SBC News - Player Protection Hub

Twitch faces Swedish spotlight on influencer infringements

SBC NewsApril 2, 20240275 views

Twitch, the live streaming platform of Amazon, has come under scrutiny in Sweden following a private investigation which uncovered widespread advertising of unlicensed online casinos.

As exposed by Kulturnyheterna, the investigative team of Sveriges Television AB (SVT), a six-week investigation revealed that “eight out of ten Swedish influencers on Twitch had promoted unlicensed casinos to their audiences.”

Swedish media were informed: “For six weeks, Kulturnyheterna has reviewed the broadcasts of the most popular streamers and can demonstrate how online casino advertising is spread through hour-long live broadcasts where streamers promote unlicensed games to their followers.”

Though Twitch prohibits access to under-13s, the investigation revealed that streamers had a “collective reach of around half a million subscribers,” formed of a “primary audience of young males born in the 1990s and 2000s.”

During live streams, 60% of influencers used direct marketing strategies, including p..

Boston pro sports teams support youth sports betting safety coalition

SBC AmericasApril 1, 20240208 views

Massachusetts is taking steps to educate young people about the risks of gambling.

Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has announced that the state is launching the Youth Sports Betting Safety Coalition, a public-private partnership that aims to educate young people on the laws and risks associated with gambling, according to NBC Boston.

“Because Massachusetts has entered a new era with sports betting now literally available at your fingertips, it is critical that we raise awareness of the public health risks associated with this activity, particularly for young people,” said Campbell. “This coalition brings together the business, professional sports, nonprofit and responsible gaming communities to best achieve one common goal: better protect and educate young adults across the Commonwealth.”

The coalition, which targets state residents ages 12 through 20, will provide evidence-based education and training backed by some of the largest entities in sports, including the NCAA, Boston..

MGC talks wagering limits for sports bettors across Massachusetts

SBC AmericasMarch 29, 20240213 views

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) is discussing the potential implementation of sports wagering limits.

The MGC has raised the issue of authorizing wagering limits following a public comment submitted last year that questioned whether operators have the authority to limit bettors.

The MGC conducted an investigation on the topic that included a review of regulations, operator house rules, terms and conditions, and approved internal controls. The commission also consulted its legal team and operators to discuss betting limits.

Operators have leveraged wager limits to manage risk and to ensure the integrity of competitions on a per-customer basis. The MGC is discussing wager limits with no imminent changes coming to regulations but is willing to explore options with its six licensed sports betting operators or revisit the topic as the year moves forward.

Commissioners in the MGC are raising questions regarding potential limits in the state.

“It seems to me that the regulation..

Caesars Sportsbook earns RG Check accreditation for commitment to responsible gaming

SBC AmericasMarch 28, 20240244 views

Caesars Sportsbook has been recognized by the Responsible Gambling Council for its commitment to responsible gaming.

The operators announced that it has received the “prestigious” RG Check accreditation which is awarded to sites or venues that have implemented robust responsible gaming policies.

“We are honored to receive the RG Check accreditation from the Responsible Gambling Council,” Caesars Digital President Eric Hession. “For more than 30 years Caesars Entertainment has been at the forefront of responsible gaming, implementing policies that have carried over to Caesars Sportsbook. This acknowledgment validates our efforts to continue to improve our Responsible Gaming practices and ensure our players are gaming with us for the right reasons.”

As part of the accreditation process, Caesars Sportsbook underwent a thorough assessment of its responsible gaming practices, team member training process, player education and protection efforts.

From this assessment, the RGC concluded t..

AU10TIX launches future proofed digital ID solution

SBC AmericasMarch 28, 20240250 views

Identity verification solutions provider AU10TIX has unveiled an all encompassing Digital ID solution suitable for the transition to digital identity.

The system will allow businesses to “rapidly, accurately and securely” verify IDs of all types, including physical, digital, eID and verifiable credentials.

The Digital ID solution works by validating the cryptographic signature and cross checking personal identifiable information displayed on user IDs with government databases.

“Our Digital ID solution empowers businesses to embrace the global shift to digital identity with confidence,” said AU10TIX CEO Dan Yerushalmi. “It combines unparalleled accuracy and global reach with robust security measures to streamline onboarding and minimize fraud risk, all while addressing the diverse array of global ID formats.”

ID verification is a key part of the onboarding process for betting operators to ensure they are compliant with state regulations. Last year NeoGames partnered with AU10TIX to ..

