SBC News

Svenska Spel to report on revenue from low risk players

Svenska Spel will begin publishing new data revealing its revenues generated from customers with a low-risk gambling profile.

The new leadership team, CEO Anna Johnson and Chairman Erik Strand, has pledged to sustainable reporting figures as a commitment from Sweden’s state-owned gambling firm.

Reporting will start at the end of August, with Svenska Spel revealing its sustainable percentage revenues for April to June 2024.

Svenska Spel will base its sustainability metrics on the risk models of its proprietary Playscan tool, developed with the safer gambling studio Sustainable Interaction as an independent party.

CEO Anna Johnson stated: “We are reporting our share of healthy revenues and our efforts to counter gambling problems to show that it is possible to run a gambling company sustainably.

“It is an important step to increase trust in the gaming industry in general.”

2023 figures by Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s Gambling Inspectorate, show that 75% of Swedes engaged in some form..

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Brazil moves forward on project to modernise land-based gambling laws  

The Senate of Brazil has advanced plans to modernise laws governing the gambling disciplines of land-based casinos, bingo, horseracing, and the sale of jogo do bicho (instant win games).

On Wednesday, the much-delayed Bill No. 2,234/2022 was approved by the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ), securing 14 votes in favour and 12 against, advancing a federal project to modernise land-based gambling laws.

Following two years of delays in its mediation, Bill No. 2,234/2022 will progress to the State Plenary for further revisions of how land-based gambling modalities can be applied to federal law.

Abreu revives marginalised Bill
The passage of the Bill is credited to Senator Irajá Abreu (PSD-TO), who picked up the project from the shadows, stating: “After studying this issue in depth, it is impossible that the whole world is wrong and only Brazil is right in not addressing and not establishing criteria and limits with this so important, necessary, and present project in th..

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New Jersey Governor set to launch Responsible Gaming Task Force  

Governor Phil Murphy has signed for the establishment of a Responsible Gaming Task Force in New Jersey.

As a result of Executive Order No. 360, the task force will provide advice and recommendations to the Governor’s Office and to the Attorney General when it comes to addressing safer gambling concerns in New Jersey.
It comes amidst a rise in problem gambling that has been observed over the past few years, according to a 2023 report from the Rutgers University Center for Gambling Studies.

Governor Murphy said: “New Jersey is known to be a gaming destination with historic locations like Atlantic City, amusement gaming at the Jersey Shore, notable horse racing venues and more.This Task Force will see to it that we maintain our global leadership in gaming by ensuring that we have the tools needed to address problem gaming for our residents.”

The Responsible Gaming Task Force will review several areas of the problem gambling landscape, including the effects on underage and vulnerable ..

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idPair announces rollout of universal self-exclusion tool in four states

For years responsible gambling advocates in the gambling space have said a multi-jurisdictional self-exclusion program is something to aspire towards.

Today, the National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program (NVSEP) took the first step towards making that aspiration a reality. Technology company idPair announced Tuesday that free self-exclusion assistance is coming to a quartet of states: Tennessee, Michigan, Iowa and Colorado.

“For the first time ever, individuals seeking a wider level of protection can self-exclude from multiple states in a streamlined fashion. While today we announce our ability to provide free assistance with self-exclusion in each of these 4 states, more jurisdictions are on the way, as we accelerate toward our goal of removing barriers for people seeking protection across all gambling jurisdictions and products,” said idPair CEO Jonathan Aiwazian.

Each state offers its own process for self-excluding from gambling and that process can often involve several barriers..

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Colombia enhances safer gambling protections 

Colombia’s National Council of Games of Luck and Chance (Coljuegos) and the country’s National Superintendence of Health have announced a new agreement to strengthen protections from gambling harm.

Key to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is the “strengthening of surveillance of the operation of the territorial games”.

Furthermore, the link will also form an improved collaboration for the exchange of information and technical knowledge, tools for the surveillance and control of the lottery, as well as tighter control for providers of Raspa&Listo games.

