SBC News

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 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 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 ..

BVGroup has named Tracy McGrady as the Safer Gambling Ambassador in Canada for its BetVictor brand.

The seven-time NBA All-Star played for the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and the San Antonio Spurs, all during his 16-year career.

Brent Almeida, CCO of BVGroup, noted: “We are thrilled to have signed Tracy McGrady to BetVictor to promote Safer Gambling.”

Almeida described the player as the ‘perfect role model’, with an amazing career across 16 seasons in the NBA. He said: “Aligning with him is a perfect fit for the BetVictor brand.”

The Gibraltar-headquartered operator currently has gambling licences in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Ontario and Gibraltar.

It was only last year that BetVictor revealed the new group corporate identity, including a new company name, logo and website, switching to BVGroup to ‘reflect its position’ as a multi-brand gambling operator and B2B technology solutions provider – whilst also ackn..

Spanish gambling has been made aware of an “intrusive amendment” sought by the government to reimpose advertising restrictions on licensed operators.

Revealed by the Spanish online gambling association Jdigital, the PSOE/Sumar government has adopted an “unrelated amendment” to the Decree to Establish a State Agency for Public Health.

The amendment will reintroduce advertising restrictions, limiting gambling advertisements on social media platforms, prohibiting bonus promotions, and banning the use of public figures.

Reviewed by the Supreme Court of Spain, the above restrictions were “partially annulled” in April, as articles of the Royal Decree on Advertising – the Spanish government’s federal mandate to impose restrictions on gambling advertising across Spanish media.

Judges sided with an appeal from Jdigital and the Information Media Association (AMI), who had accused the Ministry of Consumer Affairs of bypassing “federal applications” to include the restrictions as measures of t..