Betting and gaming affiliate company Leadstar Media AB announced its product portfolio has been expanded with a new website aimed at Spanish-speaking markets across North America.

‘Content Tailored for Hispanic-American Bettors’

The launch of the new website by Leadstar Media marks the seventh website operated by the Swedish-based lead generation and media firm in the US and is an extension of the company’s plan to expand its exposure to sports betting in Spanish.

Commenting on the news, Jacob Ljunggren, director of Operations at Leadstar Media, explained the reasoning behind the company’s decision to launch a dedicated website in Spanish to address the needs of Spanish-speaking populations in the US.

“After seeing a high percentage of users accessing our other Spanish-language platforms from the United States, we felt it was necessary to expand our product with a new website with content tailored for Hispanic-American bettors,” Ljunggren said.

The launch of the dedicated website will allow Spanish-speaking residents in the US to take advantage of the personalized guide offered by Leadstar Media while choosing the sportsbook operator that will suit them best.

“The US has been the talk of the industry lately and we have focused efforts there as well, Ljunggren continued, noting that the company decided to stop neglecting “a quite large portion of the population” and offer these people a product in Spanish.

Strengthening Presence in North America

Leadstar Media hosted their new website as a subdomain of the recognized by Spanish speakers website, MisCasasdeApuestas.com, a website that now has six subdomains to cover Spanish, Peruvian, Colombian, Mexican, Chilean, and American markets.

“I am very excited about this new launch and I believe that the strength of our already well-positioned domain will help this product perform faster than normal,” Ljunggren added, hoping that the new website will soon turn into a go-to place for American bettors seeking “relevant information in Spanish” and will rank among the top websites in the country.

The new website will attract Spanish-speaking adults who are looking to register with a regulated sportsbook, providing them with reviews of the best sports betting propositions on the market in terms of promotions, welcome bonuses and payment methods, as well as comparisons between different sports betting operators and general updates on the sports betting legalization process nationwide.

Leadstar Media recently announced it received a license as a registered vendor from the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MLGCC) and would be ready to commence operations alongside the official market launch in the coming months.

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) praised in a press release the Irish government’s efforts to introduce changes to the country’s gambling regulatory framework and bring it in line with regulatory regimes in other EU member states.

Support for the New Gambling Bill

Responding to the publishing of the Gambling Regulation Bill by the Irish Parliament today, EGBA hailed the development as a significant milestone on the country’s path to modernizing its gambling regulations.

Commenting on the development, EGBA Secretary General Maarten Haijer congratulated Minister Browne and his team for moving forward with the bill, expressing the support of the association and its members for the Irish government’s “ongoing efforts to establish modern regulations that fit the digital age” and align Ireland with its EU member counterparts.

A central part of the new proposals of the Gambling Regulation Bill takes the creation of a new authority to regulate gambling, and EGBA expressed its hopes that the new regulatory body will have the resources needed and enough powers to tackle unlicensed gambling firms while being open to constructive dialogue with the licensed operators, other gambling regulators and stakeholders to identify and implement best industry practices.

Safer Gambling Key to EGBA Members

Much to EGBA’s contentment, the new bill also seeks to establish a national self-exclusion register, a measure the association has advocated for previously considering it as a safety net against gambling harm.

EGBA used the occasion to reiterate the commitment of its members to promoting safer gambling in Ireland, as well as in the EU, pointing to their investments in a strong culture of safer gambling inside their business and in the way they interact with their customers and the public.

Other proposals of the bill include the creation of a social fund to support education and problem gambling treatment, new rules for gambling advertisements, and a ban on the use of credit cards to fund gambling accounts.

“We look forward to the finalization of the Bill and engaging constructively with Irish policymakers to ensure the outcome is a well-functioning system of regulation that protects the interests of the many Irish citizens who gamble safely and recreationally, sets a high level of protection for consumers and those experiencing gambling-related harm, and provides clarity and long-term predictability for the gambling sector,” Haijer concluded.

According to the Parliamentary process, the first reading of the Gambling Regulation Bill is expected to take place in early 2023, and if approved by Parliament, the bill will become law in late 2023.

