Ygam CEO Dr Jane Rigbye to step down

Gambling harm charity Ygam has announced the imminent departure of its CEO, Dr Jane Rigbye.

Rigbye will step down in June after spending three and a half years in the role, however, she will remain supporting the charity by joining the Ygam board as a trustee.

On her departure, Rigbye commented: “Leading Ygam has been an incredible honour. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved as a team, and I know the charity will continue to go from strength to strength.

“The work we do has never been more important, and I have been continually inspired by the passion and talent of the Ygam team.”

Ygam hailed the work Rigbye has done during her tenure at the charity, highlighting that under her leadership, Ygam has enhanced its profile and reach, as well as increased its impact through the execution of “an ambitious strategy and rebrand”.

Focused on delivering education, Ygam works with schools, colleges and universities, as well as established brands such as the Scouts, Mumsnet, Place..

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Brazil Senators demand full accountability on gambling addiction failures

Ana Maria Menezes – SBC Noticias Brazil
The testimony of former gambling addict André Rolim shocks the CPI of Bets, which will recommend urgent actions to protect vulnerable customers from engaging with gambling.

The Brazil Bets regime’s safeguards to protect vulnerable consumers have been examined in the ongoing Commission Parliamentary Inquiry (CPI) investigating the financial and economic liabilities of Brazil’s growing online gambling marketplace.

A tense testimony was presided over by Senator Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS) ‘CPI of Bets’ leader, as former gambling addict and businessman André Rolim gave a personal account of how online gambling destroyed his life.

Rolim, who claims to have lost millions to digital gambling platforms, described the disorder as “a silent illness” that quietly undermines families, finances, and mental health.

“Winning in gambling is a beautiful dopamine which goes through the roof,” Rolim testified. “But losing? It’s a shame. It’s a disappointmen..

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Alberta establishes regulatory framework for commercial gambling

Alberta has introduced its regulatory framework for regulated and licensed gaming.

Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally has introduced Bill 48, also known as the iGaming Alberta Act, as the foundation for regulated online commercial gambling in the province. The iGaming Alberta Act was crafted at the request of Premier Danielle Smith, who sought a uniform framework for the anticipated arrival of gambling.

The iGaming Alberta Act establishes the new Alberta iGaming Corporation, which would provide oversight of the province’s private-sector market. Under the bill, the Alberta iGaming Corporation would see commercial operators compete with Play Alberta, the sole regulated online gambling platform currently offered by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC).

The iGaming Alberta Act designates AGLC as the regulator of online gambling to ensure market integrity and compliance, according to a government release.

Under the measure, the Alberta iGaming Corpor..

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OpenBet: How safer gambling tools can help US regulations evolve

Dr. Michael Auer, managing director at OpenBet’s Neccton, highlights how a lack of standardized regulations in U.S. betting and gaming could be addressed through a behavior-focused model.

A recent study by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), online searches for gambling addiction advice have risen by 23%. Yet, in stark contrast to European markets, many U.S. jurisdictions lack clear overarching guidelines around player protection, affordability and deposit limits.

Cases of problem gambling reported over the last year suggest the need for better player behavior monitoring in the States and a more proactive approach to spotting early signs of gambling addiction. For example, one case involved a woman filing a lawsuit against a U.S. operator, stating that her husband was able to gamble 440% of his annual salary, an excessive level that clearly isn’t conducive to a sustainable, r..

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Alberta government debuts bill to introduce regulated iGaming

After much anticipation, the Alberta Government has introduced a new bill that seeks to establish the province as Canada’s second regulated iGaming market.

Following in the footsteps of Ontario, lawmakers on Wednesday (26 March) introduced Bill 48, the iGaming Alberta Act, which proposes a framework to authorise and regulate sports betting and iGaming sites.

If passed, the new legislation will see the province create the Alberta iGaming Corporation to set rules for online casinos and safeguard users.

Grey market presence fuelling regulatory efforts

Currently, the only authorised option for players in the province is the government-run Play Alberta, a platform offering sports betting and iGaming overseen by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC).

However, Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, told reporters that “we are seeing unregulated actors creep into our marketplace” that often do not implement appropriate player protection measu..

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Online casino fraud tackled by Interpol in Africa 

There have been a total of 306 arrests in seven African countries with online casinos as they became the focus of cyber attackers and cyber enabled scams.

As a result of the arrests and Operation Red Card, the Authorities also seized 1,842 devices in an international operation targeting cyber crime.

Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate, commented: “The success of Operation Red Card demonstrates the power of international cooperation in combating cybercrime, which knows no borders and can have devastating effects on individuals and communities.

“The recovery of significant assets and devices, as well as the arrest of key suspects, sends a strong message to cybercriminals that their activities will not go unpunished.”

Operation Red Card has an enhanced focus on taking down cross-border criminal networks which cause “significant harm to individuals and businesses”.

Within Nigeria, where there were 130 arrests, online casino and mobile banking were a speci..

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London Mayor accused of backtracking on gambling ban promise

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has felt the wrath of some political voices over “backtracking” on a promise to ban gambling advertisements from the London Tube network.

The pledge formed part of his 2021 re-election manifesto, however, he has yet to fulfill this promise, and Khan has now said that he will wait for the government to “provide a national framework to addressing the issue” before taking action.

This was in response to a written question from Green Party member of the London Assembly, Caroline Russell, who asked the mayor when he will “implement an ethical advertising policy for [Transport for London], rather than wait for Londoner’ complaints and media outcry to remove gambling adverts from the transport network”.

Khan told Russell that he would not move on the issue until he heard more details about the government’s plans in the area of gambling advertisement.

Filling the gaps in the evidence base

In its general election manifesto, Labour said it was “committed to redu..

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Alberta introduces iGaming Alberta Act to regulate online casino and sports betting

Alberta has taken its most decisive step in months towards launching commercial online casino and sports betting by introducing the legislation that outlines how the province would regulate the market.

Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally introduced the anticipated Bill 48 on Wednesday. The iGaming Alberta Act would create the new Alberta iGaming Corporation to oversee the proposed private-sector market, which would see commercial operators compete with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis’ (AGLC) Play Alberta platform.

Nally had been tasked with providing a plan to offer regulated commercial online gambling by Premier Danielle Smith. He already confirmed last year that a new conduct-and-manage entity would be established separately from the AGLC to run the industry.

The iGaming Alberta Act would “designate AGLC as the regulator to ensure market integrity and compliance,” stated a government release. So, the crown corporation would be both Play Alberta’s oper..

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UFC fighters suspended amid illegal gambling probe

The Nevada Athletic Commission is handing suspensions to a pair of UFC athletes.

The regulator of combat sports in the Silver State has suspended UFC fighters Jeff Molina and Darrick Minner following an investigation into an illegal gambling scheme. The illegal gambling scheme drew the attention of the UFC and the Nevada Athletic Commission in November 2022 after monitoring service provider U.S. Integrity flagged suspicious betting activity for a featherweight bout between Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbiek.

Minner failed to disclose a “serious knee injury’ before his bout with Nuerdanbiek on the UFC’s pre-fight medical questionnaire. Molina, with knowledge of Minner’s knee injury, placed a large wager on Minner’s bout, which ended in a first-round finish for Nuerdanbiek.

Molina admitted to the Nevada Athletic Commission that he had placed a large illicit wager.

“On his pre-fight medical questionnaire to the question, ‘Have you had any injuries to your elbows, hands, knees, ankles,..

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