iGamingExpert

The Singapore government has cracked down on illegal gambling by banning over 3,800 illicit websites.

Assessing that the banned websites target Singapore gamblers, the Ministry of Home Affairs has blocked the websites as of 31 December 2024.

Singapore’s Government suggested that the websites may have contributed to more than 145,000 illegal gambling transactions involving the Singapore public, amounting to approximately SGD$37m (£22m).

“These blocking measures have impeded access to illegal online gambling to some extent,” a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs read.

“However, this approach is clearly not foolproof as illegal operators can easily create new websites, and we do not have the ability to know of every gambling website.

“We encourage members of the public to report illegal gambling websites, apps, and advertisements, as well as bank accounts used by illegal gambling operators, to the police.”

The Government body also responded to a question from a Mr Yip Hon..

A study by iGamingAfrika and Sharp Vision has revealed a surge of betting engagement from young players in Kenya.

Seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the African gambling market and trends amongst players in the region, the study detailed that more than 70% of players utilised mobile as their preferred platform.

This comes as networks and connections in Africa have improved significantly in recent years – a major contribution to the potential growth of the gaming industry and elevating engagement from players in the region.

As well as this it was found that the younger generation of players are embracing gambling products with 50% of 18 to 35 year-olds stating that they had played some form of gambling in the past year.

Angela Mwelu Senior Vice President of Business Development Africa stated that the results mark “a transformative shift in the Kenya gambling landscape”, she emphasised that the trend needs to be harnessed to implement safer gambling protections and protect..

Hub88 Head of Sales Natasha Giorgio, sat down with SBC Leaders to analyse the current state of the igaming market and why the role of payment options is crucial to the industry’s next evolution.

She also emphasised the importance of streamlining the onboarding process for igaming customers at a time when the market is becoming increasingly competitive.

What are the key issues facing operators in the iGaming sector?

The iGaming sector faces several significant challenges. One major issue is inconsistent rules and regulations across different regions.

In some territories, the legality of gambling is heavily restricted, which naturally makes it difficult for operators to plan long-term strategies or even to comply with the law consistently. Another challenge is responsible gaming requirements, especially concerning younger audiences who may be turning to other forms of entertainment. The onboarding process for iGaming platforms is often cumbersome, which can deter new customers.
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Greentube Alderney Limited has been ordered to pay £1m by the UK Gambling Commission after an investigation highlighted social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.

In a statement on its website, the UKGC detailed that Greentube Alderney, trading as Admiral Casino, will pay the £1m to socially responsible causes as part of a settlement agreement.

Listed social responsibility failures by the operator included not fully implementing: policy for ensuring customer limits are based on regular, sustainable income instead of one-off or irregular forms of income; processes to ensure customers provided genuine documents; and controls to spot indicators of vulnerability or potential harm promptly.

For the latter, the Commission provided an example in which a customer “supplied a bank statement as proof of address that had a negative opening and closing balance and included numerous transactions to another gambling operator, but the information was not reviewed or escalated until..

From January 1, 2025, Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s Gambling Inspectorate, will implement new fees and rules to oversee licensed businesses under the Swedish Gambling Act 2018.

The updated framework broadens the scope of gambling fees to include supervising licenses and permits issued to B2B gambling software providers. In 2022, the Swedish government decided to impose B2B license requirements on software providers serving Swedish online gambling operators. This measure, recommended by the Ministry of Finance, aims to enhance regulatory oversight.

As of July 1, 2023, Spelinspektionen introduced a fee of SEK 120,000 (€12,000) for individual software provider licenses to cover inspection costs. To ensure fairness, the Inspectorate expanded its fee structure, detailing payment terms so that all licensed entities contribute equitably to regulatory oversight.

The new fee system categorizes payments based on license type or permit, and sometimes business turnover. B2B software providers must..

GambleAware Chief Executive Zoë Osmond has was named in the New Year Honours List of appointments made by King Charles III.

