Classic titles vs new slots is the debate that many online casino operators conflict with when it comes to constructing their game portfolios.

However, newer slots can bring complexities that make it difficult for a customer to grasp. This can be a make-or-break moment for operators retaining players in an age where engagement is vital.

‘Bringing simplicity to the next generation of slots’ was the first panel discussion of SBC’s Digital Innovation – Casino Day on April 17, which discussed this topic and the argument of simplicity vs complexity in the slots landscape.

Moderated by SlotBeats’ Danny Lee, the panel featured Laura Petrauska, Head of Casino at Bet99; Steve Degiorgio, Director of Gaming Revenue at Enlabs; Matthew Curtis, Head of Responsible Gaming at L&L Europe; Mike Cini, Owner of ELA Games; and Hans Erland Ringsvold, Head of Gaming Operations at Norsk Tipping.

Simple vs complex

When Lee proposed the question of player preferences to the panel between simple and comple..

Independent testing laboratory eCOGRA has been officially authorised by the Secretaria De Prêmios e Apostas to provide its igaming testing, inspection and certification services in the country of Brazil.

With the authorisation, eCOGRA can now operate as a certifying entity for betting systems, live gaming studios and online games in the Brazilian market, expanding its igaming services in regulated markets globally.

As such, operators and developers in the country can now use eCOGRA’s services to make sure they are compliant with the country’s laws and regulations.

“We are thrilled to bring over two decades of expertise in online gambling certification to the vibrant market of Brazil,” commented Bradley Khoury, Chief Technical Officer of eCOGRA.

“This approval from the Secretaria De Prêmios e Apostas of the Brazilian Ministry of Finance is not only a testament to our unwavering commitment to the highest standards of competence and quality but also marks an exciting new chapter for ..

Laura Balla, Head of Research at the UK Gambling Commission, has stated that the Gambling Survey for Great Britain will assist in “filling evidence gaps around the impacts of gambling” and provide a better evidence base to help “make gambling safer for all”.

Balla’s comments follow the UKGC’s first GSGB dataset publication earlier this year, in addition to the release of the commission’s Corporate Strategy 2024 to 2027, which was published last week.

The UKGC’s Head of Research emphasized that the new questions on the GSGB were introduced to help the commission meet one of its key objectives of protecting children and vulnerable people from gambling-related harm through effective and enforced regulatory requirements.

Previously, screening instruments such as the Problem Gambling Severity Index were used as a way to determine the evidence base on the impacts of gambling, but Balla explained that “discourse in recent years has expanded to recognise the wider harms that can be caused ..

Denmark’s Spillemyndigheden has revealed the latest data from the country’s self-exclusion register, ROFUS, as 50,000 players are currently engaged with the safer gambling tool.

Forming part of the country’s safer gambling strategy, the initiative has grown significantly since its formation in 2012.

It has also been integral to a host of regulations that have been brought in to bolster the region’s overall approach to social responsibility.

At the start of 2020, licensed online gambling providers and land-based casinos became obliged to refer to the scheme across all of their gambling products. This practice also became a requirement for land-based betting in 2023.

When signing up for ROFUS, players are presented with multiple choices on the duration of the self-exclusion period. This varies between 24 hours, one, three or six months. Of these, the most preferred option seems to be six months, with 17 per cent of players going for that compared to the 12 per cent who choose three..

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission in Australia has issued a A$50,000 fine to BlueBet for gambling advertising breaches.

The VGCCC found BlueBet guilty of 43 charges of displaying gambling advertising on or above a public road, which is an offence under the Gambling Regulation Act 2003. 

The commission conducted an investigation into the operator following a complaint from a member of the public. BlueBet was charged in August 2023.

During a two-week period in August and September 2022, BlueBet’s gambling advertising was present on digital billboards in five different locations:

Princes Freeway on the Point Cook Road Overpass (Laverton)   

Princes Freeway on the Princes Highway Overpass (Point Cook)   

Western Freeway Melton – Werribee Road (Rockbank)   

Western Freeway before Ballarat Road Overpass (Ravenhall)   

Princes Freeway on Sneydes Road Overpass (Werribee)

The VGCCC stated that Magistrate Greg Thomas “found it difficult to accept BlueBet’s defen..