Spelinspektionen threatens Yggdrasil over unlicensed customers

Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s Gambling Inspectorate, has issued a warning and a penalty fee of SEK 300,000 (€26,000) to Yggdrasil Gaming for non-compliance with regulations related to licensed supplier services/authorisations.

The regulator has stated that, through its investigations into unlicensed gaming websites on January 16, 2024, it determined that Yggdrasil had provided gaming software to an operator who didn’t have the necessary Swedish licence to operate in the country.

Within its report, Spelinspektionen said that it was told by Yggdrasil that the supplier had “internal flaws” within its monitoring system of dealer agreements which caused the violation and that it had promptly removed its games and other assets from the operator in question by January 23, 2024.

Spelinspektionen determined that the violation was “serious” and that Yggdrasil could have their licence revoked, but a warning was deemed “sufficient” as the regulator believes the supplier will conduct business goin..

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NCAA launches gambling harm education campaign

The NCAA is continuing to protect its student-athletes from gambling harm.

The governing body of college sports has launched Draw the Line, a campaign aimed at educating student-athletes on the effects of sports betting. The campaign, which debuted during the start of March Madness, will also address problem gambling.

“Sports betting is everywhere, especially on college campuses, so it’s critical student-athletes get the real story about how it can impact them and their ability to play,” said NCAA President Charlie Baker. “We know some bettors are harassing student-athletes and officials, so that’s why we are advocating for policy changes at the state level and launching monitoring tools around championships to refer serious threats to law enforcement.”

The NCAA’s new campaign comes during the governing body’s most profitable event, March Madness. The three-week men’s and women’s tournament will see the NCAA generate approximately $1 billion in revenue, which is roughly 85% of its a..

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Spelinspektionen to analyse risk of criminal activity on gambling accounts

The Swedish government has instructed Spelinspektionen – the country’s gambling authority –to analyse the risks of gambling accounts being used for money laundering and other criminal activities.

The Swedish gambling regulator noted that if there is a need, it must create proposals to counteract such activity, including providing a breakdown of socio-economic consequences.

In addition, Spelinspektionen has also been asked to see if gambling accounts should be covered by the account and safe deposit box system – Konto- och värdefackssystemet – and what would happen if such accounts were added to the system.

The account and safe deposit box system allows authorities to quickly identify accounts and safe holders at financial firms. This is achieved through the Swedish Tax Agency’s technical platform Mekanismen, which allows authorities to directly and immediately receive information about accounts and safe deposit boxes at credit and investment companies.

Earlier this month, Spelinspe..

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GambleAware highlights debt management importance for Debt Awareness Week

In time for debt awareness week, GambleAware has put out a statement emphasising the wide availability of free debt advice services and the need to lift the stigma barrier suggesting that such services affect credit score.

Collaborating with StepChange Debt Charity, which is running this year’s Debt Awareness Week from 18-24 March, GambleAware’s Money Guidance Service Manager Kathy Wade addressed the misconception that reaching out for debt advice has an impact on private credit score.

“Having a good credit score is important for a number of reasons, including when you want to borrow money, take out a mobile phone contract, or get home broadband,” Wade said. “Companies will check your credit file before making decisions. Factors can impact your credit rating but getting debt advice is not one of them.”

Some of the factors listed by Wade that could influence people’s credit score include missed credit repayments, maxed-out credit cards, court judgements, bankruptcy, or debt relief ..

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Gambling Commission clears 888 after licence review

888 has been cleared by the UK Gambling Commission of any regulatory penalties following a review of its licence.

A review of 888’s licence was initiated by the UKGC after FS Gaming sought to acquire a stake in the gambling company last June.

FS Gaming took a 6.5 per cent stake in the firm during that month, with a subsequent proposal centred around the potential appointments of Lee Feldman, Kenny Alexander and Stephen Morana as Chair, CEO and CFO, respectively.

However, with each previously holding senior leadership positions at GVC Holdings, the now rebranded Entain, 888 was in communication with the UKGC about the shareholding and proposal.

During this period, GVC was also under an HM Revenue & Customs investigation into the company’s former Turkish business, which concluded in December last year with a £585m settlement from Entain with the Crown Prosecution Service.

888 terminated its discussions with FS Gaming in July and ended up going in a different direction with its senio..

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Kindbridge expands problem gambling partnership with DraftKings

DraftKings is continuing to invest in efforts to curtail problem gambling.

The Boston-based company has announced an expanded partnership with Kindbridge Behavioral Health to provide therapy and treatment for problem gambling in all operational sports betting and iGaming markets. The resources for users in 25 states build on a previous relationship established between DraftKings and Kindbridge.

In 2023, DraftKings and Kindbridge partnered to launch a pilot program in Colorado.

“We appreciate the opportunity to deepen our collaboration with Kindbridge Behavioral Health and strengthen our commitment to providing important resources to those experiencing potential indications of problem gaming,” said DraftKings Chief Compliance Officer Jennifer Aguiar. “We want everyone on our platform to engage in responsible play and we are committed to educating consumers on the multitude of resources offered.”

DraftKings and Kindbridge are offering services to those impacted by problem gambling fr..

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DraftKings and Kindbridge expand problem gambling program

DraftKings and Kindbridge Behavioral Health have extended their partnership with the aim of providing more readily accessible treatment for problem gambling to encompass all of the sportsbook’s active markets.

The sportsbook and the mental health service provider originally teamed up back in September to launch a pilot program to deliver personalized support for sports bettors in Colorado. Now, they will provide access to therapy and treatment for problem gaming in every jurisdiction where DraftKings operates its online sportsbook and iGaming products, including Ontario and 25 U.S. states.

Starting from April 1, every DraftKings customer will have access to comprehensive mental health assessments, care providers, and personalized care plans via Kindbridge when they self-exclude within the DraftKings platform.

The two partners have developed a system that they say effectively and accessibly links self-excluded players with numerous support options, including educational content, init..

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Clearly (not) identifiable – The recognisability of content marketing, 2024

University of Bristol academics Raffaello Rossi and Agnes Nairn have released their second research paper on social media and gambling. This research paper focused on content marketing ie. content on social media that is not easily recognisable as marketing.   “​​International advertising codes stipulate that advertising must be obviously identifiably as such,” write the authors. “Irrespective…

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Blumenthal calls out sportsbooks for targeting problem gamblers

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal is continuing his scrutiny of American sports betting by demanding that sportsbooks stop what he describes as the targeting of problem gamblers.

In a post published on his website, Blumenthal said he has written to eight major sports betting companies — DraftKings, FanDuel, MGMBet, ESPNBet, Fanatics, Caesars, BetFred, and Bet365 — to demand they stop leveraging data to target problem gamblers with promotions and ads.

Blumenthal has urged companies to make it easier for problem gamblers to remove themselves from online betting platforms.

The timing of his request is not coincidental, with the Democrat rep for Connecticut noting that March Madness is one of the busiest sports betting times of the year. Blumenthal cited the American Gaming Association figures that projected that Americans will wager $2.72 billion on NCAA men’s and women’s college basketball in the next two weeks through legal avenues, around 2.2% of the total handle wagered legally in 20..

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