Steve Hoare

Four bills introduced in Brazil to restrict advertising and protect vulnerable players

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A group of Brazilian parliamentarians from the so-called “Shared Cabinet” yesterday presented a set of four bills (PL) aimed at restricting the activities of online gaming and betting platforms. The Shared Cabinet brings together politicians from different regions of the country such as Senator Alessandro Vieira (MDB-SE) and federal deputies Camila Jara (PT-MS), Dorinaldo Malafaia (PDT-AP), Duda Salabert (PDT-MG), Duarte Jr (PSB-MA), Pedro Campos (PSB-PE) and Tabata Amaral (PSB-SP).…

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FanDuel takes gold for Socially Responsible Initiative at SBC Awards

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FanDuel has triumphed in the Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year category at the SBC Awards, Americas. FanDuel pipped second-placed Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation after a year that saw them launch a series of new responsible gambling initiatives, including its My Spend personalized responsible gaming dashboard designed to help customers track spending patterns and…

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Sportradar to ensure integrity throughout all sports in Brazil

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Sportradar has signed a partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of Sports, which is looking for technological avenues to protect sports integrity after the betting market launch this year.

The new technical cooperation agreement will oversee information exchange related to the gambling market and the implementation of joint initiatives to fight match-fixing.

Andreas Krannich, EVP, Integrity and Regulatory Services, Sportradar commented: “Establishing this partnership with the Ministry of Sports is an important milestone in strengthening sports integrity in Brazil.

“As a global integrity leader, leveraging cutting-edge technology to prevent and combat match-fixing, we believe that protecting competitions requires coordinated action between the public and private sectors.

“Through this collaboration, Sportradar continues to reaffirm its commitment to a more transparent and safer sports environment for the athletes and all the stakeholders involved in Brazilian sport.”

Sports integrity a key focus for new regime
Sports safeguarding was written in as a key requirement of Brazil’s new ‘Bets’ regulatory regime, which governs the nationwide betting market launched on 1 January 2025.

This is not the first time that Sportradar has made moves around sports and betting integrity in Brazil. In April, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) extended its partnership with Sportradar, specifically leveraging the firm’s Sportradar Integrity and Regulatory Services.

Moreover, the new deal with the Ministry of Sports will see the sports technology company identify potentially suspicious activity through its Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS).

It will also provide education and training for Ministry of Sports personnel and staff focused on best practices in monitoring, identifying and investigating suspicious activities. The first workshop will be held today (15 May) and will also involve the Brazilian Ministry of Finance.

Prioritising protection
As the Brazil market continues its integrity efforts since its launch in January this year, several deals alike are being formed.

In recent weeks, Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) signed a five-year technical cooperation deal with the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets of the Ministry of Finance (SPA-MF).

The deal now sees the solutions provider focus on identifying irregular betting activity in order to detect and stop efforts of manipulating outcomes.

Sportradar published a report earlier this year which revealed that the number of matches suspected of being manipulated worldwide dropped by 17% last year.

Notably, in 2024, Brazil experienced a significant decrease in the number of suspicious football matches, with 53 less cases detected (a drop of 48%) compared to the year prior.

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UKGC responds to MyStake non-Gamstop casino ad run via global PR wire

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SBC News has heard the responses of GAMSTOP and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) on the issue of a black market casino unrestricted promotion to online audiences by a global PR newswire.

Last week, SBC News uncovered an advertisement for MyStake, an unlicensed igaming provider branding itself as the “Best Online Casino Not on GamStop for UK Players”.

The promotion was distributed via GlobeNewswire, a widely used international press release distributor offering unrestricted access to business news from a wide range of publishers. The PR published on GlobeNewswire promoting MyStake and its ‘no-GamStop casino’ was indexed on Google News UK.

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No account is required to view press releases on there, which are also automatically sent to email inboxes if one has subscribed to GlobeNewswire’s newsletter. This is how SBC News caught wind of the promotion, but it could’ve easily also been a UK resident who is suffering from gambling harm and has self-excluded themselves through GAMSTOP.

MyStake’s website does not state that it is a UKGC-licensed company and it is not included on the UKGC’s business register of licensed UK gaming firms.

Player protection requirements for licensed entities include session limits, wagering ceilings, game speed controls, and most importantly – support tools that are there to aid those in need of gambling harm assistance, such as a direct link to the National Gambling Helpline or the GAMSTOP self-exclusion option.

The appearance of an offshore gambling ad on a highly-visible communications platform does raise concerns on whether the Commission can restrict such brazen attempts to target at-risk consumers to engage with illicit casinos.

UKGC aware of exposure
To answer this, a UKGC spokesperson told SBC News: “We are aware of the shameless advertising of unlicensed gambling that is clearly targeting vulnerable people.

