
The European Commission’s Harrie Temmink, who told ICE the other day that EU-wide online gambling legislation would not take place in his lifetime ‘or the next.’
The European Commission (EC) has abandoned the thought of a pan-European framework that is regulatory online gambling, accepting that each member states mainly oppose synchronizing their Internet video gaming regulations. The move interestingly mirrors comparable problems in the usa, where states’ rights vs. federal dictates have become an ongoing battle in the iGaming wars.
Speaking at last week’s International Casino Exhibition in London (ICE), Harrie Temmink told the industry emphatically that the EC had not been working on sector-specific legislation in gambling.
‘The Commission is not proposing it and will perhaps not propose it,’ he said. ‘Not in my life time or the next.’
Temmink leads the gambling team unit and chairs the EC’s Expert Group on Gambling Services.
This is often a far cry from the EC’s previous stance. In 2011, Internal Market and Services Commissioner Michel Barnier proposed A eu-wide framework devoted to protecting consumers and citizens, preventing fraud, and maintaining the integrity of sports.
EU Action Plan
Barnier’s view at that time was that ‘the prevailing regulatory, societal and[online that is technical] issues in the EU’ could not be ‘tackled adequately by member states individually.’
‘This is very true given the cross-border dimension of online gambling,’ he stated in 2012, when it was established that the EC would prepare an ‘action plan’ to explain the regulation associated with the sector and encourage cooperation between member states.
The EC frowned in the regulatory steps which had been used France, Italy, and Spain, which saw those markets ring-fenced and operators taxed at a higher level, in apparent conflict with EU ideals of free movement of services between member states.
Barnier’s plan ended up beingn’t proposing a single EU certification regime, but instead had the goal of ensuring that member states adopted its eyesight for an even more liberal regulatory landscape across Europe. User states that refused to play ball would then be sanctioned, in Barnier’s vision.
But Barnier left the post in 2014, and their successor, Günther Oettinger, seems less zealous about pushing the cause and more resigned to regulation that is leaving specific jurisdictions.
More Fragmented than Ever
As Temmink explained, ‘we can assure you that whenever we proposed legislation on gambling, in the first conference with the Council, we would have 26 out of 28 member states that could be fiercely opposed to the proposal.
‘It would be suicide,’ he added.
Since Barnier outlined their plan in 2012, a wave of brand new regulation has spread across Europe, and numerous licensing that is new have sprung up, through the UK to Portugal. Europe has become even less coordinated in the front that is iGaming plus the fragmented regulatory landscape proves a greater challenge to 888 online casino operators than ever.
‘Operators need to truly have a license for the country that is specific which they offer games, without being able to count on the recognition of licenses between one European country and another,’ said Temmink. ‘For their part is for the Member States to make certain a non-discriminatory system of issuing permits.’
Nevada Voters Courted by Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, Democratic Caucus Will Be Key
Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are focused on reaching as numerous Nevada voters as you possibly can before the Silver State caucuses on Feb. 23rd in what’s shaping up to become a make-or-break point into the Democratic campaign. (Image: Jim Young/Reuters)
Nevada voters are the focus for both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders’ campaigns right now, as the two Democratic presidential nominees try to persuade as many last-minute voters to vote for them before this week’s February caucus that is 23rd.
The Silver State had long been thought to be her roadblock to stop any Bernie Sanders momentum after Clinton’s narrow victory in Iowa, followed by a hefty defeat in New Hampshire. She once held a nearly 50-point lead over her challengers, but Sanders’ grassroots movement has severely tightened the race, with many analysts now believing Nevada is up for grabs.
Clinton and Sanders each spent the week-end making stops around the state. Sanders campaigned in Reno on Saturday, then Las Vegas on Sunday, while his opponent met with voters in a number of places round the gaming mecca throughout the weekend.
The two Democrats concluded the weekend on Sunday during the Victory Missionary Baptist Church in Las Vegas, a congregation largely made up of African-Americans.
‘If we can win here in Nevada, we send a profound message to the entire country, and that message is the fact that individuals of this country will no further accept establishment politics,’ Sanders said during his brief remarks.
Clinton responded to Sanders with line as vague as Bernie’s plan of how he will fund his utopian eyesight.
‘I am not a single issue prospect,’ Clinton said. ‘ Because whenever we had been going to obtain everything about banks and money and politics, would that end racism?’
Say what now?
