Gambling Commission admits faults but backs credibility of Young People and Gambling Survey

France adds new obligations to sign off gambling ad campaigns 

ARGN looks to harmonise player protection across Africa

Safe Bet Show: Martin Lycka with Underdog’s Adam Warrington

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This month’s edition of the Martin Lycka Safe Bet Show featured Adam Warrington, Vice President of Responsible Gaming at Underdog Sports.

During the episode, Warrington discussed his time at Michigan State, the lessons he learned leading responsible drinking campaigns at Anheuser-Busch, and finished by talking about his work at FanDuel and Underdog Sports.

Responsible drinking vs responsible gambling

After discussing what Warrington learned while studying at Michigan State, Lycka turned the conversation towards Warrington’s time at Anheuser-Busch which produces Budweiser.

Warrington explained how he led the Drink Wiser campaign that encouraged drinkers to plan a safe ride home and not drink drive, as well as the company’s emergency drinking water program which saw the brewery can fresh drinking water for use in emergencies.

Lycka then asked what he thought the differences were between problem drinking and problem gambling.

“The understanding isn’t there. We need to evolve the dia..

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EGBA believes incoming EU AML rules will benefit online operators

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The European Gaming and Betting Association has welcomed the finalisation of the European Union’s new anti-money laundering framework, as the organisation believes the standardised rules and reporting requirements will benefit online gambling operators.

Approved by the European Parliament in April and by the European Council earlier this week, the final step of the EU legislative process, the AML package includes the establishment of the European Anti-Money Laundering Authority, the sixth AML Directive and a new AML regulation.

Based in Frankfurt, the AMLA will have “direct and indirect supervisory powers to ensure compliance with AML requirements, working in tandem with national AML authorities” and will also be “responsible for a large amount of technical and implementing rules that will directly apply to the online gambling sector”.

The sixth AML Directive will contain “national provisions on supervision and the powers of national AML authorities, including their access to requis..

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Regulator launches plan to combat human trafficking near Massachusetts casinos

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The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) is taking steps to combat human trafficking.

On Thursday, the MGC announced its plan to provide grants to support law enforcement in preventing instances of human trafficking in regions that house casinos across the state. The MGC will also be funding a study of casino-related crime in Massachusetts.

“These initiatives underscore the MGC’s unwavering dedication to prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of individuals within our communities by prosecuting human trafficking and protecting vulnerable populations,” said Interim MGC Chair Jordan Maynard. “These grants represent a significant investment in our collective efforts to combat human trafficking by providing agencies with the necessary information and resources.”

The MGC is awarding grants through the Community Mitigation Fund allowing law enforcement agencies statewide to expand their teams. The expansion will allow the agencies to take on a higher volume of cases while being provided w..

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Flutter launches non-profit Foundation to improve 10 million lives

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Flutter Entertainment has unveiled the Flutter Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to meeting the company’s goal of improving 10 million lives by 2030.

Aligning with the operator’s Do More and Positive Impact Plan sustainability campaigns, the Flutter Foundation has established a base in Ceuta, Spain, where it will hope to support social action and generate positive change.

Dan Taylor, CEO of Flutter International, commented: “We are excited to see the start of the Flutter Foundation in Ceuta, and we aim today for this initiative to make a significant difference in communities, starting with Ceuta.”

As Flutter’s first foundation anywhere in the world, the organisation will focus on the community in Ceuta and has formalised two agreements to benefit the area.

These agreements have seen the organisation partner with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Youth to support disadvantaged families and promote gender equality in scientific careers, allocating €80,000 in sc..

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Danish gambling GGR down YoY in April despite online casino growth

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Spillemyndigheden, the Danish gambling authority, has reported a year-over-year decline in gross gaming revenue across betting, gaming machines and land-based casinos in April, but an increase in online casino GGR.

Reporting figures for April 2024, the authority stated that GGR amounted to DKK 595m (€79.8m), down from the DKK 640m GGR during the same month last year.

In terms of GGR by sector, online casinos led the way with 45.85 per cent, followed by betting with 32.79 per cent, gaming machines with 16.11 per cent and land-based casinos with 5.26 per cent.

