UK Gambling Harms Research Centre to assess efficacy of regulations 

Gambling Commission admits faults but backs credibility of Young People and Gambling Survey

France adds new obligations to sign off gambling ad campaigns 

YouTube announces content ban promoting ‘unapproved’ gambling sites

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YouTube announced on Tuesday that it will no longer permit content that directs users to “unapproved” gambling websites.

In an update posted on March 4, the platform’s team said that as part of an ongoing effort to protect viewers from potentially harmful content, it is strengthening its existing policies related to online gambling content.

YouTube defines unapproved gambling sites as platforms that don’t meet local legal requirements and haven’t been reviewed by YouTube or its parent company Google.

Effective March 19, YouTube will no longer allow non-Google-certified URLs, embedded links, visual displays including logos or verbal references.

“We know this update may impact creators who focus on online gambling content like casino games and applications, but we believe these changes are a necessary step in protecting our community, especially younger viewers,” read the statement.

YouTube spokesperson Boot Bullwinkle added to CNN that it will also begin age-restricting content t..

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Romania faces call to apply 10% gambling expense cap

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Ministers in Romania have been urged to back new regulations that will impose a limit on gambling expenditure to 10% of a player’s monthly income.

The proposal headlines a package of draft measures proposed by the Save Romania Union (USR), which deems that “new accountability is needed to govern gambling” due to the damaging fallout of the National Office for Gambling of Romania (ONJN).

USR will submit a bill to Parliament, demanding new oversight of gambling licences, to be monitored by the National Bank and the Tax Authority (ANAF).

The new regulations propose capping gambling expenditure for both online and retail accounts at 10% of a customer’s monthly income. It remains unknown whether USR seeks to impose this restriction as a permanent or temporary measure, as ONJN is facing a parliamentary investigation due to “severe regulatory negligence.”

This protection will require Romanian licence holders to report real-time customer spending data to ANAF for retail expenditures and to..

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UKGC seeks public guidance to define deposit limits

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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has launched consultations on the new deposit limits following an announcement made last month..

Part of the Gambling Review White Paper, the requirements for license holders to ensure customers are setting deposit limits on their online spending were added by the UKGC to the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP).

The changes – due to come into effect from 31 October – aim to give more control back to the consumers about how they manage their gambling spend when wagering with an online operator, setting and maintaining deposit limits on their own accord.

In order to facilitate that, the UKGC has instructed all online gambling providers to prepare for the deadline by developing their own procedures, which will require new customers to set a deposit limit before making the first payment into their account.

Existing customers will also have the option to limit their spend, with the new operator controls allowing for an easier review and m..

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IBIA adds Hard Rock Digital to network of operator partners

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The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) is bolstering its membership.

Hard Rock Digital has joined the IBIA allowing the company to provide integrity data from its Hard Rock Bet operations. Hard Rock Digital has joined the IBIA’s network of more than 70 companies and 140 sports betting brands that leverage the association’s services to ensure safe and fair play.

“IBIA is delighted to welcome Hard Rock Digital to our association of leading global sports betting operators,” said IBIA CEO Khalid Ali. “Hard Rock is a major U.S. company and is another great addition to our rapidly expanding membership base, further strengthening our integrity monitoring coverage across the North American region and globally.”

Each year, the IBIA monitors more than $300 billion in handle by its operator partners. Its partners include bet365, DraftKings, Kambi, Kindred, Flutter, Fanatics and Oddin.gg.

Bally’s also recently joined the IBIA as it attempts to grow its sports betting operations..

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Tribal gaming launching shared self-exclusion program

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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 will be powered by idPair, whose self-exclusion software is designed to comply with local regulations, protect tribal sovereignty and effectively serve the needs of communities.

“This initiative reflects our unwavering commitment to the health of our people and communities,” saidIvory Kelly, CEO of the Tribal Council for Responsible Gaming. “By tribes coming together to offer a streamlined process for self-exclusion with a technology partner that shares our values, we help people in our communities who are looking to take a break or stop gambling do so for the am..

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Caesars to keep close eye on betting with IC360’s ProhiBet

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Caesars has become the latest online sportsbook to turn to Integrity Compliance 360’s (IC360) tools to monitor betting activity on its platform.

