AmazonScience/document-haystack

1Regulatory 2update3Unlike slots and poker, casino table games 4are regulated on a state-by-state basis. 5The states may either create a monopoly 6or issue as many licences as the state has 7land-based casinos. By the end of 2023, 8only the states of Schleswig-Holstein and 9North Rhine- Westphalia had opted for a 10licensing system. To date, only Schleswig-11Holstein has released the tendering 12process, but the group has opted not to 13apply for a licence for commercial reasons. 14In North Rhine-Westphalia, details on the 15tendering process were expected to be 16published in 2023 but due to various delays, 17the details are now expected in Q1 2024. 18Entain looks forward to participating in 19this process. 20 Germany21The Joint Gambling Authority (“GGL”) has 22now been operational in Germany for over 23a year. Encouragingly, the GGL has been 24more proactive in issuing sanctions against 25unlicensed operators, but we still see room 26for improvement and intensification. We are 27continuously working with the regulator 28and state governments to push for more 29effective enforcement against illegal 30operators and in 2023 worked jointly with 31the University of Leipzig and the local online 32casino association to produce a study 33investigating the scale of the issue.34While the Group was granted three slots 35and two poker licences in November 2022 36and the Group´s sports betting licences 37were also extended for another 5 years in late 382022, the restrictive environment in Germany 39continues to prove challenging. The process 40for managing playing limits for slots, poker 41and sports betting remains one of the most 42pertinent regulatory challenges for licensed 43operators. There is also mounting political 44pressure for stricter sports betting advertising 45restrictions, while the first evaluation of the 46Interstate Treaty is set to be published soon. 47 The UK48The UK Government published its White 49Paper of the 2005 Gambling Act Review 50in April 2023. As expected, this document 51included consultations on a number of 52areas, including online slots staking limits; 53financial vulnerability checks; a mandatory 54levy for research, education and treatment; 55additional requirements on game design 56and direct marketing as well as the creation 57of an Ombudsman. We continue to engage 58government actively in this process, both 59directly and via our trade body. We have 60continued to develop and enhance our 61Advanced Responsibility and Care™ 62(“ARC™”) programme, which offers tailored 63identification of customers who may be at 64risk, as well as targeted interventions and 65interactions. Whilst many of the changes 66within the White Paper can be achieved via 67secondary legislation, we are collaborating 68with the other major operators to voluntarily 69progress initiatives such as a single 70view of the customer and the creation of 71an Ombudsman. 72Gaming is a truly global market and in 2023 the Group held licences in over 7330 jurisdictions across the world. The Group is committed to only operating in 74regulated or regulating markets and as from February 2023, 100% of the Group’s 75revenue is from such markets. The Group firmly believes that strong, commercially 76viable regulation of the betting and gaming sector is in everyone’s interests. It 77provides stability for operators, important taxation streams for governments 78and – most importantly – provides the consumer with proper protections and 79safeguards by ensuring that only responsible providers operate in the market.8038 Entain plc Annual Report 2023811 Overview 8 Strategic report 88 Governance 140 Financial statements