ANJ launches prevention campaign in prep for Euro 2024

The National Gaming Authority of France (ANJ) has reported that of over €4bn in online bets committed in 2023, football remains the sport with the highest number of bets in the country.

Meanwhile, Euro 2020 generated €700m in stakes (online and at points of sale), whereas the 2022 World Cup recorded €900m in stakes.

The authority stated: “Given the evolution of the sports betting market and the stakes recorded during the last competitions, a stake amount approaching €1bn could be reached. The course of the French team will nevertheless be decisive in the amount of stakes.”

A total 64% of sports bettors are between 18 and 34 years old, and there were more than 4 million active accounts in 2023 with an average annual stake of €1,982 per account.

Therefore, in its 2024/2026 strategic plan, the ANJ has set as a priority objective a drastic reduction in the share of excessive gamblers within three years.

Just before the Euros, the body is launching a prevention campaign, designed by ..

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SOFTSWISS launches tree-planting campaigns for World Environment Day

SOFTSWISS played its part in World Environment Day by launching a series of initiatives to encourage environmental sustainability around its offices in Georgia and Poland.

To celebrate the day dedicated to the environment, which took place on Wednesday June 5, several SOFTSWISS employees took part in local greening projects to enhance their cities’ ecological health.

Andrey Starovoitov, Co-CEO at SOFTSWISS, commented: “By participating in World Environment Day, we aim to draw attention to the critical importance of our planet’s health and inspire collective action among our employees and the wider community.

“Such initiatives are essential in promoting sustainability and fostering a culture of environmental consciousness within the igaming community.”

The igaming provider’s initiatives took place in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital city, and Warsaw, Poland’s capital, with support from local authorities to ensure the campaigns aligned with existing local environmental efforts.

In Tbil..

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Victoria regulator launches inquiry into bingo regulations in Australia

Bingo is set to undertake a regulatory overhaul in Victoria after the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission opened up industry consultations to address issues within the sector.

Hoping to ensure that bingo remains social, safe and fair, the VGCCC has launched a wide-ranging inquiry to industry stakeholders and the general public to deepen its understanding of challenges within bingo as the game format becomes increasingly digitised.

“In recent years, the commercial bingo landscape has modernised, transitioning from traditional paper-based gameplay to electronic enhancements with substantial jackpots,” said Commission Chair, Fran Thorn.

“Given this evolution, it is crucial for us to assess and address issues of fairness, integrity and the potential for gambling harm, particularly among at-risk groups such as seniors, First Nations communities, women and lower-income individuals.”

The commission noted that bingo produced around A$107m in gaming revenue across 2023, sig..

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NCPG’s Keith Whyte offers his thoughts on the GRIT Act

Keith Whyte is a good guy. As the Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, you would hope so. He is a straight talker, a moderate and he is collaborative. He is a great supporter of the gambling industry. But to some extent, he is also a frustrated figure. He is not shy of voicing concerns or issues that many in the gambling industry would rather ignore.

Part of Whyte’s job is to raise funds for problem gambling research, education and treatment. It is a fight he has been waging for over 20 years and just when he felt like he had found an answer, the industry has fought back.

In January, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and US Rep. Andrea Salinas introduced the Gambling Addiction Recovery, Investment, and Treatment Act (GRIT), which proposes to take half of the funds generated by the federal excise tax on sports betting and apply it to problem gambling funding and research.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) has been staunch in its opposition to the act. Whyte beli..

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Guest comment: Advertising overload leads to US backlash 

The Game Safety Institute co-founders Simo Dragicevic and Sarah Ramanauskas say operators need more than a responsible gambling ad campaign to avoid a regulatory clampdown  With the legalization of online sports betting (OSB) in 38 of 50 US states and the growth of an online gambling market that is expected to reach $40bn by 2028,…

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BGC sees drastic increase in safer gambling tools use during RG Week

The UK Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has observed a spike in the use of safer gambling tools during last year’s Safer Gambling Week.