Nevada Key State in Runoff
Whenever Sanders officially announced his decision to run for the presidency in May, the so-called ‘Clinton machine’ was currently planning to work in Nevada. Volunteers were making hundreds of daily telephone calls, going door-to-door, and obtaining endorsements from key state and local leaders.
The Vermont senator didn’t have much of a chance, at least according to governmental pundits.
Fast-forward nine months, and Clinton just canceled an occasion in Florida this week to stay the course in Nevada and shake every hand, ascend each phase, and grasp every microphone she can before Nevadans head to caucus on Saturday.
Nevada has a long history of being fully a swing state in the general presidential election, and its constituents have an almost perfect record of voting for the winner that is eventual. Since 1912, Nevada has correctly selected the next president, except for in 1976, whenever Nevada went to Gerald Ford over Jimmy Carter.
A win in Nevada for Clinton would be expected, while a win for Sanders pull off exactly what would perhaps end up being the biggest political upset in modern history.
Neck-in-Neck to the Finish
Nevada is home to the gambling epicenter of the United States, so possibly it is appropriate that there is little statistical evidence to run on in determining which candidate will win on Saturday.
The truth is that betting on Clinton or Sanders is equivalent to gambling on black or red. The most poll that is recent TargetPoint, initial governmental data on the battle since late December, has Clinton and Sanders tied 45-45.
Scalia Death Further Stirs the Pot
Incorporating to your intensity of it all, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away on Saturday in Texas of apparent natural causes at the chronilogical age of 79. Appointed towards the work bench by President Reagan in 1986, the consistently conservative judge’s death leaves a vacancy on the greatest court that is already causing more governmental divide between Republicans and Democrats.
A number of names have previously been tossed around, including Nevada that is current Governor Sandoval (R). Though Sandoval’s GOP label might make him seem unlikely for the Obama endorsement, his pro-choice and pro-immigration views could make the first Silver State governor of Hispanic history a welcomed compromise to both conservative and liberal congressional leaders.
Nevada Gaming Regulator Michonne Ascuaga Resigns Over Alleged Sparks Nugget Improprieties
Michonne Ascuaga, who may have resigned through the Nevada Gaming Commission in the wake of the news that a home she formerly managed with her family, the Sparks Nugget in north Nevada, is being examined for lax anti-money controls that are laundering. (Image: ktvn.com)
Michonne Ascuaga has resigned from her post regarding the Nevada Gaming Commission, following the revelation of alleged financial improprieties at the Sparks Nugget, the casino in northern Nevada that she handled for 16 years.
The Nugget is being examined by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) over allegations it neglected to comply with financial laws during Ascuaga’s tenure, and neglected to ascertain an effective anti-money laundering system.
The investigation came to light in a court filing week that is last as element of a longstanding contractual lawsuit brought by the Ascuaga family contrary to the casino’s new owners, Wolfhound Holdings, the private investment team that bought the home in 2013.
Sandoval Unaware of Investigation
A spokeswoman for Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval said that Sandoval was unaware of the investigation whenever he appointed Ascuaga towards the Gaming Commission panel last April.
‘Michonne Ascuaga has served the Nevada Gaming Commission well,’ wrote Brian Sandoval in accepting the resignation. ‘I admire her and wish to recognize her family members’ long history as leaders in the video gaming industry.
‘I appreciate he added that she has put the credibility and reputation of the Gaming Commission first. ‘Michonne is a consummate professional and will still be a frontrunner in our community.’
Ascuaga has claimed within an formal statement that she ‘did not purposely hold back information from the governor.’
‘The Sparks Nugget had been informed in November 2013 by the Department of Treasury that the Department ended up being investigating she added whether it was appropriate to impose civil penalties for possible violations of anti-money laundering regulations. ‘The matter arose from an examination that is audit-type by the IRS at the casino in 2010. It was all disclosed immediately to your buyer.’
Ascuaga Lawsuit
It is alleged that the Nugget is being investigated for laxity in its record-keeping and reporting requirements. By legislation, all businesses must file a Currency Transaction Report on all deals over $10,000, and report any suspicious activity to FinCEN, as a means of guarding against money-laundering.
Ascuaga could be the daughter of John L. Ascuaga, the son of a Basque shepherd who owned the Nugget for over 50 years before its sale to Wolfhound. The Ascuaga family believes it’s still owed $500,000 underneath the sale and purchase agreement of the Nugget.
Ascuaga said she was resigning ‘out of deep respect for the Nevada Gaming Commission and to not allow myself to become a distraction that is unnecessary the important regulatory oversight work it does.’