Ukraine Mulls Regulation
The former Soviet republic of the Ukraine is considering a regulatory policy for gambling, according to local news source ForUm. The reports said that the Finance Ministry has decided to regulate the situation on the lottery and gambling market. The Ministry plans to submit legislation on lottery and gaming regulation in Ukraine in the first quarter of 2007, according to the report. The proposed new legislation would establish and implement a department of state dedicated to the regulation of gambling, with a view to protecting the rights and interests of gamblers and preventing malpractice and fraud. It also proposes to classify types of lotteries, introduce licensing for lotteries and gaming, introduce registration for lotteries and set out effective control mechanisms and accountability provisions. The bill makes no mention of online gambling.
New Bill Puts the Brakes on "Denigrating Turkishness"
A controversial bill has been approved in Turkey as a measure against indecent broadcasting and online gambling. The bill amends the existing censorship law, Article 301 of the Penal Code, and empowers the Information Technology Security Agency (ITSA) to censor and block offending Web sites that are 'denigrating Turkishness, the republic, the institutions and organs of the state.' Turkish Web newspaper Yeni Safak reported on Jan. 4 that Turkish citizens have, until now, enjoyed freedom of expression on the Internet. But they will now face considerable censorship, as ITSA will work as a sort of "big brother" with the task of identifying and blocking any violators, as defined by the Turkish Penal Code. ITSA is also authorized to seek court orders to block offending sites after extensive monitoring of suspected sites. The court orders will presumably be served on ISPs, though action will also be brought against site owners if they can be found. Web site owners and ISPs found in violation of the law will face between six months and three years in prison.
Spain Liberalizes its Sports Betting Market
The Spanish federal government in December enacted legislation allowing sports betting in shops, retail outlets and online, and regional governments were given the freedom to impose conditions as they see fit. Madrid's regional government has established a fixed license fee and a limited number of licenses. But license holders can open as many shops and outlets as they please. Licensure will span a five-year period and be renewable if Madrid's regulatory conditions are met. After Madrid, the Basque Country and Catalonia are expected to follow suit, but online betting firms are demanding a wider legislation in line with a business as global as theirs.
Coming Soon: Belgian Gambling Legislation
By the end of January, Belgian officials are expected to unveil the definitive version of the country's gambling legislation currently under construction, reports Yogonet.com. Members of the Belgian Finance Ministry, in conjunction with members of the Ministry of Justice, will reportedly put the finishing touches on the legislation, which is expected to be adopted--without modification--as early as March 2007.
Feds Consider the Perks of Cross-Border Wire Transfers
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)—a division of the U.S. Treasury Department—on Jan. 17 issued a report to Congress concluding that the reporting of cross-border wire transfer data by financial institutions "is technically feasible for the government and may be valuable to the government's efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing."
The report further states that only financial institutions that directly send money to or accept money from cross-border sources should be required to report details on wire transfers to FinCEN. This would limit compliance with the regulations to approximately 25 percent of financial institutions, most of whom would be larger financial institutions. The report also suggests reporting be limited to single transactions of $3,000 or more, data which financial institutions are currently required to retain under Section 21 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. The report stresses that cross-border fund transfer data would be technologically protected and secure, and access to the data would be limited to FinCEN and certain law enforcement and regulatory agencies. The program would collect between 350 million and 500 million reports on fund transfers each year, FinCEN estimates. FinCEN said, however, creating and implementing this database is not feasible until at least 2010.
Mexico Re-Examines Gaming Permits
Mexidata.info reports that the Mexican government is taking up the issue of gaming in the new year in the hopes of attracting foreign investment and creating jobs that are currently nonexistent. Gaming permits that were granted by officials during prior administrations under the 2004 Regulation of the Federal Gaming and Raffles Law have come into question. In addition the government is questioning the validity of permits issued under that authority in 2005 Senator Santiago Creel, former Secretary of Government. A court proceeding will be held on this issue and the court as a whole must rule on the issue to uphold the issuance of the permits.