In this episode of iGaming Daily, brought to you by Optimove, hosts Ted Menmuir and Ted Orme-Claye, dissect the decision by GambleAware’s board of trustees to wind down operations, signaling a complete closure by March 2026. As a long-standing pillar in the UK’s gambling harm prevention ecosystem, GambleAware’s exit marks a transformative shift in how…
In this episode of iGaming Daily, brought to you by Optimove, Jessica Welman and Charlie Horner, delve into the legal battle surrounding the National US Gambling Support Hotline, 1-800-GAMBLER. At stake is the continued operation of a lifeline for countless Americans struggling with gambling addiction. Managed by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), the…
As an election approaches in the Netherlands, gambling is shaping up to be a major talking point for winning the electorate over.
Parties are already putting out their election plans ahead of the October vote, with one of them being centre-right VVD.
Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius/VVD
Led by Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, the party has embedded a promise into its manifesto to increase the powers of Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) – the Dutch gambling authority.
By doing so, the VVD hopes to achieve a more effective approach towards reducing rates of online gambling harm, as well as stricter control over the market and better results when combatting illegal iGaming providers.
Cited by Casinonieuws.nl, the manifesto read: “Online gambling: We are reforming the Remote Gambling Act to combat gambling addiction.
“We give the Gaming Authority more powers to supervise online gambling providers and take enforcement action.
“In consultation with other European member states, there must also be a creative approach to combat illegal gambling companies that is in line with the approach to criminal networks.”
The above falls in line not only with common European interests against the black market, but also with a number of other developments relating to online gambling in the Netherlands.
Legal Protections Secretary Teun Struycken is currently spearheading a list of Remote Gambling Act 2021 (KOA) reforms that already foresee the gambling regulator becoming equipped with more powers. VVD now promises to expedite this process.
The party’s focus on gambling is most likely driven by continuous warnings from the sector that the black market has now reached a concerning size which threatens Dutch consumers.
At the most recent Gaming in Holland conference, Arjan Blok, CEO of the Dutch state lottery, stated that 25% of customers are engaging with unlicensed operators, leading to a loss of €1.3bn.
VVD has clearly heard these concerns. Its manifesto to tackle the black market carries proper weight due to the party’s size. It was one of the four-party coalition governments that fell apart earlier this year, which led to new elections being scheduled for 29 October.
September 15 will see SBC organise a ground breaking charity football event in Lisbon. Make sure you get the chance to see some of the most legendary names in football by securing your ticket today at https://www.legendscharitygame.com/
The Dutch Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) gambling regulator has cautioned the market that “there is still room for improvement’ regarding adherence to anti-money laundering duties.
After an investigation into three unnamed licensed gaming companies, the KSA determined that all three had violated the terms of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Prevention) Act (Wwft).
Under the Wwft, licensed gaming firms – which hold Dutch licences under the October 2021 KOA Act regulatory regime – are required to monitor player transactions and report unusual transactions to the country’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
After assessing documents such as player files, internal documents on Wwft policy and risk assessments, it seems that the KSA was not satisfied that the three companies in question were meeting these requirements.
The regulator signed off its latest statement with a warning – it has cautioned over licence holders in the Dutch marketplace that subsequent inspections reveal further failures to adhere to AML standards, more severe sanctions like penalties or fines may be imposed.
Dutch gambling feels the pressure
The KSA’s revelation comes amid rising political pressure on the country’s betting and gaming industry, which has grown exponentially since re-regulation in October 2021 under the aforementioned KOA Act.
An initial marketplace of 10 licence holders has since grown to more than 30, and KSA reprimands and at times penalisation of operators for breaching conditions around AML, player protection or advertising are not uncommon.
Advertising in particular has become a contentious issue, with a total ban on sponsorships coming into play in July this year, following on from a ban on the use of ‘role models’ in advertising in 2023.
Many policymakers were concerned that a ‘bombardment’ of advertising in the years after market launch was having negative societal impacts. Figures from the national self-exclusion register, CRUKS, may have partly contributed to this view.
