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 

BGC calls for ‘balanced regulations and stable taxation’ to combat illegal market

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The Betting and Gaming Council is calling for “balanced regulations and stable taxation” to combat the illegal gambling market.

It follows a new report which has estimated that 1.5 million members of the British public wager almost £4.3bn on the illegal market every year.

The report, published by consulting firm Frontier Economics and titled ‘The size and economic costs of black market gambling in Great Britain’, was commissioned by the BGC and is described as the “first major study on the black market since the publication of the previous government’s white paper on gambling reform”.

More than 6,000 people were surveyed for the report to “understand whether and how people are accessing black market gambling”, with the scale of the survey allowing for the examination of “information about awareness, behaviours and perceptions by important player demographics and different types of product”.

To gain the most in-depth results, the survey took a nationally representative panel of the ..

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BGC warns of 1.5m Brits active on black market websites

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The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has warned the government that unregulated black market gambling poses greater risks than perceived by British consumers.

The trade and standards body for UK gambling sounds its caution, following a new study published by microeconomics consultancy Frontier Economics. – titled: “The size and economic costs of black market gambling in Great Britain“

The study commissioned by the BGC is detailed as “the first major study on the black market since the publication of the previous Government’s White Paper on gambling reforms”.

UK gambling is recognised as a highly regulated sector, servicing 14 million adults (excluding the National Lottery) who gamble per month and generating £10.9bn in annual gross gambling yield (GGY).

Licensing duties see consumers protected by safer gambling rules, compliance monitoring, customer care interventions, responsible gambling tools, controls, and financial probity—overseen by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

Andre..

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Regulation outpacing evidence base, according to CGA research

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Regulatory policies around gambling advertising are evolving at a faster rate than the accompanying evidence base, according to new research from the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA). The CGA has teamed up with GP Consulting and Eilers & Krejcik to publish one of the most comprehensive research papers yet produced around gambling advertising and regulatory intervention.…

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ANJ partners with Unaf to provide gambling addiction support

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France’s national gaming authority, Autorité Nationale des Jeux, has agreed to a partnership with Unaf, the National Union of Family Associations.

The collaboration between ANJ and Unaf strengthens their shared goal of preventing excessive gambling and protecting minors. It is also a follow-up on their previous partnerships in 2020 and 2023.

The ANJ’s 2024-2026 strategic plan has a priority objective of reducing excessive gambling and effectively protecting gamblers via training and prevention actions, which aligns with Unaf’s campaign to support families where gambling has affected minors, caused addiction consequences such as financial, as well as impacted family budget and vulnerable populations.

Through the partnership, the focus will be on developing tools for professionals who support vulnerable groups, prioritising budgetary support systems and providing resources to these groups.

They will be structured around different areas of intervention, including:

Studies and the pu..

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Betsson renews GiG Comply partnership with Gentoo Media

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Betsson Group Affiliates has renewed its partnership with Gentoo Media for the fifth consecutive year, allowing the operator to continue to use the supplier’s automated compliance and brand protection tool, GiG Comply.

The partnership will help Betsson manage its regulatory compliance across its brand portfolio. Gentoo Media has stated GiG Comply will provide the operator with the necessary means to stay compliant and meet regulatory requirements when carrying out marketing across different jurisdictions.

“We are pleased to extend our partnership with GiG Comply for a fifth consecutive year,” commented Shakyra Jonsson, Senior Affiliate Operations & Events Manager at Betsson Group Affiliates.

“As a company committed to maintaining the highest standards of regulatory compliance, it is crucial that we continue using tools like GiG Comply to ensure that our affiliate marketing efforts align with the diverse regulations across the markets we operate in.

“This partnership reaffirms our..

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New Saints FC spreads awareness of GAMSTOP’s ‘crucial’ work

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The New Saints FC (TNS) and GAMSTOP have teamed up in support of Self-Exclusion Day on 14 September.

The 16-time JD Cymru Premier champions donated their match-day sponsorship slot to the UK’s national online self-exclusion scheme for their 4-0 JD Cymru Premier victory over Barry Town.

