
The European Commission’s Harrie Temmink, who told ICE week that is last EU-wide online gambling legislation would not take place in his lifetime ‘or the next.’
The European Commission (EC) has abandoned the concept of a pan-European framework that is regulatory online gambling, accepting that individual member states largely oppose synchronizing their Internet gaming laws. The move interestingly mirrors comparable issues in the US, where states’ rights vs. federal dictates have become an ongoing battle in the iGaming wars.
Talking at last week’s International Casino Exhibition in London (ICE), Harrie Temmink told the industry emphatically that the EC wasn’t focusing 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 usually 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 recreations.
EU Action Plan
Barnier’s view at that time was that ‘the prevailing regulatory, societal and technical [online gambling] issues in the EU’ could not be ‘tackled adequately by member states individually.’
‘This is especially true given the cross-border dimension of on line gambling,’ he said in 2012, with regards to had been announced that the EC would prepare an ‘action plan’ to explain the regulation regarding the sector and encourage cooperation between member states.
The EC frowned on the regulatory steps that had been used France, Italy, and Spain, which saw those markets ring-fenced and operators taxed at a higher rate, 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 licensing regime, but instead had the goal of ensuring that member states adopted its vision for a more liberal regulatory landscape across Europe. Member states that refused to play ball would be sanctioned, then in Barnier’s vision.
But Barnier left the post in 2014, and their successor, Günther Oettinger, appears 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 if we proposed legislation on gambling, in the 1st conference with the Council, we would have 26 away from 28 member states that could be fiercely opposed to the proposal.
‘It could be committing suicide,’ he added.
Since Barnier outlined their plan in 2012, a wave of brand new legislation has spread across European countries, and many licensing that is new have sprung up, from the British to Portugal. Europe has become even less coordinated regarding the front that is iGaming and the fragmented regulatory landscape proves a greater challenge to operators than ever.
‘Operators need to truly have a license for the specific country in that they provide 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 Is Key
Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are focused on reaching as numerous Nevada voters as you possibly can prior to the Silver State caucuses on Feb. 23rd in what is shaping up to become a make-or-break point into the campaign that is democratic. (Image: Jim Young/Reuters)
Nevada voters are the focal point for both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders’ campaigns right now, as the two Democratic presidential nominees attempt to persuade as numerous last-minute voters to vote for them before this week’s February 23rd caucus.
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 weekend making stops around the state. Sanders campaigned in Reno on Saturday, then Las Vegas on Sunday, while their opponent met with voters in a number of locations around 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 mainly made up of African-Americans.
‘If we can win here in Nevada, we send a profound message to the whole country, and that message is the fact that individuals of this country will no longer accept establishment politics,’ Sanders said during his brief remarks.
Clinton responded to Sanders with a relative line as vague as Bernie’s plan of how he will fund his utopian vision.
‘I am maybe not an issue that is single,’ Clinton said. ‘ Because whenever we were going to obtain everything about banks and money and politics, would that end racism?’
Say what now?
Nevada Key State in Runoff
When Sanders officially announced their decision to perform for the presidency in May, the so-called ‘Clinton machine’ was currently going to work in Nevada. Volunteers had been making hundreds of daily calls, going door-to-door, and obtaining endorsements from key state and local leaders.
The Vermont senator didn’t have much of an opportunity, at least according to governmental pundits.
Fast-forward nine months, and Clinton just canceled an event in Florida this to stay the course in Nevada and shake every hand, ascend each stage, and grasp every microphone she can before Nevadans head to caucus on Saturday week.
Nevada has a long history of being fully a swing state within the general presidential election, and its constituents have a nearly perfect record of voting for the winner that is eventual. Since 1912, Nevada has precisely picked the next president, except for in 1976, whenever Nevada went along to Gerald Ford over Jimmy Carter.
A win in Nevada for Clinton will be expected, while a win for Sanders pull down exactly what would perhaps be the biggest political upset in modern history.
Neck-in-Neck to the Finish
Nevada houses the gambling epicenter of the United States, so maybe it is appropriate that there is little statistical evidence to operate on in determining which candidate will win on Saturday.
The stark reality is that gambling on Clinton or Sanders is equivalent to gambling on black or red. The absolute most poll that is recent TargetPoint, the first governmental information on the race since late December, has Clinton and Sanders tied 45-45.
Scalia Death Further Stirs the Pot
Incorporating towards the intensity of it all, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away on Saturday in Texas of apparent causes that are natural the age of 79. Appointed to your work bench by President Reagan in 1986, the consistently conservative judge’s death leaves a vacancy on the highest court that is already causing more governmental divide between Republicans and Democrats.
A bunch of names have been tossed around, including Nevada that is current Governor Sandoval (R). Though Sandoval’s GOP label might make him appear unlikely for an Obama recommendation, 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, that has 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 northern Nevada, is being examined for lax anti-money laundering controls. (Image: ktvn.com)
Michonne Ascuaga has resigned from her post 888 casino cashout on the Nevada Gaming Commission, following the revelation of alleged improprieties that are financial the Sparks Nugget, the casino in northern Nevada that she handled for 16 years.
The Nugget will be investigated by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) over allegations so it did not comply with financial regulations during Ascuaga’s tenure, and neglected to establish an effective anti-money laundering program.
The investigation stumbled on light in a court filing last week, as part of a longstanding contractual lawsuit brought by the Ascuaga family members contrary to the casino’s new owners, Wolfhound Holdings, the private investment team that bought the home in 2013.
Sandoval Unaware of Investigation
April a spokeswoman for Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval said that Sandoval was unaware of the investigation when he appointed Ascuaga to the Gaming Commission panel last.
‘Michonne Ascuaga has served the Nevada Gaming Commission well,’ penned Brian Sandoval in accepting the resignation. ‘I admire her and desire to recognize her family members’ long history as leaders within the gaming industry.
‘I appreciate that she has put the credibility and reputation associated with Gaming Commission first,’ he added. ‘Michonne is a consummate professional and will still be a leader in our community.’
Ascuaga has claimed in a statement that is official she ‘did not purposely hold back information from the governor.’
‘The Sparks Nugget was informed in November 2013 by the Department of Treasury that the Department had been investigating whether it was appropriate to impose civil penalties for possible violations of anti-money laundering regulations,’ she added. ‘The matter arose from an audit-type assessment conducted by the IRS at the casino in 2010. It was all disclosed immediately to your buyer.’
Ascuaga Lawsuit
It’s alleged that the Nugget is being investigated for laxity in its record-keeping and reporting requirements. By law, all businesses must file a Currency Transaction Report on all transactions over $10,000, and report any dubious task to FinCEN, as a way of guarding against money-laundering.
Ascuaga may 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 is still owed $500,000 beneath the purchase and sale agreement of the Nugget.
Ascuaga said she was resigning ‘out of deep respect for the Nevada Gaming Commission and also to not allow myself to become an unnecessary distraction from the essential regulatory oversight work it does.’
