iGaming Daily’s “Road to Lisbon” series continues today, with SBC Media Manager and host Charlie Horner joined by Pedro Romero, Chief of Safer Gambling Partnerships at Betblocker. They explore Pedro’s research into psychedelic drug treatment for gambling addiction, as well as exploring ways to prevent gambling harm. Listen to this episode to find out: To…
Fresh experimental research led by Professor Patrick Sturgis has shed light on why gambling surveys see varying levels of participation and generate differing estimates of problem gambling.
The news arrives just weeks after the Gambling Commission (UKGC) pledged to strengthen confidence in the outputs of its new Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) – a study that looks to determine the extent of gambling harm in the UK.
The study’s main output is determining how many Britons can be considered suffering from problem gambling, based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), which their responses to survey questions are assessed against.
The GSGB, launched this summer, has already drawn comparisons with the Health Survey for England (HSE) and Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS), which have both been used to inform policy decisions around gambling harm in the past.
The new research shows that design choices in surveys – from how invitations are worded to whether questions are asked by an interviewer – play a major role in shaping the results.
Why survey mode matters
The study found that explicitly mentioning gambling in an invitation did not affect how many people responded overall, but did attract more people with a personal interest in gambling, resulting in a four-point increase in reported participation.
Meanwhile, when it came to PGSI scores, this effect was smaller at 1.8 points and not statistically significant.
A bigger difference appeared when interview style was tested. Participants completing surveys online were almost 50% more likely to score one or above on the PGSI compared to those answering questions over the phone, underlining how people tend to under-report sensitive behaviour when speaking to an interviewer.
Updating the list of gambling products to reflect new market entries, however, had little to no impact on results.
Ben Haden, Director of Research and Policy at the UKGC, said: “The research builds our confidence in the outputs of GSGB, helps to understand the differences between surveys published on gambling and will improve our guidance for users.”
He stressed that no single study can ever definitively measure participation or harm, but that the regulator will continue to refine the GSGB, expand its use of datasets, and work with other survey providers to build a rounded evidence base.
Next steps for Commission guidance
Professor Sturgis emphasised the experimental design means “strong causal conclusions” can be drawn about the reasons for wide variability across gambling surveys, while noting that no single piece of research can provide the “true” value of participation or harm rates.
The Commission has been advised to update its guidance on interpreting GSGB results to better explain the differences with health surveys such as the HSE and APMS.
The regulator has confirmed that this update will be part of its ongoing improvement programme as it looks ahead to the second annual GSGB report, due for release on 2 October 2025.
With gambling harms still central to the White Paper reforms and under scrutiny in Westminster, the Commission has said it is keen to ensure the GSGB provides the most reliable picture yet of British gambling behaviours.
This data could prove critical as the debate around gambling regulation and the industry’s societal impact remains as heated as ever. Although the government seems committed to seeing out the recommendations of the Gambling Act review, it is facing calls for another regulatory overhaul from a large group of backbench MPs and local governments.
In today’s episode of iGaming Daily, SBC Media Manager Fernando Noodt is joined by Joe Streeter, Editor of iGaming Expert, and Ana Maria Menezes, Business Journalist for SBC Noticias, to discuss the industry’s latest crackdown on influencer marketing. Tune in to find out: Could these influencers learn a thing or two from Kim Kardashian? Host:…
The Rio de Janeiro police force launched “Desfortuna Operation” carried out by the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro this Thursday, the 7th, already has influencers in its list of targets in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais. The operation focuses on criminal schemes involving the promotion of illegal online gambling. A total…
Brazil is gearing up for a major regulatory shift as the Ministry of Finance finalises the National Betting System (SINAPO) – a new central hub designed to bring all betting operators under one roof.
Built by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA), the platform looks to unify oversight at both federal and state levels, giving regulators and consumers a clearer picture of which firms are playing by the rules.
The creation of a public register of licensed companies remains at the heart of the reform. Published on the SPA’s website, the list will make it easier for punters to see which operators are legitimate, while giving approved brands valuable benefits.
From smoother bank account openings to legal advertising and app store inclusion, the move is designed to make life easier for compliant operators, but harder for those outside the system.
More than just a name on the list
Perhaps the biggest lure for operators is the opportunity to use a bet.br domain – a digital stamp that signals full SINAPO approval. Securing it means going through NIC.br, clearing legal checks with state or district authorities, and getting the green light from the SPA.
To get through the door, operators have to meet every requirement in Law No. 14,790/2023. They must also plug into Brazil’s anti-money laundering network, Siscoaf, use geolocation to keep betting inside authorised borders, and have all systems approved by testing labs.
