Culture change FanDuel has launched a new campaign, ‘Play with a Plan’, based on behavioural research that tries to encourage thoughtful play rather than wagging the finger and telling players what not to do. Rethinking sports betting: The advert encourages customers to rethink their approach to sports betting – as much as it encourages them…
FanDuel is deploying a new responsible gaming campaign that takes a different approach from the company’s previous efforts to protect players from gambling-related harm.
On Thursday, the Flutter-owned brand debuted Play with a Plan, a new RG initiative powered by health behavior research. Play with a Plan promotes RG by having customers analyze their decision-making when wagering, compared to previous efforts to combat problem gambling using messaging aimed at restricting betting activity. The initiative wants bettors to use FanDuel’s existing RG tools to enhance decision-making while betting.
“This refreshed platform was purposeful and reflects the research we’ve done to rethink how responsible gaming is communicated most effectively to consumers,” said FanDuel SVP of Public Policy and Sustainability Cory Fox. “These insights shaped everything from the development of our messaging to ongoing innovation across our tools. FanDuel remains focused on making responsible gaming more intui..
The League of Ireland is working to address problem gambling and gambling-related harm in Irish football, coming at a time of heightened regulatory focus on the industry’s societal impact in the country.
Earlier this week, the League announced the rollout of a new educational programme focused on gambling harm, in partnership with consultancy EPIC Global Solutions.
The programme has also secured the backing of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), the National League Committee and the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland (PFA Ireland).
Mark Scanlon, League of Ireland Director, said: “As the League of Ireland grows each year, it is very important to work with all stakeholders including our players and match officials at the centre of the game to stress the importance of integrity at all levels.
“This partnership with EPIC also means we can also look to prevent potential gambling harm amongst our players. We know the vast majority of people gamble without an issue.
“But the seminars at our Academy clubs will be hugely beneficial and educate for the next generation of Irish footballers. We have seen the work that EPIC is doing with the English Football League and it’s having a measurable impact. We look forward to seeing that replicated in the League of Ireland.”
The programme will deliver training to football coaches, match officials and FAI staff. Training will include education around betting integrity protection.
Prominent footballers with lived experience of gambling harm, such as Dominic Matteo, Marc Williams and Scott Davies, will conduct in-person sessions discussing gambling harm.
The rollout will follow a similar model to a similar prevention programme organised by EPIC for the English Football League (EFL), a joint initiative with the league’s main sponsor Sky Bet.
Flutter Entertainment, Sky Bet’s parent company, will also be funding the League of Ireland initiative. The firm has Irish roots, having its origins in the merger between Paddy Power and Betfair, and maintains a HQ in Dublin.
Kevin Harrington, CEO of Flutter UK and Ireland, said: “As a major betting operator, we pride ourselves in leading the industry on safety and trust, and we take our responsibilities around protecting our customers and the integrity of sport seriously.
“As a global company founded in Ireland, we are incredibly proud to fund this independently provided three-year programme, supporting the League’s commitment to proactive prevention and education.”
The announcement comes amid the re-regulation of Irish gambling under the Gambling Act of 2024, which has launched a new regulator, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRA).
This context has seen some pressure on the relationship between sports and gambling in Ireland as well as wider public and political concerns about the extent of gambling-related harm in the country.
Paul Buck, CEO of EPIC, said: “Following the success of similar initiatives we’ve delivered in elite sport, this prevention-based programme looks to empower players to recognise the signs of gambling harm, be more informed about their relationship with betting and better equipped to understand pathways to support.
“More significantly, the message is conveyed powerfully and with real meaning by individuals whom players are likely to respect – former footballers and athletes sharing their individual experiences in face-to-face sessions.
“They have encountered problems, and they simply did not have the same opportunity or education around prevention that we are now in a fortunate position to provide for the league. We are really pleased to be able to bring this training to Irish players.”
Tim Miller, the UK’s top man when it comes to regulating gambling, took a sharp stance against tech firm Meta.
Addressing an audience of gambling stakeholders at ICE Barcelona, the UK Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) Executive Director chose a single question to be the basis for his whole speech. This question was “whose side are you on?”.
The extended version of this sounds more like ‘whose side are you on in the fight against the black market’, and Miller was clear that he thinks Meta – the owner of Facebook and Instagram – has blurred the lines.
Not Meta’s first rodeo
This is not the first time Meta has found itself on the opposite side of conversations about ethics and transparency, certainly not from a gambling perspective.
In July last year, campaigners from a UK-based NGO raised concerns about the tech platform’s policies on flagging safer gambling messages as more risky than gambling adverts themselves – which, as a result, leads to gambling marketing enjoying more visibility.
