SPGA addresses ‘catastrophic’ New York sweepstakes bill amendments
Organisation responds to Bill S5935 with calls for more regulations.
Key points:
– The Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA) has responded to the recent amendment to New York Senate Bill S5935, which addresses the definition of a “dual-currency system.”
– The SPGA points out how the amendment adds ambiguity, potentially impacting mobile game operators, marketing platforms and loyalty systems
The Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA) has responded to a recent amendment to New York Senate Bill S5935, which aims to ban online sweepstakes promotions. The amendment shifts the responsibility for defining what constitutes a “dual-currency system” from the legislation itself to the New York State Gaming Commission.
By delegating the definition of a “dual-currency system” to the Gaming Commission, the amendment introduces further uncertainty, according to the SPGA. This move could impact mobile game operators, marketing platforms and loyalty systems, potentially causing ambiguity.
The SPGA has claimed the approach taken by New York lawmakers does not involve sufficient consultation with industry stakeholders and legal experts. The association proposes that the bill could affect innovation and limit the types of games available to consumers in New York.
Good to know: The SPGA remains open to working with lawmakers to develop regulations that protect consumers without unnecessarily restricting digital entertainment
An SPGA spokesperson stated: “This amendment is a clear acknowledgment that this anti-business bill needlessly threatens New York’s economy. But this amendment doesn’t fix anything. It’s a political patch meant to quiet critics without solving the underlying problem.
“Lawmakers wouldn’t be amending the bill if it didn’t need amending. New York legislators are publicly admitting the bill was flawed, and other states like Louisiana should take note before making the same mistake.
“This was already bad legislation. Lawmakers have taken a mess and made it into a catastrophe.”
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