Puerto Rico Gaming Commission grants 9 new sports betting licenses
The Puerto Rico Gaming Commission granted regular sports betting licenses to nine companies, which will expand the industry on the island with “current information and guarantees of the integrity of the bets,” Commission Executive Director Jaime Rivera- Emmanuelli said.
He added that the commission accepted the recommendation of the Sports Betting Bureau to authorize two licenses for sports betting operators. The remaining licenses correspond to service providers that serve the operating companies.
One of the newcomers is the International Betting Integrity Association, a company that offers an anti-corruption monitoring tool designed to identify and report suspicious bets in authorized markets. The tool uses specific consumer data to detect potential instances of corruption.
Two other companies were licensed as betting service providers, ASF LTD and Sports Content Co., which specialize in data collection. Both gather statistical information from gaming leagues for licensed betting markets.
For now, sports betting is done in person, at the island’s casinos. The process of evaluating and authorizing the online betting operation is “very advanced,” Rivera-Emmanuelli said.
“Once certain final details are clarified, the door to online betting will officially open, from anywhere, using mobile devices such as smartphones and computers,” he said.
“Puerto Rico will quickly catch up with the states that have legalized sports betting. The island has the appeal of drawing a broad and culturally diverse audience, while having the security, controls and regulations that the United States requires of its jurisdictions,” he said.
The commission granted regular licenses to the Condado Hotel Services Group Inc. & Condado Duo La Concha Casino, (which does business as Casino del Mar) and CHPR Hospitality (which does business as Casino Metro). These began offering in-person betting services since last year with temporary licences. Operator licenses are renewed every year.
BetMGM LLC, which offers services to Casino del Mar, has a betting platform provider license for the in-person mode. The commission granted it a second license, as an internet gambling platform provider, allowing it to make its online gambling application available to the public.
However, for players to bet from electronic devices, the commission must approve the operator’s internal controls, in this case the casino. These controls detail everything involved in the operation, from the duties of the employees to the security and accounting rules, among others.
“The controls explain in detail how the operator will respond if there is a problem. The company has vicarious responsibility over the betting operation, and as such, it must be accountable to the bureau,” said the director of the Betting Bureau, Eric de la Cruz.
The official explained that, once the commission approves these controls, which consist of 18 areas, players will only have to go to the operator’s authorized premises to register and open an account, to then be able to access and use the betting app.
Other companies that received three-year betting service provider licenses are Global Tote US LLC, Kambi Malta Limited and United Tote Co.
