Steve Hoare

Tennis needs betting’s help to tackle online hate towards female players

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Growing concern over online abuse directed at tennis players by angry bettors has prompted the sport’s authorities to call for action.

This form of online aggression is mostly being aimed at women, with top female players such as Raducanu, Swiatek, Boulter, Jabeur and Pegula bearing the brunt of it.

A joint report from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) revealed that a total of 458 female players received abusive messages in the past year.

The study, which used an AI detection system created by Signify Group, also found that frustrated gamblers accounted for 40% of social media abuse. When it came to abuse directed towards the personal accounts of players, this rose to 77%.

As a result of this, the authorities are asking gambling companies to close the accounts of bettors who have been a part of this issue.

In 2024, the pair teamed up with The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and United States Tennis Association (USTA) and reported a total of 12,000 abusive posts / comments. 15 of these accounts were reported to law enforcement which resulted in over 8,000 players being protected. The problem will likely remain persistent, however, given how central social media is in today’s world.

Speaking on the issue, a spokesperson from the UKGC told SBC News: “Our legislation gives us powers to regulate the actions of gambling operators. Unless there is an offence under the Gambling Act we don’t have the power to take action against individual gamblers.

“We would urge any sportsperson to report messages of abuse to the relevant sports body or, if relevant, to law enforcement.”

FanDuel takes action
According to The Guardian, FanDuel – WTA’s official US gaming partner and the biggest operator in the American betting sector by market share – has been working on its definition of harassment and updated its terms and conditions to allow for the suspension of users who target athletes.

The company warned in a recent email to its customers: “We may, in our sole discretion, suspend or terminate your Account and/or exclude you from our services if we determine that you pose a threat to the safety of participants in a sporting event, or discover that you engaged in the harassment of a sports official, coach or any participant in a sporting event.”

Targeting gender
In 2023, a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) report revealed that women are the primary targets of online hate.

Meanwhile, last year a study from Cornell University UK survey found that women are significantly more fearful of online harms, and also report more significant psychological impacts.

Women who have a public presence online, whether in social media, sports, or the media, have often become targets of online abuse, especially in male-dominated sports, because their visibility challenges traditional gender roles.

Current British number two, 28-year-old Katie Boulter, recently spoke up about the abuse she has personally received, leading to the above-mentioned statements by the WTA and ITF.

She told the BBC: “It becomes more apparent every single time you go on your phone. I think it increases in number and it also increases in the level of things that people say. I don’t think there’s anything off the cards now.’

A spokesperson for both the WTA and ITF said their latest findings have brought about a “constructive conversation” with the betting industry.

“We will continue to push for the industry to do more as part of a collective effort to rid tennis of betting-related abuse. We hope the gambling industry responds constructively to our call for more action on their part.”

With regards to betting, the issue of athlete abuse has become particularly prevalent in the US, with a lot of focus on online abuse received by college athletes which many believe are related to losing bets.

Speaking on the iGaming Daily podcast, Justin Byers, Senior Journalist at SBC Americas, spoke about how a similar issue of online hate has affected athletes in the US.

He said: “It’s been very interesting to see how gambling companies themselves, regulators and governing bodies of sports are handling the situation.

“Over the past year, we’ve seen the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) take a step and be proactive with their ‘Don’t Be a Loser’ campaign – a video campaign they released through March Madness.

“It’s a campaign that looks at sports fans themselves, making them look inward and to not harass athletes on the field. I think having activations like that help to move forward and have bettors thinking themselves has proven effective.”

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KSA finds problem with problem gambling standards 

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Dutch problem gamblers are rarely contacted by operators, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) regulatory authority has revealed via a new target group study.

The regulator examined a small pool of 139 people in care registered with AGOG, a Dutch NGO that provides specialised treatment to problem gamblers. The group represented 70% of participants in AGOG self-help groups taking place in the fall of 2024.

Results from this isolated group have shown ineffective operator intervention among the majority of surveyed players, despite them exhibiting signs of risky behaviour.

A total of 83% of survey participants have never received a ban, while 68% have said they’ve never been engaged in a meaningful problem gambling conversation by operators.

Those who said they’ve been subjected to intervention action by operators reported that it usually does not lead to changes in behaviour, raising the question about the effectiveness of current measures.