The latest figures, as revealed by CasinoNieuws.nl, show that more than 100,000 people have now self-excluded from the Dutch market. This includes a rising number of people opting for long-term self-exclusion instead of the shortest possible period possible, six months.
Though political pressure on the Dutch market may have temporarily paused ahead of the general election scheduled in October, politicians seem firmly committed to overseeing regulatory reforms, with a particular focus on preventing consumers aged-24 and under from compulsive gambling.
GambleAware has announced that it has begun the process to manage its planned closure by 31 March 2026, due to the UK health ecosystem transitioning to a new statutory framework to combat gambling-related harms.
The decision was formally confirmed by Andy Boucher, Chair of Trustees, who stated that the charity had fulfilled its duties in preparing the UK’s gambling support network to transition to a new public health-led system, managed by NHS commissioners across England, Scotland and Wales.
“The introduction of the new statutory levy and the appointment of the three new commissioners for gambling harms research, prevention and treatment means that, as expected, the work historically delivered by GambleAware will now transition to the UK government,” Boucher said.
“We have advocated for this statutory system for many years and are proud of our contribution to its implementation.”
Since 2017, GambleAware has played a central role in building a harm-reduction system through its commissioning of prevention, treatment and support services, including the National Gambling Support Network (NGSN).
At the close of 2023, DCMS chose the NHS as the lead commissioner for gambling harm services, overseeing the statutory levy under a new framework developed in partnership with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) as commission of treatment support.
The decision was made to ensure that the statutory levy and the wider gambling harms support network would operate independently of influence from the gambling sector — a long-standing criticism directed at GambleAware throughout its existence, and one which the charity consistently refuted.
According to Boucher, GambleAware’s programmes have supported tens of thousands of people annually, while national prevention campaigns have provided tools and advice to millions.
While preparing to close, GambleAware will continue to honour its commissioning agreements through to April 2026 to ensure continuity of services and stability for beneficiaries.
“Our main priority continues to be keeping people safe from gambling harm. The GambleAware website and critical prevention resources will remain available to ensure support remains accessible throughout the transition,” Boucher noted.
“Since 2017, GambleAware has championed the development of a statutory, public health-led system to address gambling harm. We welcome this new era in which gambling harms are recognised alongside other public health issues and are funded through a statutory levy.
GambleAware’s closure was acknowledged by Baroness Twycross, Minister for Gambling, who paid tribute to its legacy of expanding dedicated gambling harm support services within UK communities
“GambleAware and others across the third sector, including the National Gambling Support Network, have worked with tireless commitment over the years. As the new statutory gambling levy system comes into effect, managing a smooth and stable transition is an absolute priority.”
Twycross reiterated that the government would ensure continuity and seek to expand efforts to treat and reduce gambling harms under the new statutory system, which will be funded through a mandatory levy on gambling operators.
“As the new statutory gambling levy system comes into effect, managing a smooth and stable transition is an absolute priority, and we are taking significant steps to maintain service provision.
“The new levy system will build on the successes of the current system to improve and expand efforts to further understand, tackle and treat harmful gambling.
“I want to thank GambleAware and all their staff for their efforts to support those in need across our country.”
The news marks a significant turning point in UK gambling policy, with the statutory levy replacing the previous voluntary funding model and establishing a more centralised public health approach to tackling gambling harms.
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September 15 will see SBC organise a ground breaking charity football event in Lisbon. Make sure you get the chance to see some of the most legendary names in football by securing your ticket today at https://www.legendscharitygame.com/
GamCare seeks a qualified partner to evaluate the work and strategic progress of its “Women’s Pathway Programme” (WP Programme).
The gambling harms intervention, treatment and support charity has initiated a tender to review the WP Programme’s effectiveness with regards to breaking barriers that “prevent women from seeking help for gambling harms” and to provide further guidance on the programme’s development and strategic planning.
