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Kindred has taken a small step towards its Journey to Zero goal as the operator continues to strive for having a zero per cent revenue share from harmful gambling.

Revealing its Journey to Zero results for Q2 2024, Kindred confirmed that three per cent of its revenue share derived from high-risk players, a decrease of 6.25 per cent on the previous quarter (Q1 2024: 3.2 per cent).

This percentage also represents the lowest share of gross winnings revenue from high-risk players since Kindred began its Journey to Zero campaign in 2020.

Alexander Westrell, Director of Communications at Kindred Group, explained: “Our share of revenue from high-risk players has been stable over the past quarters, however we are pleased to see the long-term trend of a slow decline.

“We are working hard across the Group to ensure our customers enjoy our products in a safe and sustainable way, which includes educating customers, stakeholders and partners about safer gambling initiatives.”

Kindred’s lat..

The European Gaming and Betting Association has published its latest sustainability report, stating that 65 per cent of customers of EGBA members – a record 21 million – used safety tools in 2023.

However, a joint CEO letter within the report also raised concerns about the growth of the illegal online gambling market in Europe, with the CEOs mentioning that it “underscores the urgent need for national policymakers to take decisive action to protect their players”.

EGBA’s Sustainability Report 2024, the association’s fourth annual sustainability report, noted that over half of the 21 million customers used safer gambling tools voluntarily, which is a 14 per cent increase year-over-year.

The report – which “outlines the joint efforts and progress made by its members to promote a sustainable approach to gambling and contribute positively to society in Europe” – highlighted a record 67.6 million safer play messages sent by operators to customers, up 49 per cent YoY, of which 23 million ..

A new strategy is set to be implemented in Romania in a bid to tackle the threat of gambling addiction

In plans that were put forward on Friday July 19, President Klaus Iohannis promulgated a decree co-authored by Romania’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Justice to launch eight ‘regional centres for the treatment of addictions’.

Key to the strategy is a localised approach for each region in focus, as the new strategy aims to address current ‘treatment inadequacies’ for drug, alcohol and gambling addictions within Romania, particularly for those under 25.

Minister of Justice, Alina Gorghiu, endorsed the project, citing that the current framework to combat addictions left Romanians exposed as treatment options were primarily offered by private clinics and NGOs.

Gorghiu stated: “I’m glad that the party I belong to, PNL, initiated this law because in Romania the state could not properly treat these big problems that are especially among the young generation.”

The Ministry of Just..

BGaming has pledged a donation of €10,000 towards developing a chess school for young people in Warsaw, Poland, hoping to “bring together friends to build communities”.

Agreeing to fund the school ahead of International Chess Day on July 20, BGaming has given the contribution to The Youth Educational Centre of the Orion Fathers in Poland’s capital.

Marina Ostrovtsova, CEO at BGaming, commented: “At BGaming, we have seen how games can bring together friends and players to build communities. It is our pleasure to continue investing in the future of young people around the world and by supporting the launch of this centre, we are sure chess will unite and inspire many of them for years to come.”

The slot supplier’s donation will go towards providing more classes and equipment to young talented chess players, with some funding also going towards organising tournaments and events to attract new demographics to the game.

Andriei Molchanov, a representative of The Youth Educational Cen..

An ongoing legal battle between two of the US’ biggest igaming suppliers has taken another turn, as Aristocrat restated this week that Light & Wonder copied its Dragon Link slot title.

Following last month’s developments where Aristocrat saw its initial complaint partially dismissed, the Dragon Link supplier has issued its first amended complaint “to stop Light & Wonder from free-riding” on the success of its slot machine.

Filed with the US District Court for the District of Nevada, Aristocrat’s reissued complaint refers to the maths within Dragon Link as “difficult, if not impossible, for others to replicate”, while suggesting that L&W has conducted a “wide-ranging campaign to copy Dragon Link” by hiring several former Aristocrat employees.

The defendant suggests that this campaign began in 2022, when L&W renamed one slot title from Dragon Unleashed to Dragon Unleashed Link. According to Aristocrat, this was a “transparent attempt to sow confusion” with Dragon Link.

Jewel of t..

GamCare has boosted its leadership team after naming Alexa Roseblade as its new Chief of Staff.

In this role, Roseblade will work across the gambling support charity to deliver its priorities and mission, overseeing its annual governance programme and operational delivery, processes and ways of working.

She will also help to develop strong relationships and partnerships to support those affected by gambling harm.

Previously, Roseblade spent four years managing GamCare’s Children and Young People’s Team, which includes its dedicated Young People’s Service and the Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Programme.

Commenting on her new role, Roseblade said: “In my four years at GamCare, I have seen the vital work our dedicated staff deliver for those who need our support. Not just through our Helpline and Treatment services, but our many impactful prevention and education programmes.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with GamCare’s staff and Board to support the charity as w..

Svenska Spel President and CEO Anna Johnson has highlighted the operator’s recent restructuring, stating that it has led to “lower costs, improved earnings and a strengthened operating margin” in the second quarter of 2024.

In addition, Johnson noted that opportunities have now been created for the Swedish operator to “invest in transformation, strengthened responsible gaming work and investments that create growth”.

Casino Cosmopol closures impact overall revenue

Publishing its interim report, Svenska Spel declared an overall Q2 net gaming revenue of SEK 1.87bn (€161.8m), down by five per cent year-over-year (Q2 2023: SEK 1.97bn).

The operator noted that the decrease was partly due to its Casino Cosmopol business only having one casino open in comparison to three the previous year following the closure of casinos in Malmö and Gothenburg, resulting in a SEK 90m reduction.

Its online unit improved by eight per cent in comparison to the same period last year, accounting for 59 per ..

With comings and goings commonplace across the industry, GambleAware, Nederlandse Loterij and the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission are among those to have seen changes to their teams recently.

GambleAware

GambleAware has appointed Professor Siân Griffiths CBE as its new Chair of Trustees.

Since 2018, Griffiths has been the Deputy Chair for the charity. However, she will now be replacing Baroness Kate Lampard CBE as Chair of Trustees on July 18, as Lampard is stepping down after eight years in the role to lead the Lampard Inquiry investigating mental health inpatient deaths in Essex.

Griffiths brings public health insight and experience to the role and has helped gambling harms to be seen alongside other public health issues. Alongside being Deputy Chair, she was also Chair of the charity’s Performance and Delivery Committee for several years.

She has previously been President of the UK Faculty of Public Health, Associate Non-Executive Director of Public Health England..