Censorship reloaded – the new data behemoth is called Financial Blocking

By Ansgar Lange

Internet blocking under the Inter-State Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV): Data privacy activist Thilo Weichert fears that data retention may sneak in through the back door

Kiel, November 2014. It is on the attack again – the state-fed data behemoth, whose crafty limbs have found a new way of outwitting data privacy activists: The current focus of the state surveillance fetishists is the alleged combat of supposedly illegal gaming. On the basis of the GlüStV adopted by the Federal States, the German supervisory authorities – above all the Ministry of the Interior of Lower Saxony, the Federal Financial Supervisory Agency BaFin and the Federal Ministry of Finance – intend to cut off payments to online gaming providers who, in their opinion, are illegal. In order to implement this so-called Financial Blocking, banks and payment service providers are obligated to monitor all payments and to code transactions associated with gaming providers accordingly. However, the practical problems and the problems relating to (data protection) law in the context of the planned measures are manifold, which is, inter alia, the result of an analysis by the Independent State Center for Data Protection in Schleswig-Holstein (ULD). … Continue Reading

Wulf Hambach and Quirino Mancini spoke at the IMGL Masterclass Isle of Man

At the IMGL Masterclass Isle of Man, Wulf Hambach and Quirino Mancini spoke about “Implications of operating in part-regulated and non-regulated online gaming markets” as well as “The Controversial Image of Gaming in the Face of the Media and the Public Opinion: What, if Anything, is the Industry Doing to Redress It?”.

With the sole exception of the lottery association, the gaming industry has so far proved unable to reach out to the regulators, the customers, the media and the public opinion in general in a consistent, coordinated and convincing way to inform and communicate better as well as redress all the bias and bad reputation it “enjoys” in most (if all) of the world.  This interview briefly addresses this big outstanding issue and also suggests a possible way forward that could be represented by a very ambitious charity project of unprecedented scale to be sponsored by the leading gaming companies to show that even the “bad guys” are able and willing do very good things.

Interview Quirino Mancini at Manx Radio:

Industry Must Improve Gambling’s Image Problem, Warn Experts

By Daniel Mcadam

Industry chiefs need to tackle the poor image of gambling that has taken hold in many European countries or end up being squeezed even more by politicians and pressure groups, according to industry experts.

WHO’s WHO LEGAL 2014: Wulf Hambach chosen as Leading Lawyer and identified as ‘True Leader’

Dr. Wulf Hambach has this year been chosen once again as one of a select group of Leading Lawyers who stand out for their expertise on a global level. He was already ranked in 2013 as the “Most Highly Regarded Individual in the Gaming & Gambling section” in THE INTERNATIONAL WHO’s WHO of SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT LAWYERS.

Quote:

“At Hambach & Hambach, co-founding and managing partner Wulf Hambach heads the regulatory and licensing practise and is a ‘true leader’ on gaming and betting matters in the German market.”

Future iGaming Conference

Host: WBR

Date: 2 – 4 December 2014

Location: London, UK

http://igaming.wbresearch.com/