New Casinos in the U.S. vs EU: Key Considerations

With the trend of the global gambling industry growing, the introduction of new casinos in the United States and European Union is also viewed with rather different challenges and opportunities. According to industry experts, complex regulatory regimes, licensing systems, taxation, and customer behavior are the main determinants of the investment and operational strategies in these regions.

State-by-state regulations are very influential in the development of casinos in the United States. Every state has the licensing authority, fee system, and compliance standards, which implies that operators have to adapt their applications and business models to each state. In such states as California and Oklahoma, tribal gaming agreements also contribute to the complexity. Moreover, commercial casinos have to solve the path of federal regulation of anti-money laundering (AML) and responsible gambling regulations that are imposed by agencies like the FinCEN and the National Indian Gaming Commission. Large-scale land-based resorts are also popular in the U.S. market, yet online gambling and sports betting have also been hastened since the Supreme Court has abolished the federal sports betting ban in 2018.

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In its turn, the EU offers a more discontinuous regulatory environment, yet with general standards shaped by the European Commission. Other nations including Malta, Netherlands, Sweden and Spain have developed clear licensing systems that are attractive to online casinos. An example of this is Malta which offers a well-known license under the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) enabling entry into several EU markets. Nevertheless, the individual countries retain the power to control taxation rates, advertising limits and player protection systems thus the operators are forced to adjust their regulations country by country.

Another important criterion is taxation. The tax rates in a casino can be below 10 percent in U.S in states such as Nevada to 50 percent or above in states such as Pennsylvania. Richer countries such as Denmark and Italy in the EU charge higher gaming duties based on gross revenue, whereas other countries are offering lower gaming duties to entice the use of iGaming business.

Finally, although both markets present viable opportunities, the new casinos have had to work through unique regulations, cultural requirements, and economic needs that will see them emerge successful in either market.

Courtesy: https://www.covers.com, https://www.casino.org, https://pechanga.net

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