Sweepstakes Under Fire, Monaco’s Privacy Play & Regulatory Shifts

Weekend conversation corner - 1 August

Welcome to the latest edition of Focus Gaming News' Weekend Conversation Corner, episode 18!

 

Join your hosts, Oliver and Charlotte, as we cut through the clutter and bring you a concise summary of the week’s important developments. In this episode, we're dissecting major headlines from around the globe. We'll explore new data indicating that US customers largely view sweepstakes casinos as gambling, despite claims of free entry, leading to calls for stronger state enforcement in places like Montana, Connecticut, New York, and California.

We also delve into Monaco’s proactive stance on guest privacy, with a new photography ban enacted at its casinos to protect high-profile individuals. On the regulatory front, we discuss the UK Gambling Commission's decision to postpone the cross-selling ban until January 19 to give operators more adjustment time, and Italy's extension of the approval process for new online gambling licenses due to the tender's complexity and significant documentation required by the Customs and Monopolies Agency. Finally, we cover the significant news that GambleAware, a UK responsible gambling charity, will cease operations by 2026 due to the introduction of a new statutory gambling levy. So, is the line between 'sweepstakes' and 'gambling' becoming increasingly blurred for players, and what does this mean for the industry's future? Tune in to find out!