This Week's Top iGaming News, August 4, 2023

WeAreGame’s weekly iGaming newsletter full of thoughtful news bites and exciting info.

Reactions to Sports Betting Excitement for Brazil

The long-anticipated Provisional Measure (MP) nº 1.182/2023 for Brazil was published on July 25in the Union Official Gazette, which updated Law nº 13.756 (published on December 12, 2018). 

iGaming Brazil has been gaining and reporting responses from within the industry. Director of Governance, Risks and Compliance at Pay4Fun, Camila Caresi, said, “This reduces the margin for irregularities and promotes users’ confidence in the system.” 

While Bernardo Freire, partner of Wald, Antunes, Vita e Blattner Advogados, said, “The measure is healthy for all those who work in the sector, who fought hard for its elaboration.”

And André Damiani, criminal lawyer and partner of Damiani Sociedade de Advogados, said, “In addition to the tax issue, the proposal adopted by the federal government is positive, as it signals its willingness to take the necessary measures to regulate, once and for all, this extremely lucrative market.”

iGaming in Peru Moves Forward

Dina Boluarte, President of Peru, signed the country’s new gambling legislation on June 28. The latest legislation tackles issues and concerns raised after last year’s Law No 31,557 came into effect after being signed off by Peru’s previous President, Pedro Castillo.

The updated law combines the previous retail and online licences (with two very different costs) into one single, unified licence with a price of around €746,000. It was also clarified that all businesses must pay the 12% tax on revenue, not just Peruvian-based operators. In-depth KYC checks are now mandatory, and only licensed companies can partner with and sponsor athletes, teams, or events. The law also specifies which platform domains are permitted (.bet.pe, .bet, .com.pe, .com, or .pe.) and extends the 60-day time limit for operators to understand and follow the law to 120 days.

ICE, iGB Affiliate, & iGB L!VE Reveal New Locations for 2025

New venues for three huge iGaming events for 2025 have been revealed. ICE and iGB Affiliate will be heading to Barcelona, Spain, after over twelve years of being held in London. The decision factored in several aspects after shortlisting four cities as potential new locations (Barcelona, London, Madrid and Paris). Whereas iGB L!VE will also be relocating to London from Amsterdam and held in the ExCeL (previously home to ICE and iGB Affiliate).

The changes mean there is one last chance to attend each event at their current location before the move. ICE London 2024 will occur between 6 – 8 February 2024, and iGB Affiliate will be held on 6 – 9 February, both at ExCel.  iGB L!VE will take place on 16 – 19 July 2024 at the RAI in Amsterdam. 

ICE Clarion Gaming and European Casino Association Partnership Continues

Continuing with ICE, the long-standing partnership between Clarion Gaming and the European Casino Association (ECA) is set to continue until at least 2029. Officially teaming up in 2008, the two industry giants have already enjoyed fifteen successful years collaborating.

Talking to iGB, Erwin van Lambaart, Chairman of the ECA, said, “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Clarion Gaming, an alliance we deeply cherish.”

While Stuart Hunter, Managing Director of Clarion Gaming, added, “Working with the industry in order to ensure that ICE continues to provide the very best professional business environment for all of the verticals that we serve is a cornerstone of our philosophy.”

Success in Macau as Revenue Rises in July 2023

The city of entertainment and gaming hub Macau hit a new high in July of this year, reaching €1.89 billion, the highest recorded gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the market since the start of the year. The 9.6% increase from June and the 7.1% increase from May will help bolster Macau’s standing in the industry.

The figures appear especially good compared to last year, hitting a 4,086.4% raise year-on-year from July 2022. However, it is also to be considered that Macau closed its gaming doors between 11 and 22 July 2022 due to Covid-19 restrictions temporarily put in place. However, the continuing increase for the region is an excellent sign for the economy and the six successful concessions operating in the area. 

WeAreGame Weekly

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