Miller’s speech took this argument one step further, focusing on the amount of black market advertising found on Meta’s platforms, and particularly those tailored to promote “non-GamStop” casinos – with GamStop being the UK’s national self-exclusion registry.
Such adverts are easily trackable even by regular Meta users, Miller added, thanks to a publicly available marketing database that allows for direct searches through keywords.
Yet, such ads keep appearing on two of the biggest social media platforms, which Miller criticised by saying: “If we can find them, then so can Meta: they simply choose not to look.”
“It could leave you with the impression that they are quite happy to turn a blind eye and continue taking money from criminals and scammers until someone shouts about it. So it does leave Meta with the question of ‘Whose side are you on?’
“The consumers and users of your platforms, many of whom are seeking to escape gambling harm, or the criminals and con artists who are using your platforms to prey on vulnerable people right in front of your eyes and whose clutches you risk pushing those vulnerable people into?”
2026 will be a year of action
Besides this heavily charged criticism against Meta, the UKGC Director also hinted at tightening the scrutiny over licensed game suppliers whose products are also found on offshore websites – albeit this time around Miller was a bit softer in his critique, explaining that “pulling the legal action lever” will not always be practical or possible.
In conclusion, the speech ended on a positive note, reminding attendees of the £26m in UKGC funding set aside by the last UK Budget to fuel the fight against the black market over the next three years.
Finally, Miller also highlighted that the UKGC is expecting another major milestone this year, with the Crime and Policing Bill currently being reviewed in the House of Lords. If and when enacted, this law will give the UK regulator autonomous IP blocking powers, alleviating it from its current reliance on Google.
The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has made further commitments to increasing player safety in 2026.
Following a turbulent year for the Dutch gambling sector and politics overall, the gambling authority is ending January on a high note with its supervisory agenda for the next 12 months.
A total of five main pressing issues were outlined in the document, which KSA Chair Michel Groothuizen and his team will aim to address fully as the year rolls by.
These include black market operators, vulnerable groups protection, duty of care standards, advertising, and AML policies.
Offshore actors: public enemy number one
In the new year, the KSA has expressed willingness to tighten the coordination of all parties involved in the Dutch licensed gambling industry for a wide-scale counterattack against the growing shadow of the black market.
Such efforts will continue to build on a successful 2025 for the KSA, which managed to blacklist a large number of affiliates using the .nl domain through a partnership with the Foundation for Internet Domain Registration. Deepened communication between the regulator and social media companies to remove illegal content is also expected to expand.
One particularly interesting development to look forward to this year is KSA’s investigative work on tracking down slot machines that have come from bankrupt or closed down land-based venues.
Vulnerable groups take prevalence
Understandably, another top priority will be the protection of vulnerable demographics such as children and current or at-risk problem gamblers. The KSA has firmly declared that it will work towards reducing the number of minors coming into contact with gambling through extensive data controls and additional monitoring of gambling providers.
Beware of your duty of care
Operators were also promised heightened scrutiny of their duty of care compliance coming 2026. There is a long list of reforms in the online gambling sector that is gradually being implemented, and gambling providers can rest assured that they will be tried and tested for compliance issues by the KSA.
There are a number of studies into player behaviours scheduled to conclude sometime this year, on the result of which the KSA is likely to introduce even more market amendments. One such study is the effectiveness of player financial checks that operators currently deploy – with the concluding statement certain to amend KSA’s course of action.
Do you have receipts for this money?
Last but not least, this year’s KSA agenda envisions significant developments on the anti-money laundering front. It is safe to assume that the Netherlands already has robust policies in place given its location on the world map, but the gambling regulator anticipates even more scrutiny – especially once the newly-established European AML agency AMLA springs into action later this year.
All in all, it is shaping up to be an eventful 12-month period for the gambling sector in the land of the tulips – even more so now that there is a new government in place.
A new Interim Chair has been appointed for the Industry Forum of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). The regulator has named Kirsty Caldwell as its choice for a temporary hire while the recruitment drive is underway for a permanent replacement of Nick Rust, who ended his term in November 2025. Caldwell is currently running Betsmart Consulting, which offers compliance and AML services…
Google is set to tighten the net around gambling advertisements, shifting the requirements to obtain a certificate to advertise on its platform.
According to an email from Google shared on LinkedIn by digital marketer Adriaan Dekker, beginning 23 March, certification will not be granted to sites hosted on free website services or using a sub-domain whose root domain is a third-party platform host, such as wordpress.com or wixsite.com.
