The UK government announced its Illegal Gambling Taskforce last week with the minimal amount of fanfare – it was done via a 71-word LinkedIn post, without even a press release – and a minimal amount of detail on who sits on the Taskforce, how it will be funded or what its powers are to counter illegal…
In today’s episode of iGaming Daily, host and SBC Media Manager Charlie Horner is joined by SBC Editor-at-Large Ted Menmuir alongside a special guest, Tamsin Blow, Partner in the Litigation and Arbitration Group at CMS and a member of the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL), to break down the landmark Betfair Court of Appeal ruling…
Benchmarking player protection across Africa Across Africa, gambling regulation and player protection are evolving at pace. New laws, emerging regulators, and growing political focus have placed safer gambling firmly on the agenda. Yet progress is uneven. While some markets are moving quickly toward modern frameworks, others remain constrained by unclear rules, limited enforcement, and the…
In today’s episode of iGaming Daily, SBC Media Manager Charlie Horner is joined by SBC Editor-at-Large Ted Menmuir and SBC News Editor Ted Orme-Claye as the trio delve into the Betting and Gaming Council’s latest research on declining advertising spend, unpacking what it reveals about operator confidence, political pressure and the wider impact on the…
In today’s episode of iGaming Daily, SBC Media Manager Charlie Horner is joined by SBC Editor-at-Large Ted Menmuir and iGaming Expert Editor Joe Streeter as the trio discuss the UK government’s latest crackdown on illegal gambling and what it really means for the fight against the black market. Tune in to today’s episode to find…
Argentina’s provincial gambling authorities have launched a coordinated nationwide campaign to mark the start of Responsible Gambling Month this February.
The campaigns call on the need to expand public awareness on harm prevention and youth protection across the Argentine provinces.
Throughout the month, green-lit public buildings have been adopted as a unifying symbol to raise public awareness of gambling risks and safer-play behaviours.
Regulators across multiple provinces are rolling out training sessions for public officials, educators and community organisations, alongside outreach programmes designed to promote healthier gambling habits and early intervention strategies.
A central pillar of this year’s campaign is under-18 protection, with authorities expanding education around age-verification standards, limiting youth exposure to gambling content and strengthening referral pathways for families and schools concerned about risky behaviour.
“Responsible gambling is not jus..
U.S. military service members and the gaming industry are expected to receive a major boost sparked by the looming signature of the latest Defense Appropriations Act.
The Defense Appropriations Act for FY2026, a bill that provides $838.7 billion in total spending, will provide federal government funding for gambling addiction research. The act allows federal funding to be used for gambling addiction research for the very first time.
The bill provides federal funding to research gambling addiction in both active and veteran military members through the Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP), which provides grants for medical research and treatments.
Each year, Congress provides a list of conditions and treatments that are covered under the program. In FY2025, Congress allocated approximately $150 million toward the PRMRP.
“This is an important step forward,” said National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) Executive Director Heather Maurer. “For the f..
iGaming stakeholders in Finland have warned that the proposed player protection recommendations would ensure the majority of gambling is taking place on the black market.
Speaking out against the proposed recommendations, Wildz Group told the Gambling Harm Risk and Harm Assessment Group in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health that they would weaken player protections.
Meanwhile, SkillOnNet described the proposals as “too restrictive”, arguing that they will negatively impact channelisation rates and increase gambling harm.
The supplier lamented the lack of attention that it believes is currently being paid to eradicating the black market.
Several player protection obligations have been pitched by Finland’s new gambling act to prevent and reduce gambling harm in the commercially licensed market.
Measures include land-based slots having more stringent loss limits than online slots, loss limits – triggered at daily, monthly and annual limits – being centralised by government..
Romania’s regulator, ONJN, has asked the Ministry of Finance to take emergency measures and revamp the country’s self-exclusion framework.
ONJN’s President, Vlad-Cristian Soare, announced that they’ve put forward a proposal for an emergency ordinance (OUG) to iron all current existing gaps in Romania’s gambling legislature regarding player safety.
An OUG is usually reserved for extraordinary regulations that cannot be subject to delay, addressing matters that require urgent attention like natural disasters or economic crises – signalling that the ONJN is potentially moving to paint problem gambling as a national health matter.
Soare, who became the ONJN President in 2025 after a massive tax hole scandal saw the previous President step down, commented: “I promised that self-exclusion will not remain a paper project, as I found it when I took office, but will be implemented in three stages: functioning within the current regulatory framework (already implemented), legislative amendment to remove existing dysfunctions and implementing a modern IT solution (currently being implemented).”
Bringing self-exclusion into the modern era
In his LinkedIn post, Soare highlighted in detail what the ONJN is seeking to achieve with the help of the Ministry of Finance, listing some major improvements in Romania’s self-exclusion framework.
For one, the ONJN wants clearly defined self-exclusion periods for players to choose out from, including an indefinite option and cool-off periods in which self-exclusion cannot be withdrawn – a staple of player protection legislation across multiple mature EU gambling markets.
The ONJN also wants mandatory provisions that obligate operators to recover the deposits made by players who have been self-excluded but still given access to gambling services regardless.
Sanctions envisioned for gambling providers who have been found to be in breach of self-exclusion rules could be facing sanctions of between 50,000 and 100,000 lei (£8.5k – £17k), with repeated or serious non-compliance offences potentially escalating to license suspensions.
The proposed changes also lay the foundation for a truly centralised and simplified self-exclusion network, which the ONJN can enforce effectively against both online and land-based gambling providers.
For that reason, besides simplifying self-exclusion terminology to minimise confusion for players, the regulator is also looking to feature prominent self-exclusion information across online gambling websites and roll out specialised QR codes across gambling halls which would lead to the same national self-exclusion resources.
Lastly, Soare noted that he also seeks to break the ONJN’s exclusivity of its remit over gambling regulation and extend it over to Romanian Police authorities as well, while also being in active talks with the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics to develop a brand new modernised and cost-effective IT network.
A 40% year-over-year uptick in young people self-excluding from online gambling has been recorded by Gamstop.
The increase relates to individuals aged 16-24 and covers the six-month period ending 31 December 2025. This age group, according to the self-exclusion scheme, represents 29% of all total new registrations.
More details revealed that 38% of under-25s prefer to self-exclude for a duration of six months. For all total registrations, the most preferred option (47%) is a five-year self-exclusion.
For those choosing five years, Gamstop introduced an additional auto-renewal option at the end of 2024, with the scheme highlighting that the option’s popularity has been steadily climbing, and that at the end of 2025 it was selected by more than 50% of five-year exclusions for the first time since its introduction.
These stats are, of course, relating to online gambling. In addition, Gamstop has also unveiled its new Multi Operator Self-Exclusion Scheme for Betting Shops (MOSES) identity, which rebrands Gamstop Betting Shops and integrates better with its online self-exclusion service.
This improved integration will replace the old method of having to self-exclude from retail venues via phone, with customers instead being able to do so online.
MOSES offers a maximum self-exclusion option of 18 months, currently covering around 6,000 retail shops and more than 60 operators, and more than 9,000 people on the register.
Fiona Palmer, CEO of The Gamstop Group, which operates both MOSES and Gamstop Online, said: “Our brand refresh reflects the evolution of Gamstop and will deliver clarity, consistency and accessibility while preserving the trust and integrity built over the last eight years since we launched.
“The continued year-on-year growth in registrations highlights the ongoing and increasing need for effective self-exclusion tools. The rise in take-up of our auto-renewal option, in particular, shows that many consumers are seeking longer-term support and recognise the value of self-exclusion in helping them manage their gambling.”