SBC News

The Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has issued a €400k fine to Optdeck Service Ltd, otherwise known as Unibet.

According to the regulator, the betting brand had allowed the signing up of players who were listed on the Netherlands’ national self-exclusion registry CRUKS.

The scheme works in the same way as other similar projects throughout Europe, where once a player has been registered in the system, licensed gambling providers have a regulatory obligation to refuse them any type of gambling service, whether it’s physical or online.

An alert was raised with the KSA back in mid-2023 that Unibet had failed to carry out the necessary checks during the 2022 World Cup, which was confirmed after the regulator’s subsequent investigation. As per official information, Optdeck had not appealed the fine.

CRUKS is a core component of the Dutch gambling market. To ensure that this remains the case, the KSA has previously launched a number of marketing campaigns targeting ..

Ahead of the festive holidays, GamCare has warned people with gambling issues to be extra careful not to endanger themselves further.

A YouGov survey, commissioned by the gambling charity and focusing on more than 4,000 UK adults suffering from problem gambling, has shown that three-fifths (59%) of those prone to gambling harms say they are more likely to gamble at Christmas than the rest of year – a 37% increase from 2023.

Additional insights from the survey highlight that 53% of people gambling at harmful levels have spent money – otherwise needed for food, presents, or other seasonal expenses – on gambling.

Again, 53% of surveyed respondents report an increase in stress or anxiety levels due to gambling, while 56% say that gambling has made them more isolated.

GamCare has put its own advisers on standby to help anyone who might need support during the holidays, and its National Gambling Helpline remains open for people with gambling issues or those close to them who might be s..

Italy has officially launched a new licensing regime for online gambling concessions, completing phase-1 of the government’s reorganisation of the gambling sector in 2024.

The final approval of Italy’s new licensing regime was documented via the EU’s Official Journal, authorising the Italian government’s procedure to award new nine-year licences for online gambling concessions.

Submitted to the European Commission (EC) in November, the Italian government’s plans were delayed due to a ‘detailed opinion’ submitted by the Malta Gambling Authority (MGA) on B2B technicalities, which saw the licensing framework placed under an ‘extended standstill period’.

Though delayed, the EC guaranteed changes sought by the Ministry of Finance and Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) to apply a €7m authorisation fee for each online gambling license. The new license fee will be implemented alongside a concessionaire’s operating fee of 3%.

Licensing Details and Timelines
The EC guaranteed the Italian..

The government of Peru has been allowed to impose a ‘selective consumption tax’ (ISC) measure on all online gambling activities.

SUNAT, the National Superintendency of Customs and Tax Administration of Peru, issued its determination to the Executive Branch on gambling taxes sought by President Dina Boluarte, as part of her administration’s overhaul of Peru’s gambling laws.

Though Congress had approved the final framework of Bill-2070/2021, to impose a direct 10% tax on gross gaming revenues (GGR) across online sports and casino wagers, in September, Boluarte intervened in proceedings, demanding that a further 1% ‘excise tax’ be applied to all online gambling activities, regardless of whether businesses are licensed by MINCETUR, Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism.

The measure required a technical evaluation by SUNAT to determine whether the excise tax could be applied to both foreign and domestic businesses, licensed or not.

The tax authority determined that the 1% excise ..

At the close of the year, Italian gambling has received further positive news, as the restrictions of the Dignity Decree on gambling advertising and sponsorships will be reviewed in 2025.

Interviewed this weekend by La Verità, Roberto Alesse, Director General of the ADM, branded the Dignity Decree measures as “hypocritical regulation”, which “cannot be applied by a liberal state.”

The interview primarily focused on the significance of the ADM in Italy’s economic development. The agency carries regulatory oversight of Custom Duties, Alcohol/Tobacco, Gambling, and Energy Consumption—sectors critical to the 2025 Budget.

The ADM has completed year two of reforms under the ‘National Conservative’ program led by PM Giorgia Meloni. In 2023, Roberto Alesse was appointed to replace ‘conservative hardliner’ Marcello Minenna and oversee the agency’s reforms.

Having secured key directives for 2024, Alesse told La Verità that the ADM is ready to launch a new licensing framework for online gambl..

PlayItForward has spearheaded safer gambling efforts for Apricot for a number of years, leading to the initiative playing a critical part in driving forward a variety of schemes across the industry.

Over the course of a three-part SBC News special, three of these, namely Betknowmore, Gordon Moody and Beacon Counselling Trust, elaborated on their own continuing efforts, as well as the role that the partner-led CSR programme has and continues to play.

As the landscape of UK gambling gets set for drastic change via a mandated levy to generate £100m for the research, prevention and treatment of harms, each of the aforementioned trifecta offered reflections on the importance of PlayItForward funding in helping to push them forwards.

Here, Dr Liz Riley, Betknowmore UK’s Head of Research & Evaluation, noted the crucial contribution of Apricot’s scheme in helping to develop fresh, and in some instances never-before-seen, opportunities within the realm of gambling harms.

“When I joined Betk..

Dr. Michael Auer, Managing Director of OpenBet’s Neccton
Dr. Michael Auer, Managing Director of OpenBet’s Neccton, examines how robust player protection tools can address the risks that Brazilians currently face in order to facilitate a safer experience

Brazil’s regulated market is set to go live in less than a month and the first list of authorised operators has now been announced. As the noise around the market’s opening grows louder, the need for responsible gaming measures has never been clearer.

The issue of problematic gaming behaviors was brought to the attention of mainstream media recently when a report suggested that Brazilian bettors are taking out loans with up to 438% interest to fund the current betting spend. This demonstrates the reason why regulation is being introduced in Brazil to create a safer environment, while also underscoring the urgent need for operators to equip themselves with the necessary tools to protect players.

Many locally licensed operators, such a..

The Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has launched a new advertising campaign that raises the awareness of player self-exclusion.

Bearing the motto “Pack your life again, take a gambling stop’, the initiative is a continuation of KSA’s pilot self-exclusion marketing of the national CRUKS register from last year.

The primary target group of the new campaign is young adults who may be experiencing problem gambling behaviour. Therefore, the marketing efforts behind the awareness initiative are all largely focused on social media rather than traditional media outlets.
Across the online videos, social ads and posts, a number of young people can be seen interacting with others in various social situations, implicating the importance of interpersonal relationships and how losing control over gambling can harm them.
Operated by the KSA, CRUKS was launched back in 2021 as part of the Dutch government’s mandate of the Remote Gambling Act (KOA) to regulate the online gambli..