Looking into the demographics of the AGOG-registered problem gamblers, the KSA revealed that 81% have started gambling before the age of 24, while 46% have admitted to starting before they turned 18.

While arcades and land-based casinos were present in the responses, online remains the dominant gambling vertical. This is a reflection of the fact that a large part of the respondents have gambled on both legal and illegal platforms.

A contributing factor for the black market migration is that players already on the Cruks national self-exclusion list are still willing to gamble, but can no longer access legal websites.

Everybody’s different
While the majority of respondents reported personal struggles as a result of their problematic behaviour, the scope and nature of experienced problems varied across the board.
When it comes to financial losses, for example, the KSA reported that half of those surveyed lost more than €50k, while a quarter had to say goodbye to less than €1k.
“This shows that not everyone with a gambling problem suffers big losses, but the longer someone gambles, the greater the loss often is,” the regulator said.
The good news, if any, is that almost all of the people questioned have recognised their own problem behaviour, such as the urge to win back losses, the need to gamble daily, and the increase in the amounts they wager.
More than half of those who joined AGOG in the past two years have since stopped gambling altogether.
However, the regulator added that the temptation to start playing again remains quite high, driven by advertisements and common behaviour within their social circles, among others.
And while the survey’s small target group is far from being representative of the problem gambling picture in the Netherlands, the KSA states that it intends to utilise its findings to further strengthen the market’s supervision to increase player protection.

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GambleAware highlights National Lottery’s failure to signpost treatment services

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The National Lottery faces increased pressure to signpost problem gambling treatment support services, as a mandatory requirement of its marketing campaigns and products.

The demand is led by GambleAware, which believes that the National Lottery has lagged in its efforts to support problem gambling treatment services and raise awareness of gambling harms to an audience of eight million people playing National Lottery draws each week.

New research by GambleAware warns that up to 600,000 lottery customers may be experiencing problem gambling. That figure, combined with the Lottery’s mass-market reach, has prompted calls for immediate reforms to ensure it no longer stands apart from other gambling incumbents when it comes to signposting support services.

Despite its status as a lower-risk form of gambling, campaigners are adamant that the lottery |”is not risk-free”. New data from GambleAware’s forthcoming 2024 Annual Treatment and Support Survey, conducted by YouGov with nearly 18,000 UK adults, reveals a decisive public mood:

84% of the public acknowledge the Lottery is a form of gambling;

46% disagree that its products are harmless;

74% want clear support information on products;

69% believe advertising should direct players to support services like GambleAware.

The charity warns that the National Lottery’s failure to implement signposting across physical and digital touchpoints from scratchcards to app-based instant wins leaves it an “outlier” in a gambling landscape that is increasingly focused on duty of care and public health risks..

“When I gave up gambling and self-excluded myself from places I could gamble, the one thing I couldn’t bar myself from was playing the lottery in shops,” said one woman with lived experience of harm.

“In my early recovery, I bought £450 worth of scratch cards. Later, I moved to online instant games with jackpot prizes that looked and sounded like fruit machines. I was lured in, and I know others who’ve had similar experiences. Putting support information on tickets and cards would help so much.”

Another respondent described financial hardship triggered by unchecked app-based spending: “I got a bit of a habit with the instant scratch cards on the app… it did lead me into financial difficulty; I wasn’t able to buy food for about a week because I’d spent the food shopping money on scratch cards.”

The concerns have long-standing political support. A 2022 report by the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee explicitly recommended the Lottery introduce signposting to services such as the National Gambling Helpline a move still not actioned by Allwyn UK, the Lottery’s current operator.

Andy Boucher: GambleAware
Andy Boucher, Chair of Trustees at GambleAware, said the National Lottery must show the same level of responsibility as others:

“We recognise the great work the National Lottery has done supporting a range of worthy causes over many years. In the public’s mind, it is there to do good in the community, and so we believe it is also the right thing for it to look after the people who play the National Lottery.

“Allwyn has previously stated that ‘player safety is our top priority’. It must now live up to those words and play a critical role in protecting people from gambling harms, which are a serious public health issue that can drive societal inequalities, worsen mental health issues, and increase pressure on our overburdened health system.”