32-year-old professional striker Leigh Griffiths has been questioned by the authorities in relation to an open investigation regarding a series of alleged incidents tied to gambling in sports. 

Griffiths, who played for Celtic FC between 2014 and 2022 and represented Scotland’s national soccer team in over 20 official matches, was taken to the London Road police station in Glasgow together with two other men. 

Griffiths Has Denied Any Implication 

On December 1, the player who helped Celtic scoop up seven league titles and three prestigious Scottish Cups and scored 123 goals in its 261 appearances for the same team received an early morning visit from the police at his home in Bothwell, South Lanarkshire. He was taken to the London Road police station where he denied breaching any rules.

Griffiths is one of the three men who received the same police visit as part of a pre-planned operation targeting alleged incidents tied to betting on sports. According to a spokesman for the Scotland police, the other two men were ages 37 and 35, respectively, and they were arrested in Bonnyrigg in Midlothian and Airdrie in North Lanarkshire. The police announced that all three men were released and no charges were brought against them. They are now all pending “further inquiries.” 

According to the English Football Association, betting on soccer is forbidden to all players, coaches, managers, staff members of all clubs, licensed agents, and directors part of the Premier League. The association has created a series of rules meant to protect the integrity as well as the reputation of the game while guaranteeing decision-making processes are entirely based entirely on merit and are not meant to attract any personal financial gains.

Professional soccer players are not allowed to place any bet on any soccer event, anywhere. This rule refers to all soccer matches and competitions, no matter where they might be played on the planet. Players are also forbidden from wagering on any global soccer market at any level. This includes any aspect that is not tied to the gameplay itself, such as betting on who will next manage a certain club. Players who breach any of these strict rules are in danger of losing their careers and facing possible criminal charges. In November, the English Football Association charged Brentford striker Ivan Toney over more than 230 alleged breaches of these betting rules between February 2017 and January 2021.

The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG), the gambling regulator in the state, released Thursday its latest report outlining the performance of sports betting operators for the month of September. Judging by the recent figures, sportsbooks in the state reported a strong month with betting handle hitting nearly $540 million.

September Sports Betting Handle Hits $540 Million

The overall betting handle reported by licensed sportsbooks in Arizona for September hit $538 million. When compared to the result reported for the same period in 2021, this year, a significant increase of 84.7% is observed. What’s more, the ADG pointed out that the $538 million in wagers for September brought just above $3 million in privilege fees for the state’s coffers. Not unexpectedly, the majority of the wagers were completed online, judging by a breakdown provided by the gambling regulator. From the $537,966,148 wagered in total for September, $533.3 million was wagered via mobile betting operators. On the other hand, the retail sector saw only $4,025,401, the ADG revealed.

The collected taxes in September hit $3,058,838. A breakdown of this total reveals that mobile betting was responsible for the lion’s share of the tax revenue which hit $3,007,155, based on the 10% tax for the activity. On the other hand, retail betting activities that are subject to an 8% tax contributed $41,816 in September.

Sportsbooks Enjoyed a Strong Month

Although the betting handle for September was strong, it still didn’t surpass the highest betting handle for the year which hit nearly $564 million in January. Still, A month-over-month comparison shows that the betting handle increased significantly in September, considering that a month earlier, in August, it halted at $360 million. Although the betting handle in August was significantly lower when compared to September, the state collected nearly the same amount in taxes, which was $2.8 million.

“September was clearly a strong month for Arizona sports betting, with the state seeing over $245 million more in wagers when compared to the same month of 2021.“

Ted Vogt, director at ADG

ADG’s director, Ted Vogt, commented on the topic saying that sportsbooks enjoyed strong results in September. He pointed out that the betting handle last month increased by more than $245 million when compared to the result from September last year. Finally, Vogt said: “I am excited to see how the industry progresses through the winter months, which generally has the most popular sports for wagering in the United States.”

Alabama authorities have seized more than a hundred gambling machines in Etowah County. The investigation is still ongoing and no arrests have been made as of the time of this writing.

