Best of PRO This Week: Greek Taxes, the Spanish Market and November in Nevada

Key Takeaways

PokerStars Seeks to Minimize its Players’ Exposure to New Greek Tax.

Lead Features

PokerStars Seeks to Minimize its Players’ Exposure to New Greek Tax

Players can juggle daily winnings with temporary tournament registration to duck below the €100 tax-free daily limit. PokerStars has adopted a strategy of compliance with Greek legal requirements to withhold taxes on player winnings each day. It has temporarily removed all mid- to high-buyin tournaments, and has recommended to Greek players ways to minimize the daily tax.

Exclusive News Articles

Spain’s Socialists Demand that Losses Should Not be Offset Against Winnings for Tax Purposes

The non-legislative proposal is sent for discussion by a Congressional committee. The Spanish Socialist Group has proposed that player’s gambling losses should not be offset against their winnings, arguing that it is inconsistent with other industries, and represents a pandering to demands by the gaming industry.

Bulgarian Gambling Tax Changes Delayed

Socialist MPs complain that they have not been properly consulted on proposed changes. Bulgarian members of Parliament have elected to postpone a vote on proposals to reduce gaming taxes. The vote will not now take place until the next Parliamentary session in the New Year.

As All Eyes Are on New Jersey, Nevada Traffic Drops 25% in a Month

WSOP may have overtaken Ultimate Poker in Nevada, but both are having a miserable November. While the media attention has been fixated on the New Jersey market opening, the first state-regulated gambling market in Nevada has had a terrible month.

UK Government Insists Aim is Consumer Protection, Not Taxes

New UK bill passes third reading. The UK Gambling (Licensing & Advertising) Bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons, with the Minister for Sport and Tourism, Helen Grant, staunchly insisting that its purpose was consumer protection rather than tax revenue generation.

William Hill Removed from Bulgaria Blacklist

William Hill’s customer support center in Sofia gives added motivation to be compliant with Bulgarian national laws. The Bulgarian State Gambling Commission (SGC) is again shrinking its blacklist as WilliamHill.com and two other sites have been removed after the SGC ruled that they were now compliant with the relevant articles in the Gambling Act.

DGOJ Q3 Report: Poker Declines, Market Stagnates

Cash games down 5%, tournaments down 3% as Spanish market fails to meet pre-regulation expectations. The Spanish gaming market had a rough third quarter according to the latest report from regulator DGOJ—online revenues fell by 18% compared to the same period last year.

Codere Foundation Reports Spanish Gaming Market Down 27% in Five Years

Spain’s Codere Foundation has published a comprehensive report of the Spanish gambling industry which shows that total betting has fallen 27% in five years.

Top Court Approves Belgian Generic ISP Blocking Orders

The Antwerp Court of Cassation rejects an appeal against the use of a generic blocking order. The highest court in Belgium, the Court of Cassation, has given a ruling which could be used to increase the effectiveness of ISP blocking measures against non-nationally licensed gambling sites.

Dutch Regulator Plans International Cooperation Ahead of New Laws

DGA Chairman Jan Styven contemplates international cooperation—“even with the British”—to combat non-nationally licensed sites. The Dutch Gaming Authority (DGA) has established letters of intent to work closely with other regulators in Europe. The letters will be put into action when the new gaming laws come into force.

Malta LGA Investigates Social Media Gambling Advertising

Regulator to investigate Maltese casinos using Facebook ads to promote land-based gaming. Malta’s Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) may be starting to clean up its credentials as new Executive Chairman Joseph Cuschieri launches an investigation into gaming advertising on social media.

EuroPartners Confirms Canada Withdrawal

Canadian departure for Playtech-owned marketing subsidiary. Citing “pending regulations” in the country, EuroPartners has withdrawn from the Canadian market.

Major Software Upgrade Rolls Out on Sky Poker

Resizable tables, auto-top up, preferred seating and more added to download and web-based client. Niche independent poker room Sky Poker has launched an “all new” download and web-based poker client which aims to bring it in line with much of its competition.

Chile Gets Warmer on Gambling Regulation

Two influential senators have proposed amendments to gambling laws that would create online gaming regulation. Chile may soon join the ranks of South American countries which have a legal framework for online gambling as two senators propose amendments to a law last changed in 2005.

New Dutch Gaming Legislation Faces Delays

Secondary legislation and a review by the Ministry of Justice may delay the implementation of proposed amendments to gaming laws in the Netherlands. Delays in the political process suggest that licenses under the new Netherlands Gambling laws may not be issued until 2015.