Furthermore, those applying for certification must own the main part of a website’s address, known as the second-level domain. Additionally, websites that have “no real association with gambling” will not be granted a certificate for advertising gambling services.
These new requirements for Google’s Gambling and Games policy represent the most significant changes since the company extended its restriction on offline gambling ads to 35 countries.
However, the tech giant has also brought in country-specific changes to reflect the latest updates to regulatory frameworks. Most recently, Google confirmed that it would be adjusting its advertising policy for India following the prohibition of online real-money gaming in the country.
A wider problem
By making such significant changes, Google is seeking to ensure that gambling sites are run by the advertisers and reduce the chance of scams and misleading ads being allowed to gain visibility across its platforms.
The move comes as companies like Google and Meta are continuing to face increasing scrutiny over the proliferation of adverts for illicit operators.
Earlier this week, UK Gambling Commission Chief Executive Tim Miller accused the latter of being happy to “turn a blind eye” to advertisements for operators working outside of the UK’s gambling self-exclusion programme, GamStop.
Speaking at ICE Barcelona, he said: “Companies like Meta will tell you that they don’t tolerate the advertising of illegal sites and will remove them if they are notified about them. But that approach suggests that they don’t know about those ads unless alerted. That is simply false.”
“I would be very surprised if Meta, as one of the world’s largest tech companies, is incapable of proactively using their own keyword facility to prevent the advertising of illegal gambling.”
Previously, Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, was accused of cashing in on such ads after a Reuters investigation revealed that the company internally projected that 10% of its overall annual revenue for 2024 – roughly $16bn – came from running ads for scams and banned goods.
Leaked documents seen by Reuters revealed that over the last three years, Meta “failed to identify and stop an avalanche of ads” that exposed billions of users across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to “fraudulent e-commerce and investment schemes, illegal online casinos, and the sale of banned medical products”.
In response, a Meta spokesperson told iGaming Expert that the report presented a “selective view that distorts Meta’s approach to fraud and scams”.
While the move by Google to get tough on potentially illicit operators may go some way to stemming the flow of advertising for the unregulated sector, a simple Google search for non GamStop casinos brings up a slew of affiliate sites offering guides to such operators, demonstrating the mountain that Google still has to climb in the fight against illegal promotions.
bet365 has told iGaming Expert that it will continue contesting a binding instruction issued by the Netherlands gambling authority to improve its duty of care, believing the authority’s findings will be found to be “unsubstantiated”.
Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) stated that an audit of Hillside New Media Malta, the operator of bet365, discovered it had failed to “adequately respond to signals that players may no longer be able to bear the financial consequences of their gambling behaviour”.
In addition, the KSA said bet365 did not take “sufficient intervention measures when this signal was detected”. The audit took place between 6 December 2024 and 6 June 2025.
The Netherlands has policy rules in place for net deposits per calendar month, exceeding €300 for young adults aged 18-23, or €700 for those aged 24 and older.
Operators must conduct a means test to determine an appropriate net deposit limit to check if a player can deposit more without encountering financial difficulties. Player deposits must be blocked if this check can’t be performed.
Following an audit, the KSA noted that bet365 had “not adequately fulfilled its duty of care”.
The authority said: “Before March 2025, Hillside asked players to complete a questionnaire about their income. The KSA already informed gambling providers in early 2025 that a questionnaire is not suitable for conducting a means assessment.
“It was also found that the calculation of the net deposit limit was performed incorrectly. This allowed players to deposit more than they could possibly afford based on their financial situation.”
bet365 objects binding instruction
Under the binding instruction, bet365 now has four weeks to adequately complete the ability-to-pay test for the KSA.
This can be completed by recording and analysing the signals that could signify a player can no longer afford the financial consequences of their gambling behaviour, taking appropriate action if necessary.
If this instruction is not completed, further sanctions could be issued by the KSA, including a fine or the revocation of its gambling licence in the Netherlands.
However, bet365 has objected to the binding instruction, arguing that it has not committed any violation and did not commit a violation during the audit period, so there is no authority to impose such a binding instruction.
“bet365 does not recognise the allegations made by the Kansspelautoriteit,” a bet365 spokesperson told iGaming Expert.
“bet365 places customer safety at the forefront of its activities, and takes gambling protections extremely seriously. We will continue defending this matter through the proper legal process, and remain confident that the allegations will be found to be unsubstantiated.”
2026 supervisory agenda
Duty of care is one of the KSA’s five key themes published recently in its supervisory agenda for 2026, alongside tackling illegal gambling operators, protecting vulnerable groups, supervising advertising and supervising compliance with the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act (Wwft).