Five Illegal Casinos Were Identified and Raided

The police began investigating the case following complaints from people in an East Gadsden neighborhood. Thanks to this, the police bust several improvised gambling facilities across the locale. According to the authorities, the illegal casinos were a source of unrest for the locals as they oftentimes played loud music at night and were responsible for various traffic hazards.

Yesterday, the police were issued warrants that greenlit the search of five separate unlicensed gambling venues in Gadsden. To be precise, the illicit casinos were found in East Gadsden, South Gadsden and Alabama City.  

As announced by the country sheriff, Jonathon Horton, a total of 108 gambling machines were seized during the raids. In addition, the police found more than $13,500 in cash at the illegal gambling venues.

No One Has Been Arrested as of Yet

The police shared that three of the locations that were raided had been previously warned to stop their activities. However, it looks like the venues didn’t follow the cease and desist orders of the sheriff and the district attorney and didn’t remove their machines from the state, as instructed. Instead, the illegal operators just pretended to follow the orders and relocated to new buildings.

Under local laws, the operators of the illegal venues are guilty of promoting gambling. According to Alabama Law, anyone who knowingly advances and/or profits from illegal gambling activities is considered to be promoting gambling.

In addition, the operators are also guilty of possessing gambling devices. As a result, Horton and his office will ask authorities to order the destruction of the machines. They will also demand that the seized monies be turned over.

As of the time of this writing, no one has been arrested. The investigation will continue.

A Similar Case from Austria

Authorities in Austria just dealt with a similar case where they uncovered a bunch of illegal operators and seized their machines. A similar sum ($18,000) was found at the venues. However, unlike their Alabaman counterparts who played loud music, the Austrian operators were much more secretive. According to the Austrian police, the illegal venues were cleverly disguised as other kinds of shops, including food corners and even a waxing studio. Some were locked behind heavy iron doors which required the assistance of experts to be unlocked.

Kindred Group’s sports betting brand Unibet risks a fine of up to $6.3 million because of allegations that it targeted customers in Poland. Unibet does not have a license in Poland and was accused of breaching the rules by a local operator.

Kindred Actively Targeted Polish Customers

STS Gaming Group, which is the biggest gambling company in Poland, accused Unibet of illegally targeting Polish customers with its products. According to the Polish company, the Kindred subsidiary has been actively marketing its content to local audiences for years.

The allegations say that Unibet provided gaming without consulting and receiving permission from the Ministry of Finance. STS Gaming Group also noted that the company illegally promoted its products and even marketed on shirts of foreign football clubs during their matches in Poland.

STS Gaming emphasized that Unibet has a site in Polish that has been slyly changing its domain name to prevent being blocked by the Ministry of Finance. The Polish operator also implied that Kindred does not do enough for the protection of Polish citizens, unlike licensed companies.

As a result of the alleged transgressions, STS Gaming Group launched a lawsuit against its foreign competitor.

The Operator Faces a Fine of Up to $6.3M

Zdzisław Kostrubała, a board member of STS Gaming, said that Unibet didn’t leave the market in 2017 as it said it would. Back then, Kindred ended its Polish license after the government imposed a 12% gross tax on turnover. Yet, Unibet still continued to take bets from Polish citizens, while its parent company continued maintaining a site in Polish.  Because of that, the sportsbook is “evidently” in violation of the law, Kostrubała noted.

Kindred reportedly risks a fine of $6.3 million for promoting its content to local customers, as well as an additional fine of up to $670,000 for offering gambling without a license or approval by the local regulator.

In response to the lawsuit, the Warsaw District Court prohibited Unibet from marketing and offering its content in the country and appealed to legal companies to oppose the offshore brand. Kostrubała praised the court for this decision and said that he hopes Unibet will comply without the need for further legal action.

Meanwhile, offshore companies claim that the Polish government is strongly favoring local operators, which infringes EU competition laws. Because of that, the European Commission asked Poland to update its approach to online gambling.

In other news, Kindred was slammed with a fine by Sweden’s gambling authority because of AML shortcomings. The group promised to do better.