Analysing the data from the 2023 SG Week and pitting against the year prior, BGC reported noticing a 18% YoY increase in the number of deposit limits set during that seven-day period.

The total number of deposit limits were set by 83,242 unique account holders, which represents a 12.5% increase YoY. The majority of those limits (54%) were set by players who were doing so for the first time.

What’s more, the BGC also reported that the use of maximum stake limits went up by more than 300% YoY, with that number being similar among the amount of players who were actively setting up a reality check that shows on-screen the amount of time being spent gambling.

In terms of SG Week’s promotion on social media channels, the number of impressions generated across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram totalled more than 50 million.

Major social media sites di..

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BGC: Safer Gambling Week continues to be ‘powerful advert’ for RG tools

The Betting and Gaming Council’s CEO and Acting Chair Michael Dugher has highlighted that Safer Gambling Week continues to be a “powerful advert” for player awareness of safer gambling tools.

According to the BGC, figures from Safer Gambling Week 2023 – which ran from November 13 to 19 – showed yearly growth in the number of players setting deposit limits, reality checks, maximum stake limits and increased awareness of the campaign across social media.

The number of deposit limits set during Safer Gambling Week rose by 18 per cent in comparison to the same month in 2022, while 54 per cent of players setting deposit limits did so for the first time.

There was also a 300 per cent increase for the second year in a row in the number of players actively setting a reality check, while the use of maximum stake limits also rose by 300 per cent.

In total, 83,242 unique account holders set deposit limits, which is up by 12.5 per cent in comparison to the previous year.

Across social media ..

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Spelinspektionen discusses unhealthy gambling in an “emotional way”

Sweden’s gambling authority, Spelinspektionen, has launched its “With your future as a bet” campaign for young adults.

Looking to highlight the consequences of gambling for money, the initiative is aimed at people aged between 18 and 25 years old.

Yvonne Hejdenberg, Head of Communications at Spelinspektionen, commented: “Many come into contact with some form of gambling for money via computer games and apps. Through the campaign, we try to talk about the consequences of unhealthy gambling in an emotional way.

“We believe that the campaign will also be able to speak to adults, especially parents or relatives of children in the target group.”

The gambling authority added that the campaign focuses on unhealthy and risky gambling and features language that is “straight and concrete”.

Spelinspektionen has collaborated with the Swedish Public Health Agency and the Swedish Crown Prosecutor on the campaign “to counteract the negative consequences of gambling for money among young people”…

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Spelinspektionen targets young adults with gambling awareness campaign

Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling authority, has launched the “With your future as a bet” campaign for young adults, which will highlight the consequences of gambling for money.

Aimed at people aged between 18 and 25 years old, Spelinspektionen stated that the campaign focuses on unhealthy and risky gambling and features language that is “straight and concrete”.

The gambling authority has collaborated with the Swedish Public Health Agency and the Swedish Crown Prosecutor on the campaign “to counteract the negative consequences of gambling for money among young people”.

To help reach young people, the campaign will be visible on digital platforms young people use. There is also a page on Spelinspektionen’s website that offers information to young people about gambling and who they can turn to for help.

Yvonne Hejdenberg, Head of Communications at Spelinspektionen, stated: “Many come into contact with some form of gambling for money via computer games and apps. Through the campa..

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KSA takes ‘major step’ with published amended Responsible Gaming Policy

Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gaming authority, believes it has taken a “major step” towards creating a safer online gambling market with the launch of its amended Responsible Gaming Policy.

The updated policy, published in the Netherlands’ Government Gazette, details a range of adjustments and clarifications, including the obligation for real-time monitoring and financial deposit limits. Changes have also been made to advertising rules.

While most of the amended Responsible Gaming Policy has come into effect as of today following publication in the Government Gazette, the remainder of the policy – such as deposit limits – will be enforced from October 1 due to necessary IT adjustments, recruitment of new employees and preparation time required before implementation.

The initial implementation date was set for May 2024, but the authority pushed this timeframe back to June due to the response period extension given to gaming industry stakeholders to comment on the proposed changes in..

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