Brazil is undoubtedly one of the biggest football nations in the world, but it also repeatedly has massive problems with match-fixing and betting manipulation. There is currently a veritable wave of discussion on the subject, which is drawing wide circles and causing a particular stir in view of the imminent introduction of the national sports betting market. Is the problem really as serious as feared or is it being artificially hyped up?
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been planning to legalise gambling for some time. Initially only intended for tourists, the project has slowly but surely developed further and further. Following the establishment of a regulatory authority in late summer 2023, the time had come at the end of July 2024: gambling arrived in the UAE with the licensing of a nationwide lottery.
The new season of the National Football League (NFL) kicks off on the night of 5 to 6 September 2024, and fans and the press are looking forward to an exciting season for which division champions, injury problems, coaching changes, offensive deficits, rising stars and much more are already being hotly debated. But it's not just the sporting side of things that is causing a stir. The fact that the NFL is increasingly open to gambling is also making headlines.
Advertising and sponsorship by gambling companies is a regular source of debate, and not just in Germany. In fact, there are a particularly large number of such co-operations in England, which are increasingly criticised by addiction experts, politicians and society. For this reason, a general code of conduct on gambling sponsorship was recently adopted on the island.
Due to the increased integration of its main sponsor, the sports betting and casino platform Stake.com, the Swiss racing team Sauber has been travelling the world's circuits with the name ‘Stake F1’ since the start of the 2024 season. There was already controversy in some countries during the last racing season due to the gambling nature of the partner, meaning that the logos had to be removed for some competitions. Sauber has also faced some headwind in the run-up to this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix.
Throughout Europe, sports betting is considered gambling. Really all over Europe? No, Austria is actually taking a special path: similar to the Gallic village around Asterix, which did not want to be conquered by the Romans, the Alpine republic insists on categorising sports betting as a ‘game of skill’ despite much criticism. This is accompanied by a few special features.
In order to prevent discrimination against licensed providers, two US politicians have proposed abolishing the gambling tax in the USA. In the land of opportunity, there are of course other taxes in addition to the gambling tax that should be retained. But how sensible is the abolition of the gambling tax and could the plan also be a model for Germany?
It is over 18,000 kilometres from the German capital Berlin to New Zealand. The average flight time on the most popular routes is around 32 hours. Despite the enormous distance, New Zealand enjoys great popularity, especially among young Germans. Until now, online casinos in New Zealand have been illegal here, but this could change in the next few years.
Curacao is a country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean, which is over 8,400 kilometres away from Berlin. The 444 square kilometre island has been internationally renowned in the online gambling industry for many years, as many online casinos have a licence from Curacao. But what is life like on the island of online casinos?
Gambling in Austria, which is actually so strictly regulated, is currently being shaken by reports of possible involvement of state-owned companies in illegal online casinos. The gaming manufacturer Rabcat and its parent company, Österreichische Lotterien GmbH, are accused of having played a double game for years. On the one hand, it was explained how harmful unregulated providers are, but on the other hand, it was allegedly making a lot of money from them.
Austrians are quite active in claiming gambling losses from online casinos that are not licensed in the country. Together with Germany, the majority of such judgements are handed down in Austria compared to the rest of Europe. However, enforcement is made much more difficult by the Maltese gambling protection shield. This is also the reason why the Supreme Court has now given the green light for a hitherto unique measure: A claimant can seize Mr Green's AT domains and, if necessary, sell them in order to recover their stakes.
At the end of June, the Brazilian Justice Committee approved a bill that has been under discussion for several years. The approval of Decree 2.234/2022 regulates the legal establishment and operation of casinos throughout the country. It has been a long road, but it is still not quite over.
Just a few years ago, we reported on a veritable ‘casino boom’ in Liechtenstein. In the meantime, there were nine casinos in the sixth smallest country in the world. This number has since been reduced to six. And more casinos could soon follow and have to close their doors permanently.
Novomatic AG is the second most valuable company in Austria. At least that is the result of the Austrian Brand Value Study 2024 conducted by the European Brand Institute (EBI). But which Austrian company is worth more than the billion-euro gambling group based in Gumpoldskirchen?
A few months ago, the Swedish regulatory authority (Spelinspektionen) criticised the fact that the payment service provider Zimpler, also from Sweden, was repeatedly cooperating with offshore casinos. It was even threatened with a fine in the millions. The sanctions are off the table, but the case is not yet closed. Here is the full story.
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