SBC Americas

According to NCAA Managing Director Mark Hicks, the organization has a pretty clear understanding of the scope of bettor harassment on social media.

Speaking to Entain’s SVP of American Regulatory Affairs & Responsible Gambling Martin Lycka as part of the SBC Summit North America Player Protection Symposium, Hicks cited data from ethical data group and NCAA partner Signify collected during March Madness earlier this year.

Around 2,000 incidents of bettor harassment this March Madness

Hicks said the group counted 50,000 incidents of athlete harassment online, 4,000 of which were serious enough to be turned over to the platform, law enforcement, or, in some cases, both.

Of those 4,000, roughly half could be tied back to sports betting, which explains why Hicks and the NCAA have become increasingly focused on athlete protection as it develops and expands its sports betting protocols.

“The policies that went into NCAA legislation years and years ago were really integrity-focused, but ..

SBC Media is launching the Player Protection Hub, a members-only community hub designed to share news, insight, research, education and best practices in responsible gambling.

Located at www.playerprotectionhub.com, the new resource will gather responsible gambling news stories, videos and podcasts from across SBC Media’s portfolio of websites, as well as curating relevant research papers and studies.

The Hub will work in close cooperation with SBC’s global events team, particularly on the SBC Player Protection Symposiums in New York and Toronto.

The company is delighted to announce that long-time industry expert Steve Hoare, formerly of Gaming Intelligence and GeoComply, is joining SBC Media to spearhead the project as editor of the Player Protection Hub.

“I have been following the responsible gambling story for over a decade and knew the industry needed something like this – somewhere that brings all this news, innovation and research together in one place. So, as soon as the..

Sports bettors are more likely to binge drink and consume more alcohol according to a new study from the International Center for Responsible Gambling (ICRG).

Published in the JAMA Network Open journal, the study found its sample of sports bettors were disproportionately more likely to report binge drinking at a greater frequency over the last 12 months compared to non-sports bettors.

Led by Dr. Joshua Grubbs of the University of New Mexico, the study states that its findings underscore the need for targeted public health interventions and informed regulatory policies to mitigate the risks associated with sports betting and alcohol consumption.

“Our research highlights a troubling trend of excessive alcohol use among sports bettors,” explained Grubbs. “We must use these insights to formulate effective strategies that promote responsible gaming and alcohol consumption.”

Grubbs also noted that further investigation is needed to compare alcohol consumption between online and retail sp..

Paysafe is diversifying its offerings for online casino operators.

The payments platform announced on Monday the launch of Pay by Bank, a new product that allows iGaming players in America to fund their gaming accounts directly from their online bank accounts. Pay by Bank, which is part of Paysafe’s Gateway payments solution, also allows online bettors to cash out their winnings seamlessly to their banking accounts.

“We’re delighted to unveil our new Pay by Bank product for our iGaming solution, which will almost certainly prove very effective in both converting and retaining players for U.S. operators, with the product’s impressive transactional speed and robust security,” said Paysafe President of Global Gaming Zak Cutler. “Through Pay by Bank, we continue to grow the Paysafe Gateway by providing American operators and their customers with unparalleled payment choices, all through a single integration.”

Paysafe has launched its new iGaming solution amid demand from U.S. players fo..

A group of 26 athletes from Iowa and Iowa State University are suing the state for its allegedly unconstitutional investigation into their sports betting activity.

Lawsuit alleges 4th and 14th Amendment violations

In a federal complaint filed in the Southern District of Iowa, the group claimed the state of Iowa, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and individual DCI employees Stephan Bayens, Paul Feddersen, David Jobes, Troy Nelson and Brian Sanger violated their 4th and 14th Amendment rights with warrantless searches and unlawful seizures.

Per the complaint, the athletes allege that the DCI launched a sports betting investigative division in 2021. As part of an investigation conducted in tandem with the state of Illinois, the DCI became aware of GeoComply’s geolocation tech and how it can be used to identify fraudulent activity and pinpoint when betting is taking place from a restricted location such as a prison or a school.

Before DCI was able to utilize this software, Ge..

The Martin Lycka Safe Bet Show returned this month and Arthur Paikowsky, President of the International Centre for Responsible Gambling (ICRG), was the man in the hot seat.

In the podcast, the pair discuss Paikowsky’s life in fundraising and the work of the ICRG in progressing the industry’s knowledge of responsible gambling.

Paikowsky has spent over four decades working as a fundraiser for multiple organizations, in which time, he has raised over $1 billion. Lycka started by asking how fundraising has changed throughout Paikowsky’s career.

RG donors experiencing some fatigue

He noted that the main difference is that the industry has become more technology-driven, which he believes has not been for the better. Later in the podcast he also touched on how technology has led to donor fatigue due to people being bombarded daily with requests for money.

“When you talk to people in the fundraising world and you say how many of these hits do you get on your computer every single day [and..

The Colorado Division of Gambling is taking steps to combat illicit gambling.

As part of the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR), the state’s Division of Gaming has launched a new campaign aimed at preventing illegal gambling by Colorado residents and visitors. The campaign, “Play Legit. Gamble Only Where Legal,” is designed to educate bettors in the Centennial State about the risks of illicit wagering and the importance of betting with licensed online operators and brick-and-mortar casinos.

“With many certified and legal gambling sites available, it’s never worth it to put yourself in danger,” said Colorado Division of Gaming Director Chris Schroder. “Together, let’s play by the rules and ensure that Colorado remains a safe and responsible gaming destination. By recognizing and preventing illegal gambling, we all win.”

Colorado is taking steps to educate residents and visitors about the risks of illegal gambling to mitigate crimes associated with wagering, including fraud and bur..

A bill has been introduced that would prevent players in Pennsylvania from using credit cards to fund their online gambling activities.

Senate Bill 1159, introduced by Sen. Wayne Fontana, proposes amendments to Title 4 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, which concerns gaming in the state.

The bill states that operators “may not accept a credit card as a form of payment” for sports betting, daily fantasy contests, iLottery, and online casino activities.

Fontana drummed up support in March

In March Fontana circulated a memorandum to garner support for his proposal which aims to curtail problem gambling amid the continued growth of iGaming and sports wagering in the state.

SB1159 ended up with six cosponsors, five of which are Democrats and one who is Republican.

As part of his memorandum, Fontana included statistics from a study produced by Penn State, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and the state’s Gaming Control Board, which ..