This saw the club promote the initiative across its matchday programme and social media platforms, as the players wore dedicated custom-made GAMSTOP warm-up shirts ahead of the fixture to raise awareness for the vital campaign.

Fiona Palmer, GAMSTOP CEO, commented: “The level of support The New Saints provided for Self-Exclusion Day has been above and beyond.

“Football clubs play a key role in shaping their communities, and it’s fantastic to see TNS take such a proactive stance in supporting individuals who may be struggling with gambling harm. Together, we can ensure that support is available for those who need it.”

Meanwhile, GAMSTOP, in collaboration with Addiction Recovery Agency (ARA), is also..

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Brazil’s banks call for instant ban of credit card use for gambling

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Febraban, Brazil’s Federation of Banks, has urged the government to accelerate the planned ban on using credit cards for betting and gaming activities.

The call is led by Isaac Sidney, President of Febraban, who expressed concerns to the federal government about the growing use of credit cards for betting, warning of the risks of debts being accrued by citizens.

Currently, the government and related agencies are in the licensing phase to launch Brazil’s federal fixed-odds sports betting and online gambling marketplace, commonly referred to as Bets.

Planned to take effect from 1 January 2025, the launch of the Bets market will prohibit credit card transactions for online gambling. The Ministry of Finance announced in April that the new rule also prohibits payments made in cash, bank slips, cheques, cryptocurrencies, or any methods that hide the source of funds.

“We are very concerned about how much this could compromise family income and increase defaults, potentially raising the co..

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ZonMw launches second wave of Dutch gambling harm prevention grants

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Dutch healthcare research agency ZonMw has put out a call to hand out grants for a new study surrounding the prevention of gambling harms.

The study calls for researchers committed to improving care for those suffering from problem gambling harms by increasing the number of treatment options and simplifying the access to relevant services.

Zon, or ZorgOnderzoek Nederland, is an independent government body established by law with the ZON Act from 1998. ZonMw constitutes a working relationship between Zon and one of its main contractors – the Dutch Research Council – which began in 2001.

The latest grant round is the second from ZonMw’s “Prevention of Gambling Addiction” programme, which was launched in 2023 and will run until 2029. The funding comes from the Verslavingspreventiefonds (VPF) – also known as the Addiction Prevention Fund.

Managed by the Dutch gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the VPF was set up with the enforcement of the Remote Gambling Act (KOA Act) ba..

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SPA sets hard deadline of 1 October for unlicensed operators to exit Brazil market

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The Ministry of Finance of Brazil has declared that, from 1 October, it will suspend all businesses that have failed to apply for licence authorisation to participate in the forthcoming Bets market.

This hard deadline forms part of plans to launch the Bets market on 1 January 2025, under the federal framework to regulate and licence fixed-odds betting and online gambling in Brazil.

As announced: “Only companies that are already operating and have requested authorisation by 30 September 2024 may continue to operate until December 2024. By 1 January 2025, only fully compliant companies can continue operations.”

On 20 August, the federal government management office of SIGAP closed the preliminary licence application window for the Bets market, which saw 113 businesses apply for licensing.

The licence applications are currently being reviewed by the Secretariat of Betting and Prizes (SPA), ensuring that businesses meet the technical requirements of the Bets market.

Regis Dudena, Gene..

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Australian government urged to pursue gambling ad ban

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Alliance for Gambling Reform, an Australian gambling harm organisation, has reiterated its demands for a total ban on gambling advertisements following increasing player losses.

The gambling trade body has called on Australian policy makers once again to push for a phase out of gambling advertisements, pointing to 2022/23 national gambling losses of $32bn.

Provided in a recent report from the Queensland Government, these figures show a significant increase on the only available previous loss figures of $25bn from 2018/19.

Martin Thomas, CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, commented: “Australians lose more to gambling than any other nation in the world because we have a grossly inadequate regulatory regime in which the gambling industry has been allowed to operate virtually unchecked causing devastation to individuals, families and communities.

“These latest horrifying loss figures underscore the importance of the Federal Government adopting all 31 recommendations of the Murp..

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