A headline project, the WP Programme was established in 2024 as a three-year mandate to help GamCare provide dedicated pathways for women in local communities to seek help from gambling harms, whether individually suffering or impacted by someone else’s behaviour.
GamCare views Women’s Pathways as an essential component to improving the support of the National Gambling Helpline and further enhancing treatment support services, resources and staff training.
As cited: “Fundamental to our approach is understanding the role that building women’s self-confidence/self-esteem, destigmatising gambling harm and improving health literacy plays in enabling women to access the services and support that they need.”
The impact evaluation will assess the effectiveness of the WPP in empowering women and reducing both individual and systemic barriers to help-seeking. Core evaluation questions will include:
How the programme enhances women’s confidence and decision-making regarding gambling harm.
The extent to which the programme has reduced stigma as a barrier to support.
The impact on help-seeking behaviour and accessibility of support services.
Milestones in women’s empowerment and destigmatisation during the funding cycle.
Recommendations for future development and scaling.
The scope of work will require the successful evaluator to develop a comprehensive evaluation plan outlining methodology, data collection tools and delivery timelines.
Evaluators will be responsible for analysing the findings and producing both interim and final impact evaluation reports. Findings will be presented to GamCare’s internal team and key stakeholders to inform ongoing strategic planning.
Tender submissions must include a cover letter detailing the applicant’s experience in conducting impact evaluations, particularly within the charity sector and on themes of women’s empowerment and/or destigmatisation.
Proposals should outline the intended methodology, plans for data collection and analysis, a realistic timeline for delivery, and the qualifications of the team.
The evaluation has a total budget of £80,000 inclusive of VAT and expenses. The contract will cover the period from April 2025 to June 2027, coinciding with the delivery and conclusion of the WPP.
Tender submissions are due by 8 August 2025. Shortlisted applicants will be notified the week commencing 11 August, with interviews (if applicable) scheduled for the week of 25 August 2025. The successful evaluator will be appointed between 8 and 19 September 2025.
Further details on the tender and submission process can be accessed via the following contact: Laura Burke – laura.burke@gamcare.org.uk. A full tender brief is available at: https://www.gamcare.org.uk/news-and-jobs/invitations-to-tender/
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September 15 will see SBC organise a ground breaking charity football event in Lisbon. Make sure you get the chance to see some of the most legendary names in football by securing your ticket today at https://www.legendscharitygame.com/
The government of Uzbekistan has applied new ‘gambling violations’ to the Penal Code, in preparation for the launch of a new gambling regime on 9 October 2025.
The penalties have been drafted by the National Agency for Perspective Projects (NAPP) who since 2024 have led the coordination efforts to launch the new Uzbek Law on the “Organization and Conduct of Gambling, Lotteries, and Betting Activities“.
Reforms to the Penal Code are needed to prosecute penalties and sanctions against “resident organizers of illegal online games, lotteries, and betting activities, as well as to foreign legal entities that illegally offer such services to Uzbek citizens.”
New laws introduce sweeping penalties on both domestic and foreign entities in which the government has authorised penalties to be matched to the Uzbek Base Calculation Unit (BRV).
Foreign companies found to be offering gambling services to Uzbek citizens without a local licence will face headline fines of 25,000 BRV , equivalent to €753,000.
In the most extreme cases, new laws will allow authorities to confiscate income gained from illegal gambling, with businesses blocked from Uzbek banks, internet access and services offered by financial institutions.
The same penalties will apply to any illegal establishment found operating physical casinos, betting shops, or mobile gambling terminals inside Uzbekistan.
Businesses that breach anti-money laundering standards or misuse personal data will be fined 15,000 BRV, amounting to around €452,000, while accepting deposits or stakes for unlicensed games can lead to €301,000 in penalties.
Capital Guarantee on Licences
Operators must meet stringent financial thresholds before even applying for a licence. Firms seeking to launch online sportsbooks or casinos will be required to hold a minimum authorised capital of UZS 56.25 billion, roughly €3.9 million, while lottery operators must show capitalisation of at least €1.4 million.
