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NCAA and Signify release gambling abuse data for March Madness

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The NCAA teamed up with Signify to study online abuse sparked by sports betting.

Signify and the NCAA used the 2025 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to identify and study targeted online abuse directed at student-athletes, coaches, officials and committee members. Signify leveraged its Threat Matrix artificial intelligence service to monitor public comments directed at the social media accounts of 2,032 players and 346 coaches. Signify also monitored 136 teams and 269 officials and committee members.

“One of the first things student-athletes told me when I became NCAA president was that they were being harassed online by people who are following or betting on their games,” said NCAA President Charlie Baker. “From day one, it’s been a priority to study this issue, monitor the public interactions, protect student-athletes and allow them to focus on being students and competing at the highest level on the court with their teammates.”

Signify and the NCAA analyzed more than 1 mi..

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For fans and for athletes, we need to talk more about bettors harrassing players

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Matthew Wein is a former government security official who worked at DHS and the U.S. Committee on Homeland Security. He now writes the Secure Stakes Substack Newsletter and owns Wein Security Lab consulting.

At the end of May Olympic Gold Medal sprinter Gabby Thomas was heckled and harassed at a track meet by a man who had bet against her. Following her exit at the French Open, Jessica Pegula detailed the threats she receives via social media from gamblers. Earlier this spring, Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers and his family were on the receiving end of death threats from what turned out to be a drunken gambler who lost his wager. Liam Hendrinks also received death threats via social media connected to his play this season.

More and more athletes are starting to go on the record saying that there is a correlation between sports gambling and the threats they receive. To borrow a phrase from the national security world—it seems the lights on the alarm are all blinking red right ..

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Ontario regulator advises gambling platforms on how to spot players at risk

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Ontario’s online gambling regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), has updated its advice on how licensed operators can identify and support players at risk of harm.

In a recent post on its website, the AGCO noted that its regulatory model places accountability on operators to actively shield players from gambling-related harm. The agency said its guidance helps clarify its expectations of operators in meeting their regulatory expectations.

In the updated guidance, the AGCO stressed that, based on players’ risk profiles, operators are required to intervene in timely fashion and in a manner that is commensurate with the level of risk and likely to have the desired effect of reducing that player’s risk of harm.

How to identify players who may be experiencing harm
In its guidance for Standard 2.10, the AGCO emphasizes that operators must have an effective mechanism for monitoring player behaviour and proactively identifying those who may be at risk of harm, enabling timely support once signs of risk emerge. The mechanism should address the different ways in which gambling-related harm can occur and draw on all available data sources to assess risk on a player-by-player basis.

The AGCO expects operators to use both automated and manual tools to monitor players’ behaviour and to utilize available information from various sources to effectively identify indicators such as:

Chasing losses, playing multiple products, choosing higher-risk products or erratic betting patterns.
Amounts wagered and lost
“Binge” gambling, changes in session duration or time-of-play patterns or late-night gambling
Failed deposits, cancelled withdrawals, higher-risk forms of payment or multiple payment methods
Expressions of financial or emotional distress, use of keywords associated with harm or indicators of vulnerability such as bereavement or job loss
Refusal to use tools after operator intervention, frequent increases or removals of bet limits, repeated use of play break tools or previous use of self-exclusion

In addition, operators are expected to regularly assess and evaluate the effectiveness of risk monitoring methods to ensure that players at risk of experiencing harm are accurately identified, as well as to promptly to correct and improve methods.

The AGCO specifically notes that having effective systems and processes in place to continually monitor, identify and promptly address high-risk player activity is important for operators that contract with one or more third-party providers.

How to help those in need
Meanwhile, the AGCO’s guidance for Standard 2.11 concerns helping gamblers who may be experiencing harm once they have been identified.

Operators should use tools to immediately identify potential player harm, intervene according to the severity of the situation, provide support for all players who may be at risk of experiencing harm, not just those already identified as high-risk and use technology to scale tailor interventions to more players, rather than relying solely on individual interactions for only highest-risk players.