Frontline treatment providers are also backing the call. Ian Semel, CEO of Breakeven, a member of the National Gambling Support Network, said:

“At Breakeven, we’ve delivered support for over 20 years. Around 11% of clients who came to us in 2024 disclosed that the National Lottery or scratch cards were causing them gambling harm.

That’s why we’ve joined the call for the Lottery to signpost to support services like us. People need to know where to get help — the moment they realise they might be at risk.”

The campaign places the issue of signposting at the intersection of corporate responsibility, public health, and the regulatory credibility of Allwyn UK.

Campaigners demand urgent changes due to no specific reforms being applied to the National Lottery as part of the Gambling Review’s White Paper, published in April 2023.

As of February 2024, Allwyn UK has formally assumed stewardship of the National Lottery, overseeing the new 10-year licence.

The new steward expressed its support for key government interventions introduced in 2021 to raise the minimum age for all National Lottery products to 18, which came into legal effect on 22 April 2021, banning the sales to under-18s of Lottery, EuroMillions, scratch cards and Set-4-life games on retail and online platforms.

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Romania tightens celebrity gambling promotion rules

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Romania’s National Audiovisual Council (CNA) has prohibited celebrities from participating in gambling promotions.

The decision was unanimously approved by the watchdog during a public session held on 26 June, where figureheads amended the Audiovisual Regulatory Code to include a ban on celebrity appearances in gambling adverts across TV. radio, and online.

As quoted by Romanian media outlet PaginaDeMedia, the changes read: “It is prohibited to broadcast advertising for gambling in which public, cultural, scientific, sports personalities or other individuals who, due to their online notoriety, may encourage participation in such games, are present.”

Celebrities previously featured in gambling ad campaigns include football players like Florin Răducioiu, Răzvan Raț, and Ilie Dumitrescu, together with famous singers like Antonia, Lora, and Alex Velea.

This will no longer be possible after the updated framework comes into force within three months of the vote’s date.

As expected, the vote did not go without some resistance from the gambling sector and relevant stakeholders. Interested groups tried to submit draft provisions that would avoid a full-on ban.

Requests made to the CNA mainly revolved around allowing celebrities to participate in social responsibility campaigns, as proposed by Winbet, Kaizen Gaming, the Romanian Football Federation, and the Federation of Gambling Organisers. They were all rejected.

As part of the new legislation, on-demand streaming services will also have to comply with the new rules, which are directed towards reducing the influence of gambling ads on children.

The changes come at a turbulent time for the Romanian gambling sector, with the national regulator ONJN under fire over €900m missing in tax fees.

Headed by a new President as a result of the fallout, the gambling authority is now on a crusade to strengthen player safety standards within the Romanian market, which includes a rework of the national self-exclusion scheme.

In addition, the regulator recently asked Meta and Google to aid its efforts against online promotions of black market operators.

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IBJR study reveals illegal market to be up to 51 per cent in Brazil

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Brazil’s illegal betting market represents an estimated annual loss of up to R$ 10.8 billion in public revenue, according to the study “Off the Radar: Size and Socioeconomic Impacts of the Illegal Betting Market in Brazil”, conducted by LCA Consultores with support from the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) and based on data collected…

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Buenos Aires set double the tax on online gambling

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The Buenos Aires City Legislature is considering a bill, presented by the Civic Coalition party, to raise the tax on online gambling from 6 to 12 percent. In the city, the activity pays half the tax of land-based gambling, which has much higher operating costs. Buenos Aires legislator Facundo del Gaiso’s initiative will be voted on today in…

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Ladbrokes’ breach of ASA Code should set an example, legal expert says

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A legal advisor has cautioned UK operators like Ladbrokes to always ensure they remain on the safe side when it comes to advertising.

Felix Faulkner, solicitor at licensing law firm Poppleston Allen, gave his two cents on the recent Ladbrokes fallout with the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) by highlighting the importance of placing a promotion within a wider social context before running it.

Measure twice, cut once
Addressing all UK operators, Faulkner advised that companies should be aware of three main points when handling promotions – the terminology and naming of the products or offers, the historic and current colloquial use of the terms being used, and the implications of any derivative advertising efforts.

