Controversial evidence given at the UK Health & Social Care Committee has been placed under further scrutiny after a second letter was sent to Chair Layla Moran complaining about its “misleading” testimony. A diverse coalition of charities and commercial organisations working in gambling harm treatment, prevention and education have teamed up to challenge the narrative…
Liverpool is set to undergo regulatory changes that halt gambling marketing from appearing on the side of taxis in the city.
Documents released and seen by the Liverpool Echo detailed a myriad of changes to the sector in the North West city, including limitations on marketing which would likely impact the relationship between black cabs and the gambling industry.
Risking backlash from drivers in the region, the changes come alongside a steep rise in licensing prices for the sector.
There is also a dispute brewing around the number of vehicles that are registered in Wolverhampton but operating in Liverpool – with many believing that the licensing process in Wolverhampton is far easier than in other parts of the country.
The capital watches on
The tightening of restrictions in the North of England is yet to be mirrored in the South of England, in spite of significant criticism levelled at London Mayor, Sadiq Khan.
Khan has been accused of “backtracking” after he pledged in 20..
PAGCOR has issued a bleak warning to the public against offers being made by operators with fake offshore gaming licences.
The Philippines’ regulatory body claims that the Lucky 7 Bingo Corporation, which holds a legitimate E-Games venue licence, has been engaging in contact agreements with individuals under the guise of offering “guidance and support to potentially earn Php50,000 (£670.50) through the Lucky 7 Bet Lottery Platform”.
As part of the bogus agreement, bettors are reportedly required to make an upfront initial cash deposit of Php3,000 (£40).
PAGCOR confirmed that the licence referenced in these agreements is a fake offshore gaming licence, given that all offshore gaming operations, known as POGOs, have been banned in the Philippines since the end of 2024.
Atty Jessa Fernandez, Head of PAGCOR’s Offshore Gaming and Licensing Department, warned: “We urge the public to remain vigilant and always verify the legitimacy of a PAGCOR-licensed gaming entity before entering into a..
The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has agreed to another multimillion-dollar settlement with a major Las Vegas casino and entertainment property.
Wynn Las Vegas reached a proposed $5.5 million stipulation for settlement with the NGCB for violating its own anti-money laundering (AML) compliance program. The casino agreed to a settlement after a disciplinary complaint was filed contemporaneously with the stipulation for settlement. The complaint detailed “unsuitable methods of operation” by Wynn Las Vegas related to facilitating improper international monetary transactions, allowing proxy betting and being tied to unregistered money transmitting businesses.
Wynn Las Vegas is set to be fined by the NGCB after reaching a non-prosecution agreement in 2024 with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
The non-prosecution agreement concerns the same AML violations by Wynn Las Vegas that resulted in the casino forfeiting $130 million to federal authorities to ..
Former Mansion Bet CEO, Karel Manasco, has been handed a 12-month custodial sentence over a contempt of court charge as the legal battle between him and his former employer escalates.
Manasco failed to appear at court, however, he was represented by counsel, with a warrant for the arrest of Manasco previously being issued after he failed to appear in court during a previous session on 9 April.
At the heart of the case involving Manasco are allegations of financial misconduct and accusations that he failed to comply with asset freezing orders.
The sentence comes as a result of Manasco being found to have made a false statement in a witness statement, as well as removing or diminishing assets from the jurisdiction in his name to the sole name of his wife in an account held in Spain.
The transferring of funds meant that Manasco was in breach of a worldwide freezing order.
The judge emphasised that “this contempt is so serious that only a custodial sentence will suffice”.
Issui..
PointsBet Australia has been hit with an over AUD $500,000 (£240,450) fine for breaches of spam and gambling self-exclusion laws.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) issued the penalty after discovering that the company sent more than 800 messages that breached Australia’s e-marketing laws. The operator was also found to have breached laws relating to BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER).
According to the ACMA, PointsBet delayed closing the accounts of customers who had registered for the NSER and sent marketing messages to self-excluded persons. In total, 508 messages were sent to self-excluded individuals between August and September 2023.
The AMCA did note, however, that no excluded customers were able to place bets with PointsBet during the investigation period.
Nerida O’Loughlin, Chair of the ACMA, said there were “no excuses” for gambling companies such as PointsBet failing to understand their legal obligations to customers.
She added: “..
Shareholders from all corners of the industry have had their say on Norway’s upcoming national problem gambling strategy.
Gambling regulator Lotteritilsynet, Norway’s Directorate of Health, and the State Media Authority, Medietilsynet, are co-leading the country’s biggest problem gambling reform in years, scheduled for enforcement in 2026.