Tightening the net on ownership
The SPA has also detailed plans to dig deeper into who really owns Brazil’s betting brands. Under SINAPO, operators will need to disclose their entire corporate chain, from holding companies to individual shareholders.
This is aimed at stopping the same group from picking up multiple concessions across different states – a restriction rooted in Law No. 13,756/2018.
Ongoing shifts
Since Brazil’s regulated betting market officially launched on 1 January 2025, the scene has been moving fast. Lawmakers are already looking at additional measures that would affect both operators and players.
Last week, Senator Humberto Costa proposed raising the legal betting age from 18 to 21 and capping monthly deposits to the equivalent of one minimum wage, while allowing the Ministry of Finance to set extra daily or weekly limits.
The proposal also targets advertising, aiming to restrict betting promotions between 6am and 10pm, ban sponsorship of public sports, cultural or festival events, and stop all marketing aimed at under-21s.
Costa says these measures are intended to protect vulnerable players, citing cases where gambling has caused serious social harm and even diverted funds from essentials like tuition and daily living.
These steps build on earlier rules introduced since the market rollout, including bans on influencer or athlete endorsements, in-stadium ads and live sports betting promotions.
Brazil’s betting scene is expanding quickly, but regulators seem to be acting just as fast to make sure growth happens responsibly.
Ohio lawmakers are studying whether to ban or introduce restrictions on micro-betting, according to ESPN. While the proposed rules are mainly a response to the baseball betting scandal involving Cleveland Guardians, our interest here is not just sporting integrity but responsible gambling. A question of definition: It has been argued that micro-betting is just in-play…
TonyBet has received a warning from the Netherlands Gambling Authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), after the operator listed betting markets on the winner of the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Boot.
Under Dutch law, such wagers are prohibited because they are decided by votes or jury verdicts rather than by measurable sporting performance during official competitions.
In the Netherlands, the law states licensed sportsbooks can only offer bets on official sports events organised by trusted national or international groups, and only when the results are based on a clear and checkable performance.
The authority made it clear in its statement that awards off the field fall outside of these parameters.
The response
TonyBet confirmed that no bets had been placed on the offending markets before they were removed, and has promised to tighten controls over its sportsbook content to prevent similar breaches in the future.
While the KSA has decided to issue a warning on this occasion, it reiterated that licensees are fully responsible for every betting option available on their platforms, even when those markets are supplied by third-party providers.
The warning to TonyBet comes amid a sustained period of heightened enforcement from the KSA.
Starting 1 January 2025, the organisation implemented a new ‘General Policy of Fines’ to govern Dutch gambling licences. The fine structure was organised into five categories, with basic penalties ranging from €500 (£430) for Category 1 violations up to €2m (£1.7m) for the most serious offences in Category Five.
As the KSA explained: “The New General Policy of Fines aims to ensure penalties are appropriate and serve as punitive and preventive measures. It seeks to deter violations and promote compliance with gambling regulations.”
KSA flags gambling tax concerns
The latest enforcement work is unfolding against the backdrop of mounting financial pressure on the regulated Dutch betting market. The regulator has just warned that January’s rise in gambling tax from 30.5% to 34.2% is hurting the country.
A new impact assessment shows gross gaming revenue falling across both online and land-based sectors, leading to lower tax receipts instead of the expected boost.
KSA Chair Michel Groothuizen cautioned that weakening the financial position of licensed operators undermines long-term player protection. With another hike to 37.8% due next year, the authority is looking for a rethink on certain policies.
New beginnings
In other news, this week the KSA has appointed Marjolein Hoogland, Chief Attorney General of the Dutch Court of Appeal, and Erasmus University Professor Ingmar Franken to its Objections Advisory Committee – which reviews licensee appeals.
They join President Anita Vegter, two existing members, and three independent Chairs at a time when the panel’s workload is expected to grow as new KOA reforms, tighter marketing rules and player protection measures reshape the Dutch market.
Online bookmaker QuestBet has been fined AU$80,000 (£39k) in the state of Victoria for accepting bets from a “distressed customer”.
Suzy Neilan, CEO of the Victoria Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC), personally addressed the operator, calling the culture it exhibits of non-compliance with safer gambling standards “concerning”.
“Our investigation of QuestBet’s practices found the bookmaker failed to have in place adequate systems to protect individuals identifiably at risk of gambling harm.
“Minimising gambling harm is an obligation every operator holds – including bookmakers – who must monitor customer wellbeing and intervene if they observe signs of distress.
“This substantial penalty demonstrates the seriousness of the bookmaker’s failure to meet its legal and moral obligations.”