“Responsible gambling is a fundamental tenet of the Gambling Act, and the remit falls solely in the laps of operators and licence holders to ensure that their marketing and advertisements always adhere to the LCCP and the ASA regulations,” the solicitor added.

“It is always better to be safe than sorry.”

Ladbrokes learns firsthand
What led to Faulkner’s comments was a recent decision by the ASA to uphold several complaints made against Ladbrokes advertisements.

The case featured the operator’s airing of two TV and video-on-demand promotions featuring its free-to-play game currency called ‘Ladbucks’.

ASA’s subsequent ruling deemed the adverts potentially appealing to minors due to the branding terminology, with ‘bucks’ specifically reminiscent of the ‘V-bucks’ virtual currency used in the video game Fortnite, and the ‘Robux’ currency of the video game Roblox – both games immensely popular among children.

In addition, the advertising regulator saw a problem with the term ‘lad’ as well – although it has been intrinsic to the Ladbrokes brand since its inception.

ASA stated that it views the word ‘lad’ as a colloquial UK term referring to a boy or a young man, which combined with the word ‘bucks’ constitutes a breach of its anti-minor advertising code altogether.
Ladbrokes, which is a property of Entain, has disagreed with both conclusions, but has nevertheless taken action to remove the featured content.

Faulkner concluded: “While it is understandable that a brand called Ladbrokes might produce an in-play betting reward token with the term ‘lad’ in it, it is of utmost importance for all licence holders to sense-check a number of things before running a promotion.

“It is evident from the Ladbrokes decision that the ASA believed the close link to Fortnite and Roblox pushed this proposal over the line, and the argued mitigation from Ladbrokes was not enough to defend the case.”

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Sweden clamps down on influencers promoting illegal gambling on Twitch

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The Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) has officially stopped influencers from promoting illegal gambling on Twitch.

A number of influencers were placed under supervision within an ongoing initiative to curb illegal gambling marketing – particularly content directed at Swedish audiences through digital platforms.

Marketing of gambling services to Swedish consumers is prohibited unless the operator holds a valid licence, as detailed in Sweden’s Gambling Act 2018. Twitch is of particular concern as it is a platform mainly used by younger audiences.

It is important to note that the SGA identified highlighted gambling amongst youths as a key focus area for regulatory oversight in its 2025 operational plan.

Now, the authority assures that those influencers who have been subject to supervision have completely ceased marketing illegal gambling.

It detailed in a statement: “The Swedish Gambling Authority’s operational plan for 2025 states that young people’s gambling and illegal gambling will be the focus of the authority’s supervision.

“The Swedish Gambling Authority will also continue to supervise influencers and other actors who conduct or promote illegal gambling under the Gambling Act.”

A global operation
The country’s clampdown on illegal activity of this kind falls in line with a growing number of jurisdictions overseas which are becoming stricter in terms of influencer marketing regulations in iGaming.

Similarly, in several regions, such as Brazil, YouTube introduced strict measures in March this year which now blocks user content that is related to illegal online gambling websites – though these policies are not isolated to Brazil, they do have a particular relevance to their developing market.

YouTube’s policy statement, as reported by SBC Noticias – BR, read: “Content that promises guaranteed returns may be removed, regardless of whether the online gambling site or app has been approved by Google.”

The UK is also closely monitoring influencer activity in the betting sector. For example, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) recently issued a warning to Stars Interactive, operator of PokerStars, over a “socially irresponsible” advert that featured social media stars.

Swedish market situation
As Sweden continues to closely monitor illegal activity in the sector, preliminary results for the country’s gambling market have recently revealed a slight drop in Q1 turnover compared to the previous corresponding quarter.

Interestingly, licensed operators saw a total of SEK 6.6bn (£512m) being staked in the three months ending March, representing a 0.9% drop from the SEK 6.7bn in Q1 2024.

Online betting and gaming led the turnover pack with a total volume of SEK 4.3bn. This is historically the segment which customers engage the most with, averaging more than SEK 4bn throughout 2024.

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Senate Inquiry urges vote to impose radical penalties on Brazil Bets regime

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Ricardo Assis – SBC Noticias Brazil
The CPI’s rapporteurs are demanding a shock to the system and reset of the governance, regulation, and enforcement of Brazil’s online gambling sector. Ricardo Assis, Editor of SBC Noticias Brazil declares that all regulatory conditions the Bets regime face scrutiny.

