SBC News - Player Protection Hub

Opinion: Former NJ regulator on shifting the RG focus to the unregulated market

SBC AmericasSeptember 24, 20240330 views

Image: Jessica Yurinko Photography

Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360)is a leading global technology and consultancy firm specializing in comprehensive integrity and compliance solutions for the gaming industry, formed earlier this year by the merger of U.S. Integrity and Odds On Compliance. Asrticle author Eric Weiss is IC360’s Managing Director of North America and formerly spent 30 years with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.

As we observe Responsible Gaming Education Month (RGEM), it is an opportune time to recognize the notable achievements of the online casino and sports betting industry in promoting responsible gaming practices.

Since the inception of online casino gaming in 2013 and the advent of online sports betting in 2018, the regulated sector has shown a strong commitment to safeguarding at-risk individuals by providing access to essential resources and support.

Key initiatives include:

Equipping players with ongoing education and self-regulation tools.

U..

Several states fall short of player protection standards in NCPG report

SBC AmericasSeptember 20, 20240315 views

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) is evaluating how regulated sports betting markets across the country protect consumers.

The NCPG has released a report, U.S. States’ Online Sports Betting Regulations: An Evaluation Against National Council on Problem Gambling Standards, providing an analysis of how regulated markets adhere to their laws and regulatory frameworks.

The report, prepared by Vixio Regulatory Intelligence, uses public information from states and their regulatory agencies. It does not include data on RG practices by operators.

“This report is the first time that state sports betting laws and regulations have been evaluated against the NCPG’s Internet Responsible Gambling Standards,” said Executive Director Keith Whyte. “With the widespread adoption of legalized sports betting, NCPG felt there was a need for a report comparing sports betting laws and regulations to the IRGS.”

The NCPG’s Internet Responsible Gambling Standards (IRGS) provide guidance in gami..

UKGC calls for continued industry cooperation to strengthen Gambling Survey

CasinoBeatsSeptember 20, 20240288 views

The UK Gambling Commission has called for the gambling industry’s continued cooperation to strengthen the Gambling Survey for Great Britain.

Ben Haden, the UKGC’s Director of Research and Statistics, sent out the request in a blog post following the publication of the first quarter of participation figures for year two of the GSGB last week.

The latest GSGB figures, covering a nationally representative sample of 5,191 adults aged 18 and over who were interviewed between January 2024 and April 2024, stated that overall gambling participation was 48% in the past four weeks.

Delving deeper into this overall participation figure, the online gambling rate was 38%, falling to 16% when removing lottery draws, while the in-person gambling rate was 29%, dropping to 18% when excluding lottery draws.

GSGB feedback

While the development of the GSGB is still in its early stages, the UKGC’s Research and Statistics Director thanked gambling sector stakeholders for voicing their opinions on the s..

PM Schoof states no hesitation to impose Dutch gambling tax hikes

SBC NewsSeptember 20, 20240271 views

Prime Minister Dick Schoof of the Netherlands expressed his confidence in the Conservative Coalition’s plan to strengthen Dutch laws and restrict high-risk gambling.
He addressed the Kamer after Wednesday’s presentation of the 2025 Dutch Budget, where the coalition government confirmed a ‘two-stage tax hike‘ on gambling income, raising it from 30.5% to 37.8% by 2026.

Schoof made it clear that the Coalition believes the government must actively discourage citizens from gambling.

Backed by the conservative parties, including the Freedom Party, VVD, NSC, and the Farmers Movement, Schoof fully supports the Coalition’s plan to reform gambling laws. The focus will be on protecting consumers, preventing addiction, and fighting fraud and crime.

When asked why the Budget deviated from its original plan to impose the 37.8% tax starting in 2025, Schoof explained that changes were necessary to address sports funding concerns.

“One of the reasons for delaying this was the strong opposition from..

KSA reduces record Videoslots sanction following appeal

CasinoBeatsSeptember 19, 20240267 views

The KSA has reduced the sanction given to Videoslots according to a report by Dutch media outlet, Casino Nieuws.

It’s a decision that came off the back of an appeal by the group, which led to the record penalty being reduced from €9.9m penalty to €975,000.

Off the back of the sanction initially being announced in 2023, Videoslots took aim at the KSA accusing the regulator of “abusing the mystery shopping regime”.

In offering detail on what led to this point, the operator noted that in preparation for a KSA application in April 2022, the regulator’s logo was “mistakenly visible for a short period of time”. It is noted that it was “quickly removed”.

