SBC News

Dr. Mary E. Donohue, CEO of the Digital Wellness Center, emphasises the usefulness of microbreaks for bettors who might feel their gaming is getting out of control. It’s a big reason, she advises, for gaming companies to demonstrate greater commitment to integrating safer gambling practices.

Imagine being a freshman like Shawn, discovering an exciting new world on a sports betting platform. Initially, placing small bets on his favourite sports teams was fun, but as time went on, especially during the isolating months of Covid, Shawn’s casual betting turned into a frequent, stress-inducing habit. This story, similar to those of many young adults, was a focal point during our panel discussion on player safety at the recent SBC North American Summit.

Shawn, feeling overwhelmed, reached out to me in confidence, seeking advice on managing his increasing urge to gamble. Knowing the benefits of microbreaks, which had helped my brother Tim navigate similar challenges, I provided Shawn with c..

Last Friday, William Hill was announced as the new title partner of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL).

EPIC Global Solutions was also brought in on the five-year record-breaking deal to launch a programme in partnership with the league and bookmaker, to deliver courses on gambling harm to SPFL players, staff and fans.

The problem gambling consultancy’s Senior Director, John Millington, oversaw the company’s expansion in support to leading names in sport in recent years, now overseeing problem gambling awareness within Scotland.

He commented on EPIC’s new deal: “We’re proud that we’ve once again been seen as the perfect partner to raise awareness around problem gambling issues and we’re grateful to William Hill and the SPFL for bringing this opportunity together.

“We look forward to engaging with new audiences in Scotland from next season and helping to minimise the risks that gambling can pose in a high-risk sector like elite sport.”

EPIC Global Solutions draws on..

The National Gaming Authority of France (ANJ) has reported that of over €4bn in online bets committed in 2023, football remains the sport with the highest number of bets in the country.

Meanwhile, Euro 2020 generated €700m in stakes (online and at points of sale), whereas the 2022 World Cup recorded €900m in stakes.

The authority stated: “Given the evolution of the sports betting market and the stakes recorded during the last competitions, a stake amount approaching €1bn could be reached. The course of the French team will nevertheless be decisive in the amount of stakes.”

A total 64% of sports bettors are between 18 and 34 years old, and there were more than 4 million active accounts in 2023 with an average annual stake of €1,982 per account.

Therefore, in its 2024/2026 strategic plan, the ANJ has set as a priority objective a drastic reduction in the share of excessive gamblers within three years.

Just before the Euros, the body is launching a prevention campaign, designed by ..

The UK Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has observed a spike in the use of safer gambling tools during last year’s Safer Gambling Week.

Analysing the data from the 2023 SG Week and pitting against the year prior, BGC reported noticing a 18% YoY increase in the number of deposit limits set during that seven-day period.

The total number of deposit limits were set by 83,242 unique account holders, which represents a 12.5% increase YoY. The majority of those limits (54%) were set by players who were doing so for the first time.

What’s more, the BGC also reported that the use of maximum stake limits went up by more than 300% YoY, with that number being similar among the amount of players who were actively setting up a reality check that shows on-screen the amount of time being spent gambling.

In terms of SG Week’s promotion on social media channels, the number of impressions generated across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram totalled more than 50 million.

Major social media sites di..

Sweden’s gambling authority, Spelinspektionen, has launched its “With your future as a bet” campaign for young adults.

Looking to highlight the consequences of gambling for money, the initiative is aimed at people aged between 18 and 25 years old.

Yvonne Hejdenberg, Head of Communications at Spelinspektionen, commented: “Many come into contact with some form of gambling for money via computer games and apps. Through the campaign, we try to talk about the consequences of unhealthy gambling in an emotional way.

“We believe that the campaign will also be able to speak to adults, especially parents or relatives of children in the target group.”

The gambling authority added that the campaign focuses on unhealthy and risky gambling and features language that is “straight and concrete”.

Spelinspektionen has collaborated with the Swedish Public Health Agency and the Swedish Crown Prosecutor on the campaign “to counteract the negative consequences of gambling for money among young people”…

The Netherlands’ gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has changed its Responsible Gaming Policy with the goal of tightening regulatory control.

According to the updates, additional clarity has been brought to the ‘real time monitoring’ responsibilities of operators, together with a new clause for financial deposit limits.

For example, if an operator determines that a player “can no longer bear the financial consequences of their player behaviour”, the Board of Directors must interfere if the following cases occur within a calendar month:

A player cannot make a deposit on their gaming account due to insufficient balance;
A player makes net deposits that make up more than the recreational part of their monthly net income;
A player makes net deposits that make up 30% or more of their monthly net income;
A player between the ages of 18 and 24 makes net deposits of more than €300;
A player over the age of 24 makes net deposits totalling more than €700.

The financial deposit ..

GambleAware has announced that it received a total £49.5m in voluntary donations in 2023/24.

Of this, 94% came from the largest four gambling operators in Britain, who donated a total of £46.6m. This represents an increase of £3.1m from the previous year’s contributions of £43.5m from these operators.

The amount goes towards the organisation’s continuing commissioning work including public health campaigns, education and training programmes, harm prevention tools, treatment services and research.

Zoë Osmond, GambleAware CEO, said: “While we await the implementation of the new statutory levy, donations from the voluntary funding system are key to ensure GambleAware can continue to deliver the essential gambling harm prevention and treatment programmes we commission.”

GambleAware described voluntary donations as essential for its continuing commissioning work.

The charity added the gambling industry “should be held accountable to contribute financially to the vital services that p..