UKGC to impose LCCP quarterly returns from 1 July

SBC NewsMarch 28, 20240339 views

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has confirmed that all licence holders must submit regulatory returns on a quarterly basis from 1 July.

The decision follows a ‘consultation response’ to review the frequency of regulatory returns observed by all licence holders. As such, the Commission will amend Licence Condition 15.3.1 to impose mandatory quarterly submissions to improve the “harmonisation of reporting periods and to achieve unified submission dates”.

Quarterly submissions will enable the Commission to improve its budget and forecasting “through an improved ability to understand income levels on a more regular basis”.

Further advantages will allow the Commission to gather more frequent datasets from operators in a timely and accurate manner to help enhance its understanding of industry trends.

Implementing the changes, the process of submitting returns will be simplified, supporting an easier system to maintain for the Commission, which seeks to align reporting periods, and imp..

Harris Hagan promotes ‘Gambling Associate’ David Whyte to Partner

SBC NewsMarch 28, 20240210 views

Harris Hagan has announced the promotion of Senior Associate David Whyte to Partner at the City of London law firm.

The decision follows Whyte’s successful tenure as a Senior Associate, where he supported Harris Hagan’s legal practices and framework within the global gambling sector.

Whyte joined Harris Hagan in 2019, having previously worked in-house within the online and land-based sectors. Furthermore, he served for nine years with the Gambling Commission, supporting the authority’s enforcement and legal departments.

Harris Hagan highlighted Whyte’s practical experience and unique insights into gambling’s regulatory framework as “invaluable to the firm and our clients, particularly in high-profile compliance and enforcement mandates, including some of the most significant cases in the recent history of the UK gambling industry.”

Clients were informed that Whyte will continue to work alongside Partner Bahar Alaeddini on the subsequent developments of the UK Gambling Review, which..

US sportsbooks form new Responsible Online Gaming Association

SBC AmericasMarch 27, 20240198 views

Seven major U.S. sportsbooks have launched a united effort to tackle problem gambling.

The new Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) will serve as an independent trade association focused on developing and implementing responsible gaming best practices in the most impactful way possible across the industry. The founding members are BetMGM, bet365, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, Hard Rock Digital and PENN Entertainment, a septet that ROGA says accounts for more than 85% of the legalized online sports betting and gaming industry in the U.S.

Initiatives from the association will include funding and supporting research, helping to lead both consumer-facing and industry-facing responsible gaming education and awareness and promoting responsible gaming best practices. It will also aim to create a database to facilitate information sharing in the industry as well as launch an independent certification program to evaluate members’ responsible gaming efforts.

ROGA will be led by Execu..

ANJ orders operators to review problematic Ts&Cs

SBC NewsMarch 27, 20240247 views

French online gambling operators have been instructed to identify and remove ‘problematic clauses’ related to customer terms and conditions.

The command has been issued by Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), France’s unified gambling authority, as a part of its review of ‘general clauses’ used by online gambling operators.

The review was initiated due to customer complaints submitted to Mediateur des Jeux en Ligne’ (Mediateur) regarding the validity, context and content of certain clauses.

Established in 2019, Mediateur provides an independent dispute moderating service between French online gambling consumers and licensed operators, including monopoly incumbents FDJ (national lottery) and PMU (French horseracing).

The ANJ seeks to achieve a ‘satisfactory level’ of legal compliance on the general clauses of gambling operators – without the need to standardise a ‘contractual obligation’ on licensees.

As such, the review focused on identifying and removing illegal, ambiguous, or pot..

Svenska Spel may appeal SEK 100m penalty fee for duty of care failures

CasinoBeatsMarch 26, 20240222 views

Svenska Spel Sport & Casino AB has been given a warning and a penalty fee of SEK 100m (€8.7m) by Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s gambling inspectorate, for duty of care failures.

In response, Fredrik Wastenson, Svenska Spel Sport & Casino’s President and Business Area Manager, has stated that the operator does not share the same opinion as the authority and will be considering whether to appeal the decision.

In its report, Spelinspektionen noted that it began an audit of Svenska Spel’s operations on December 21, 2021, investigating how the operator complies with the Swedish Gambling Act’s duty of care.

The authority reviewed how Svenska Spel handled ten customers who lost the most money during the supervision period of October 17, 2021, to December 17, 2021.

In terms of the violation, Spelinspektionen declared that all customers during the audit period showed signs of excessive gambling; there was a lack of protection, follow-up and help to reduce gambling; and that the operator didn’t..