Leading academic Professor Heather Wardle of the University of Glasgow has opened up a new front in the crusade against the gambling industry with a paper that invites the governments of the world to treat gambling as a major public health issue. Wardle and colleagues from around the world, including leading academics in Australia, India…
Sportradar has signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement (ACT) with the Brazilian Ministry of Finance, through the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting.
The pair will collaborate activities focused on safeguarding the integrity of the newly regulated sports betting and online gaming market.
The ACT aims to support the technical staff of the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting, given their responsibility at the national level to coordinate the authorisation, inspection and sanctioning process of operators that provide online games and sports betting.
Felippe Marchetti, Sportradar’s Manager for Integrity Partnerships in Brazil, described the signing of the ACT as a ‘proud occasion’ for the company.
“We appreciate the trust shown by the Brazilian Ministry of Finance in the expertise of Sportradar’s Integrity Services division,” Marchetti added. “This ACT reflects a mutual commitment to establish a sustainable, regulated sports betting industry in Brazil that is built upon a foundation of..
Jake Pollard
French casino operators are ready to consult with the government on all the key issues following withdrawal of online casino amendment from the Budget 2025.
Casinos de France, the trade body representing the country’s 200 French land-based casinos, has told Gaming&Co that it is looking forward to discussing online casino regulations when it meets with the government next week, and reiterated its call for the country’s physical casinos to be given priority to operate the vertical digitally.
Philippe Bon, CEO of CdF, said that the organisation was also willing to study the different regulatory formats that could be proposed by members of AFJEL, the French online gaming association, but that there had been no contact between the two groups.
French exception
The regulation of online casino as part of an open market model has long been called for by AFJEL, but Bon said any such project must take into account France’s very specific land-based casino environment.
“People say..
GambleAware fully supports the global findings and recommendations from The Lancet Public Health Commission on Gambling.
Recognised as a leading medical research journal, The Lancet published its report on the impact of gambling on “worldwide health and wellbeing” on 24 October.
The report provides groundbreaking global estimates of gambling prevalence, stating that “46.2% of adults and 17.9% of adolescents had engaged in gambling in the past year, globally. While only a small proportion of individuals will be classified as engaging in problematic gambling (1.4%).”
According to The Lancet, governments have neglected and understudied gambling disorders, especially as online platforms have broken down traditional barriers to gambling. Researchers estimate that globally, 448 million adults are at risk of gambling-related harm, with 80 million experiencing gambling disorders.
The Lancet Commission stresses the need for stronger global regulations to reduce the health and social harms c..
The Córdoba Lottery has implemented three applications to help with parental control and blocking online gambling sites. This week, the agency verified and certified Gamban, Betblocker and Qustodio, the three apps it made available to legal guardians of minors in the province. They are installed on the device of the adult and the minor, allowing the blocking of access to…
The European Commission (EC) has extended the ‘standstill period’ for Italy’s new tender for online gambling concessions until 18 November.
The decision follows a ‘detailed opinion’ submitted by the government of Malta, raising concerns over the technical and compliance requirements for B2B businesses in Italy’s new licensing framework for online gambling.
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) argues that Italy will impose ‘unnecessary barriers’ on B2B businesses, such as system and platform suppliers, by enforcing ‘duplicate requirements’ on technical procedures and compliance controls.
In response, the MGA warned the EC: “Member States should recognise that B2B operators may already hold licences in other Member States and may be subject to myriad requirements and checks, which could easily be mutually recognised if a cooperation framework is set up for this purpose.”
Italian authorities must provide ‘sufficient justification’ for imposing additional technical requirements on B2B busi..
The UK Gambling Commission has teamed up with Malta’s Gaming Authority to better regulate its gambling sector through a Memorandum of Understanding.
The agreement will see both regulators exchange information and intelligence to build up better consumer safeguarding measures, curb criminal behaviour and combat the rise of gambling harm.
Andrew Rhodes, UKGC CEO, lauded the agreement, stating: “We welcome this agreement as a sign of our continued collaboration between the MGA and the UKGC. We’ve been working closely for some time now, and following our successful visit this summer, it is only fitting that we formulate our working relationship.
“We are keen to continue strengthening our efforts to raise standards across the industry, tackling common challenges such as illegal gambling, while also exploring future collaboration, including initiatives like shadowing and addressing key issues in areas like AML and sports betting integrity.”
By sharing best practices through the partners..
The Senate of Brazil has “partially delayed” the Commission of Inquiry (CPI) investigations aimed at reviewing the laws, standards, and protections of the Bets regime.
The CPIs will serve as the Senate’s evaluation of Brazil’s fixed-odds and online gambling market under the Bets framework, scheduled to launch in 2025.
The Senate’s evaluation, assigned to the “CPI of Bets,” will examine the financial impact of online gambling on Brazilian citizens, communities, and family finances.
Additionally, the “CPI of Integrity” will assess the threats and exposure of Brazilian sports (professional and amateur) to gambling manipulation and fraud.
On Friday, the Senate confirmed it had delayed the CPI of Bets as it has yet to decide which Senators will work on the inquiry.
Senator Soraya Thronicke from Mato Grosso do Sul, who proposed the CPI to the Senate, will serve as the inquiry’s rapporteur but has not yet been assigned a team. Thronicke has been granted 130 days and a budget of R$ 110,00..
The government of France has withdrawn the ‘proposed amendments’ to the 2025 Budget to legislate and launch an online casino market.
The decision was announced on Sunday by Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin, who stated that further consultations were needed to avoid the negative impacts and job losses warned by regional stakeholders.
“There was talk that the government would submit an amendment. This is no longer the case. I believe we need to work among ourselves first,” the Minister stated on Radio J this weekend.
“I am very vigilant about this issue. We must not make mistakes. We must ensure that it doesn’t harm certain stakeholders, especially land-based casinos.”
As a result, France will maintain its 2010 gambling laws, upholding a fragmented marketplace that regulates sports betting, horseracing, and poker, but prohibits online casino activities.
The intervention follows Prime Minister Michel Barnier allowing France’s Budget 2025 to include an amendment for online casino ..
The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) received donations totaling $500,000 from major industry stakeholders at recent landmark events.
The ICRG said in a release that the funding underscores “a robust commitment to advancing research and initiatives in gambling disorder and responsible gambling.”
Specifically, the ICRG received a $300,000 donation from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians during the 25th ICRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction. The donation ceremony was marked by esteemed leaders, wich the ICRG said reflected “a community united in its dedication to fostering safer gaming environments.”
Then, at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas, ICRG was presented with a $200,000 check from the proceeds of the 25th Annual AGEM & AGA Golf Classic hosted by JCM Global. That event has raised over $2.8 million to date in support of the ICRG’s research into gambling addiction. ICRG’s donation was presented by leaders including JCM SVP Dave Kubajak, Associati..