GambleAware awaits RET levy judgements as Q1 donations published

GambleAware has released the full list of betting operators and B2B gaming suppliers which donated to support research, education and treatment (RET) programmes in the opening quarter of the 2023/24 fiscal year.

The charity received £430.9m in total, consisting of £317.1m in RET donations and £113.7m in non-RET donations, the latter being funds from unclaimed winnings or dormant betting accounts.

None of the ‘Big Four’ operators – Entain, Flutter Entertainment, bet365 and William Hill – were present in this quarter’s update, which covers April-June 2023.

However, given the operators’ large donations in previous quarters and the fact the donations commitment is annual, it can be expected that these companies will appear in lists later in the year.

Notable operator donors in Q1 2023/24 included high-street giant and online bookmaker Betfred (£50,000), web-only sportsbook Betway (£25,000), Star Racing (£28,916), Virgin Bet (£22,836) and the Postcode Lottery (£18,708).

The UK current..

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bet365 underscores RG commitment with Rightlander extension

Rightlander has secured an extension to its partnership with bet365, as the betting group targets enhanced responsible gambling compliance across its international operations.

The Stoke-on-Trent-based firm will continue to leverage Rightlander’s platform and features to maintain compliance with various regulatory frameworks as regimes across the world continue to evolve.

Keeping track with regulatory changes and promoting responsible gambling has become a key area of focus for bet365. The company is active in multiple markets undergoing regulatory change such as the UK and Netherlands, with the Gambling Act review White Paper published in the former and a ban on advertising coming into force in the latter.

“We are excited to renew our contract with Rightlander,” said a bet365 spokesperson. “Their comprehensive compliance solution has become an integral part of our affiliate program.

“The extended partnership reinforces our commitment to responsible gambling and our dedication to pr..

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VBET ‘understands the value of responsibility’ as latest Game4Ukraine partner

VBET has been named a partner of the charity match Game4Ukraine, set to take place on 5 August at Stamford Bridge.

The gambling company’s branding is set to appear on the players’ shorts and will also organise activities to promote the match in Ukraine, as well as other European countries where the global group of VBET operates. (including the UK).

Artem Ivanytsky, CMO, VBET Ukraine, stated: “We understand the value of responsibility towards the country, society, and players, that’s why VBET could not stay indifferent to this event.

“We proudly support Andriy Shevchenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko in their endeavours. The global brand VBET will not only be a partner of this symbolic football match. VBET Ukraine will actively participate in additional activations aimed at increasing the donation amount.”

Game4Ukraine has outlined that its main focus is to drive donations for the restoration of Mykhailo-Kotsiubynsky Lyceum in the Chernihiv region – the educational institution which was..

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Kindred edges closer to net zero harmful revenue goal

Kindred Group chipped away at the proportion of its revenues derived from harmful gambling during Q2 2023, cutting the figure down from 3.3% to 3.1%.

The Stockholm-listed operator, active in various markets via its Unibet sportsbook and 32Red igaming brands, set an objective of achieving 0% revenue from harmful gambling in H1 2021.

As it stands, the 3.1% figure reported this week marks the lowest proportion of income from harmful gambling achieved by the group. This was accompanied by a record- high improvement effect after interventions, which stood at 86.4%.

Nils Andén, Kindred Group Interim CEO, said: “Our ‘Journey towards Zero’ ambition is an important parameter for Kindred and our ability to contribute towards a fact-based dialogue on how to establish a more sustainable gambling industry.

“It also acts as a fundamental metric in Kindred’s internal efforts to improve our responsible gambling efforts. We have always been clear on that we will not achieve this ambition overnight..

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Tabcorp reiterates responsibility as Aus gambling falls under spotlight

Gambling and particularly its advertising and marketing practices have been an area of focus for Australian authorities at the state and federal level. Amidst this, leading betting firm Tabcorp has outlined its responsible advertising principles.

A statement published on the ASX group’s website, signed by Managing Director and CEO Adam Rytenskild, asserted that Tabcorp is supportive of ‘tougher restrictions’ on betting advertising to protect young and vulnerable people.

This has included the ban on advertising during prime-time viewing on free-to-air TV between 6:30am and 8:30pm, as well as backing the setting up of a framework for regulating online gambling advertising. Former Tabcorp CEO David Attenborough has been vocally supportive of such a move in the past.

The presence and visibility of betting, particularly via advertising, has fallen under the Australian public and political spotlight in recent years, attracting attention from state governments, the federal government and i..

