CasinoBeats

SOFTSWISS launches tree-planting campaigns for World Environment Day

SOFTSWISS played its part in World Environment Day by launching a series of initiatives to encourage environmental sustainability around its offices in Georgia and Poland.

To celebrate the day dedicated to the environment, which took place on Wednesday June 5, several SOFTSWISS employees took part in local greening projects to enhance their cities’ ecological health.

Andrey Starovoitov, Co-CEO at SOFTSWISS, commented: “By participating in World Environment Day, we aim to draw attention to the critical importance of our planet’s health and inspire collective action among our employees and the wider community.

“Such initiatives are essential in promoting sustainability and fostering a culture of environmental consciousness within the igaming community.”

The igaming provider’s initiatives took place in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital city, and Warsaw, Poland’s capital, with support from local authorities to ensure the campaigns aligned with existing local environmental efforts.

In Tbil..

Read more

Victoria regulator launches inquiry into bingo regulations in Australia

Bingo is set to undertake a regulatory overhaul in Victoria after the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission opened up industry consultations to address issues within the sector.

Hoping to ensure that bingo remains social, safe and fair, the VGCCC has launched a wide-ranging inquiry to industry stakeholders and the general public to deepen its understanding of challenges within bingo as the game format becomes increasingly digitised.

“In recent years, the commercial bingo landscape has modernised, transitioning from traditional paper-based gameplay to electronic enhancements with substantial jackpots,” said Commission Chair, Fran Thorn.

“Given this evolution, it is crucial for us to assess and address issues of fairness, integrity and the potential for gambling harm, particularly among at-risk groups such as seniors, First Nations communities, women and lower-income individuals.”

The commission noted that bingo produced around A$107m in gaming revenue across 2023, sig..

Read more

BGC: Safer Gambling Week continues to be ‘powerful advert’ for RG tools

The Betting and Gaming Council’s CEO and Acting Chair Michael Dugher has highlighted that Safer Gambling Week continues to be a “powerful advert” for player awareness of safer gambling tools.

According to the BGC, figures from Safer Gambling Week 2023 – which ran from November 13 to 19 – showed yearly growth in the number of players setting deposit limits, reality checks, maximum stake limits and increased awareness of the campaign across social media.

The number of deposit limits set during Safer Gambling Week rose by 18 per cent in comparison to the same month in 2022, while 54 per cent of players setting deposit limits did so for the first time.

There was also a 300 per cent increase for the second year in a row in the number of players actively setting a reality check, while the use of maximum stake limits also rose by 300 per cent.

In total, 83,242 unique account holders set deposit limits, which is up by 12.5 per cent in comparison to the previous year.

Across social media ..

Read more

Spelinspektionen targets young adults with gambling awareness campaign

Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling authority, has launched the “With your future as a bet” campaign for young adults, which will highlight the consequences of gambling for money.

Aimed at people aged between 18 and 25 years old, Spelinspektionen stated that the campaign focuses on unhealthy and risky gambling and features language that is “straight and concrete”.

The gambling authority has collaborated with the Swedish Public Health Agency and the Swedish Crown Prosecutor on the campaign “to counteract the negative consequences of gambling for money among young people”.

To help reach young people, the campaign will be visible on digital platforms young people use. There is also a page on Spelinspektionen’s website that offers information to young people about gambling and who they can turn to for help.

Yvonne Hejdenberg, Head of Communications at Spelinspektionen, stated: “Many come into contact with some form of gambling for money via computer games and apps. Through the campa..

Read more

KSA takes ‘major step’ with published amended Responsible Gaming Policy

Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gaming authority, believes it has taken a “major step” towards creating a safer online gambling market with the launch of its amended Responsible Gaming Policy.

The updated policy, published in the Netherlands’ Government Gazette, details a range of adjustments and clarifications, including the obligation for real-time monitoring and financial deposit limits. Changes have also been made to advertising rules.

While most of the amended Responsible Gaming Policy has come into effect as of today following publication in the Government Gazette, the remainder of the policy – such as deposit limits – will be enforced from October 1 due to necessary IT adjustments, recruitment of new employees and preparation time required before implementation.

The initial implementation date was set for May 2024, but the authority pushed this timeframe back to June due to the response period extension given to gaming industry stakeholders to comment on the proposed changes in..