A series of radical reforms, penalties and criminal enforcements have been proposed by the Senate’s Commission Inquiry (CPI) evaluating the economic and social impacts of the Bets Regime.

Just 19 weeks since the CPI commenced its evaluation, led by Senator Soraya Thronicke (Podemos–MS) and Dr Hiran Gonçalves (PP–RR), the rapporteurs have submitted their recommendations to the Senate.

The CPI was established to evaluate the economic liabilities and social threats of Brazil legalising online gambling since 1 January 2025.

The inquiry heard testimonies from operators, stakeholders and whistleblowers on wide ranging topics from fraud and match-fixing to money laundering, advertising malpractice and the absence of consumer safeguards.

Of significance, the inquiry hit national headlines after testimony concerning Virginia Fonseca, a social media influencer with over 50 million followers, who is accused of misleading advertising and acting as a financial beneficiary of unlicensed operators.

As reported by SBC Notícias, the CPI’s final report calls for 16 indictments, targeting both individuals and entities. Fonseca, alongside influencer Deolane Bezerra, is named in connection with promoting illegal betting operators, with the report stating it was “unlikely” that Bezerra “ceased to be an effective partner and simply became a spokesperson.”

The report proposes the criminalisation of match manipulation in sports be signed into federal law. An action to be governed by the creation of a ‘National Sports Integrity Authority’, that will oversee the regulation of automated systems used by betting platforms.

Algorithms, the report noted, often operate without independent certification, making it “difficult for the bettor to assess the real risk involved.” A technical audit protocol is proposed, under regulatory supervision, to ensure transparency in how odds and promotions are determined.

The commission warns that betting platforms have become conduits for illicit financial activities. Evidence presented to the CPI outlined the use of fragmented transactions, third-party CPFs, untraceable crypto operations, and withdrawals routed through accounts tied to Brazil’s social welfare schemes. To counteract these abuses, the CPI has recommended data-sharing protocols between the Federal Tax Authority, COAF, and licensed operators, as well as regular financial audits.

Brazilian football, a key beneficiary of betting sponsorship, came under heavy criticism. Club executives admitted they lacked integrity departments and were often unaware of commercial terms involving gambling partners, with many deals brokered through intermediaries. The commission labelled this state of affairs “institutional omission” and “structural unpreparedness.”

Digital influencers, a core channel for consumer engagement, were described in the report as central players in normalising irresponsible betting behaviours. As such, affiliate contracts linking influencer revenue to user losses were described by the commission as “anti-educational and perverse.” The CPI has formally requested investigations into these arrangements by COAF and Receita Federal.

The report further urges an outright ban on online casino-style games, denouncing them as “online slot machines with exclusively deleterious characteristics,” while calling for extensive reform of betting advertising, including:

Prohibition of gambling ads during prime-time TV
Bans on welcome bonuses and misleading promotions
Mandatory age and financial suitability checks for bettors

Additional proposals include embedding gambling addiction awareness and financial literacy into school curricula, alongside national prevention campaigns supported by the SUS, NGOs and “conscientious influencers.”

Despite being tabled, the report will not be voted on immediately. As SBC Notícias reports, several senators have called for more time to review its recommendations. CPI President Dr Hiran has since indicated that he will move to postpone the vote until the following week.

Political consequences now loom for Brazil’s fledgling Bets Regime. Last week, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad has backed a provisional measure to raise the GGR tax on licensed operators from 12% to 18%, as a measure to fill budgetary gaps of the PT government.

A pending tax hike underscores the government’s push for tighter fiscal and regulatory oversight, prompting a coalition of trade bodies to challenge a tax framework they argue imposes an effective burden exceeding 50%.

The publication of the CPI’s report and its pending vote bring a turbulent close to the first six months of the Bets Regime existence. With mounting headwinds of tax hikes, compliance demands and the threat of criminal sanctions, the competitive landscape of Brazil’s online gambling market is poised for reshaping in the second half of the year. The only certainty, it seems, is continued volatility of a fragile Bets market that has been radically transformed since its launch on 1 January.

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