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 

Kansspelautoriteit improves player protection with Cruks API upgrade

CasinoBeats0286 views

Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gaming authority, has improved the controls of its Cruks API service with an update that allows exceptions in personal data to be processed better.

The Netherlands’ gambling market regulator stated that ID documentation problems that have sometimes occurred previously when players register to the self-exclusion service, such as missing first or last names or an ‘invalid’ birth date when the exact date of birth is unknown, have now been resolved thanks to the API.

Dutch gambling operators must check for a customer’s registration on Cruks to make sure that players who have signed up for the self-exclusion service can’t gamble. The KSA noted that there are currently around 75,000 registrations with the service.

However, in exceptional cases previously when players registered with Cruks with missing ID information, it can result in problems when gambling providers check for their names.

The KSA added that the API update to Cruks has resolved these problems..

Read more

Gambling reforms not on the agenda in Northern Ireland 

CasinoBeats0281 views

The Assembly of Northern Ireland will not review any changes to gambling laws, despite bipartisan calls for immediate action.

Following Thursday’s General Election, a new Assembly was formed in Northern Ireland, with Sinn Féin serving as Stormont’s largest party in Westminster.

Despite Sinn Féin taking no seats at the House of Commons, the election has brought a more diversified representation to Westminster. The new assembly includes six parties and one independent, representing the 18 constituencies of the devolved nation.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons told Members of the Legislative Assembly: “Having reflected on the issues, I have concluded that it would be impossible for a Bill of the magnitude and complexity required to be drafted and to have made its way through all Assembly scrutiny and legislative processes within the current mandate.

“For that reason, I have decided not to proceed with a Gambling Bill in this mandate.”

In 2019, Stormont began consulting on overhauli..

Read more

GambleAware elects Prof Sian Griffiths as new Chair of Trustees

SBC News0261 views

GambleAware has appointed Professor Sian Griffiths (CBE) as the new Chair of Trustees for its gambling harms prevention programmes in the UK.

Griffiths takes over from Baroness Kate Lampard (CBE), who is leading a government inquiry into the death of mental health inpatients in Essex.

Griffiths has been Deputy Chair of Trustees at GambleAware and Chair of the charity’s Performance and Delivery Committee since 2018.

As one of the UK’s leading physicians, Griffiths was President of the UK Faculty of Public Health (2001-2005). With a distinguished career in public health policy and network management, Griffiths has served as a Director of Public Health England and Chair of the Public Health England Global Health Committee.

“I am delighted to accept this appointment and continue ensuring gambling harms are seen as a serious public health issue,” Griffiths said.

“Due to the stigma surrounding gambling harm, it can be hard for people to seek help. We need a public health approach that r..

Read more

NI Assembly has no agenda for gambling reforms

SBC News0269 views

The Assembly of Northern Ireland is unlikely to review any changes to gambling laws, despite bipartisan calls demanding an immediate intervention.

Following Thursday’s General Election, Northern Ireland sees a new Assembly take form in which Sinn Féin will serve as Stormont’s largest party in Westminster.

The election sees a more diversified representation of Northern Ireland at Westminster, despite Sinn Féin taking no seats at the House of Commons. A new assembly is made up of six parties (and one independent) representing the 18 constituencies of the devolved nation.

In 2019, Stormont began its consultation to overhaul gambling laws of the ‘1985 Order on Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements’ – which carried no provisions for online gambling.

Despite the recognition that NI gambling laws were outdated, Stormont saw no progress on the launch of a new gambling regime or amending existing laws to improve protections.

Yesterday, the Department for Communities (DfC) responded to ..

Read more

RG website launched by Vermont health department

SBC Americas0274 views

The Vermont Department of Mental Health is taking steps to combat problem gambling.

The department went live with its responsible gambling website on Tuesday providing residents with resources to prevent and treat sports betting and other gambling addictions. The website aims to serve the estimated 11,600 Vermonters with a gambling disorder.

“We needed more, we obviously had lottery and scratch-offs which there are people that become addicted to those as well,” said Dept. of Mental Health Medical Director Dr. Kelley Klein. “But we knew that when online sports betting went live we would have a rise in individuals that were at least at risk for problem gambling or gambling addiction.”

The new website provides Vermonters with 24-hour access to a live chat and toll-free helpline while also providing access to community-based resources such as Gamblers Anonymous. The website also offers the ability to add yourself to a gambling self-exclusion list. Vermonters can put themselves on the li..

Read more

Entain hails ‘significant decrease’ in high-risk players as ARC interactions grow 98%

CasinoBeats0329 views

Entain has published its 2023-2024 ESG report, outlining its approach to and performance against its sustainability and ESG agenda and key metrics.

