The thorny issue of advertising never fails to go away and Spain has returned to the fray with the Ministry of Consumption targeting welcome bonuses – it’s the subject of today’s chat on the iGaming Daily podcast. Fair restrictions: While the key topic of debate lies around Spain and bonuses, Canada Gaming Business Editor Tom…
A group of U.S. Senators have advanced a proposal that would provide the first federal funding to support research into gambling addictions within the military. The Senate Appropriations Committee has included a provision within the FY26 Defense Appropriations Bill that would add gambling addiction to the Department of Defense’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP), alongside a range of other health issues and disorders that are…
A group of U.S. Senators have advanced a proposal that would provide the first federal funding to support research into gambling addictions within the military.
The Senate Appropriations Committee has included a provision within the FY26 Defense Appropriations Bill that would add gambling addiction to the Department of Defense’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP), alongside a range of other health issues and disorders that are already eligible within the program.
The change would provide financial backing from the federal government for researchers and military clinicians to examine the extent to which armed forces personnel face gambling problems, and develop viable interventions aimed at support and prevention.
Appropriations approved the measure on Aug. 4 and is set to go before the full chamber for consideration.
Operators, NCPG back Senate measure
The measure was led by Sen. Ben Ray Luján and is supported by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) alogn wi..
A group of 50 U.S. attorneys general has urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take a harder stance against “the rampant spread” of unapproved gambling operations by taking legal action and strong enforcement measures similar to the Black Friday of 2011. The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) stated on Tuesday that a bipartisan coalition of 50 AGs has written to federal…
South Korea will export K-cycling and K-motorboat racing as global betting markets through the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).
This was announced at a ceremony held by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO) in London, where it reached a gold standard in integrity by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the IBIA.
The agreement particularly focuses on protecting betting integrity around cycling and motorboat racing, both popular sports among South Korean bettors.
This represents not only a milestone for Korean sports but also for the IBIA, as signing an MOU with an Asian national sports body is the first of its kind for the global integrity organisation.
On signing the MoU with the KSPO, Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, commented: “This agreement marks an important step forward, not only for KSPO and the integrity of K-Cycle and K-Motorboat Racing, but for the advancement of betting integrity standards across Asia.
“IBIA is delighted to support KSPO in setting a benchmark for clean, transparent and accountable sports betting operations in the region. We look forward to building on this partnership and helping to protect the integrity of K-Sports’ products.”
Besides cycling and motorboat racing, horse racing is also legal to place a bet on in South Korea. Other types of allowed gambling include lottery tickets, sports toto, and land-based wagering at Kangwon Land Casino venues – with all three verticals being state-run.
South Korea’s betting market recorded around 25.5 trillion Korean won of total sales (€15.bn) in 2024, with approximately 22.86 million players on the market.
Cycling and motorboat racing alone brought in annual sales of 1.9 Korean won (€1.17bn) and 12.5 million users, amounting to around 7.5% of total betting industry sales in South Korea for 2024.
Also welcoming of the hallmark agreement for Korean sports was Sung-chul Lee, Director General of the KSPO. He remarked: “Through this agreement, KSPO K-Cycle & K-Motorboat Racing has elevated the status of K-Sports and has taken a leap forward to global standards.”
“I would like to express my deep gratitude to Khalid Ali and the IBIA officials for their cooperation in making this agreement successful. Following this agreement, we intend to supply the KSPO K-Cycle & K-Motorboat Racing products to the international betting market, protected by this important integrity collaboration.”
In today’s episode of iGaming Daily, sponsored by Optimove, Fernando Noodt Molins, Media Manager at SBC, is joined by Damian Martinez, Business Journalist at SBC Noticias, and Tom Nightingale, Senior Business Journalist at Canadian Gaming Business/SBC Americas, to unpack the growing debate around gambling advertising and promotional restrictions. The conversation focuses on Spain’s latest push…
When it comes to the national gambling hotline 1-800-GAMBLER, stakeholders extend beyond just the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ). The CCGNJ owns the number and the NCPG licenses it, but there are other major gaming groups invested in its preservation and success.
That is why a trio of major groups have united to ask for some sort of resolution regarding the legal battle around the hotline that emerged last month.
AGA, ROGA and SBA want resolution on the number
The American Gaming Association (AGA) and the Responible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) released a statement to SBC Americas expressing their concern about the phone number’s future and calling for a “joint resolution” between the two groups.
“Any disruption to the 1-800-GAMBLER operations—or worse, a degradation of the helpline’s capacity to deliver timely, culturally competent, and clinically appropriate referrals—would significantly endanger the a..
In today’s episode of iGaming Daily, sponsored by Optimove, Fernando Noodt Molins, Media Manager for SBC, is joined by Insider Sport business journalist Kieran O’Connor, and iGaming Expert’s Christian Lee, as they dissect the Premier League’s landmark ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships, set to take effect from the 2026/27 season. This self-imposed restriction by clubs…
EPIC Global Solutions Senior Consultant Marc Williams believes the time for proactive gambling education in elite sport has never been more urgent
The government of Georgia continues to toughen the compliance enforcement of the gambling industry.
Following sweeps conducted by the Georgian Revenue Service details over 30,000 citizens have been added to the government’s new centralised national self-exclusion system up by 4,000 since May.
The enforcement follows drastic regulatory reforms introduced in 2024 by the direct order of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who placed the Revenue Service to oversee penalty enforcements and the surveillance of gambling licences.
As of June 2024, Georgia raised the legal gambling age to 25, a measure backed by the introduction of “biometric Id checks across all licensed venues”, with a view to directly bar a swathe of the population from participating entirely.
Public-sector employees and individuals with criminal convictions, numbering some 1.5 million citizens, are now prohibited from gambling under recent amendments to Georgia’s Code of Administrative Offences. The measures reflect an effort to align policy with growing concerns about addiction, debt, and the social costs of gaming.
The exclusion registry, which previously required institutional approval, can now be accessed directly by individuals. Of the 30,451 currently listed, the vast majority (30,392) joined voluntarily. The remainder were added by court order.
As reported by SBCEurasia.com: “Those on the list are banned from gambling on any licensed platform, online or offline, for five years. Removal is only possible in two cases: renunciation of citizenship, or by judicial review three years after initial registration.”
Technological controls have also been tightened. Biometric identification systems, now mandatory at casinos and betting halls, are designed to verify age and identity at point of entry. Officials say the same infrastructure supports secure, confidential access to the exclusion list, and ensures compliance with privacy laws.
Yet more changes may be on the way. While the government has already imposed heavier licensing fees on operators, it is now weighing whether to raise the tax on player winnings from 2% to 5%. A decision is expected as part of the new national budget, due before the end of 2025.
The biometric controls, age restrictions, and exclusion orders unprecedented in the region have raised concerns about compliance costs and potential impact on investment. Meanwhile, ambiguity remains over future tax policy, including the potential rise in withholding on player winnings.
As PM Garibashvili cites that he will continue to crack the whip, the message is clear: gambling may remain a part of Georgia’s economy, but it will be tolerated only on the state terms only.