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Slovakia cracks down illegal gambling

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Slovakia’s Financial Administration has carried out the biggest illegal gambling crackdown ever in the country.

The process resulted in the seizing of five so-called quiz machines seised and 75 gaming machines. Subsequently, tax officers confiscated the accounting documents of 14 companies that ran the businesses.

The combing operation was held last month on June 28–29. In the move, 180 comptrollers and custom officers combed approximately 100 gambling facilities across Slovakia.

 “It wasn’t an easy action,” said Ľudovít Makó, head of the Financial Administration’s criminal department, as quoted in a press release.

First, the comptrollers had to visit the facilities and try the machines to ascertain whether their use could be deemed as gambling or not.

“In some facilities the gambling machine was turned off during the investigation, while in the others there were missing internet connections and power supplies,” Makó added.

Customs officers subsequently sealed dozens of facilities, while others were secured for further analysis. The Financial Administration will continue with the inspections.

Quiz machines will be checked

Playing the quiz machines is also considered to be a form of gambling as the players need to answer a simple question, according to Imrecze. However, to prove that they are gambling machines the Financial Administration sent them to the Technical Testing Institute for examination.

If it is proven that the quiz machines were used for gambling, the Financial Administration will adopt further steps. The operators of the machines and the facilities where they are placed would be faced with high fines, the SITA newswire reported.

Moreover, there is a suspicion that the operators did not prevent people under the age of 18 or those drawing material need benefits from gambling.

In addition, the quiz machines often have servers situated outside Slovakia. The law on gambling, however, stipulates that the servers need to be located in Slovakia.

Currently, there are about 800 quiz machines. Most are registered in Bratislava, Trnava and Žilina Regions, Makó said, as reported by SITA.

Accounting seised

As part of the operation, the Financial Administration confiscated the accounting books for 2017 and 2018 of four companies operating the quiz machines and the accounting books from 2018 of companies that run the facilities where the machines were located.

Tax officers will now check whether the documents correspond with the data from the servers of the quiz machines’ operators and whether they tried to evade paying VAT and corporate income taxes.

If the Financial Administration reveals any flaws, the operators would face criminal consequences, SITA reported.

More fines issued

The number of fines for gambling operators who violate the law, as well as their amount, increased in 2017 compared with the previous years.

A total of 210 fines amounting to €378,660 in total were imposed in 2017, which is 153 more than in 2016 and 200 more than the year before. As for the amount, the sum increased by €13,680 (or 3.75 per cent) in 2017 compared with 2016, and by €245,460 (or 184 per cent) compared with 2015, the TASR newswire reported.

 “We welcome the fact that the state has the ambition to fight illegal gambling but we have to realise that it cannot erase the legal concerns,” said Dominika Lukáčová, spokesperson for the Association of Entertainment and Gambling, as quoted by TASR.

She continued, saying that the illegal market is a result of excessive regulation and prohibition, with the criminal groups one step ahead of the comptrollers. They can even erase the software used in the machines from a distance to avoid fines.

However, legal gambling operators in Slovakia have never used such practices, Lukáčová added.

Source: spectator.sme.sk

Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Expanse Studios Announces Media Collaboration with Renowned List.Casino

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Expanse Studios, a leader in developing innovative online gaming products, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with List.Casino, a trusted casino comparison site known for its meticulous user reviews and game recommendations.

List.Casino has made a mark in the online gaming community by providing players with a reliable guide to hundreds of licensed, safe, and thoroughly vetted online casinos. Reflective of their name, the platform specializes in curating specific lists tailored to each page’s content. This meticulous approach ensures that players are presented with casinos that truly match the promised payment services, games, bonuses, and other unique features, making the search for the ideal gambling destination easier and more efficient.

But List.Casino doesn’t just stop at vetting online casinos. They’ve also offered access to intriguing gambling news and in-depth analyses, the latest casino promotions, and, more recently, a keen focus on slot games and other casino-based entertainment. Each game on their platform undergoes a comprehensive review, encompassing all vital information, allowing players to make informed choices about suitable games.