The AGCO lists several examples of current practices for tailored and escalating interventions, including:

Interacting with a player to help inform the player’s risk profile
Conducting player self-assessment surveys
Sending reminder emails highlighting available resources, support services and responsible gambling tools
Personalizing communications of potential responsible gambling concerns identified by the operator through channels such as phone calls, email alerts or interactive nudges and pop-ups
Requiring active acknowledgement or response from the player
Providing players with information about their play, such as the duration of their play session since the last break
Restricting gameplay through measures such as operator-imposed breaks and limit-setting, or suspending or closing accounts

Following the execution of each intervention, operators are expected to take the necessary steps to assess the impact on the player’s behaviour and whether evidence of potential harm persists that necessitates further action, as well as to proactively and carefully monitor new players to identify early signs of concerning behaviour and provide immediate assistance.

The AGCO also stresses the importance of employee training, documentation of such training and continuous assessment in upholding these standards.

“We recognize that the ongoing evaluation of these expectations may indicate the need for adjustments to AGCO’s guidance,” adds the regulator. “As operators uncover such insights, we encourage open information sharing with AGCO to support future updates.”

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Dutch regulator emphasises operator collaboration for stable market

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Renske Fikkers, Head of the Regulatory Department at the Dutch gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has emphasised the importance of collaboration between the regulator and the operators in the country’s market in tackling key issues.

Speaking at this week’s Gaming in Holland conference, Fikkers highlighted the cooperation between operators and the regulators on matters relating to strengthening regulations, consumer protection, compliance, illegal gambling and the public’s perception of gambling.

‘Fundamental change of direction’

For consumer protection, Fikkers stated that operators should expect laws and regulations to become stricter to help protect all people from the negative effects of gambling, especially vulnerable groups. As such, a “fundamental change of direction” is taking place.

Fikkers said: “This change of direction is partly driven by the idea that current policies do not currently protect people adequately. This simply means one thing: laws and regulations will become stricter and operators’ room for manoeuvre will be further restricted.

“There is talk of raising the minimum age to 21 for high-risk gambling, and overarching deposit limits. Advertising for high-risk gambling may also be further restricted.”

Fikkers added that the point of the legal market was to provide players with a safe place to gamble, away from the illegal market, as well as make it an attractive market for operator investment.

“Operating legally has to be profitable. But politicians are increasingly backtracking on that premise, partly because of what we are seeing in your organisations.”

Duty of care and cooperation

Fikkers then spotlighted the KSA’s first duty of care fine, in which an operator was fined €734,000 for allowing young adults to “gamble away tens of thousands of euros without adequate intervention”. Advertising was added into the same bracket, with a warning issued that a total ban could occur if things don’t improve, despite it being “undesirable as far as the KSA is concerned”.

However, praise was also given to operators who have gone above and beyond the set policy rules to protect their players, as well as the industry’s cooperative attitude.

Fikkers noted that the Dutch regulator has been experimenting with roundtable discussions throughout the past year, creating conversations of “great value” but also an understanding of the obstacles seen when measures are put in place.

This is part of the KSA’s ‘regulator 2.0’ direction, moving away from a regulator that is just focused on infringements and fines, and towards becoming an open and flexible regulator that can produce solutions.

Fikkers said: “We understand that imposed measures sometimes require adaptability and that post-implementation there are obstacles or ambiguities that we could not have anticipated beforehand. Being able to have an open conversation about that helps us further strengthen our regulation.

“We also have more frequent direct contact with operators in that context. When we come across things we have questions about or are dissatisfied with, we engage immediately. I see that these talks have a lot of effect; infringements are quickly stopped and communicating openly about them sets an example for other operators as well.”

The way in which the KSA has stepped up its role in consumer protection was also brought to attention, including the setting up of an internal programme to prevent gambling-related harm, improvements to Loket Kansspel, awareness campaigns, and targeted Gokstop campaigns for Cruks Register awareness.

“In the reorganisation later this year, we will turn this gambling-related harm programme into its own, independent department, so that we can make even greater strides in player protection.”

