The GamblingCompliance Podcast

After years at the coalface of compliance in Europe, Martin Lycka now heads up regulatory affairs and responsible gambling in the Americas for Entain. He spoke to VIXIO reporter Matt Carey at a pivotal moment for US gambling, as issues around advertising and responsible gambling reach a tipping point.

Various factors, including pressure from China, have caused the traditionally outward-facing Philippines online gambling sector to go through something of a facelift, but how much has really changed, and what does the future hold for this turbulent market?

The Dutch online gambling market enters 2023 with just as many questions looming over it as it ever has. Chief among them a pending prohibition on advertising and the future of the country’s strained relationship with Curacao.

In this episode, we speak with trade association chief Peter-Paul de Goej for his view on these and many other factors affecting the future of gambling in the Netherlands.

Podcast host Joe Ewens is joined by fellow VIXIO GamblingCompliance regulatory experts Martin Williams and James Kilsby for a detailed discussion on the hot topics affecting the gambling industry this year.

The trio look at the key talking points from the year that was 2022, as well as look to the future at what will set the agenda for the year ahead in key gambling jurisdictions - Europe, Asia and the Americas.

With the U.S. sports-betting market dominated by a handful of large commercial operators, Las Vegas casino owner Derek Stevens believes there is a profitable future for a smaller player in the market.

Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to legalize sports betting in 2018, Stevens was in the early stages of developing Circa Resort and Casino, downtown’s first from-the-ground-up casino in nearly four decades.

Ahead of opening the property that features a three-level Circa Sportsbook, his company launched Circa Sports, which includes a mobile sports wagering app.

Stevens has since taken Circa Sports outside of Nevada to Iowa and Colorado, where the business is mobile-only.

Early next year, he plans to launch mobile and retail sports in Illinois as part of a deal with Full House Resorts, which is building a $500m casino some 40 miles north of Chicago in Waukegan.

Stevens discussed the future of Circa Sports and the challenges of operating a casino coming out of a pandemic and now in the midst of the highest inflation rate in four decades.

VIXIO Vice President and Latin America expert James Kilsby is joined by Vixio GamblingCompliance journalist Talia Samuelson to discuss the regulatory landscape and challenges in Latin America’s most prominent markets. 

Up for discussion are Peru’s new online gambling law, Brazil’s future with a new President, and Chile’s multiple gambling bills and legal complaints.

VIXIO GamblingCompliance subscribers can read the full 2022 Latin America Gambling Outlook, which can be found here.

In this episode, VIXIO GamblingCompliance journalist  Harrison Sayers interviews  Laurent Fournié the CEO Trust & Sign- at Docaposte, the pair discuss the standardisation of data laws, growing regulatory pressures on the industry, and why trust is as important as ever in the digital age.

Ahead of her appearance at next month's Scandinavian Gaming Show, lawyer Minna Ripatti gives us her view on the possible end to Finland's gambling monopoly in the long run and the more imminent threat of payment blocking and advertising crackdowns.

As we approach the sixth annual VIXIO GamblingCompliance Global Regulator Awards (GRAs), on November 30, 2022, we sat down with Paul Burns the winner of this year’s Compliance Lifetime Special Achievement Award.

In this very special episode, VIXIO GamblingCompliance’s Chief Analyst and VP Americas James Kilsby interviewed Paul ahead of the GRAs, discussing his career in the Canadian Gaming Association, the impact of Ontario’s recent regulatory changes and his perspective on what the future holds for Canada’s gaming market.

This episode discusses the proliferation of sports betting across Africa, recent regulatory changes, and the key events shaping the industry landscape. 

Podcast regular and journalist Harrison Sayers speaks with VIXIO analyst Zachary Birnbaum about the growth of sports betting in different African markets, the opportunities for growth, and the key compliance concerns driving change.

VIXIO GamblingCompliance subscribers can read the full 2022 Africa Gambling Outlook, which can be found here.

In the wake of the recent KPMG eSummit in Malta, VIXIO speak to the firm's gaming director, Russell Mifsud, on what he learned from a meeting of minds on the island and an uncertain future for Malta as a hub for the gambling industry.

For more information on the topics covered in this podcast recording and the recent KPMG eSummit, download the KPMG produced eSummit report, which can be found here.

In this short bonus episode, we will be discussing the VIXIO GamblingCompliance Global Regulatory Awards, providing information on how to get involved, the history of the awards and some background information on the awards process.

Since their launch in 2017, the independently adjudicated Global Regulatory Awards hosted by VIXIO GamblingCompliance have become the biggest of their kind, the first awards that recognise and celebrate individuals and teams that work tirelessly to set new standards in the compliance and responsible gambling industry.

The sixth-annual Global Regulatory Awards are set to take place on November 30, 2022, building on the success of previous years, nominations close on June 30, 2022.

We set to find out just how much we know about the rate of problem gambling in the United States and how well is the industry protecting its customers. 

In this podcast episode, VIXIO GamblingCompliance Contributing Editor for Asia, Martin Williams, explores major judicial, legislative and market developments impacting the Indian online gaming industry over the last year.

Pandemic damage has accelerated litigation by and against the industry, but sympathetic regional High Courts and Supreme Court backing are likely to shepherd liberalisation and regulation on a state by state basis, possibly with an assist from a central government that may be looking to streamline India's patchwork regulatory environment.

In this episode, VIXIO GamblingCompliance Reporter Matt Carey joins the podcast to discuss the factors impeding online casino legislation in several U.S. markets and the trends that have limited the short-term growth of the overall market despite strong performance in the few markets where iGaming is permitted.

The U.S. payments industry has experienced tremendous growth over the last two years, as the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the adoption of various cashless technologies by the gaming industry.

In this podcast episode, we are joined by Joe Pappano, co-CEO of Sightline Payments, to talk about the growth of cashless gaming in the U.S., and its adoption by Genting Group's new $4.3bn Resorts World Las Vegas casino.

Joe Pappano says state gaming regulators need to be educated on the benefits and safety of cashless wagering and digital payments before more states come on board. 

To celebrate the 50th episode of the VIXIO GamblingCompliance podcast, we bring together three of our in-house experts to reflect on the most dramatic changes that have affected the global gambling scene since we aired our first episode. Our experts from Europe, Asia and North America identify where we think the blockbuster moments of the next two years are likely to be found.

As we approach the fifth annual VIXIO GamblingCompliance Global Regulator Awards (GRAs), on October 21, 2021, we sat down with Birgitte Sand the winner of this year's Compliance Lifetime Special Achievement Award, and former head of the Danish regulator. In this role Birgitte famously took on the formidable task of overseeing the country’s transition from a monopoly gambling model to a system of licensing that is, these days, often cited as a gold-standard example of an open market.

In this very special episode, VIXIO GamblingCompliance podcast host and Editor Joe Ewens interviewed Birgitte ahead of the GRAs, to discuss the lessons learned from her years in regulation, her advice for the industry and much more besides.

In this episode, Paul Burns, CEO and president of the Canadian Gaming Association, joins VIXIO GamblingCompliance’s chief analyst James Kilsby to discuss the rollout of single-event sports betting across Canada as well as the imminent opening of Ontario’s online gambling market to registered private operators through a groundbreaking regulatory model.

While regulatory standards are now in place, question marks remain over the effective tax rate in Ontario and whether international liquidity will be allowed, with requirements of Canadian federal law meaning the Ontarian market is set to be unique in the global online gambling industry and very different from US states. Another unknown is how quickly other provinces might open their own online markets to private operators and whether other jurisdictions could take a less liberal approach on matters of licensing and legacy operations.