Read more

GambleAware stresses need to avoid disruption with statutory levy

GambleAware has revealed the donations it received across 2023/24 as British betting operators contributed heavily to the charity’s total of £49.5m in voluntary donations.

However, CEO Zoë Osmond has reiterated the message that vital funding for gambling harm prevention and treatment programmes should not be disrupted as services wait for the implementation of the new statutory levy.

Britain’s largest four gambling operators – bet365, Flutter Entertainment, Entain and William Hill – contributed around 94 per cent of the total figure, donating £46.6m to support GambleAware.

This figure from the ‘big four’ represents an increase of £3.1m from the operators’ contributions of £43.5m across 2022/23.

Described as essential funding by the organisation, the donations will aid the organisation in encouraging responsible gambling and player protection with public health campaigns, education and training programmes, harm prevention tools, treatment services and research.

Osmond stated: “..

Read more

Malta strengthens regulatory collaboration with Ontario

The Malta Gaming Authority has entered into a new Memorandum of Understanding with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to bolster their relationship and collaboration regarding gambling regulation.

Both regulators share the same objectives and values regarding the gaming sector, including “protecting the public interest, safeguarding of vulnerable individuals from gambling harm and consumer protection”.

The MGA stated that the new MoU aims to strengthen the collaboration between the two regulators, helping to enable the sharing of vital information and best practices, as well as “mutual operational assistance concerning gaming operators” and create a safer and more secure gaming environment in both jurisdictions.

“Our ongoing collaboration with AGCO has yielded tangible results in the past, and through this MoU, we are committed to further bolstering our inter-jurisdictional relationship,” commented Charles Mizzi, CEO of the MGA.

“Our focus remains on fostering the exchang..

Read more

EGBA believes incoming EU AML rules will benefit online operators

The European Gaming and Betting Association has welcomed the finalisation of the European Union’s new anti-money laundering framework, as the organisation believes the standardised rules and reporting requirements will benefit online gambling operators.

Approved by the European Parliament in April and by the European Council earlier this week, the final step of the EU legislative process, the AML package includes the establishment of the European Anti-Money Laundering Authority, the sixth AML Directive and a new AML regulation.

Based in Frankfurt, the AMLA will have “direct and indirect supervisory powers to ensure compliance with AML requirements, working in tandem with national AML authorities” and will also be “responsible for a large amount of technical and implementing rules that will directly apply to the online gambling sector”.

The sixth AML Directive will contain “national provisions on supervision and the powers of national AML authorities, including their access to requis..

Read more

Flutter launches non-profit Foundation to improve 10 million lives

Flutter Entertainment has unveiled the Flutter Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to meeting the company’s goal of improving 10 million lives by 2030.

Aligning with the operator’s Do More and Positive Impact Plan sustainability campaigns, the Flutter Foundation has established a base in Ceuta, Spain, where it will hope to support social action and generate positive change.

Dan Taylor, CEO of Flutter International, commented: “We are excited to see the start of the Flutter Foundation in Ceuta, and we aim today for this initiative to make a significant difference in communities, starting with Ceuta.”

As Flutter’s first foundation anywhere in the world, the organisation will focus on the community in Ceuta and has formalised two agreements to benefit the area.

These agreements have seen the organisation partner with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Youth to support disadvantaged families and promote gender equality in scientific careers, allocating €80,000 in sc..

Read more

Danish gambling GGR down YoY in April despite online casino growth

Spillemyndigheden, the Danish gambling authority, has reported a year-over-year decline in gross gaming revenue across betting, gaming machines and land-based casinos in April, but an increase in online casino GGR.

Reporting figures for April 2024, the authority stated that GGR amounted to DKK 595m (€79.8m), down from the DKK 640m GGR during the same month last year.

In terms of GGR by sector, online casinos led the way with 45.85 per cent, followed by betting with 32.79 per cent, gaming machines with 16.11 per cent and land-based casinos with 5.26 per cent.

Online casinos in April generated DKK 273m in GGR, up 6.04 per cent from the DKK 257m reported during the same month the previous year.

Within the vertical, gaming machines had the largest share of total GGR at 76.26 per cent, followed by roulette at 7.27 per cent, blackjack at seven per cent, commission at 3.66 per cent, other at 3.17 per cent and bingo at 2.64 per cent.

Spillemyndigheden noted that betting operations in Apr..

Read more