A reserve fund designed to guarantee payout capacity — will also be required: €1.75 million for gambling operators, and just over €945,000 for those in the lottery sector.
NAPP will oversee the launch of the new gambling regime, fulfilling the role of regulatory placeholder as the government will establish a centralised authority to govern gambling activities, licencing, transactions and conduct
In its role, NAPP maintains the legislation and licensing will represent “a pivot away from prohibition and toward regulated oversight, with zero tolerance for grey market actors.”
A Calculated Regime
Since 2019, the liberalisation of Uzbekistan’s gambling market has been a subject of ongoing parliamentary debate. In 2024, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took decisive action via direct intervention, formally authorising the launch of a regulated gambling regime.
The president tasked NAPP to lead the mandate on the condition that revenues from the sector would be directed toward funding national programmes for sports infrastructure and athlete development.
A key project will see Uzbekistan’s regime built on a centralised system to monitor gambling transactions user accounts, bets and winnings will be recorded via the Unified State Register of Bets and Players (USRBP).
The government-run platform that allows the regulator to monitor financial flows in real time. The system will also enforce monthly wagering limits and store player identities, adding a layer of consumer protection uncommon in emerging markets.
Notably, the law empowers the Uzbek new gambling authority to act as both regulator and enforcer. Sanctions will be determined by the agency’s director following an internal review by its Sanctions Commission. Offending businesses will receive formal notice within three business days and will have 15 days to appeal to either the NAPP’s internal appellate council or to a civil court.
The government notes that 50% of all fines will flow directly into the National Budget, with the remaining half supporting NAPP’s operations. However, payment of fines does not exempt companies from further criminal or administrative consequences.
“This is not a pay-to-play regime,” NAPP has stated to applicants “It’s a compliance-first market that will reward transparency and capital discipline.”
Gambling has long been banned in Uzbekistan outlawed outright in 2007 — with limited exceptions carved out for state-licensed lotteries. The 2025 reforms mark a strategic reversal, positioned less as a liberalisation and more as a state-controlled monetisation of behaviour that has persisted underground for years.
In an official memo, the government justified the shift by pointing to the need to formalise economic activity, strengthen AML controls, and direct revenues to public coffers.
Licensing guidelines are expected in the coming weeks, with the first wave of applications to open before the October launch. As Central Asia’s most populous country embraces legal betting, its success will hinge on whether ambitious tech and regulatory projects can keep consumers safe from a unlicensed operators active in the market
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) will review how commercial restrictions are used by licensed operators on UK betting accounts.
Announced by CEO Andrew Rhodes, the Commission emphasised that the regulator does not intend to intervene in how licensees manage their commercial liabilities.
Source: UKGC
However, he said that the UKGC requires improved insight into how commercial restrictions are applied, to ensure the gambling market remains fair and transparent to consumers.
“The practice of bookmakers placing commercial restrictions on customers has long been a source of contention between impacted consumers and gambling operators,” Rhodes explained.
The Gambling Act Review’s White Paper presented no changes on the matter of commercial restrictions, as the UKGC maintains that “operators are entitled to act in their commercial interests and manage liabilities.”
However, in its effort to better understand current market dynamics, in early 2025 the UKGC issued a data request to major online betting firms, covering almost 15 million customer accounts.
As anticipated, the data showed that the application of stake or wagering limits were the most common application by operators, imposed on 2.68% of active accounts and 62.17% of restricted accounts.
The Commission noted that 643,779 customer accounts had been restricted in some form, representing 4.31% of the total active accounts surveyed. This figure includes a range of restrictions, with some accounts subject to multiple types of limitations.
Further measures included account closures, which affected 2.23% of active accounts and accounted for over half of all restricted accounts. In some cases, operators imposed a 0.00 stake factor — effectively blocking any bets from being placed, impacting 0.83% of accounts. More targeted restrictions, such as limiting bets on specific markets like horse racing, were rare and applied to just 0.25% of customers.