Illegal market

Regarding the illegal market, Fikkers again made a call to operators for collaboration as it is an “undiminished high priority”.

“It is important to cooperate to battle the illegal market: the channelisation rate based on gross gambling revenue is worryingly low at 50%. For every euro spent at legal operators, one euro disappears into the pocket of illegal parties at the same time.

“Fortunately, player-based channelisation is as high as ever at 92%, but we remain keen on developments in that area.”

A new project to frustrate illegal operators’ infrastructure is going ahead, which will see techniques used by illegal parties utilised by the KSA themselves. Focus will also be placed on websites promoting illegal offers and adverts for such illegal operators on social media.

“We also cut off access to illegal gambling where possible by working more closely with service providers, for example. Because illegal gambling also simply starts with being able to deposit money. Thus, together, we are making unlicensed offers to Dutch players as unattractive as possible.

“On top of that, we are working together with the ministry to increase our possibilities to become even more effective.”

Future

Fikkers concluded by talking about the upcoming licensing round for the Dutch gambling market in 2026 and beyond, noting that an operator’s past performance will be considered in evaluations.

“With the significant steps we are now taking as an organisation, we are making every effort to better protect consumers. We will do that by looking with you at enhancing the duty of care, by making consumers aware of the dangers of gambling and better informing problem players, and by cracking down harder on the illegal market.

“By focusing on those three pillars, we are working towards a stable, safe gambling market that is worthwhile for operators but that focuses above all on the safety of Dutch players.”

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New Zealand outlines NZ$81m gambling harm prevention strategy

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The Government of New Zealand has outlined its new strategy to prevent and minimise gambling harm, which will involve investing more than NZ$81m in various components of the services available to those affected in the country.

Matt Doocey, Minister for Mental Health, has said in a statement that the investment will help to improve support access, strengthen prevention and early intervention and reduce the impact of gambling-related harm.

To make sure the strategy is having the desired effect, an independent review in 2025/26 will also take place so that the Government can analyse what is working and what needs to be changed.

Doocey said: “The strategy focuses on delivering timely, effective support for individuals, families and communities affected by gambling harm. Key areas of investment include increasing access to treatment and support, improving prevention and early intervention initiatives, and improving the effectiveness of support for those experiencing gambling harm.

As part of the strategy, 18 additional clinical internship places will be created to become part of the gambling harm workforce, working closely with supervisors in clinical settings to develop gambling harm expertise.

“This approach is necessary to bridge the gap between education and work and will give interns the practical experience needed to help people affected by gambling harm,” noted Doocey.

“Not only will this ensure more people can access help, but this will also support people who could otherwise struggle to meet the requirements to become registered clinicians.

“One in five New Zealanders will be affected by gambling harm in their lifetime—either directly or through someone they know. This can have devastating effects not only on individuals, but also on their families and wider communities.”

The Government developed its strategy to tackle gambling harm through a two-stage consultation process which included the opinions of people with lived experience.

Doocey concluded: “I want to thank those who shared their experiences with us. You’ve helped ensure this strategy is reflective of real-life experiences and have helped to ground the strategy with a strong understanding of what support works best for you and our communities.”

Online casino contributions

New Zealand’s gambling harm support services will be funded through the new Problem Gambling Levy Regulations and paid by non-casino gaming machine operators, casinos, TAB NZ and Lotto NZ.

Doocey also detailed that work is taking place to determine how online casino operators will contribute under upcoming regulations, which are expected to be in place by early 2026.

Online casinos are being regulated in New Zealand as part of the Government’s plans to minimise harm, support tax collection and provide consumer protections to New Zealanders.

As part of the country’s online casino framework, up to 15 three-year licences are expected to be available for operators via an auction. The online gambling bill is forecasted to progress through Parliament this year, with the Department of Internal Affairs being the regulator of the online casino market.

Reece Calderbank, Global Sales Director at Delasport, recently assessed the potential of New Zealand’s incoming iGaming regulatory framework for iGaming Expert, describing the sector as standing “at the threshold of a pivotal transformation”.