However, Videoslots added that the KSA tried to sign-up as a Dutch customer after becoming aware of this, but failed due to the systems put in place. It is also suggested that the regulator accessed the site as a German customer, before making a deposit and sole wager of 20 cents.

Ulle Skottling, Deputy CEO at Videoslots, stated at the t..

BGC warns of 1.5m Brits active on black market websites

SBC NewsSeptember 19, 20240285 views

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has warned the government that unregulated black market gambling poses greater risks than perceived by British consumers.

The trade and standards body for UK gambling sounds its caution, following a new study published by microeconomics consultancy Frontier Economics. – titled: “The size and economic costs of black market gambling in Great Britain“

The study commissioned by the BGC is detailed as “the first major study on the black market since the publication of the previous Government’s White Paper on gambling reforms”.

UK gambling is recognised as a highly regulated sector, servicing 14 million adults (excluding the National Lottery) who gamble per month and generating £10.9bn in annual gross gambling yield (GGY).

Licensing duties see consumers protected by safer gambling rules, compliance monitoring, customer care interventions, responsible gambling tools, controls, and financial probity—overseen by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

Andre..

Regulation outpacing evidence base, according to CGA research

Steve HoareSeptember 19, 20240294 views

Regulatory policies around gambling advertising are evolving at a faster rate than the accompanying evidence base, according to new research from the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA). The CGA has teamed up with GP Consulting and Eilers & Krejcik to publish one of the most comprehensive research papers yet produced around gambling advertising and regulatory intervention.…

Betsson renews GiG Comply partnership with Gentoo Media

CasinoBeatsSeptember 18, 20240234 views

Betsson Group Affiliates has renewed its partnership with Gentoo Media for the fifth consecutive year, allowing the operator to continue to use the supplier’s automated compliance and brand protection tool, GiG Comply.

The partnership will help Betsson manage its regulatory compliance across its brand portfolio. Gentoo Media has stated GiG Comply will provide the operator with the necessary means to stay compliant and meet regulatory requirements when carrying out marketing across different jurisdictions.

“We are pleased to extend our partnership with GiG Comply for a fifth consecutive year,” commented Shakyra Jonsson, Senior Affiliate Operations & Events Manager at Betsson Group Affiliates.

“As a company committed to maintaining the highest standards of regulatory compliance, it is crucial that we continue using tools like GiG Comply to ensure that our affiliate marketing efforts align with the diverse regulations across the markets we operate in.

“This partnership reaffirms our..

New Saints FC spreads awareness of GAMSTOP’s ‘crucial’ work

SBC NewsSeptember 18, 20240240 views

The New Saints FC (TNS) and GAMSTOP have teamed up in support of Self-Exclusion Day on 14 September.

The 16-time JD Cymru Premier champions donated their match-day sponsorship slot to the UK’s national online self-exclusion scheme for their 4-0 JD Cymru Premier victory over Barry Town.

This saw the club promote the initiative across its matchday programme and social media platforms, as the players wore dedicated custom-made GAMSTOP warm-up shirts ahead of the fixture to raise awareness for the vital campaign.

Fiona Palmer, GAMSTOP CEO, commented: “The level of support The New Saints provided for Self-Exclusion Day has been above and beyond.

“Football clubs play a key role in shaping their communities, and it’s fantastic to see TNS take such a proactive stance in supporting individuals who may be struggling with gambling harm. Together, we can ensure that support is available for those who need it.”

Meanwhile, GAMSTOP, in collaboration with Addiction Recovery Agency (ARA), is also..

Brazil’s banks call for instant ban of credit card use for gambling

SBC NewsSeptember 18, 20240270 views

Febraban, Brazil’s Federation of Banks, has urged the government to accelerate the planned ban on using credit cards for betting and gaming activities.

The call is led by Isaac Sidney, President of Febraban, who expressed concerns to the federal government about the growing use of credit cards for betting, warning of the risks of debts being accrued by citizens.

Currently, the government and related agencies are in the licensing phase to launch Brazil’s federal fixed-odds sports betting and online gambling marketplace, commonly referred to as Bets.

Planned to take effect from 1 January 2025, the launch of the Bets market will prohibit credit card transactions for online gambling. The Ministry of Finance announced in April that the new rule also prohibits payments made in cash, bank slips, cheques, cryptocurrencies, or any methods that hide the source of funds.

“We are very concerned about how much this could compromise family income and increase defaults, potentially raising the co..