On the severity of stake factor restrictions, the data highlighted notable variation. A small proportion of stake-factored customers — just over 6% — were limited to between 90% and 100% of the standard maximum stake. Another 7.5% fell into the 50–89% range, while the largest shares were in the mid to severe brackets: 29.43% were limited to between 10% and 49%, and 36.22% faced reductions to between 1% and 9%.
Strikingly, 22.41% of restricted accounts were limited to stakes of less than 1%, rendering those accounts practically inoperable. These disparities show that while the term ‘stake factoring’ applies broadly, its impact on customers can range from marginal to exclusionary.
Further consultations with operators are needed, as the UKGC seeks to assess market fairness, restore consumer trust, and prevent practices that may push consumers towards black market operators.
Rhodes noted: “We do need to understand the role that commercial restrictions may be playing in pushing customers to illegal gambling operators and driving customer behaviours such as ‘multi-accounting’, which undermine wider controls designed to prevent crime, protect consumers, and identify integrity threats.”
On the matter of commercial restrictions, the UKGC stated that further engagement is needed between regulatory policy teams and industry stakeholders. It will continue to assess how these practices impact its statutory objectives of ensuring fair gambling, crime prevention, and consumer protection.
As yet, the UKGC has not presented the technical remit for a consumer ombudsman for UK gambling, as proposed by the White Paper’s reform of the Gambling Act. The ombudsman is expected to provide binding determinations on disputes between operators and customers.
By contrast, in jurisdictions such as France and Spain, sports betting licensees are not permitted to impose stake restrictions on individual customers, a mandate overseen by Consumer Affairs agencies.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against Hollywoodbets after one of its ads appeared on an esports stats site and was shown to a registered underage user.
What makes this case stand out is that the ad wasn’t placed directly by Hollywoodbets, but by an affiliate marketing partner, which marks one of the few recent rulings where an operator was found to be in breach due to the actions of an affiliate.
About the ad
The banner in question was spotted on www.the-VFL.com, the website of the Virtual Football League (VFL), an EA SPORTS FC esports platform.
Seen on 10 April 2025, the content promoted an offer of ‘UP TO £30 BACK AS FREE BETS + 20 FREE SPINS’ alongside images of athletes from various sports and a call-to-action button reading ‘SIGN HERE’.
It was seen by a 16-year-old user, who had entered their real date of birth when registering on the site. The ASA confirmed the user was logged in when the ad was served, initiating concerns about age-appropriate targeting.
The ad was delivered by Clever Advertising (Playhill Ltd), a third-party affiliate working with Hollywoodbets International UK Ltd.
In its response, Clever Advertising said it had assessed the site as suitable for gambling ads, arguing that VFL.com’s esports content – specifically 11v11 Pro Clubs gameplay – was generally targeted at older players.
The group also pointed to EA Sports FC demographic data suggesting that less than 25% of players were under 18. The ad had reportedly been approved to appear only before users logged in, not during logged-in sessions.
The verdict
Despite the arguments, the ASA upheld the complaint and found the ad had been served inappropriately. The watchdog ruled the ad breached several parts of the CAP Code, including rules designed to prevent gambling ads from being directed at under-18s.
Affiliate marketing plays a significant role in the UK gambling sector, but ASA rulings in recent years have largely focused on ads placed directly by operators.
Hollywoodbets has now confirmed that the ad had been placed by Clever Advertising and said it cooperated fully with the ASA. Meanwhile, The-VFL.com said it had no control over the specific ads served on its site and removed the promotion once the complaint was raised.
Social media crackdown
The ruling comes just a month after the ASA sided with Buzz Bingo following complaints about a Facebook ad, showing the extent of online advertising and the potential pitfalls that can come from this for operators.
The ASA received two complaints concerning a post from the Buzz Bingo Grimsby Facebook page in April, which used an action figure to promote its bingo offering.
The complainants raised concerns that the ad’s design, particularly the use of the action figure, could appeal to children and potentially encourage underage gambling.
