The Isle of Man could award as many as seven new gaming licences in 2013 with the online gambling industry continuing to help out the island’s economy. BBC News reports that Economic Development Minister John Shimmin told the January sitting of Tynwald the island is “in discussion with 15 individuals or organizations” seven of whom are preparing to apply for licences. That would take the total past 50 and along with these new licences there was the news that “e-gaming” will provide an extra 80 jobs for the island’s economy in 2013.
A court in Austria has rejected an appeal from three firms fighting against a licence being awarded the Austrian Lotteries to become the sole provider of iGaming. Bet-at-home, Lottelo and Bandal had all complained that a 15-year licence, awarded to Austrian Lotteries in Oct. 2011, was unconstitutional as it heavily favored the incumbent lottery provider. Kurier.at report the Constitutional Court decided the “complaints are not justified” and that complaints about minimum registered capital of €109m (Austrian Lotteries has €110m) were also “not unconstitutional”. Under the legislation, Austrian Lotteries’ Win2Day.at site is the only one that can offer casino, poker and slots with everything else banned in the central European country.
Belgium has handed out its latest smattering of licences with two sports betting and one games licence awarded by the Belgian Gaming Commission. Stargames (goldenbet.be) and Mystery Games (napoleongames.be) were added to the F1+ licences list on the BGC site and will operate sports betting at the sites mentioned. Luciana, or luckygames.be, has been awarded a B+ licence and can offer games via their domain. Still no sign of bwin.party on the country’s white lists and a BGC spokesperson revealed to eGR: “Bwin has to get an E licence [while] Partouche Group has to get a A+ licence for a new website.”
