A.J. Koehn - Player Protection Hub

Opinion: Big Tech faces ‘architecture fallout’ as EU wants algorithmic accountability

A.J. KoehnApril 10, 20260153 views

In 2026 and beyond, the EU and its regulatory bodies will prioritise “safety by design” of online environments. Legal expert Claire Pinson-Bessonnet anticipates an inevitable collision with Big Tech over its doctrine of “algorithmic control.”

It is long established that Brussels will not follow US courts with regards to the European Union’s (EU) governance of tech giants.

Yet in both continents, sensitivities are rising on the accountability of tech’s biggest platforms to manage their online environments and keep audiences safe from growing risks and harmful content.

Claire Pinson-Bessonnet

In 2026, political attention will turn to the architecture and design of environments brought in by the biggest tech firms, in which liabilities point towards an unavoidable confrontation.

Whether in Brussels or Washington, regulators are beginning to probe the protections offered by tech giants of audiences on their platforms, and how consumer engagements are determined by algorithms designe..

OHID commits £12m funding for local councils to reduce gambling harms

A.J. KoehnApril 10, 20260119 views

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has disclosed the funding allocation it will distribute to local councils across England to support efforts to reduce gambling-related harms.

Booked on 2026–2027 accounts, OHID plans to distribute £12m in dedicated funding to upper-tier local councils in England. Councils have also been informed that OHID has reserved an additional £12m in funding which will be allocated for the 2027–2028 period.

Funding for local councils to reduce gambling harms is fully guaranteed by the New Statutory Levy on gambling licences. Since April 2025, OHID has taken its guardianship, overseeing the prevention and treatment of problem gambling across England.

The direct funding of councils via the statutory levy system underscores a shift to a centralised system led by the NHS, moving away from the previous voluntary framework under GambleAware.

In support of the new system, local councils must complete two mandatory requirements to secure the al..

OHID reveals first recipients of £25m gambling harm prevention grants

A.J. KoehnApril 8, 20260145 views

The OHID has published its first list of grants under the new statutory levy system, providing a clear contrast from the funding allocation of third parties previously led by GambleAware.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has revealed the full list of the gambling harm prevention organisations awarded funding from the new statutory levy system.

Notable names on the list include Gamcare, Gambling Harm UK, BetBlocker, and YGAM, along with a number of other national and local organisations including charities, independent bodies, trusts, and others.

OHID is one of the three key levy funding decision makers under the new system, tasked with overseeing the direction of prevention funds – around 30% of the overall levy, or £25,441,281 in total.

The remaining 70% of statutory levy funds are divided between NHS England and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). NHS England oversees the 50% allocated to treatment and UKRI oversees the 20% allocated for research.

This is ..

Labor breaks AUS gambling-ads deadlock for big reset in 2027

A.J. KoehnApril 2, 20260156 views

This morning, PM Anthony Albanese declared that Australia will implement “strong and decisive actions” to curb gambling advertising and protect young and vulnerable audiences.

A matter that has dogged Albanese tenure as PM since 2023, is resolved as the Labor government has committed to back five measures aimed at a ‘drastic reduction of exposure’ of gambling ads to the Australian public.

Beginning 1 January 2027, the government will restrict “gambling advertising on broadcast television to no more than three ads per hour between 6am and 8.30pm, alongside a full ban on such advertising during live sports broadcasts within those hours.”

The headline reform directly targets what gambling reformists describe as the “normalisation loop” between sport and betting — an issue that has driven a nationwide campaign calling for federal intervention.

Labor’s reset is built around five core restrictions that redefine how, where and to whom gambling marketing can be shown:

Broadcast TV limits:..

Comment: New Steven Gerrard gambling deal raises black market questions

A.J. KoehnApril 2, 20260159 views

Another day, another dollar for a well-known UK footballer who signs to promote a betting company that’s definitely not supposed to target UK consumers.

With Michael Owen having a Punt Casino partnership on his record, and Teddy Sheringham doing the same with 8xBet, this time around the star of the show is Steven Gerrad – a prominent figure in Liverpool FC’s history.

Gerrard, who lifted the 2004 Champions League trophy with Liverpool, was just announced as the latest brand ambassador of a gambling operator that close to no one in the UK would have heard of, We88.

Not to be confused with W88, the sponsor of Sunderland FC, which is another cog in what has become a major trend of Asia-facing brands not licensed in the UK prominently sponsoring UK-related football clubs and footballers.

Just like W88, We88 is not licensed by the Gambling Commission. Instead, it holds an Anjouan license and is owned by MockingBird Technologies Pte. Ltd. As such, the brand is most definitely made to cate..