British betting is a highly valuable, highly regulated and highly competitive market, a holy trinity of factors that market newcomers like online sportsbook and casino Midnite are trying to take on in stride.
A recent regulatory upheaval, and with some politicians calling for yet another one, has left operators both large and small with a lot of compliance challenges on their plate. Midnite’s VP of Compliance, Alex Henderson, shares his perspective on the UK’s changing compliance dynamics, ahead of discussing this topic at the SBC Summit Lisbon.
As a relatively newcomer to UK betting, how has Midnite taken to the player protection focus that has dominated the market in recent years?
I have been at Midnite only a short time, and what I can say is that as a business, they genuinely put the customer first in everything they do. No decision is made without considering the customer. Protecting customers is key, Midnite wants to ensure that customers have a great experience, but more importantly, they want them to be safe.
How can smaller operators balance market growth ambitions, including advertising and player outreach, with the need to ensure players are protected to the fullest extent?
I would suggest that focusing on the consumer will help any business design products that will help achieve growth. Even if you look outside of gambling at businesses such as Monzo and Revolut. They started with a product designed to help customers, the growth was a consequence of building an excellent product.
How has the company learned from the lessons, and mistakes, of its contemporaries when it comes to player protection?
One thing that is great about our industry is that we all learn from and help each other, especially within compliance. In the UK specifically, the fact that the UKGC shares best practice and learnings from enforcement action is a fantastic tool for compliance professionals and gambling operators in general. I would say that the main lesson in player protection is a simple one, make your product and the environment safe and user friendly.
Is navigating the changing dynamics of player protection, with the Gambling Act review still being adopted, a challenge for a newcomer brand like yourselves?
Changing regulation and guidance is a challenge for all operators, not necessarily because of complexity, but because of the technical time and operational effort required to implement changes correctly. Beyond technical implementation, you also need to embed new processes, train teams, and monitor for effectiveness.
That said, when you operate in a regulated industry, you develop a certain level of agility. Newer brands, if anything, are often better positioned to adapt quickly. We’re not constrained by legacy systems or internal bureaucracy, which gives us the flexibility to build compliance into our processes from the ground up.
So while regulatory change always requires work, it’s something we expect, and we’ve designed our structure to be able to respond quickly and responsibly. I have witnessed this first hand at Midnite already, where a challenge is presented and the various experts throughout the organisation band together to find a swift and effective solution.
Is more cross-industry collaboration needed between large and small operators to ensure customers are not just jumping from site to site?
I think we’ve actually started to see some really solid progress in this area, especially at conferences and roundtables where the egos get left at the door and people genuinely want to solve things together.
There’s still more to do, of course, especially around things like data sharing and consistent standards, but the intent is there now in a way it maybe wasn’t a few years ago. The more we treat player protection as a shared responsibility, the harder it becomes for players to fall through the cracks.
Could the industry make more use of the huge amounts of player data that have been amassed by the largest and most well-established firms?
Oh absolutely, and not just to sell them another accumulator. Some of the big firms are sitting on data goldmines, but most of the time it gets used for marketing or risk, not protection.
There’s so much untapped potential to use that data for early intervention, better tooling, smarter limits. The tech exists. The question is whether we’re willing to share, standardise, and prioritise it for the right reasons. The good thing is, there are a lot of operators taking strides in the space, so are some external providers who have been raising the bar here.
What will SBC Summit attendees learn from your panel about the future of player protection in markets like the UK?
I don’t like sitting on panels and repeating the same messages from my industry peers. I would say that attendees’ learning will depend on two things… the questions I get asked on the day and then how open attendees are to different perspectives.
We’ll talk about what’s actually working, where the gaps still are, and how we move from theory to action. Expect honesty, a bit of healthy disagreement, and maybe even a few useful ideas you can nick for your own team.
SBC Summit will take place from 16–18 September at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and MEO Arena, bringing together 30,000 industry stakeholders for an unmissable three-day experience.Looking to attend? Here’s how:
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