Maryland’s push for online casino legislation fell flat on Monday after it was made apparent that the igaming bill that made its way from the House into the Senate was met without adulation.

The bill, which would have offered up to 30 online casino licences for the Old Line State, faced controversy from its inception and throughout its journey through the house as opponents fought against the motion.

A key issue surrounding the bill stemmed from a flurry of research studies that presented the issue of online casinos potentially cannibalising land-based venues.

One paper from Eilers and Krejcik commissioned by iDEA growth placed the impact on retail bottom lines at around two percent, whereas more damning studies found this figure to be somewhere between eight and 10 per cent, as suggested in research from The Innovation Group.

This led unions to come out in full force against the online casino bill, alongside anti-gambling opponents and retail organisations. The AFL-CIO and UNITE ..

GambleAware is looking to commission an evaluation and learning partner to assess the effectiveness of the National Gambling Support Network.

Within its invitation to tender, GambleAware noted that the partner will play a “key role in generating and disseminating learning throughout the NGSN as well as conducting an integrated review of its clinical, operational and economic effectiveness”.

In addition, the gambling support charity said that the flagship, mixed-methods programme will examine NGSN as a system, providing “valuable insights and assurances to support the future commissioning of the NGSN post-white paper”.

Open to various evaluation questions, strands and methodologies, GambleAware is also encouraging the commissioned partner to provide additional insights, knowledge and creativity.

Previously known as the National Gambling Treatment Service, the NGSN was redesigned in 2022 to meet the growing and changing needs of those at risk of gambling harm, offering a regional fir..

Kansspelautoriteit has extended its contract with Human Assistance Network for Daily Support – Hands 24×7 – for Loket Kansspel, the country’s support centre for gambling problems.

In addition, the Dutch gaming authority has imposed a binding instruction on DigitalOcean, ordering the hosting provider to cease and desist from providing services to affiliate websites that are referring Dutch players to illegal gambling operators.

KSA stated that Hands 24×7 has been supporting Loket Kansspel for several years, with employees helping to provide gambling information, help and guidance 24/7 to those that need it, as well as referring people to support and help and guidance in their local area when necessary.

According to the authority, Loket Kansspel was approached over 6,600 times in 2023 by gamblers or their friends and family who sought help or information via telephone, chat or WhatsApp.

KSA praised Hands 24×7 employees for being “skilled and motivated” with Loket Kansspel, extending ..

The UK Gambling Commission has published its Corporate Strategy 2024 to 2027, explaining the key areas of the British gambling market that the regulator will focus on over the next three years.

The strategy – ‘Gambling regulation in a digital age’ – is part of the UKGC’s commitment to delivering the proposals set out within the UK Government’s White Paper ‘High stakes – Gambling reform for the digital age’.

It also recognises the commission’s understanding of the gambling industry and developments since 2021, including the awarding of the fourth National Lottery licence, as well as experience in regulating including evidence from casework, consumer engagement, research, data and input from stakeholders such as advisory groups.

In particular, the UKGC has highlighted five key areas for the next three-year period: using data and analytics to make gambling regulation more effective; enhancing core operational functions; setting clear evidence-based requirements for licencees; being pro..

Twitch is under increased scrutiny in Sweden over the promotion of unlicensed casinos.

As reported by Dexerto, Kulturnyheterna, an investigative branch of Swedish television network Sveriges Television AB, detailed that “eight out of ten Swedish influencers on Twitch had promoted unregulated casinos.”

Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling authority, has been warned off the back of the report and may well intensify action against the global streaming platform, which has long been a hub for slots streamers.

It comes after continued efforts from Twitch to improve social responsibility when it comes to the promotion of gambling.

Just last year, the platform detailed that its ban of the promotion on unlicensed gambling would be extended to deposit limits, waiting periods, and age verification systems.

A statement from the firm said: “After monitoring the update’s impact for the last year—as well as hearing directly from you—it became clear that some people were circumventing those ..