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Four Australian operators slammed for self-exclusion failures

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Four Australian betting operators have breached rules around continuing to engage with consumers registered with BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER).

Buddybet, Ultrabet, VicBet and Topbet were each investigated by The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for unlawful acts against those wanting to cut down on gambling.

Firstly, Ultrabet was found guilty of reopening an account of someone at the end of their self-exclusion period and allowed that person to bet with that account. The firm also sent out marketing to another self-excluded person.

The NSER demands that once an individual registers with the service, operators must close that person’s account as soon as possible. The ACMA explained that accounts “must not be reopened or reinstated” once a person ceases to be registered with the NSER.

Instead, people at the end of their self-exclusion period who want to recommence gambling need to make a clear and deliberate choice to do so. Providers must also not send self-excluded people any form of electronic promotions or marketing including via emails or texts.

Authority member, Carolyn Lidgerwood, stated: “Wagering providers should know their obligations under the rules and know that we are enforcing them. The rules about account closure must be complied with.”

BetStop was launched in August 2023 as a free Australian Government initiative, and allows users to exclude themself from all Australian licensed online and phone wagering services in a single step.

“People on the NSER have made a conscious effort to exclude themselves from online gambling services,” Lingerwood summarised the platform’s purpose..

“Sending gambling marketing messages to people who are trying to stop gambling is unacceptable. Betting services must have systems in place that respect the decisions of people to self-exclude, or face further consequences.”

In order to prevent such instances from occurring, the ACMA has previously put emphasis on operators to; Implement robust monitoring systems, close registered individual accounts promptly, review marketing systems and procedures and monitor system changes and updates.

Player safety crackdown
Just a few weeks ago, Unibet received a AU$1m (£480,700/€560,100) penalty for the same wrongdoings. The FDJ United-owned operator had failed to close hundreds of accounts registered with BetStop.

A similar ACMA investigation accused the Unibet brand of over 100,000 contraventions of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

The main breach in question concerned the firm’s failure to close 954 customer accounts after said customers had registered with the NESR.

Meanwhile, PointsBet Australia Pty Ltd was also recently hit with an AUD$501k (£242k) fine by the ACMA over advertising breaches.

The authority launched an investigation into the online gambling provider, which uncovered “more than 800 messages” as part of what the regulator said was a spam advertisement campaign in contravention of e-marketing laws.

Details around the investigation revealed that in the period between September and November 2023, PointsBet had sent 705 emails with a direct link to its gambling products without the option to unsubscribe from such messaging.

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Belgian rule change fuels black market participation

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A new study has revealed that a major change to Belgium’s gambling legislation has fuelled engagement in the black market.

In September 2021, Belgium officially raised the minimum age for all forms of gambling to 21, however, the legislation appears to have had an adverse impact on thwarting the black market.

According to a report commissioned by the Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO), participation in the black market among young people aged 18-21 has risen to 65%, a 15% increase since the rule change was implemented.

Overall, the study found that one in four Belgian players access unlicensed gaming platforms, a figure that had led BAGO’s Chair, Tom De Clerq, to warn that the country “risks losing control of its gambling market”.

“We are on a slippery slope,” he said. “While licensed gambling sites are subject to strict rules, invest in responsible gaming and actively protect players, illegal operators are given free rein. And that has consequences: more and more people, especially young people and vulnerable target groups, end up in an illegal circuit without rules, without control and without protection.”

Perhaps most worryingly, the report also notes that almost half (47%) of those who had excluded themselves from gaming had begun again through illegal channels.

This highlights, according to BAGO, the danger of the black market given that it operates outside the country’s legal framework and does not offer any forms of player protection measures, such as age verification, registration to Belgium’s self-exclusion programme or deposit limits.

BAGO has attributed the rise of the black market to “intense advertising” campaigns across social media.

In light of the concerning data, BAGO’s Vice-President, Emmanuel Mewissen, reiterated the organisation’s support for a new government agreement aimed at intensifying the fight against illegal gambling and enhancing player protection in Belgium.

