YouTube toughens ‘unapproved’ gambling promotion restrictions

YouTube has toughened its guidelines on content related to gambling, prohibiting the promotion of “unapproved” websites.

Announced on Tuesday (4 March), the increased restrictions come as part of a wider crackdown from YouTube, with creators no longer being allowed to direct users to unapproved gambling websites through links, images, text, logos or verbal references.

The tighter restrictions could be set to a myriad of marketing approaches, from streamers to podcasts, which have previously been sponsored by operators.

According to YouTube, unapproved gambling sites refer to those that don’t meet local requirements and haven’t been reviewed by YouTube or parent company Google.

First reported by CNN, YouTube spokesperson Boot Bullwinkle also confirmed that the video-sharing site will also “begin age-restricting content that promotes online casinos”.

This means that users under 18 or those not logged in to the site will no longer be able to view content that depicts or promotes ..

Read more

Thailand completes major U-turn on domestic exclusions

A dramatic U-turn in Thailand has seen officials backtrack on a move that would have essentially excluded the vast majority of Thai citizens from its proposed land-based casinos.

It had previously been touted that Thai officials would implement a rule that meant that Thai citizens would need at least $1.5m in assets to access casinos in the country.

However, underlining the country’s major plans to build a significant gaming ecosystem, these plans have been paused as they would exclude too many local players from the casinos.

Significant amendments to the bill will see a three-year tax history being enough to ensure that Thai nationals can enter the premises and gamble.

Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat told reporters that the previously touted criteria for entry to casinos would fail to solve issues of illegal gambling, as he underlined that there were just 10,000 deposit accounts in the country with more than 50m baht, which would mean a large number of players would ..

Read more

Dan Waugh fearful of “openly prohibitionist” OHID

Regulus Partners’ Dan Waugh has expressed significant concerns over the mandate and funding of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparity (OHID), which he described as a prohibitionist department.

At the time of the OHID appointment, Waugh raised concerns over the intent of the department – suggesting that they had touted developing ‘tobacco-style’ plain packaging for gambling, including no colours, images or logos on any gambling products.

Speaking to iGaming Expert at the Deal Me Out conference, he stated: “That’s a clear statement of prohibitionist intent. So we should be very worried that they have been given a mandate and pot of money to go out and pursue this.”

Waugh was also scathing of OHID’s previous research into gambling, describing the department as having “low standards of quality and arguably low ethics in producing statistics on serious matters like suicide, with no real care or attention to what people might think is accurate”.

He did state that the ability t..

Read more

Is the Philippines set to further tighten gambling framework? 

The Philippines Central Bank could be set to intensify its framework around gambling activity through proposed changes to the nation’s digital marketplace.

At the heart of the regulation is providing banks and Electronic Money Issuer license holders with enhanced authority over digital marketplaces, which includes the gambling industry.

The proposal states: “The activities in a digital marketplace operated by a bank or EMI shall be limited to the offering of its own products and services and/or presentation or display of the products and services of PSPs.”

Specifically, the bill stated that products and services that are associated with gambling activities will be prohibited.

Furthermore, it identified these as potentially “undermining the reputation of the marketplace participants and the financial system”.

Off the back of a period of significant regulatory change in its gambling industry that saw the government take the landmark step to outlaw POGOs, the Philippines was remov..

Read more

More offshore casinos put on blast by Michigan regulator

Michigan regulators have continued their push to eradicate offshore casinos from the state, sending cease and desist letters to a further five operators.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has given BetWhale Casino, Coins Game Casino, and Love 2 Play, all based in Curaçao, Black Lotus Casino (Belize), and Orion Stars 777 Players (China) 14 days to leave the state.

The regulator asserts that all five are breaking multiple state laws, including the Lawful Internet Gaming Act, the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act and the Michigan Penal Code.

Collectively, the websites offer a variety of casino games, as well as sports betting.

“These illegal platforms not only violate Michigan’s gaming regulations but also put consumers at risk by offering unreliable withdrawal options and lacking essential consumer protections,” stated MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams.

Michigan takes hard line on offshore casinos

In his statement, Williams added that the regulator’s top priority..

Read more

BetMGM bolstering GameSense service for Problem Gambling Awareness Month

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM) in the U.S. and BetMGM is boosting the responsible gaming messaging they offer via the GameSense program.

Developed by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and first licensed to MGM Resorts in 2017, the GameSense program offers a range of responsible gambling resources and player supports for gamblers in person and online.

As part of the PGAM expansion, BetMGM will integrate responsible gaming reminders into its online sportsbook and casino as well as its retail sportsbooks. QR codes will allow users easy access to resources.

GameSense Advisors are present at BetMGM Sportsbooks and MGM Rewards desks for player support.

GameSense is used by a range of gaming operators and stakeholders including several Canadian provinces and the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

MGM extends Kindbridge program
The GameSense augmentation isn’t the only step MGM Resorts International is taking for PGAM.

BetMGM is expanding its Kindbridge Beha..

Read more

IWD2025: DraftKings’ Chief RG Officer Lori Kalani

On the eve of International Women’s Day, DraftKings Chief Responsible Gaming Officer Lori Kalani speaks to Player Protection Hub about the company’s new $10m responsible gambling advertising campaign and much more DraftKings Chief Responsible Gaming Officer Lori Kalani is about to celebrate her first year at DraftKings and what better way to do it than…

Read more

KSA takes aim at banned autoplay features

An unnamed operator offering autoplay has been approached by the Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).The operator has been asked to take down the offering with immediate effect, as the feature is currently not allowed under the Netherlands’ gambling framework. Automatic play enables customers to continue wagering after each placed bet without the need to manually bet again.…

Read more

GambleAware elects ‘equality expert’ Andy Boucher as Chair of Trustees

GambleAware has elected Andy Boucher to serve as Chair of Trustees of the UK’s biggest independent charity preventing and researching gambling harms. Boucher has served as a trustee of GambleAware since 2023, advising the charity on how to expand its network of stakeholders across local communities, businesses, and government ranks. The appointment comes following incumbent Professor Sian Griffiths…

Read more

Tribes enlist idPair for national self-exclusion program

The Tribal Council for Responsible Gaming and other tribal gaming leaders are launching an all-in-one solution for players to self-exclude across the U.S. Starting in Wisconsin before expanding to other states, the new Tribal-Wide Self-Exclusion Program was founded by the Council and will allow players to voluntarily shut themselves off from all participating tribal casinos in sovereign nations and territories. The platform…

Read more