The three authorities have each reached out to a large number of relevant industry parties to gather as much of a nuanced response as possible as to which areas in Norway’s national problem gambling strategy need the most attention.
ADHD Norway makes its case…
Speaking to the Directorate of Health, non-profit support organisation ADHD Norway said that it wants to see more efforts being put into helping individuals with various neurological disorders.
The body says that between 70-75% of people with ADHD in Norway suffer from various levels of impulsivity, hence putting them at heightened risk of behavioural disorders such as risk gambling.
Gry Lunde, Secretary General of ADHD Norway, added that ADHD and its relation with problem gambling should be more prominently featured in the national health curriculum and social care education – both across the professional primary health care system and in schools.
Another interesting recommendation from ADHD Norway’s proposal is for the Norwegian Correctional Service to introduce targeted courses for the identification and treatment of gambling disorders among prisoners.
To achieve all of the above, the organisation suggests that more funds be allocated to municipalities for the development of better mental health care.
It also wants to see more problem gambling services rolled out across drug treatment wards, alongside more support tools for affected others. A final proposal includes stricter restrictions on gambling advertising.
…Gambling Addiction Norway’s voice heard…
It is perhaps of no surprise that better family aid is also a top recommendation in Gambling Addiction Norway’s (GAN) response – a support network whose work focuses on helping those suffering from gambling harm and their close ones move forward with their lives.
Magnus Pedersen, Political Advisor for GAN, added that the organisation is currently experiencing a steady influx of people reaching out because they’re in need of assistance.
Some of the recommended measures put forward by GAN include a nationwide educational campaign to help relatives of those affected better understand the specialist support tools currently available.
GAN concluded by welcoming the collaborative approach of the Norwegian Lottery Authority, the Norwegian Directorate of Health, and the Norwegian Media Authority, and that it remains open to further contributions towards the problem gambling action plan.
…and the operator, Norsk Tipping
Writing directly to Norway’s regulator, state-owned operator Norsk Tipping proposed for gambling harm efforts to concentrate more on younger people between the ages of 18 and 25, given the increasing proportion of casino games customers within that demographic.
An interesting take from the operator’s letter was a recommended strategy to investigate which minorities are the most exposed to problem gambling. This would be done through a series of language surveys, which Norsk Tipping says would further inform its safer gambling messaging campaigns.
Another proposed approach to Norway’s problem gambling action plan is to research the effects of government-imposed DNS blocking, or IP address blocking.
The company also viewed treatment in a social setting as a positive practice, directly referring to Gambling Addiction Norway as an ‘exemplary’ service in the field and – among others – in need of better financial support from the government.
Given that Norsk Tipping operates as a state-owned entity in a monopoly market, its recommendations carry significantly more weight compared to other responses in the consultations.
Regardless, the operator’s future is being constantly pondered on by politicians given Norway’s status as the last monopoly market in the Nordics.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has confirmed that an investigation into TGP Europe culminated in the firm being issued a £3.3m penalty for due diligence and AML failures. SBC News and iGaming Expert noticed yesterday that the all 15 domain names operated by TGP Europe had ceased accepting both new and existing customers, 13 of which did so on 8 May. A key…
FanDuel has introduced Real-Time Check-In, a tool that uses machine learning to predict depositing behaviour.
Cory Fox, FanDuel’s SVP of Public Policy and Sustainability, unveiled the responsible gambling tool during a panel at SBC Summit Americas’ Player Protection Symposium.
The idea behind the tool is that it will combine data with machine learning to analyse and model personalised depositing behaviour of players, and estimate how much it expects an individual to be depositing.
If a player exceeds this projection or deposits an inconsistent amount compared to their established pattern, the Real-Time Check-In will prompt them to review the transaction and give them an option to lower their deposit amount, as well as direct them to other responsible gambling tools on the FanDuel platform.
The new tool sits alongside My Spend, introduced by FanDuel at the close of 2024, which provides a detailed breakdown of deposit and betting activity for customers, as well as encourages them to ..
A group of Brazilian parliamentarians from the so-called “Shared Cabinet” yesterday presented a set of four bills (PL) aimed at restricting the activities of online gaming and betting platforms. The Shared Cabinet brings together politicians from different regions of the country such as Senator Alessandro Vieira (MDB-SE) and federal deputies Camila Jara (PT-MS), Dorinaldo Malafaia (PDT-AP), Duda Salabert (PDT-MG), Duarte Jr (PSB-MA), Pedro Campos (PSB-PE) and Tabata Amaral (PSB-SP).…