SBC News - Player Protection Hub

Gordon Moody: “It is vital new framework is inclusive of wider third sector”

CasinoBeatsDecember 10, 20240240 views

Gordon Moody has emphasised the importance of the role of the third sector as safer gambling frameworks move into a new era in the UK. The treatment and support charity has issued its response to a misunderstanding by the NHS at the GambleAware Conference in London.

The conference was the first after confirmation of the new statutory levy and the application of £2/£5 stake limits in the UK, which Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross underlined will ensure Britain has the safest gambling environments.

As the landscape unfolds the NHS will be positioned as the Chief Commissioner with the goal of improving the accessibility, quality, and impact of services tackling gambling-related harms by addressing the individual needs of local communities.

However, the GambleAware conference provided a stage to emphasise just how crucial collaboration will be moving forward and why it’s so vital that the third sector continues to play a crucial role in safeguarding players.

In spite of this, Dr C..

Global Gaming Women appoints Pamela Buckley as EVP

CasinoBeatsDecember 10, 20240288 views

Global Gaming Women (GGW) has bolstered its executive team by appointing Pamela Buckley as its Executive Vice President.

With over 20 years of industry knowledge with various gambling operators, Buckley brings experience in executive leadership, operations management, and strategic program development to the role.

Working closely with current Executive Director, Kelly Hatch, Buckley will be in charge of GGW’s strategic leadership and direction, utilising her knowledge to help the organisation grow.

“I am honoured to join Global Gaming Women and look forward to supporting, inspiring, and influencing the development of women in the gaming industry,” commented Buckley.

“I have had some amazing mentors throughout my career, and I am excited to be able to pay it forward and help level the playing field for women across the globe in the gaming industry.”

Before joining GGW, Buckley previously worked as an Executive Director of Casino VIP Services and Fontainebleau Rewards at the Fontai..

UAE regulator issues key warning over unlicensed market threat

CasinoBeatsDecember 10, 20240292 views

The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), the UAE gambling regulator, has issued a key warning to stakeholders and players over engagement with unlicensed operators.

Central to the warning from the UAE regulator is around the increased threats that players expose themselves to when they play with unlicensed operators. These include financial loss, becoming the victims of cheating or fraud, having personal data stolen or misused, increasing the risk of malware, phishing, or other cybersecurity threats, and being implicated in a regulatory or criminal investigation and the subsequent reputational damage.

Kevin Mullally, CEO of the GCGRA, commented: “The GCGRA is committed to ensuring a safe and legal gaming environment in the UAE.”

He urged consumers to “Stay vigilant and informed, to protect yourself from the risks associated with illegal gaming. Your adherence to the law not only safeguards your personal and financial security but also upholds the integrity of ou..

Senate to vote on Brazil Bets exposure to Sin Taxes

SBC NewsDecember 10, 20240275 views

The Senate of Brazil has been informed that sports betting and online gambling activities may be considered new criteria for “selective taxes.”

Senator Braga
The determination forms part of a report filed by Senator Eduardo Braga (MDB-AM), who serves as the Rapporteur for the Senate’s federal tax reform project.

As reported by SBC Notícias Brazil, Braga’s report classifies sports betting, online games, and fantasy sports as “targeted goods and services deemed harmful to health or that generate negative externalities—such as alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, and fossil fuels.” The tax aims to include these sectors, which have been experiencing significant growth in the country.

However, taxation remains a contentious issue ahead of the launch of the Brazil Bets market in 2025, as the federal framework seeks to regulate fixed-odds betting and online gambling.

Authorised in December 2023, the tax framework under Law No. 14,790/2023 applies a general income tax rate of 12% on gross gam..

Woman suing DraftKings for enabling her husband’s gambling problem

SBC AmericasDecember 9, 20240265 views

A New Jersey woman claims that DraftKings knowingly coerced and enabled her estranged spouse to deposit more money than he had and encourage his gambling problem.

Lisa D’Alessandro filed the lawsuit in New Jersey state court, identifying herself and the two children she shares with her husband as plaintiffs.

She is suing DraftKings for allegedly breaching the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act. D’Alessandro said her husband, identified in court documents purely by his DraftKings username Mdallo1990, lost over $940,000 on the site over the course of three years.

Suit says DraftKings actively encouraged addicted man to gamble

“To be clear, this suit does not allege liability on the basis that Defendants passively permitted a problem gambler to use its gambling platform. Rather, this suit alleges violation of New Jersey statutory and common law because Defendants actively participated in the addiction of Mdallo1990 by targeting him with incentives, bonuses, and other gifts to create, nurtu..