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Flutter kickstarts enlistment drive for responsible gambling start-ups

Flutter Entertainment’s Alpha Hub has put out the feelers for betting and gaming start-ups to work with the global gambling group’s Positive Impact Plan.

Interested early stage companies have been asked to apply for the FTSE100 firm’s Flutter Tech4Good Award and the Flutter & RGC: Play Well Challenge. The group is targeting early-stage companies with responsible gambling specialities.

The Tech4Good Award and Play Well Challenge serve to support Flutter’s RG and social responsibility initiatives, particularly the Positive Impact Plan’s objectives.

The latter is coordinated in partnership with the North America-focused Responsible Gaming Council (RGC) as a means to create a safer gambling environment, in cooperation with start-ups, via innovative solutions. .

Flutter Entertainment Chief Innovation Officer, Conor Lynch, said: “The Flutter Tech4Good Award and Play Well Challenge align our expertise in technology with the ambitious targets set out within our Positive Impact Plan.

“As ..

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GamCare launches dedicated women’s support chatroom

GamCare has announced the launch of its new ‘Women’s Chatroom‘ to provide a safe and confidential online environment for women affected by problem gambling.

The new facility was officially launched on Tuesday 18 July, providing lived-experience support to women seeking help/care regarding their own or others’ problem gambling concerns.

The initiative forms part of GamCare’s treatment strategy as the chatroom aims to connect, support, and enable the sharing of stories between women in similar positions.

On an annual basis, the charity’s National Gambling Helpline assists over 40,000 people, 30% of whom are women.

The chatroom intends to tackle feelings of guilt and shame associated with gambling issues while reinforcing the fact that users are not alone.

It will host semi-structured sessions every Tuesday from 7-8pm for six weeks, each week focusing on a different theme.

Week one is titled Introduction: Gambling & The Woman. It will be followed by Gambling & The Mind in week two..

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GambleAware adds new members to Lived Experience Council 

GambleAware has disclosed the latest expansion of its Lived Experience Council as the charity looks to further collaborate with those that have experienced gambling harms to help provide guidance on the organisation’s strategic developments.

The Lived Experience Council was initially disclosed in December 2022, and two months later it was said that the 12 person panel was seeking fresh additions.

Among these are Megan Vanderson, who is aged under 25 and has been in recovery from gambling harms since 2022 after going into rehab through the Gordon Moody women’s residential treatment program.

Steve Ramsey, who is six years into recovery and has worked with Gambling Commission, NHS Gambling Clinics and The Howard League, also joins, alongside a third member who is to remain anonymous.

“As a young person who has experienced gambling related harms and addiction struggles first hand, I hope to become a voice to raise awareness of the stigma of gambling harms in young people and women,” Va..

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RGC shares Ontario market insights in 22-23 Annual Report

The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) has today published its Annual Report for 2022-23, detailing the advancements in RG made across Canada.

Over the last year, the non-profit organization has bolstered its presence in the RG space with several key partnerships and new ventures.

The RGC’s public service announcement about the risks of igaming and sports betting – broadcast on networks throughout Canada in collaboration with thinktv – was a particularly powerful event, garnering over 100 million impressions.

Meanwhile, the launch of the regulated Ontario igaming market in March 2022 saw the Toronto-based organization utilize RG Check – ‘the most comprehensive responsible gambling accreditation program in the world’ – to conduct the first round of accreditations with 17 of Ontario’s newly licensed igaming operators.

Then, in February, the RGC released its Super Bowl survey, where it gathered insights into Ontarian’s plans to watch and bet on the NFL’s showpiece event, finding that ..

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Kinectify enhances problem gambling technology for operators via Kindbridge agreement

Kinectify has signed a deal with Kindbridge Behavioral Health to provide operators in the US and Canada with enhanced technology for people experiencing gambling harms.

The agreement will see the AML and risk management firm launch “an all-in-one RG platform that seamlessly integrates with its existing AML platform”.

This platform will provide specialized workspaces for AML and RG teams enabling them to handle player care, case management, reporting and monitoring.

Joseph Martin, CEO of Kinectify, said: “Applying our learnings from developing the most sophisticated transaction monitoring and case management system in the industry to problem gaming is exciting.

“We are thrilled to partner with Kindbridge, the first organization solely focused on building treatment infrastructure through telehealth.”

Martin, who will subsequently join the Board of Directors at the Kindbridge Research Institute (KRI), added: “We look forward to testing a variety of treatment modalities on those that ..

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