“We do, and will continue to, take action to disrupt the unlicensed market – working with technology platforms such as search engines, other enforcement agencies such as HMRC and key facilitators such as payment providers and advertisers.

“Since April last year our Enforcement team has issued over 1,150 cease and desist, and disruption notices.  

“Over that same period the Commission has referred over 118,000 URLS to Google and Bing. Over 81,000 have been removed by the search engines. This is more than a tenfold increase in URL takedowns in comparison to the previous year.”

GAMSTOP also advises caution
GAMSTOP, the self-exclusion app whose name is often placed after the word ‘non-’ in the marketing campaigns used by black market operators, also acknowledged the above-mentioned advertisement.

A GAMSTOP representative told SBC News that the group remains vigilant for such occurrences, and that they’re doing everything in their power to track down and take down the dangerous ads – working closely together with the UKGC.

The spokesperson continued: “We are in regular contact with the Gambling Commission’s intelligence and enforcement team, and we have seen encouraging progress in the successful removal of sites and promotion of these sites, following cease and desist requests by the regulator.

“We recognise that there is more work to do to remove all advertising of illegal or unlicensed casinos and to prevent the advertising in the first place. We welcome the Crime and Policing Bill which will give the Gambling Commission greater powers to act swiftly to take down IP addresses and domain names associated with illegal websites.”

Gamstop did also add, however, that it also encourages consumers to use blocking software and bank blocks, the latter of which are being increasingly offered by a range of banks, to ensure a robust defence against “unscrupulous operators target vulnerable consumers”.

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UKGC hits Spreadex with £2m fine over AML and safety breaches

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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has issued Spreadex Limited a £2m penalty due to failings in anti-money laundering (AML) procedures and social responsibility safeguards uncovered on the Spreadex.com platform.

The fine is in lieu of a compliance assessment undertaken in July 2023, which exposed lapses across customer due diligence and harm prevention protocols. Due to failings, Spreadex must now undertake an independent third-party audit to ensure its AML and safer gambling controls are being properly enforced.

The Commission’s investigation underscored a “breakdown in risk assessment”. Spreadex was criticised for failing to consider core risk factors such as customer profiles, transaction methods and geographic exposure, as required under official AML guidance.

The investigation noted an over-reliance on customer self-reporting and a failure to request Source of Funds (SOF) documentation, even in high-stakes scenarios.

In one case, a customer deposited approximately £64,000 in a short window without prompting additional checks. The same individual went on to lose £50,000 in a month — yet Spreadex applied no enhanced due diligence.

The watchdog also highlighted the firm’s failure to adapt its scrutiny in line with changing behaviour. Repeat AML checks were applied with little regard for escalating risks, particularly in cases of growing deposits or intensified betting patterns.

On social responsibility, the report pointed to a striking example in which a customer hit a daily deposit cap of £3,340 on 12 separate days within two weeks. Despite this aggressive spend rate, Spreadex limited its response to four automated pop-up messages and failed to initiate direct, meaningful contact.

This is not the operator’s first reprimand with the regulator. In 2022, Spreadex paid a £1.36m settlement for similar AML and safer gambling failings.

John Pierce, UKGC Head of Enforcement stated: “The conclusion of this case marks the second time Spreadex Limited has been subject to enforcement action. Its failure to uphold anti-money laundering standards, delays in necessary interventions, and weaknesses in social responsibility measures were unacceptable.

“The operator placed undue reliance on customer assurances about the source of funds, rather than obtaining evidence from independent and verifiable sources, as we would expect. Operators must not only implement and maintain robust anti-money laundering policies, procedures, and controls, but also act swiftly in response to any indicators of suspicious activity.”

The UKGC confirmed it continues to coordinate with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to manage cross-sector risk, particularly where gambling overlaps with regulated financial services.

Spreadex still chasing Sporting Index
In March, Spreadex won a court order with the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), to have its bid to acquire main spread betting competitor Sporting Index revised by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

At present, the CMA’s reassessment of the merger is ongoing, with no final decision made. Spreadex continues to pursue the acquisition, a merger that will remain subject to the outcome of the CMA’s renewed investigation.

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Lottstift ups scrutiny of illicit gambling ads ahead of Eurovision

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Norway’s media platforms and broadcasters have been reminded of their duties to prevent the unlicensed gambling advertising.

Lotteritilsynet (Lottstift), the Gambling Authority of Norway, has written to the country’s seven main media houses, instructing them to tighten surveillance of gambling adverts towards the end of May.

The warning comes as Lottstift anticipates heightened public interest in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, combined with the final stages of UEFA’s football tournaments (Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League).

