Europe

Portugal unveils new look self-exclusion platform

iGamingExpert047 views

Portugal’s gaming regulator is aiming to simplify the self-exclusion process as it embarks on a system overhaul and a new user experience.

Launched by the Gaming Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ) yesterday (8 April), players and non-players will be able to use the platform to self-exclude from all licensed online gaming operators in Portugal.

According to the regulator, the new system features a ‘simpler and more intuitive interface’ to allow for quicker and more efficient self-exclusion requests, and has also been optimised for mobile devices.

SRIJ stated: “With this new platform, SRIJ reinforces the quality of its digital services and the effectiveness of the gambling control mechanisms available to players.”

Players can self-exclude for a specific period of time, with a minimum period of three months or indefinitely.

Portugal’s gaming market has grown to 17 licensed operators since the regulation began in 2015. In Q4 2025, the market generated €337.6m, growth of 4.5% co..

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OHID commits £12m funding for local councils to reduce gambling harms  

A.J. Koehn035 views

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has disclosed the funding allocation it will distribute to local councils across England to support efforts to reduce gambling-related harms.

Booked on 2026–2027 accounts, OHID plans to distribute £12m in dedicated funding to upper-tier local councils in England. Councils have also been informed that OHID has reserved an additional £12m in funding which will be allocated for the 2027–2028 period.

Funding for local councils to reduce gambling harms is fully guaranteed by the New Statutory Levy on gambling licences. Since April 2025, OHID has taken its guardianship, overseeing the prevention and treatment of problem gambling across England.

The direct funding of councils via the statutory levy system underscores a shift to a centralised system led by the NHS, moving away from the previous voluntary framework under GambleAware.

In support of the new system, local councils must complete two mandatory requirements to secure the al..

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OHID reveals first recipients of £25m gambling harm prevention grants

A.J. Koehn050 views

The OHID has published its first list of grants under the new statutory levy system, providing a clear contrast from the funding allocation of third parties previously led by GambleAware.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has revealed the full list of the gambling harm prevention organisations awarded funding from the new statutory levy system.

Notable names on the list include Gamcare, Gambling Harm UK, BetBlocker, and YGAM, along with a number of other national and local organisations including charities, independent bodies, trusts, and others.

OHID is one of the three key levy funding decision makers under the new system, tasked with overseeing the direction of prevention funds – around 30% of the overall levy, or £25,441,281 in total.

The remaining 70% of statutory levy funds are divided between NHS England and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). NHS England oversees the 50% allocated to treatment and UKRI oversees the 20% allocated for research.

This is ..

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Comment: New Steven Gerrard gambling deal raises black market questions

A.J. Koehn052 views

Another day, another dollar for a well-known UK footballer who signs to promote a betting company that’s definitely not supposed to target UK consumers.

With Michael Owen having a Punt Casino partnership on his record, and Teddy Sheringham doing the same with 8xBet, this time around the star of the show is Steven Gerrad – a prominent figure in Liverpool FC’s history.

Gerrard, who lifted the 2004 Champions League trophy with Liverpool, was just announced as the latest brand ambassador of a gambling operator that close to no one in the UK would have heard of, We88.

Not to be confused with W88, the sponsor of Sunderland FC, which is another cog in what has become a major trend of Asia-facing brands not licensed in the UK prominently sponsoring UK-related football clubs and footballers.

Just like W88, We88 is not licensed by the Gambling Commission. Instead, it holds an Anjouan license and is owned by MockingBird Technologies Pte. Ltd. As such, the brand is most definitely made to cate..

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Swedish research highlights positive impact of technology and regulation as problem gambling drops to 1.3%

iGamingExpert077 views

Stakeholders of the Swedish gambling industry are being urged to align on more evidence-led approaches to problem gambling, as new analysis highlights the complexity of risk profiles shaping player behaviour. Coordination across regulators, operators and public health bodies is seen as critical to defending Sweden’s stable problem gambling rates against emerging and existing liabilities.

The findings draw on a report commissioned by BOS, Sweden’s Online Gambling Trade Association, led by economist Ola Nevander of Makrologik.

Covering 25 years of data, Nevander’s research titled “The Development of Problem Gambling in Sweden” provides a long-term view of the development of problem gambling in Sweden, while challenging assumptions about the impact of market expansion, regulatory change and rising accessibility on addiction rates.

On prevalence, the report finds that problem gambling in Sweden has declined and stabilised over the past two decades, despite the liberalisation of the mar..

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GambleAware closes: a legacy of innovation undone by political naivety

A.J. Koehn056 views

For UK gambling, Wednesday 1 April 2026 will be the most transformative and impactful date for all stakeholders. It is also one which will likely overshadow another hugely significant moment for the industry which occurred today.

Tomorrow, HM Treasury activates the increase in Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) from 21% to 40%. The hike is widely seen as the most consequential outcome of decades of regulatory changes brought by the Gambling Act review.

Today, another generational change occurred. As of today (31 March), GambleAware has ceased operations entirely, bringing to an end its 20-year existence.

Since 2018, GambleAware has served as the chief commissioning charity for the treatment, prevention and research of gambling harms.

April 2026… Grim times for everyone

From 1 April, operators will be forced to navigate the ice-thin margins of the “40% era”. The financial burden this will have on operators large and small has been widely discussed, and budget cutbacks are widely anticipated..

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EGBA brings Brussels’ attention to rampant offshore gambling

A.J. Koehn050 views

Europe’s gambling sector is actively participating in the European Commission’s (EC) action to take down online fraud across the continent.

At the start of the year, the EC began the development of an action plan that would unlock a stronger cross-border collaboration between member states in the fight against online organised crime.

To construct a comprehensive strategy, the EC invited interested parties to submit feedback and best practices of countering fraud schemes, which also includes gambling stakeholders that have been pushing back against the black market for years.

As a representative of that sector, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) responded to the EC’s call for feedback by highlighting the dangers of illegal gambling providers preying on unsuspecting players by posing as licensed operators.

To back its claim, EGBA’s supporting evidence included examples of websites using domain names that closely resemble those of legitimate operators, abusing the rep..

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Illegal Gambling Prevention Summit 2026 highlights losses to the black market and some solutions

Steve Hoare076 views

Deal Me Out’s Illegal Gambling Prevention Summit highlighted the extent of the black market in the UK, the causes and interrogated some of the potential solutions. The impact on racing: The opening panel of racing enthusiasts and professionals presented a grim picture. Consultant Simon French concluded that racing needs “a complete reset”. He said it…

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UK govt reveals temporary fix in a bid to plug funding gap

iGamingExpert055 views

The UK Government has created the Gambling Levy Transition Fund (GLTF) to assist charities that missed out on funding under the Statutory Levy.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the decision has been made to ensure the continuity of gambling harm prevention and treatment services in England’, as the industry continues to navigate the ‘generational change’ brought about by the transition to a Statutory Levy on operators.

“Tight time frames for commissioning processes and decisions created the risk of a funding gap,” said DCMS.

“This may have put vulnerable service users or beneficiary groups of organisations previously funded under the voluntary system at risk. Recognising this, the GLTF has been rapidly established by DCMS to provide immediate, targeted, time-limited financial support to ensure no such gap exists.”

Although there has been no official confirmation from the government on which organisations have been successful, it is understood that some charities hav..

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