The investigation was launched after the customer themselves submitted a signal to the VGCCC, complaining about the operator allowing them to bet even after suffering significant losses.
“We found that between April and June 2023, the customer contacted QuestBet more than 20 times to request additional credits and bonus bets. On six occasions, they mentioned having experienced several large losses,” Neilan added.
“This was a clear sign that the customer was struggling. A sign that QuestBet chose to ignore, instead encouraging and enabling the customer to keep gambling with the aid of bonus bets in five of the six occasions.
“Consequently, the customer lost about $15k over two months.”
Staff of gambling operators must provide assistance to customers facing negative consequences from gambling.
Australia law mandates that when there are signs of gambling harm, operators are obligated to inform players of the various problem gambling prevention tools available to them. In QuestBet’s case, the VGCCC said this was not done.
“QuestBet suggested none of these, thereby breaching the Victorian Bookmakers’ Association Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct and causing further distress to the customer.
“Nor did the bookmaker formally respond to our request for an explanation for its lack of care or a reason not to be sanctioned, despite requesting, and being granted, several extensions to do so.”
The topic of problem gambling is usually very sensitive, particularly right now in Australia where reports come out one after another about the cost that the problem incurs on the economy.
In 2023, the Victoria government estimated that gambling had cost the state $14.1bn in social harm in the year prior.
French authorities will adopt new enforcement tools to fight corruption in sports, as new legislation classifies match fixing as an organised crime…
The government of France has classified match-fixing in sports as seriously as organised crime under new amendments included in its law to fight drug trafficking and corruption activities undertaken with proceeds linked or related to drug dealing.
An amendment added in January as part of a bill targeting drug trafficking reclassified match-fixing from a minor offense to a serious crime. The law was approved on 13 June and cases will now be handled by specialised inter-jurisdictional courts (JIRS) that deal with complex criminal matters to enable deeper investigations into corruption in sport.
The law also grants investigators new enforcement tools such as wiretaps, hidden microphones, surveillance, undercover operations and prolonged detention periods. These were previously reserved for cases like drug trafficking, human trafficking and large-scale fraud.
Those convicted of match-fixing in France can now face up to 10 years in prison and fines reaching €1m.
The new measures cover corrupt activities undertaken by private citizens in a context of “passive bribery committed by a participant in a sporting event or horserace where bets are taken, and active bribery committed by a private individual in the direction of such a person”.
They are supported by the regulator Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) systems that record all wagering data to detect atypical bets and unusual odds. As part of the framework, ANJ can decide to ban betting on a competition if there are major indications of manipulation.
ANJ’s anti-match fixing monitoring and training teams meet every six weeks and its teams also train young athletes, magistrates and civil servants to assist them in identifying and detecting cases of sporting fraud linked to betting.
GamCare is preparing to leave its long-standing Holborn base for a new London headquarters later this month, signalling both a physical and strategic shift for the UK’s leading gambling harm support charity.
On 26 August, the charity will open at Salisbury House, Finsbury Circus. The current Saffron Hill site will operate until 22 August, with GamCare confirming no change to contact details and no disruption to services.
A spokesperson said that the relocation will provide “a vibrant, collaborative hub” to support its evolving way of working.
“We’re excited about this new chapter. The new office will give us the space and flexibility to continue innovating and supporting those who need us.”
Strategic shifts
The move coincides with a reconfiguration of GamCare’s programme portfolio.
For example, in July, the charity announced the wind-down of its Young People’s Programme by October 2025, an initiative that has delivered gambling harm education to under 18s.
GamCare did however confirm a new focus towards its Youth Advisory Board “to ensure young people’s voices continue to inform our work”.
Meanwhile, the charity has also launched an external review of its Women’s Pathway Programme, which began in 2024 to improve access to help for women going through negative effects of gambling.
“Fundamental to our approach is understanding the role that building women’s self-confidence/self-esteem, de-stigmatising gambling harm and improving health literacy plays in enabling women to access the services and support that they need,” the firm asserted.
Funding future
The relocation comes as GamCare awaits details on how the new statutory problem gambling levy will be distributed. Introduced on 6 April 2025, the levy replaces the voluntary funding system overseen by GambleAware, which will close by March 2026.
In response to GambleAware’s exit, GamCare stated: “GamCare thanks GambleAware for their leadership and contribution to the sector over many years.
“Under the voluntary funding system, their work has enabled the development and delivery of critical services – including GamCare’s National Gambling Helpline and the National Gambling Support Network.”
The charity said it will soon meet with NHS England, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and regional governments to make sure funding changes happen smoothly and services keep running.