Reflecting on the progress made, Virginia McDowell, Chair of the Sustainability and Compliance Committee at Entain, stated that the company was “proud” of the progress that has been made in what has been a “pivotal year” for its ESG strategy.

2023-2024 ESG report

The FTSE 100 company has split its 2023-2024 environmental, social and governance report into four sections: be a leader in player protection, provide a secure and trusted platform, create the environment for everyone to do their best work, and positively impact our communities.

McDowell commented: “2023 was a pivotal year at Entain as we unveiled our new Sustainability Strategy, building on our longstanding commitment to sustainability and taking it to the next level. We also made important progress in our strategic sustainability initiatives.

“As we reflect on 2023, we are p..

Read more

Italy: ADM submits new gambling concessions framework for final procedures.

SBC News0345 views

Italy sees progress on the ‘reorganisation of gambling’, as ADM, the Customs and Monopolies Agency, enters the final legislative procedures to launch a new framework for online gambling concessions.

On Friday, ADM filed the documentation of its new framework for online gambling concessions with the Treasury, which, alongside the Council of State, will provide a ‘binding opinion’ on ADM’s proposals.

Following its final determination, the framework will be merged as a regulatory measure of the ‘Reorganisation of Gambling’ decree to overhaul Italy’s online and land-based gambling laws.

Prior to its adoption, technical rules of the framework will be submitted by the Ministry of Made in Italy (formerly the Ministry of Enterprise) to the European Commission for its competitive evaluation. The final procedure is expected to require a three-month ‘stand still period’ before adoption in Italy.

Sanctioned by the Ministry of the Economy and Finance (MEF), Italy’s new licensing framework will ..

Read more

Evolution facing Georgian strike action over ‘unsanitary workplace conditions’

CasinoBeats0342 views

Evolution is facing strike action in Georgia as around 5,000 employees plan to strike over issues with working conditions, labour rights and salaries at its live casino studio in Tbilisi.

According to Georgian media, “at least 5,000” employees at Evolution Georgia are reportedly preparing to go on strike on July 12, demanding improved working conditions at the Tbilisi live gaming location.

The tier one supplier has been accused of operating with “unsafe and unsanitary workplace conditions, harassment by managers, and meagre pay” for its Georgian employees.

Mautskebeli, a Georgian trade union news source, shed light on the accusations with published screenshots and communications of Evolution management involved in various issues, including “sexist, racist, and discriminatory remarks against employees.”

Furthermore, these screenshots were accompanied by footage detailing the poor working and sanitary conditions of janitors at the company.

In response to the proposed strike action..

Read more

CFL commissioner says national betting ad plan ‘not necessary’

CanadianGamingBusiness0306 views

As the issue of advertising continues to feature heavily in the conversation around sports betting, Canadian Football League (CFL) Commissioner Randy Ambrosie leader has dismissed the idea that a national framework would be helpful.

Bill S-269, the National Framework on Advertising for Sports Betting Act, was heard last month at two Standing Committee on Transport and Communications sessions. While it draws the line at advocating for a blanket ban, it proposes that a national framework for sports betting advertising be developed and implemented across the country, including limiting the frequency of gambling adverts.

However, Ambrosie doesn’t agree that’s the way forward.

“While Bill S-269 may be well-intentioned, we do not agree a national framework is required to regulate the advertising of sports betting in Canada,” Ambrosie wrote in a letter to the committee.

Ambrosie noted that the CFL regulates betting ads on league-controlled channels, “such as broadcast-visible signage on t..

Read more

Dutch addiction study warns of fast rise in problem gambling

SBC News0312 views

Dutch market analyst LADIS has released a new report warning that the number of problem gamblers in the Netherlands is on the rise.

The study summarises the different levels of problematic consumer behaviour, covering the rate of abuse of various substances, as well as excessive gambling, over the period between 2018 and 2023.

Categorising the harm levels based on cause and percentage across the population, LADIS found that gambling holds fifth place in terms of problem behaviour, gripping 3.8% of Dutch citizens.

First is alcohol with 44.9%, followed by cannabis (15.3%), cocaine (12.3%), and opiate abuse (11.8%).

Still, in 2023 problem gambling had by far the biggest growth rate YoY compared to all other categories, jumping by 24.2% when matched against the numbers from 2022.

“This increase is also visible among the institutions that supplied data throughout the period,” LADIS commented.

The second specified category of abuse was medicine with 11.9%, while the percentage und..

Read more