French Gambling plays watch-&-wait on government chaos

SBC NewsDecember 9, 20240308 views

Jake Pollard
iCasino working committees are expected to continue, but uncertainty will be ongoing until a new government is appointed, as all industries monitor closely the movements on an embattled President Macron.

France’s online gambling sector is awaiting President Macron’s decision on the appointment of a new Prime Minister to form a government following Michel Barnier’s resignation.

Barnier’s government became the first to lose a confidence motion since 1962. The motion of censure was initiated by the hard-left party La France Insoumise, with support from the hard-right Rassemblement National, after rejecting the country’s 2025 budget.

Speaking on French television at the end of last week, Macron, who has reportedly been searching for a new Prime Minister since mid-November, stated that he would appoint Barnier’s successor as quickly as possible.

Avoiding a Void
Macron will also aim to avoid a repeat of the three-month summer period during which the country was without a go..

UKGC nets stability on gambling prevalence stats of Wave-2 of GSGB

SBC NewsDecember 9, 20240249 views

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published Wave-2 datasets from the Gambling Survey of Great Britain (GSGB) for 2024.

The GSGB includes a new survey format and research methodology conducted by NatCen for the Gambling Commission to measure gambling prevalence and to collect updated data on “playing habits, attitudes, and harms experienced across the adult population of Great Britain.”

Following a two-year ‘technical review,’ Wave-1 GSGB datasets were published on 29 February 2024, marking the start of a new era in data collection for the Gambling Commission and providing stakeholders with more frequent and consistent data on gambling prevalence.

Audiences are reminded that Wave-1 and Wave-2 datasets do not include the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) statistics for UK adults. PGSI statistics are reported in the Commission’s annual ‘Official Statistics on Gambling Participation,’ which provides data on “the consequences that gambling can have on individuals and those close..

Gambling harm highlighted in World Health Organization fact sheet

SBC AmericasDecember 6, 20240285 views

The World Health Organization (WHO) is addressing the rapid growth of regulated gambling.

The WHO has published a fact sheet detailing its latest research on global gambling and its impact on the well-being of patrons around the world. The sheet provides insights into how gambling impacts health leading to financial stress, mental illness and relationship issues.

The WHO has called for strict regulation and enforcement by regulators and operators as the industry continues to grow as new markets emerge and existing markets expand.

Global gambling revenue is projected to reach $700 billion by 2028, according to industry analysts. The WHO attributes the rapid growth of gambling to an uptick in sponsorships and marketing deals along with the commercialization and digitization of the industry.

The increase of gambling-focused marketing worldwide has impacted the health of bettors.

The WHO has determined that approximately 1.2% of the world’s adult population suffers from a gambling dis..

DCMS pledges fair & ethical Evaluation of Gambling Review’s policy measures

SBC NewsDecember 5, 20240243 views

DCMS and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) have published the ‘Evaluation Plan‘ on the impact of the policy measures undertaken by the Gambling Act Review.

The evaluation of policy measures will be conducted by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), which began a scoping study in January 2024, to be followed by fieldwork research beginning in January 2025. NatCen is expected to present its findings and deliver the final report in 2026.

As detailed in the DCMS foreword: “The gambling white paper contains over 60 proposed policy measures, to be delivered by a mixture of different stakeholders, making it a highly complex policy initiative. The policy measures have different timeframes and implementation processes, and potentially intersecting outcomes and impacts. Attribution or contribution of observed changes to any one policy measure is therefore difficult.”

“DCMS and the Gambling Commission are working together to deliver an appropriate programme of work to evaluate the ..

BGC: SGWeek 2024 nets highest social exposure

SBC NewsDecember 5, 20240229 views

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has declared that Safer Gambling Week 2024 campaigns have registered the highest online impact and coverage.

#SGWeek2024 campaigns 2024 set new records on social media, generating over 60m impressions across the platforms X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Data released on this year’s successful campaign promoting awareness of safer gambling tools, intervention, and treatment services revealed a huge 21 per cent increase on last year.

Cross-party senior MPs and peers, including gambling minister Baroness Fiona Twycross and several shadow ministers including the Shadow DCMS Secretary Stuart Andrew MP praised the impact of #SGWeek2024 campaigns.

This year’s event also had the full support of the independent regulator, the Gambling Commission, and its Chief Executive, Andrew Rhodes.

Among the well-known football clubs to support Safer Gambling Week 2024 were Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Southampton, ensuring millions..