As reported by SBC Noticias, Luis Carlos Leal, Superintendent of Health, commented: “After multiple days of work, today we signed an agreement to fight corruption and improve the collection to protect the fundamental resource to the health of Colombians. It is important to articulate efforts in the National Government to move towards health protection in the country.”

SBC Noticias further highlighted that Coljuegos has contribu..

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Spelinspektionen toughens sweep against skin websites

Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s Gambling Inspectorate, has banned four businesses for targeting Swedish consumers with illegal ‘skin’ gambling platforms.

The inspectorate published a notice naming the businesses of Gamevio Ltd, Bigskin Trading Limited, Santeda International BV, and the website Samilland.co as infringing on Swedish gambling laws by providing ‘games without a necessary license’.

The Inspectorate detailed that both Gamevio Ltd and Bigskin Trading had promoted unlicensed games in the form of skins to Swedish consumers.

Skin gambling websites allow customers to purchase virtual goods and currencies, which can be used to gamble on their platforms.

Popular with younger gaming audiences, skin websites have caused problems for regulatory authorities in Europe, determining whether gameplay and interactions can be classified as gambling.

Spelinspektionen determines that “Skins are collectibles in many popular computer games that can often be redeemed for money outside of the comp..

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Stake enhances player safeguarding with BetBlocker

Stake has partnered with BetBlocker – a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing free and anonymous software to help individuals manage and control gambling.

The deal sees the Australian-Curaçaoan online casino look to enhance its player safeguarding measures with a view to minimising gambling harm for its customers.

Chief of Safer Gambling Partnerships at BetBlocker, Pedro Romero, commented: “BetBlocker is thrilled to collaborate with Stake to expand the reach of our software. We are delighted that Stake is taking a significant step forward in promoting responsible gambling.”

The free tool can be used as a safer gambling instrument for players experiencing problems with addiction, available through an anonymous software that allows players to stop access to a range of gambling sites.

The BetBlocker tool allows players to block themselves in advance and set a timeframe which ranges from several days to years.

“At Stake, we pride ourselves on delivering an entertaining an..

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Manifesto week leaves UK gambling in the cold

The Labour Party has pledged to complete the outstanding affairs of the Gambling Review, needed to deliver the new terms of play for UK gambling.

Yesterday, the Party published its 2024 General Election Manifesto titled ‘Change’, promising an ambitious programme to return economic productivity and wealth generation to the UK.

Headline policies see Labour seeking to build 1.5 million new homes, reduce net migration, and cut down NHS waiting lists by adding an additional 40,000 appointments every week.

Within the 136-page document, just one paragraph was reserved for UK gambling, under the manifesto’s pledge to ‘Build an NHS for the future’ citing: “Labour is committed to reducing gambling-related harm. Recognising the evolution of the gambling landscape since 2005, Labour will reform gambling regulation, strengthening protections. We will continue to work with the industry on how to ensure responsible gambling.”

The commitment represents a repeat of prior reporting and statements by..

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KSA tightens anti-betting harm measures for EURO 2024

The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has highlighted three main areas which it will focus on during the Euros – prevention, supervision and enforcement.

In preparation for an expected surge in placed bets and gambling advertising during a summer of sports, the watchdog is tightening the control measures around youth betting.

Part of the regulator’s increased efforts is a campaign co-launched with the Dutch national support service Loket Kansspel and funded by the Addiction Prevention Fund (Vpf), which will provide additional educational material for people aged between 18 and 24 on safer betting practices and how to mitigate risk.

Titled ‘Don’t Play Games With Your Money’, the initiative uses a number of communication channels to invite young people to take a test and receive a ‘realistic’ analysis of their gambling behaviour, which then redirects them to Loket Kansspel in the cases of increased risks from gambling harm.

Not only that, but anyone who contacts L..

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