The authority stated that online operators’ duty of care compliance will continue to be monitored with a particular focus on the tightened regulations for duty of care, gaming limits and gaming behaviour.
Studies into how providers assess the financial capacity of players will take place. Other areas will be examined, including the speed of behaviour analysis, as well as negative forms of behavioural management by operators and the extent to which this violates the duty of care.
In the early stages of this year, investigations into Cruks notifications and personal interviews will be completed, with recommendations that will be monitored for compliance.
Guidance on AI and monitoring tools usage by operators will be published, while compliance with land-based duty of care will continue to be monitored in accordance with guidance published at the end of last year.
Key priority
Speaking last week at the Annual Gaming Industry Event at the Royal Industrieele Groote Club in Amsterdam, KSA Chair Michel Groothuizen stated that high deposits have been dropping on average, while duty of care has been improving, since the introduction of the mandatory affordability check and net deposit limits.
Groothuizen added that many case files that were examined recently and resulted in fines predated the tightening of regulations.
“Players are not spending such extreme amounts. While that is, of course, disadvantageous for your bottom line, I’m pleased, as the regulator, that these protective measures are working so well. And channelisation, in terms of number of players, doesn’t seem to have been hit too severely either.
“Although things are improving, there’s still plenty to do. The duty of care will therefore remain a key priority for the KSA in 2026.”
A pair of lawmakers are asking a federal agency to evaluate how the popularity of sports betting is impacting young people across America.
Sens. Katie Britt and Dick Durbin sent a letter to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study the impact of sports gambling on young people amid the proliferation of online sports betting and the recent expansion of the industry behind the legalization of the vertical in North Carolina and Missouri.
The lawmakers want the CDC to investigate the impact of gambling on young Americans as limited research on the topic is widely available to the public. The duo are asking the research to look at both legal and unregulated platforms. The senators sent the letter to Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neal with a request for response.
“We believe policymakers and American families deserve to know the extent to which our children are engaging in potentially addictive and detrimental behavior,” reads the letter.
The lawmakers point to a 202..
GambleAware has recorded a landmark achievement with its three-year problem gambling awareness campaign reaching a 90% success rate.
The ‘Let’s Open Up About Gambling’ initiative was first launched back in April 2023 with the goal of lowering the stigma associated with gambling disorders. The campaign ran up until May 2025, and according to a GambleAware-commissioned report by Ipsos UK, it has proved notably successful.
Estimates produced by Ipsos put the percentage of the campaign’s effectiveness at over 90%, with almost all targeted individuals confirming that they’ve taken action after seeing the adverts, including seeking GambleAware’s online services for more advice.
This means that problem gambling education has been inadvertently increased to various degrees among over 90% of participants. Additionally, two in five of the target audience have said that they’ve been prompted to talk about gambling as a result of the campaign.
Not only that, GambleAware also tied the length of the campaign’s duration with an increase in the uptake of support and digital tools on its website.
In its report, Ipsos concluded that GambleAware’s strategy to utilise real stories of people with lived experiences has played a major role in the campaign’s success, and recommended that similar initiatives in the future should take the same approach to build trust through compassion.
This recommendation will mainly refer to the NHS starting April, as the health body replaces GambleAware as the Chief Commissioner of Research, Prevention and Treatment (RET) of gambling harms as part of the UK’s new statutory levy – with the charity officially closing on 31 March.
Gambling ads still a problem, GambleAware says
In addition to lauding the campaign’s success, GambleAware leadership remained adamant that gambling marketing spent in the UK should either be reduced or matched with safer gambling messaging.
Emma Munro-Faure, GambleAware Director of Marketing, said: “We’re proud that this campaign helped thousands of people to seek support for gambling harms.
“But stigma remains a major barrier, and with gambling companies spending £2bn a year on advertising, we need stronger restrictions and clearer signposting to the free help and support available.”
The £2bn figure cited by Munro-Faure is based on a 2025 report by The Guardian, which was published days prior to the 26 November UK Budget announcement that raised the Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) from 21% to 40%.
Raising taxes for the gambling industry caused numerous heated debates throughout last year, with proponents deeming the sector a social health concern that should be put on par with alcohol and tobacco, while gambling stakeholders pointed to the long list of taxes that the gambling industry was already being subjected to.
Regardless, results were divisive, with Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves increasing the RGD and the General Betting Duty (15% to 25%), sparing horse racing from any tax hikes, and abolishing the bingo duty completely – setting the foundations for a different UK gambling market in 2026.