GambleAware closes: a legacy of innovation undone by political naivety

A.J. KoehnApril 1, 20260160 views

For UK gambling, Wednesday 1 April 2026 will be the most transformative and impactful date for all stakeholders. It is also one which will likely overshadow another hugely significant moment for the industry which occurred today.

Tomorrow, HM Treasury activates the increase in Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) from 21% to 40%. The hike is widely seen as the most consequential outcome of decades of regulatory changes brought by the Gambling Act review.

Today, another generational change occurred. As of today (31 March), GambleAware has ceased operations entirely, bringing to an end its 20-year existence.

Since 2018, GambleAware has served as the chief commissioning charity for the treatment, prevention and research of gambling harms.

April 2026… Grim times for everyone

From 1 April, operators will be forced to navigate the ice-thin margins of the “40% era”. The financial burden this will have on operators large and small has been widely discussed, and budget cutbacks are widely anticipated..

Policymakers move to tighten SG rules as NZ bill heads to third reading

A.J. KoehnMarch 31, 20260136 views

Community calls in New Zealand led by an opposition MP to ensure that comprehensive player safety measures are included in the country’s new gambling bill were addressed during today’s reading.

Lemauga Lydia Sosene, a Labour politician and the party’s spokesperson, has become a key figure in campaigning for community returns to be prominently featured in New Zealand’s online gambling legislation.

Sosene, together with the community groups she represented, achieved success on that front late last year when the government agreed to include a mandatory 4% levy on online casino profits to be invested back into the public – with a following revision whether that rate should be put up.

Now, the Labour MP seems to have scored another win as her campaigning to ensure that sufficient steps are taken to minimise gambling harm appears to have contributed to the New Zealand government giving this extra attention in the upcoming bill, which passed the second-to-last-parliamentary stage today.

T..

EGBA brings Brussels’ attention to rampant offshore gambling

A.J. KoehnMarch 27, 20260166 views

Europe’s gambling sector is actively participating in the European Commission’s (EC) action to take down online fraud across the continent.

At the start of the year, the EC began the development of an action plan that would unlock a stronger cross-border collaboration between member states in the fight against online organised crime.

To construct a comprehensive strategy, the EC invited interested parties to submit feedback and best practices of countering fraud schemes, which also includes gambling stakeholders that have been pushing back against the black market for years.

As a representative of that sector, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) responded to the EC’s call for feedback by highlighting the dangers of illegal gambling providers preying on unsuspecting players by posing as licensed operators.

To back its claim, EGBA’s supporting evidence included examples of websites using domain names that closely resemble those of legitimate operators, abusing the rep..

KSC to investigate partnership between Eden Hazard and unlicensed Stake

A.J. KoehnMarch 19, 20260153 views

Kansspelcommissie (KSC), the Belgian Gambling Commission, has reportedly opened an investigation into one of its greatest-ever footballers in Eden Hazard after he became a global brand ambassador for Stake.

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid winger signed a partnership with the Easygo-owned business last week, which initially raised eyebrows as Stake is not licensed in Belgium.

The KSC is set to keep a close eye on how the deal unfolds, as advertising illegal gambling services to people in Belgium is banned.

If the advertising campaign is deemed to be targeting a Belgian audience, Hazard could face legal prosecution, including an administrative fine which could potentially be as much as €700,000 (£605,000)

“We are going to investigate to what extent that advertising is targeted at people in Belgium, because that is of course prohibited,” Stefaan Savenberg, a KSC spokesperson, confirmed to Belgian news outlet VTM NIEUWS.

“Mr Hazard has many Belgian followers on his Instagram pag..

GamCare warns of gambling debt crisis amid another push for reforms

A.J. KoehnMarch 18, 20260141 views

More people than ever in the UK are seeking financial guidance following gambling losses, according to new data from GamCare and PayPlan.

Debt provider PayPlan reported record demand in January 2026, with 21,000 contacts across the month – a 22% year-on-year increase – as specialists flagged a growing link between debt and gambling harm.

Publication of the results comes amid political pressure mounting on the UK gaming sector once again, with MPs like Dawn Butler of the Labour Party focusing heavily on the industry’s societal impact and effect on vulnerable people.

Butler is leading a campaign for the government to scrap the ‘Aim to Permit’ rule around retail licensing, taking particular aim at Adult Gaming Centres. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Gambling Reform is also calling for another review of betting legislation, despite the last one having only concluded in 2023.

Growing demand

Meanwhile, GamCare revealed that the number of people using its Money Guidance Serv..