SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
ICE Day 1 –Bet Markets session Expert regulatory and legislative panel consisting of
- Martin Haijer European Gaming Betting Association Secretary General
- Atle Hamar Director General of Norwegian Gaming Foundation,
- Henk Kesler Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Netherlands Gaming Authority
Panel gives oversight into current European issues regarding sports betting and regulation of European markets. Panel give details on the technical and compliance factors needed to operate in international jurisdictions. Panel further give insight into potential areas of growth for remote operators. SBC Session Notes
- Martin Haijer – National regulators have to be careful, with the way they punish or penalise who they currently deem as ‘illegal operators’. Haijer points out that these international operators will likely be the operators that offer national consumers the best products prices and services, which would in-turn benefit governments.
- Henk Kessler – Match fixing must be at the forefront of national legislation and regulations. At present it does appear to be a ‘dark shadow’ on the issue of sports betting. Kessler says that match fixing has impacted all European betting markets.
- Henk Kessler – European operators and software providers have to be aware that not all bets and markets will be available to consumers. Kessler states that the Dutch market are currently looking at restricting bets on lower league football and some professional sports that may not have the resources to monitor corruption
- Atle Hamar – operators that seek to gain licensed entry into new markets have to look to improve their social responsibility towards the state and the consumer. To an effect the independent operators have to look to add social benefits to national consumers
