the global iGaming industry takes time, but we are here to help. The team at Nostrabet.com and I have prepared a roundup of all the hottest events from the last week. We are about to learn more details about the latest partnership deals, various restrictions, and other interesting stories. Let’s begin.

Brazil Banned Betting Companies from the Country

Although many people saw that coming, most wanted to believe it would not happen. With that said, Brazil’s president officially banned betting companies from working in the country and they will have to stop operating starting October 6. This is less than two years after the online betting market was legalized in the country.

People who have an account with any licensed operator must submit a withdrawal request by October 5. Failing to do so will require the betting companies to credit people’s accounts between October 9 and 14.

After October 6, all sites with a license that provide beting services in Brazil will no longer be able to operate. What’s different from other countries that have done the same is that operators have to make sure they return people’s funds even if they don’t request it.

Outside of the ban, there will also be criminal penalties for anyone who promotes, runs or operates sports betting. Based on the information, the penalty is up to 6 years in prison, as well as a fine.

There is no arguing that Lula’s decision (Brazil’s President) will create a lot of uncertainty and will face multiple legal challenges. Keep in mind that the local market had over 90 licensed sites that paid well over $5.8M to get that permit, so they will most likely take action against this decision.

The ban will definitely lead to huge losses for Brazil’s economy, so it’s going to be interesting to follow what happens next.

The Immediate Aftermath

Following the controversial decisions, all of the betting companies operating in Brazil are slowly preparing for action. Betano is one of the most interesting companies that people focus on because it’s among the largest operators in the country.

Some experts believe that the ban will not survive in court. However, there is likely to be a significant “blackout,” meaning there will be a period during which operators won’t be able to work until a decision has been made.

Another interesting fact is that, as soon as Brazil’s President made the announcement, over 300 illegal betting sites were created in Brazil. Thanks to the Bet Legal Platform, we can see that there were close to 300 new illegal sites on Saturday alone (the day after Lula’s announcement). This is very dangerous and could destabilize the entire industry. Keep in mind that Brazil’s authorities have been “fighting” illegal gambling sites for years now.

The National Association of Games and Lotteries, as well as the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming also decided to urge the Supreme Court to suspend the ban on online gambling. According to them, such actions will cause irreversible damage to the industry and to everyone involved in it.

Finland Received More Licensed Applications Than Expected

Finland is one of the European countries that decided to make big changes in its iGaming laws. Local regulators expected this to attract considerable attention, but its plans to liberalize the market actually drew more interest than anticipated.

The stats show that local regulators received a total of 75 applications as of late September. For comparison, the same authorities received only 50 applications in June this year.

Each applicant has to pay 29K EUR in processing fees. Once the process is over, the licensed market will start operating on July 1, 2027. As of now, the regulators in Finland have not granted any licenses yet.

The new legislation will end Veikkaus’s current monopoly and should provide local online bettors with more opportunities. We will have to wait until the list of approved applicants becomes available to the public to see the names of the sites that will work there.

The Dutch Gambling Trade Association Summoned Meta to Court

Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has been under the radar in the Netherlands for some time now. The company faced backlash because it allows illegal gambling ads that target local customers. It seems like no progress was made in this department because the Dutch gambling trade association decided to summon it to court.

An interesting fact is that the associations actually represent the country’s licensed operators. The organization already talked to Meta about it, but it seems the latter removed only a small percentage of the illegal ads. The other big companies will also follow this case because they could be next on the list.

Norway Could Legalize Online Poker

Norway is not often in iGaming news because the country has strict gambling regulations. However, the Minister of Culture and Equality decided to issue a fast-track public consultation about the online poker legalization. There are many locals who seem to enjoy that and have to use offshore sites because there are no licensed operators locally.

Outside of that, there will also be measures related to responsible gambling. Players will have a daily loss cap of $521 and a monthly limit of slightly over $1000 to play with. Those who are under the age of 20 will have a monthly limit of just 2000 NOK. In case of poker tournaments, those who participate must take a five-minute break after every hour they play.

Keep in mind that Norway’s current gambling laws actually have a state monopoly. The country does not accept any commercial gambling operators, but locals can actually access offshore operators. Some studies have shown that more than 90K Norwegians have engaged in online poker in 2022 a lone, so it’s no surprise that local legislations have decided to take these steps.

The UK Introduced New Gaming Machibne Standards

The UKGC decided to make interesting changes once again, but this time, it is not related to online gambling. Based on the information we have, the Commission will impose three different changes:

• There will be a new category B gaming machine that will offer consumers with better access to gambling management tools and information about how long they’ve been playing.
• Licensed gambling operators can access information about a customer’s gambling session and help them spot risky behavior. They can also intervene when necessary. For example, the information will show when there are unusually long sessions, frequent deposits, or even increasing losses.
• Design improvements that focus on responsible gambling. The new designs should follow the latest guidelines.

What’s interesting is that all of the existing gaming machines will not actually have to go through all of that. It seems the Gambling Commission realized that it would be too complex to enforce for all of the changes for people in the business.

Assuming everything stays as it is, the changes will be implemented over three different stages. The first one starts on March 30 2027, whereas the second one will be on June 30, 2027. The last one will arrive on October 3, 2028.

Armenia to Trademark Much of the Popular Gambling Terminology

Armenia is slowly becoming one of the more interesting countries in its part of the world. It seems local regulators are trying to make major changes because the government decided to place many popular gambling terms under a trademark framework. The reason behind all of that is to protect the Armenian gambling scene.

According to our information, the Law on the Regulation of Gambling Activities will come into force on February 8. A deep analysis shows that it includes terms like “online casino”, “gaming hall”, “games of chance”, and many more. Companies that do not possess the required license will have to stop using these terms or face a penalty of up to 1500 EUR for each violation.

Outside of these changes, the local government also implemented a single digital system to monitor the gambling activity both offline and online. Local internet providers also have to block any illegal gambling sites, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

Betsson Launched a Foundation

We are starting to see more and more online betting operators try to take part in some form of charity. Betsson is no exception because the company decided to launch the Betsson Foundation. The idea behind it is to unite the operator’s different charity events under one structure.

Our research shows that the foundation is a separate legal entity that’s located in Malta. It also became clear that sports will remain a significant part of the activity of the foundation. One of its very first initiatives will focus on Peru and will include 22 participants from Lima.

Assuming Betsson’s foundation is successful, we would not be surprised if other gambling companies decide to do the same. Some of the big names in the industry already take part in many charity activities. That’s why it makes sense for them to take things to the next level.