SBC News

Veikkaus drives responsible gambling in selecting Optimove

Finland’s national lottery operator, Veikkaus, has partnered with Optimove to leverage the firm’s CRM marketing solution.

The deal with ​​Optimove – the only CRM marketing olution approved as an official European Lotteries Association Associate Member – aims to ‘elevate player experiences, loyalty and lifetime value’.

Saara Pekkonen, VP of Marketing at Veikkaus, commented: “This partnership with Optimove marks a significant step forward in driving our growth and responsible gaming initiatives. Optimove’s track record and industry experience are unparalleled in CRM marketing.

“Optimove’s proven ability to deliver personalised, data-driven player engagement at scale will be central to our continued drive to elevate our marketing strategy and execution. Optimove’s AI-powered capabilities enable us to offer players more relevant and engaging experiences, increasing satisfaction, loyalty, and maximising player lifetime value.”

In more detail, predictive models will support responsibl..

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SBC Webinar: ICRG President slams grey literature for provoking uninformed regulations 

International Centre for Responsible Gambling (ICRG) President and Secretary Arthur Paikowsky has told SBC Americas that lawmakers and regulators are making too many “uninformed decisions”. Paikowsky offered his insight on the current state of research and regulation in a conversation with Jessica Welman, Editor of SBC Americas, during an SBC Webinar celebrating 25 years of…

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SOFTSWISS launches Pink October initiatives for breast cancer awareness

SOFTSWISS has launched its social initiative “A Minute Today, a Future Ahead” to raise awareness around breast cancer.

The igaming supplier’s charitable campaign places emphasis on the importance of early detection and efficient prevention, as when an early diagnosis is made the five-year relative survival rate is 99%.

Detection can be supported through monthly breast self-exams and regular clinical breast checks. SOFTSWISS’ campaign will see the supplier offer each of its female employees reimbursements for all ultrasound and mammogram appointments they make across October and November.

Valentina Bagniya, Chief Marketing Officer at SOFTSWISS, commented: “Health is a crucial value beyond everything. Here, at SOFTSWISS, we aim to help and support our employees’ well-being and health every day.

“By promoting the Pink October initiative, we want to stress the importance of well-timed self-care and make this issue visible both within the igaming industry and beyond.”

The igaming so..

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Crown Resorts fined AUS$2m by VGCCC for self-exclusion breaches

Crown Resorts has been fined AUS$2m by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) for over 200 self-exclusion breaches that took place during an eight-month period at its Melbourne location.

In a statement, the VGCCC said that between October 2023 and May 2024, Crown Melbourne allowed 242 people who had self-excluded from gambling to place bets at the casino. These self-exclusion breaches were detected through the commission’s ongoing monitoring of the casino’s operations.

Through its investigations, the VGCCC determined that the breaches were “due to system and control failures rather than deliberate or egregious disregard by Crown of its regulatory obligations”.

Fran Thorn, Chair of the VGCCC, commented: “It is an offence under the Casino Control Act 1991 (Vic) to allow an excluded person, including anyone who has self-excluded, to enter, remain or gamble in the casino. It also contravenes Crown Melbourne’s obligation to protect people at risk of gambling harm.

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Senate approves CPI of Brazil Bets financial vulnerabilities

The Senate of Brazil has authorised a Commission of Inquiry (CPI) to investigate the financial impacts of the upcoming Bets regime, which will regulate fixed-odds betting and online gambling in the country.

Senator Soraya Thronicke, representing Mato Grosso do Sul, initiated the request for the inquiry and gained the support of 30 senators to launch the “CPI of Bets.”

According to SBCNoticias, Thronicke called for the CPI to assess how gambling affects the finances of Brazilian families.

This request follows alarming findings from the Central Bank, revealing that recipients of Bolsa Família, Brazil’s financial aid program for low-income families, spent BRL 3 billion (€500 million) on gambling, as tracked by the PIX payment system.

Concerns about the financial risks of the Bets framework have prompted the government to carefully oversee the launch of federal fixed-odds betting and online gambling.

In a meeting with senior ministers, President Inácio Lula da Silva warned that he wou..

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AGCOM to impose Italian adult checks on gambling content

AGCOM, the Media and Communications Authority of Italy, has sanctioned a ‘technical measure’ to impose “mandatory age verification to ensure the adulthood of Italian audiences”.

On Friday, the agency alerted Italian media of its new technical framework to impose mandatory measures for verifying the age of audiences engaging with adult content.

The new measures sought by AGCOM will require Italian media to enforce an age-verification check before users can view content related to gambling, pornography, and adult-specific social media categories.

AGCOM had previously proposed the technical measure of age verification controls as part of the thirteen measures introduced by the Caivano Decree – Italy’s online safety and protection bill.

As AGCOM proposed to the government: “The measure enforces stronger age verification mechanisms to protect minors from content harmful to their physical, mental, or moral development, requiring stricter safeguards across information society services.”

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Chancellor Reeves told to squeeze remote taxes from UK Gambling

UK Gambling has been warned that the Labour government is reviewing proposals to increase tax revenues by up to £3bn.

As reported by The Guardian, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has received two proposals to increase gambling taxes, considered as a measure to plug the UK’s £22bn public finance deficit.

A proposal endorsed by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) calls for the Treasury to double taxes on gambling’s “higher-risk segments,” such as online casinos, slots, and sports betting, to raise £2.9bn next year and up to £3.4bn by 2030.

The IPPR underscores its recommendation to introduce a “polluter pays principle” as higher taxes will incentives UK gambling to promote lower risk games to consumers.

A separate proposal from the Social Market Foundation (SMF) urges Reeves to double taxes on all online gambling activities from 21% to 42%, raising £1bn annually.

The Guardian noted that a tax increase on gambling is “definitely on the map,” according to a sourc..

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Michel Groothuizen: KOA changes must keep 95% channelisation rate of Dutch Gambling

Michel Groothuizen, Chairman of Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands Gambling Authority, responded to the findings of the Autumn Report and Market Scan of the Dutch gambling market for 2024.

The reports revealed that despite concerns from licensed operators, the Dutch gambling market continues to grow. Gross gaming income (GGR) increased from €3.3bn to €4bn in 2023.

As the governing body, KSA closely monitors market changes resulting from new amendments and protections imposed on the Remote Gambling Act (KOA), which has regulated online gambling in the Netherlands since October 2021.

Groothuizen made it clear: “The Netherlands has a regulated gambling market to ensure that anyone who wants to gamble can do so safely, whether it’s at a lottery, the arcade around the corner, or behind the computer.”

The reports highlighted several positive trends. Dutch land-based gambling has rebounded to pre-COVID levels. Additionally, the KOA market has exceeded expectations, with 95% of play..

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ANJ ‘100% winner?’ campaign informs public about illegal gambling websites

Autorité Nationale des Jeux, France’s gaming authority, has launched a new information campaign about online casinos – “100% winner?” – to remind the French public about the dangers of illegal online gambling websites.

The campaign is part of the ANJ’s 2024-2026 strategic plan to tackle several objectives in the country’s gambling market, which includes combating illegal gambling.

It also follows a 2023 study conducted by the PWC for the ANJ on illegal gambling in France, which noted that between three to four million people have gambled on illegal sites, with online casinos being the most popular.

Beginning in October, the “100% winner?” information campaign aims to raise awareness amongst the French public about online casinos being illegal in the country, as only online poker, online sports betting and online horse racing are regulated.

The campaign will also provide education on the dangers of illegal websites in order to help reduce risky behaviours and problem gambling.

Isab..

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