Caesars Sportsbook will integrate IC360’s ProhiBet solution, which will provide the company with enhanced real-time alerts to help ensure the platform maintains integrity and detects unusual or suspicious wagering behavior.

IC360’s encrypted and decentralized platform will assist Caesars in staying fully compliant with changing industry standards while also ensuring a safe and fair marketplace for all users. ProhiBet allows sportsbooks and sports properties to monitor for prohibited bettors and suspected fraud in real time.

“Our partnership with Caesars Sportsbook represents a significant milestone in enhancing the integrity and transparency of the regulated sports betting industry,” said Matt Heap, managing director of ProhiBet. “With our advanced technology, we’re ensuring that Caesars stays ahead of regulatory requirements and provides a..

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Slotegrator offers operator insights with 10 Myths About Online Gambling e-book

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Online casino aggregator Slotegrator is aiming to inform its partners on the current state of the iGaming industry by launching a free e-book – 10 Myths About Online Gambling.

Looking to provide a wealth of knowledge to new and aspiring online casino and sports betting companies, the e-book offers research into 10 common misconceptions about the online gambling industry and sheds light on these issues.

The online casino aggregator brand also offers products and solutions that relate to these issues, promoting services such as its Telegram Casino solution and APIgrator game integration tool.

Yana Khaidukova, the Managing Director of Slotegrator, commented: “We have experience in responding to various gambling operators’ requests in different regions and niches, and we know what ideas normally end in failure. Our mission is to minimize mistakes and help businesses to prevent crises.

“That’s why we developed our solutions for online casinos and sportsbooks, and that’s also the rea..

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BetBlocker launches US gambling support division

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BetBlocker, a UK-registered gambling support charity, has launched BetBlocker US Inc, a US division of its gambling-blocking software services.

The charity will help US residents manage their gambling habits responsibly by providing users with anonymous gambling-blocking software on a free-to-use app, with support available in English and Spanish, while Chinese language support is in development and will be launching soon. The app is also available in 17 other languages.

“BetBlocker’s pioneering free support has been minimising harm for tens of thousands of people all over the world for close to a decade now,” commented Duncan Garvie, Founder and Trustee of BetBlocker.

“By establishing the US arm of the charity, it is our hope that we can raise the profile of the service in North America and support tens of thousands more people in the coming years.

“It is my strong belief that pay walls between users and support for gambling harm create a barrier that ensures that the most vulnera..

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Landmark decision in Malta courts as Bill 55 debate escalates 

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The Maltese court has ruled in two separate cases that Austrian courts do not have the power to dictate whether gaming operators in Malta compensate Austrian players.

The cases centre around two gamblers, who both lost significant amounts with a Maltese operator.

Between 2017 and 2019, Gerhard Posch €40,500 with TSG Interactive Gaming Europe, which he later tried to recoup when he pursued a requisition order against the company.

Philipp Wahl also looked to secure a case against European Lotto and Betting, after he lost €38,000 over an 11-day span.

The Austrian framework currently deems any overseas operator as being illegal in the country.

The decision marks a shift in the legal trajectory of the case, with it previously being found in the favour of players by Austrian courts. However, the Maltese court has reached a different conclusion.

Although courts in Austria both sided with the players, these were rejected by the courts in Malta, as both operators underlined the free..

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Hague Court backs Dutch regulator over operator’s alleged links to murder suspect 

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The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling authority, was entitled to reject a licence application from a Maltese operator after learning that one of its former shareholders was suspected of being involved in a high-profile murder, a court in the Hague has ruled.

The unnamed operator had originally applied for a licence to enter the Dutch market in 2023, only for the KSA to rule that the company fell short when it came to the country’s integrity test. The operator reacted by taking the regulator to court in a bid to overturn the decision, but a judge has now ruled in favour of the KSA.

Key to the shortcomings in the operator’s application was the lack of information supplied about a specific former shareholder in the company.

The regulator came to the conclusion that there was insufficient information in the company’s statements and that it had also made false reports, which caused it to reject the application. The Court found that the basis for reaching that decision was ju..

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