The Norwegian government permits gambling only through two authorised operators: Norsk Tipping, for general games, and Norsk Rikstoto, for horse racing.

The letter was issued to support Norwegian media outlets in making informed decisions about their coverage of gambling operators, brand promotions, illegal gambling websites, and programmatic advertising channels.

Under Norway’s Advertising Act, media organisations are required to evaluate all gambling-related content and advertisements, including editorial references, automated promotions, and third-party promotional links.

Lottstift warned media operators that improper implementation of filtering systems to detect marketing by unlicensed operators could constitute a violation of the Gambling Act. It further noted concern over the increasing sophistication of programmatic advertising, which has shown an ability to bypass standard content filters.

To maintain compliance, media have been urged to review contracts with content and advertising partners to ensure provisions prohibiting links to or the promotion of unlicensed gambling operators are included.

Media companies are also expected to carry out regular audits of ad-tech filters and algorithmic tools to ensure that illegal gambling content is effectively blocked.

The regulators emphasised that even indirect promotion — such as linking to background sources that host affiliate material — may still be deemed unlawful under Norwegian legislation.

Media outlets are therefore expected to apply due diligence not only to advertisements but also to third-party content and external contributors.

Following years of legal deliberations, in the summer of 2022, the High Court in Oslo ruled in favour of Lottstift and Medietilsynet, Norway’s Media Authority, enabling them to strengthen enforcement against media platforms promoting unlicensed gambling websites.

This intervention followed international media claims that gambling advertisements were being broadcast to Norwegian audiences via cable and OTT networks accessible in the country, circumventing domestic advertising restrictions.

The Gambling Authority stated that it will continue to monitor the situation and expects full cooperation from media organisations, concluding: “We urge media houses to be especially vigilant against attempts to bypass ad filters, and to assess whether these systems are sufficiently effective at detecting illegal gambling advertisements. Failure to prevent such content may result in sanctions.”

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Gordon Moody hires former footballer and PFA Chair Clarke Carlisle

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UK gambling addiction treatment provider Gordon Moody has recruited former professional footballer Clarke Carlisle as its new Business Development Manager. The former Leeds, Burnley and Watford defender has worked with a number of mental health charities since his retirement from professional football and was Chairman of the footballer’s union the Professional Footballers’ Association. Gordon Moody…

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AUSTRAC centralises Fintel Alliance to fight gambling scams

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Australia’s financial intelligence agency, AUSTRAC, has announced that it will expand its intelligence partnership, Fintel Alliance, after it has proved essential in fighting financial crime.

Fintel recently launched a campaign on scambling – described as a practice where unlicensed online gambling platforms advertise on social media and trick people to visit a scam website to participate in gambling.

Fintel Alliance member and NAB Chief Financial Crime Risk Officer, Paul Jevtovic, detailed: “The nature of scambling – frequent small transactions – means it isn’t traditionally captured by mandatory reporting.

“However, combining data from multiple sources about cash transactions less than $10,000 allowed Fintel Alliance to more rapidly understand the nature and extent of criminality resulting in timely dissemination amongst members.

“I’ve seen this partnership and capability evolve since 2017 and its expansion is a modern approach not only to intelligence gathering, but more responsive regulation.”

Keeping up with an evolving industry
Over the past few years, there has been an increase in suspicious financial activity in the Australian betting market.

Bradley Brown, AUSTRAC Manager of Regulatory Operations, explained: “There are many legitimate people who seek to gamble and we are not necessarily against the gambling sector, it’s more about managing the risk when it does occur.”

Meanwhile, Brendan Thomas, AUSTRAC CEO, said the Intelligence Division’s Fintel Alliance has been so productive that the agency will make its collaborative data analytics hub a ‘central function’ from now on.

In detail, the move has generated real intelligence across a range of serious crimes including money laundering, child sexual exploitation, domestic violence, tax evasion, fraud and illegal phoenixing.

“For example, late last year we worked with our partners using the collaborative data analytics hub,” added Thomas. “We obtained all cash deposit transaction data under $10,000 from the four largest banks and jointly looked for criminal patterns. We had more than 50 million data points.”

The organisation went on to explain that the nature of scambling is frequent small transactions, which means it isn’t traditionally captured by mandatory reporting.

However, combining data from multiple sources about cash transactions less than $10,000 allowed the intelligence unit to quickly understand the nature and extent of criminality.

Fintel Alliance Executive Board Co-Chair and ANZ Group Head of Financial Crime Risk, Cassandra Hewett, noted: “The breadth of industry involvement reflects the value the financial industry sees from the public-private partnership.”

She highlighted that criminals are adept at finding weak points, adding: “By working together to develop and use new tools, technologies and fresh approaches to combat crime we can strengthen the ecosystem we all operate in.”

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