Online casinos in April generated DKK 273m in GGR, up 6.04 per cent from the DKK 257m reported during the same month the previous year.

Within the vertical, gaming machines had the largest share of total GGR at 76.26 per cent, followed by roulette at 7.27 per cent, blackjack at seven per cent, commission at 3.66 per cent, other at 3.17 per cent and bingo at 2.64 per cent.

Spillemyndigheden noted that betting operations in Apr..

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NOGA: Stricter legislation is ‘driving risk players’ to illegal operators

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Nederlandse Online Gambling Associatie, the Dutch online gambling association, believes the Netherlands’ forthcoming legislation is “driving risk players” to illegal providers.

The trade association highlighted the Online Gambling Barometer 2024, the fourth edition of a study conducted by market research agency IPSOS I&O showing the developments and trends of the Netherlands’ online gambling market.

NOGA initiated the Barometer and has been working with the VNLOK – Licensed Dutch Online Gaming Providers – since this year.

According to the research, 95 per cent of Dutch players who sometimes gamble do so with a licensed online operator, meeting the legislator’s target of 80 per cent.

However, nearly half of risk players – described by NOGA Director Peter-Paul de Goeij as players who sometimes lie about their gambling behaviour or bet more money than they intended – will not show proof of income to gamble online, which the association says is an indication that players are switching..

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NOGA: Unnecessary restrictions harm delicate balance of KOA market’s channelisation

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Dutch ministers have been urged to recognise the risks of imposing unnecessary restrictions on online gambling consumers, which could impact the channelisation of the KOA market.

The plea was made by NOGA, the Netherlands Online Gambling Association, which published new research by IPSOS on Dutch consumers’ sentiments and engagement with online gambling.

Striking insights were offered by the ‘Online Gambling Barometer 2024’, revealing concerns that consumers will switch to unlicensed operators if they are overburdened by new restrictions.

Of particular note, the headline finding of the Barometer reveals that “nearly half of at-risk gamblers are unwilling to show proof of income to gamble online.”

This response should concern ministers, as the Kamer continues its ongoing regulatory review of the Remote Gambling Act (KOA Act) – the legislative framework adopted in October 2021 to regulate the Netherlands’ online gambling marketplace.

NOGA maintains that the principal objective of KO..

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Integrity Compliance 360 launches reporting platform for athletes and coaches

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Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) is leveraging its partnership with RealResponse to launch a new product.

The Nevada-based technology and consultancy company announced on Tuesday the launch of Alert360, an anonymous reporting platform aimed at protecting players and coaches from gambling-related threats and harassment.

“The implementation of Alert360, powered by RealResponse, is another example of how we help our partners to stay one step ahead,” said IC360 CEO Matthew Holt. “An anonymous tip can help limit and prevent acts or threats of physical and emotional harm or intimidation while thwarting attempts to undermine the integrity of sports competitions.”

Alert360 users can use text messages, emails, and QR codes to report instances of harassment with all communications delivered through secure and private channels. IC360 also provides trained professionals and administrators to ensure seamless reporting.

IG360 and RealResponse launching Alert360 builds on previous services offere..

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Spelinspektionen fines Hacksaw and Panda Bluemoon for black market clients

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The Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, has handed warnings and sanction fees to Hacksaw Studios and Panda Bluemoon for providing gaming software to operators who don’t hold a Swedish licence.

Sweden’s Administrative Court has also annulled an injunction made by the authority in July 2023 against Zimpler AB as it has determined that the authority has no basis for issuing such an injunction.

Hacksaw Studios

Regarding Hacksaw Studios, Spelinspektionen has stated that the provider supplied gaming software to operators who didn’t have a Swedish licence and will therefore receive a warning and a SEK 2.6m (€226,300) sanction fee.

The authority mentioned that an inspection took place on January 10, 2024, of several websites run by companies that don’t have a licence to operate in the country. Hacksaw Studios was found to be a games supplier for two of the websites investigated, so an inspection into the supplier was initiated.

Within the authority’s decision, it is noted that H..

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