Given for exemplary services in tackling and treating problem gambling harms and addiction, Osmond was given an Order of the British Empire (OBE), in a significant testament to her work in the sector.

Following the news, Osmond thanked all organisations and stakeholders supporting GambleAware in combating gambling harms across local communities:

“I am deeply humbled and honoured to receive this OBE. This is recognition of the tireless efforts of the whole team at GambleAware, our partners, and the wider lived experience community who have shared their personal stories and insights with the hope of reducing gambling-related harm across Great Britain.”

Osmond has served as CEO of GambleAware since 2021, overseeing the charity’s transformation and the expansion of a new national strategy to reduce gambling harms.

As CEO, Osmond has overseen GambleAware’s develo..

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), has emphasised the importance of collaboration as the financial and banking sector strengthens safeguards against problem gambling.

The group’s CEO, Anne-Marie Caufield lauded the potential impact of a voluntary block feature on gambling transactions introduced by AIB and EBS, two of the biggest banks in the Republic of Ireland.

It’s a step that comes off the back of research from Ireland’s Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), which detailed that the average spend by people experiencing gambling harm is €1,000.

Caufield stated: “We welcome the introduction by AIB and EBS of a voluntary block feature on debit and credit card transactions which are classified as linked to gambling. Revolut also gives customers the ability to implement a gambling block on their account.

“We are engaging with the Banking Payments Federation of Ireland (BPFI) and directly with pillar banks to encourage other financial institutions to intro..

With the growth of the increased use of free spins, promotional bonuses and introductory offers being utilised by operators in a bid to boost new player sign ups, operators also unwittingly incentivise fraud from bonus abusers.

Fraudsters use fake and synthetic identities plus different devices to create multiple accounts across iGaming platforms, exploiting offers aimed at new players and cheating the system of promotional giveaways.

A recent edition of the SBC Webinar series saw host Rebekah Jackson, Director of Gaming at GBG, joined by a team of experts to analyse the most impactful strategy to combating bonus abusers.

Speaking on the panel, Lance McIntosh, Head of Compliance at Playstar Casino, stated that bonus abuse should not be seen as the price of doing business, but that it is very much a problem in the industry.

As the practice continues to grow, he emphasised that it is costing operators ‘time, money and resources’ to combat, describing the inherent acceptance of bonus..

The UK Gambling Commission has announced a full review into Evolution‘s UK operating licence, according to a statement from the igaming giant.

The decision follows allegations that Evolution games were found in the UK on operator websites that didn’t hold a commission licence, leading to a review being commenced under Section 116 of the Gambling Act.

The supplier issued the following statement: “Evolution is cooperating fully with the Commission and has taken requested immediate actions to remedy the situation.

“Games on the identified websites not holding a Commission license have been made unavailable from the UK. Evolution continues to actively work with the Commission to resolve this matter.”

Martin Carlesund, CEO of Evolution, also commented on the UKGC review, noting that the supplier is committed to supporting the licensed UK market, which generates around 3% of its revenue.

“Evolution embraces the objectives of the review by the Commission,” stated Carlesund.

“We are comm..

As we enter into the festive period, GamCare has urged caution when it comes to gambling engagement and for safeguards to be strengthened for players.

The message comes after a YouGov survey, commissioned by the gambling charity, identified that 59% of those at most at risk of gambling harms say they are more likely to gamble around the Christmas Holidays than the rest of year – a 37% increase from 2023.

Additional insights from the survey details that 53% of people gambling at harmful levels have spent money – otherwise needed for food, presents, or other seasonal expenses – on gambling.

Furthermore, 53% of surveyed respondents reported an increase in stress or anxiety levels due to gambling, while 56% say that gambling has made them more isolated.

GamCare has put its own advisers on standby to help anyone who might need support during the holidays, and its National Gambling Helpline remains open for people with gambling issues or those close to them who might be suffering indi..