A boom in tourism, fuelled by the arrival in the country of low-cost airlines Ryanair and Easyjet, has steadily increased casino attendance in Croatia since 2006. This growth has led a number of international investors to take interest in the casinos situated in Croatia's seaside resort destinations, which have come to be dubbed the "new Riviera".

08/08/2008

Officially, gambling is still illegal in China, although exemptions are given to welfare and sports authorities to operate lotteries. In order to curb illegal online gambling and retain the growing numbers of Chinese nationals going abroad to gamble, foreign expertise and investment is being sought. This year's Olympic Games may face a threat of illegal gambling and match-fixing but have also provided the opportunity for the introduction of new lottery games which have proved popular.

08/08/2008

With C$25bn wagered and C$1.5bn in gross profits in 2006-07, Alberta is one of Canada's largest gaming markets. A number of new casinos are expected to open in the next few years to accommodate the province's growing population. The first of many planned tribal casinos also opened in 2006. Alberta follows a unique model of gaming where all profits must be returned to registered charities.

01/08/2008

Gaming revenues in Nova Scotia have decreased by C$6m over the last year. The government's decisions in recent years to reduce the number of VLTs and impose a province-wide smoking ban may be to blame for this reduction in revenues.  

25/07/2008

Kahnawake’s future as a remote gambling licensing jurisdiction has been subject to much debate over the last year due to allegations of cheating and a rejection of its application to be included on the UK "white list" of approved jurisdictions. This report looks at the development of gaming in Kahnawake and examines the legitimacy of the jurisdiction from a historical, political and legal perspective.

25/07/2008

State-operator Loto-Quebec and its subsidiaries have a monopoly over gambling in Quebec. Over the last few years Loto-Quebec's casinos,have had to compete against new venues in Ontario and the northeastern US. The lack of Texas Hold'em poker rooms in those casinos has also prompted the Kahnawake Mohawks to fill the void and offer poker rooms of questionable legality.

15/07/2008

The rise of Harrah’s Entertainment in the US casino industry can be attributed to its founder’s pioneering decision to target low-rolling slot machine gamblers, according to a US history professor, whose research will beg questions as to whether Harrah’s traditional business model will be followed in an era of international casino expansion. 

15/07/2008

With the recent turmoil in the Belgian political spectrum, it is hard to predict when the anticipated overhaul of gaming legislation will take place despite a draft Bill being debated in 2007. Recent events such as a crackdown on illegal betting shops and a ban of Unibet's cycle racing team have put gaming issues in the spotlight.

15/07/2008

Casinos in Ontario are going through difficult times as US visitor numbers are declining due to a high Canadian dollar and the dire state of the American economy. The Ontario lottery system is still reeling from a scandal involving retailer stealing winning tickets from players, pocketing as many as 200 jackpots in the last decade.

04/07/2008

Gambling in Israel has undergone major changes in the last decade. In the past, loopholes concerning the complete ban on casinos were exploited by using floating casinos or by establishing venues in Palestinian Territories. Online gambling was deemed illegal in 2007 and a new legislative measure aims to create a blacklist of websites that are blocked from access in the country.

06/06/2008

South Africa’s gaming industry has come a long way since post-apartheid legal reforms authorised the implementation of casinos. With 34 venues accountthe ing for 86 percent of gambling revenues, the casino industry has reached maturity. The government adopted amendments to the Gambling Act in May 2008 that pave the way for online gambling to become legal in the country.

30/05/2008

Software providers speaking at last week’s Canadian Gaming Summit in Montreal demonstrated how biometric recognition systems can be incorporated into terrestrial gaming operations in order to tackle issues relating to cheating, money laundering and self-exclusion agreements. But whilst biometrics are already being used in casino security programs in four Canadian provinces, the software has thrown up some compliance concerns regarding privacy laws.

07/05/2008

At the Canadian Gaming Summit held in Montreal last week, a panel of experts met to discuss comparisons of the state of aboriginal gaming in Canada and the US. While 2007 saw Kahnawake's Mohawks lose much of their influence over the online gambling industry, the terrestrial gaming operations of other First Nation peoples are booming.

06/05/2008

At this week's Canadian Gaming Summit in Montreal, GamblingCompliance spoke to Denis Racicot, president of the Quebec Liquor, Gaming and Racing Commission (Régie des Alcools des Courses - RACJ) about new bingo regulations that will come into effect in the province on June 1, 2008. The new rules, aimed at revitalising charitable bingo in Quebec, set new limits on payouts and introduce licensing requirements for equipment suppliers.

02/05/2008

Malta is now a leading remote gaming jurisdiction, with a comprehensive set of remote gaming regulations in place. Operators based in Malta have had multiple run-ins with EU countries where gambling is subject to a monopoly. Challenges facing these monopolies, combined with Maltese operators' ability to advertise in the UK, suggest growth in Maltese remote gaming will continue at a steady pace.

17/04/2008