Dr. Evert Montero Cárdenas , President of Fecoljuegos of Colombia, and Federico Rodríguez Aguiar , Marketing Analyst and Consultant from Uruguay, argue for the necessity of international regulatory cooperation to combat black market operators in regional markets. We understand that in the name of freedom not everything goes, but the law of the jungle cannot prevail over fundamental principles of business…
National Association of Gaming and Lotteries (ANJL) President Wesley Cardia; Marcio Malta, the CEO of Sorte Online; Marc Crean, Vice President of OpenBet in Latin America and Canada; and Ronaldo Kos, Director of IDnow in Latin America met at the very first SBC Summit Rio to discuss how Brazil could learn player protection lessons from…
René Jansen, outgoing Chair of the Dutch Gaming Authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has offered insights on some of his most recent work with the regulator.
In a blog post, Jansen issued a statement saying that the risks associated with the online gambling market in the Netherlands “are growing”.
According to the Chair, this is evidenced by the growing number of people exhibiting harmful gambling behaviour, which has even occurred with professional sports players.
Therefore, the KSA must look at specific cases as the first stepping stone to handling problem gambling, and that the next step for the regulator is to take a comprehensive look “at the market from above”.
Jansen also touched upon the Dutch Consumers’ Association’s conclusion that the KSA doesn’t have enough knowledge of what is happening “behind the front door” of operators, and that more covert measures are needed to be implemented in order to strengthen the regulator’s supervision.
One such measure is the provision ..
Lottstift, Norway’s Gambling Authority, has been granted ‘direct powers’ to order DNS and IP blocking of websites infringing on the laws of Norway’s Gambling Act.
The mandate was approved by the Storting (Parliament) on March 19, as a majority of MPs backed market protections sought by Lottstift against unlicensed operators.
The approval sees Lottstift secure DNS and IP blocking rights as a guaranteed measure to protect Norway’s Gambling Act, currently under revision.
In 2022, the Storting ordered the government to consolidate Norway’s fragmented regulatory framework for gambling. Laws for gambling had been deemed inconsistent due to the market being governed by the three separate mandates of the 1995 Lottery Act, the 1992 Gambling Act, and the 1927 Totalisator Act.
As such, the Storting instructed Norwegian authorities to adopt a new Gambling Act, merging and amending the laws of the three preceding Acts – a regulatory project overseen by the Ministry of Culture and Equality.
As ..
iGaming Ontario has launched a proposal period for a centralised self-exclusion solution for igaming in the Canadian province.
Initially announced in November last year, the iGO is seeking a partner to set up the service to help players stop or take a break from gambling, with the application open until April 24.
Through a multi-year agreement, the successful bidder must integrate their system seamlessly with all igaming operators in Ontario, including the OLG.
The system must also offer easy access to create and manage a self-exclusion profile for anyone 19 years or older, as well as implement KYC, ID verification, registration, renewal and reinstatement processes which are intuitive, simple and offer supporting information.
Companies who wish to take part in the bidding process can do so by visiting iGO’s procurement page on MERX.
Earlier this year, iGO noted that the Ontario igaming market concluded 2023 with new highs in wagers made, revenue and active accounts since its laun..
Technological developments are a core focus of any organisation amid a constant jockeying for position, with the possibilities offered by artificial intelligence currently capturing much attention.
This formed a central focus at the recent SBC Summit Rio, where a quintet of experts delved into how the tech could shape the future of the industry, why such models can improve responsible gambling protocols, the importance of correctly utilising data and much more.
“The thing with AI is that it has so many uses that we cannot even start to grasp exactly how we can use it,” began Hugo Llanos, Regional Director of the Americas at Altenar.
“I’m sure that everyone here has a different view and a different way of doing it. It’s all about the data and it’s all about how you use that data.”
To illustrate this point, Llanos cites customer engagement and segmentation, user experience and risk management as critical areas that can be heightened via the usage of AI, with excitement stressed at h..
Operators need to be more proactive in identifying problem gambling and also use AI tools to aid the process according to industry specialist Jonathan Michaels.
As part of Problem Gambling Awareness Month the principle of Michaels Strategies joined SBC Americas Editor Jessica Welman on an episode of iGaming Daily to discuss his latest LinkedIn article, titled ‘The problem with problem gambling’.
You can listen to the episode here:
Challenges of identifying a problem gambler
Michaels spent some time discussing the difficulty that the industry has identifying problem gamblers and the need to be proactive in identifying problem behavior as it happens rather than in retrospect.
“The issue that exists is there’s no standards on what markers of harm and identification are. There’s no standard on what actually works to help ensure players wager responsibly.”
He believes that the challenge for operators and regulators going forward is to understand what tools will actually work in preven..
New Jersey is launching a new public awareness campaign on problem gambling.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has announced the creation of a responsible gaming public awareness campaign amid Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The campaign is released in partnership with marketing agency Marketsmith behind a $300,000 budget.
It will focus on online marketing and extends through Super Bowl LIX in 2025. It will be prominent during major sporting events, including the Olympics and NBA playoffs.
“As we learn more and more about the effects of problem gambling, especially following the legalization of sports wagering, we have an obligation to provide resources and support to the public on responsible gaming,” said Platkin. “This work starts with ensuring awareness of the many tools available to assist individuals who struggle with gambling, including comprehensive prevention strategies and treatment and recovery services.”
The campaign will inform bettors in New Jersey about responsib..
U.S. Rep Paul Tonko has introduced federal legislation that aims to regulate gambling as a public health issue in line with alcohol, tobacco and opioids.
The New York Democrat says that the SAFE Bet Act will focus on “advertising along with affordability and the AI impact on gambling” and is also supported by advisors from the Northeastern University’s Public Health Advocacy Institute.
“Sports always belonged to the American people, the American family,” said the Public Health Advocacy Institute’s Gambling Policy Adviser Harry Levant. “Sports now belongs to the gambling industry. I would like to think there are people in those leadership positions, and potentially even gambling industry companies, who will say, ‘You know what? This thing has gotten out of control. It needs to be regulated to protect the American public.’”
The SAFE Bet Act is a next-generation version of the Betting on our Future Act that Tonko introduced last year which sought to ban all online and electronic advert..
Everi Holdings has partnered with Great Canadian Entertainment to supply its anti-money laundering solution to the operator’s properties.
Through the deal, the supplier’s Everi Compliance AML solution will be provided to Great Canadian’s Casino New Brunswick and Casino Nova Scotia properties, joining over 600 gaming properties across North America that use the Everi Compliance AML software.
“We evaluated various AML solutions in our selection process and determined that the Everi Compliance solution best fits our needs,” stated Sukvinder Singh, Chief Compliance Officer at Great Canadian.
“We are looking forward to working with the Everi team to enhance our AML program in our Atlantic properties.”
Everi’s agreement with Great Canadian comes as the supplier undergoes preparations to merge with IGT’s Global Gaming and PlayDigital segments.
The supplier is hopeful that the IGT merger will “create a global leader in gaming equipment, fintech services and casino systems” and a “comprehe..