The new agreement focuses on three main tenets: intensifying the fight against illegal gambling, modernising Belgium’s regulatory framework and ensuring legal certainty for operators through stable and transparent legislation.

“[The agreement] should give the Gaming Commission the means to grow into a powerful regulator. This is the only way it can effectively tackle illegal providers, protect consumers and maintain a well-regulated private market,” concluded Mewissen.

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Romania approves Bill to overhaul gambling self-exclusion 

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Romania will adopt a new comprehensive self-exclusion programme designed by the reforms of the Save Romania Union (USR) Party.

On Tuesday, the USR Party claimed its ‘first victory’ in its mission to overhaul the governance of Romanian gambling, in the aftermath of auditing scandals embattling the National Gambling Office (ONJN).

The bill, authored by USR deputy Diana Stoica, was cleared by the Senate’s Legal Committee on the grounds of being a general consumer protection and addiction prevention measure. The Bill is set to be debated in full on 10 June.

“The voice of tens of thousands of addicts has been heard,” said Stoica.

“The state must stop complicity with the gambling industry and intervene firmly. We cannot treat addiction with bureaucratic indifference.”

Romania will introduce a mandatory online self-exclusion register, hosted on the ONJN website, alongside strict processing deadlines: operators must act within 24 hours, and the ONJN must update its database within 48 hours.

Crucially, the bill includes a provision for a six-month licence suspension for operators who fail to comply, a tougher framework sought by lawmakers to protect Romanian consumers. Key measures include:

Online self-exclusion through the ONJN portal

Mandatory processing times: one day for operators, two days for ONJN

48-hour refund requirement for excluded players who are allowed to bet

Minimum 12-month “cooling-off” period for indefinite self-exclusion

Public reporting on processed exclusions

Mandatory signposting to addiction support services

The bill requires ONJN to publish exclusion request statistics which represents a move toward increased transparency for an industry that has faced criticism for being unclear.

The USR reform package includes this legislative initiative as part of its broader scope. The USR party supports a second bill that proposes to establish a strict spending cap for gambling which would cap player expenditures at 10% of their reported monthly earnings.

The proposal faces postponement because Romania conducted presidential elections recently. President Nicușor Dan who won the election on 18 May has not named any senior officials or defined his regulatory approach. The absence of executive appointments has caused a delay in the parliamentary assessment of USR’s affordability bill.

Scrutiny now turns to the ONJN that has begun a new leadership tenure of president Vlad-Cristian Soare. Tasked with restoring credibility to the regulator, Soare has pledged to end political interference and prioritise consumer safeguards and market integrity.

The self-exclusion bill now moves toward Senate approval which reform advocates see as essential for Romania to achieve European standards in gambling oversight. The USR views the bill’s passage as evidence that systemic change is starting to advance after multiple years of regulatory inertia.

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Svenska Spel subject to compliance probe days after court win

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Svenska Spel, Sweden’s state-owned betting and gaming company, cannot get a break at the moment, having been placed under supervision by the country’s gaming inspectorate, Spelinspektionen.

The regulator has initiated a review of Svenska Spel, alongside state-owned racing body AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) and Malta-based lottery brokerage app Lotto Direct Ltd, to check compliance with the Swedish Gambling Act of 2018.

Spelinspektionen’s scrutiny is particularly focused with one specific section of the Gambling Act, this being a requirement that licence holders notify the regulator of any changes in an application or registration.

The regulator states that it will publish the results of the reviews when a decision has been made. This will include any decisions around an intervention, which could range from anything to a warning to extra licence conditions to a fine or penalty.

While nothing is concrete, the timing of this investigation is not ideal for Svenska Spel in particular, coming just three days after the operator won a landmark court decision against a Spelinspektionen court decision.

Svenska Spel and Spelinspektionen – a long-running battle
The recently solved legal spat between Skolinspektionen and Svenska Spel dates back to 2021 when the regulator conducted an audit 17 October-17 December including an examination of 10 customers who had lost money during that period.