Expanse Studios’ collaboration with List.Casino is a testament to both brands’ commitment to excellence. The partnership will see Expanse Studios’ range of games, notably the brand new ‘Pinjata Loca’, featured and reviewed on the platform.

Commenting on the partnership, a spokesperson from List.Casino said, “We are elated to collaborate with Expanse Studios and delve deep into reviewing their remarkable slots. After a close look at their top-notch products, it was an easy decision to spotlight ‘Pinjata Loca’ as our game of the month.”

This collaboration aims to bring the best of both worlds to the gaming community, ensuring that players have access to top-tier games in an environment that prioritizes safety, transparency, and user experience.

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Enrich Gaming content now live with Betsson

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Enrich Gaming, a newly launched game developer of high-quality slots, has today announced that it has integrated its content onto Tier 1 operator – Betsson.

This latest integration means that players will now have access to Enrich Gaming’s exciting new titles such as 20 Lines of Fire, 40 Lines of Fire and Clover on Fire and that will be available across multiple markets around the world.

The team behind Enrich Gaming has accumulated a wealth of experience over the years in creating slots that will truly engage the player, and this knowledge has resulted in a fantastic portfolio of low volatility games that include high quality graphics with an assortment of bonus features.

A spokesperson for Enrich Gaming said, “We couldn’t be happier that our first industry announcement is that we’ve launched on Betsson and we’re only getting started. Producing the optimum player experience is what drives us. We want to ensure that our games deliver an unparalleled end-user experience, which is why we are excited to collaborate closely with our partners and we can’t wait to release our next batch of games on the Betsson platform soon.”

Paul Malt, Head of Games at Betsson, said: ““We’re delighted to have partnered with Enrich Gaming. We know their growing collection of games are going to be a hit with our players and make a fantastic addition to our market-leading portfolio.”

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EveryMatrix first iGaming provider to achieve WLA Safer Gambling certification

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EveryMatrix has become the first iGaming supplier to be awarded World Lottery Association (WLA) Safer Gambling certification following a rigorous company-wide audit process.

EveryMatrix, the industry’s fastest growing betting and gaming technology provider, joins an exclusive list of iLottery suppliers to have achieved this status.

The WLA has recognised the company’s existing high standards and ongoing and future commitments to go above and beyond its requirements to become a leader in Safer Gambling best practice.

The business underwent a stringent audit process to achieve certification. This included providing evidence that both showcased and pledges to abide by and continually implement the WLA’s guiding principles aimed at protecting players.

EveryMatrix’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policy includes a strengthened Safer Gambling strategy to ensure all its employees across its 12 global offices and all its clients have the necessary tools available to them and are fully informed of the latest research to operate in a responsible and ethical way.

Ebbe Groes, CEO, EveryMatrix, said: “The WLA are pioneers in safer gambling certification and we’re delighted they have recognised our work, commitments and pledges to both uphold and drive forward safer gambling best practice across everything we do.

“We entered this process because we firmly believe that to create and maintain a sustainable and successful industry we must ensure that all players are protected and given the right options to play safely and responsibly, and all our customers are informed of any risks and the actions needed to mitigate those risks.

“I’m personally committed to this, believe this is the way forward for both iLottery and iGaming and hope many others join us.”

Naomi Koops, Senior Compliance Counsel & Safer Gambling Co-ordinator, EveryMatrix, said: “This is the beginning of a company-wide commitment to follow the WLA principles, not just for the lotteries we partner with, but also for all our clients. Ensuring our products and services are developed with the very latest academic research, with player protection in mind, is a key priority for the business.

“We are building a safer gambling culture at EveryMatrix and are committed to becoming industry leaders in this space in the years to come.”

Melissa Azam, CSR Senior Manager, WLA, said: “The WLA is pleased to officially recognise EveryMatrix’s adherence to the WLA Responsible Gaming Guidelines for suppliers highlighting their commitment to ensuring player protection and safer gambling is at the core of both their own and their customers’ operations.”

EveryMatrix has a dedicated Global Sustainability section for its customers and their players to access.

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