The audit concluded that Svenska Spel had not acted proactively enough in preventing harm and potential problem gambling among the 10 customers examined. The firm was criticised as being too ‘passive’ in implementing its duty of care policies, particularly due to the players in question already being classified as high risk.

All 10 players had high deposit limits, made large deposits and incurred large losses, while also making several deposits a day and playing frequently, including at night. Some had also excluded themselves from certain games.

In March 2024, the regulator issued Svenska Spel a SEK 100m (€90,000) penalty for failing to meet the duty of care standards of the 2018 Gambling Act. Svenska Spell responded to this with an appeal, which the Administrative Court in Linköping recently reached a decision on.

A milestone moment
In a rare case of a court siding with a gambling firm against a regulatory decision, the Linköping Court ruled against Spelinspektionen’s decision. This decision was based on the fact that Svenska Spel had taken ‘several gambling liability measures’ against the 10 customers including access limitations and restrictions.

The interventions showed that the operator had been taking action against the customers’ excessive gambling, the court stated that it could not share the same opinion of Spelinspektionen. The court also stated that it does not believe it was sufficiently clear that Svenska Spel had failed to avoid the penalty.

“It is gratifying that the Administrative Court upholds our appeal and overturns the decision of the Swedish Gambling Authority,” said Fredrik Wastenson, CEO and Business Area Manager at Svenska Spel Sport & Casino AB.

“We appealed because we believe that the penalty fee is disproportionate in relation to the shortcomings and because there is a need to create greater clarity in the interpretation of the duty of care.

“We believe that the authority may only take measures that are supported by the legal order, the so-called principle of legality, which the court has also stated.”

However, the resumption of an investigation into Svenska Spel for potential compliance failures shows that the regulator is not out of the woods yet. Though this review is not related to the previous audit and penalty, it does demonstrate the relentlessness of regulation in this industry.

In the background, Sweden’s Tidö Coalition government has yet to present a formal plan to split Svenska Spel’s business.

The coalition supports a proposal to divest Svenska Spel’s online gambling and sports betting division to the private sector, while retaining its lottery and keno operations as a state monopoly. The initiative is backed by the Moderate Party and the Sweden Democrats, who argue that the state should not be involved in competitive online gambling.

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UK advertising body questions LiveScore over ads seen by minors

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The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned LiveScore and LiveScore Bet about advertising to minors.

Two ads were flagged down by a complainant, who observed the betting promotions on LiveScore’s under-18 Android and iOS apps. Users who clicked on the ads were subsequently redirected to LiveScore Bet.

It is important to note that LiveScore is a sports data app, while LiveScore Bet the group’s betting and gambling platform. The latter also uses the former as an advertising partner.

When questioned about the issue, LiveScore Bet pointed out that LiveScore’s app itself had two distinct account systems – one for under-18s and one for adults. It further noted that after it was notified, a test was carried out to try and replicate the occurrence on an Android device to no success.

On iOS however, the operator explained that there was a historic version of the app that did have a technical error where such promotions were displayed to under-18s in some instances.

With the latest app update showing no signs of error, LiveScore Bet added that the issue was isolated to only one version of the app, therefore impacting only a small number of users.

Responding to the ASA in its own statement, LiveScore also asserted that it maintains extensive age gating across its LiveScore sports media and data product to ensure that any underage consumers using this non-betting platform cannot access the betting one.

The firm maintains that a ‘technical bug in this safeguarding’ led to the issue with the ads outline above. It also argues that one of the two ads raised by the complainant ‘has still never been verified as accurate’.

“LiveScore Bet has nothing to gain from under-18s seeing our adverts, given that such an audience cannot use our products,” LiveScore’s statement declared.

The ASA acknowledged the explanations, but maintained that it had seen the ads appear on the Android version, even if it was caused by a technical fault.

Deeming the promotions “not appropriately targeted”, the advertising authority requested for stricter measures to ensure that this does not happen again, and will most likely monitor the apps more closely moving forward.

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