SBC News - Player Protection Hub

Novatech in hot water as Sweden becomes latest country to blacklist firm

A.J. KoehnMarch 12, 2026069 views

For the second time this week, Novatech has come under fire – this time, it’s the Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, which has hit out at the operator.

Spelinspektionen initiated its case against Novatech for providing unlicensed games to players, with the regulator ruling that the operator would be immediately banned from operating in Sweden. It determined that several of its websites were targeting the domestic market without holding a Swedish licence.

The regulator has cited player protection concerns as the main reason behind its decision.

The ban follows an inspection conducted between 23-25 February 2026, during which Spelinspektionen reviewed a number of domains operated by the company, including qbet.com, mangacasino.com, slotexpress.com, 55bet.com and 30bet.com.

According to the regulator, players that were accessing the sites from Swedish IP addresses were presented with the Swedish country code by default during registration.

The regulator also found that..

Dutch regulator issues Novatech with record fine for unlicensed gambling

A.J. KoehnMarch 12, 2026056 views

Two offshore operators have been hit with major fines by the Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), over illegally targeting the domestic market.

The culprits are Fortaprime SRL and Novatech, which have allegedly provided Dutch players and unobstructed access to their platforms despite not having a licence in the Netherlands.

KSA agents were reportedly able to freely create a player account, deposit funds and play on multiple domains hosted by both offshore operators. A number of other severe breaches were noted by the regulator, such as a lack of visible age verification in place and the option to pay in crypto – a major red flag when it comes to facilitating money laundering.

Dishing out the fines, the regulator has based the amount on the turnover of both parties, adding that they would’ve been much higher if it wasn’t for the current maximum cap of 10% on turnover set within Dutch legislature.

Fortaprime has been handed a bill for €1.8m (£1.6m), while Novatech was..

DFS operators roll out 50-state self-exclusion program with idPair

SBC AmericasMarch 12, 2026076 views

A group of leading daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators have launched a national self-exclusion program to encompass all 50 U.S. states and D.C.

PrizePicks, Underdog, Dabble and Splash Sports have an existing partnership with idPair through their membership of the Coalition for Fantasy Sports (CFS). SBC Americas reached out to the CFS and to Betr seeking clarity on why Betr, the fifth member of the coalition, is not included in this latest initiative.

The CFS members’ voluntary self-exclusion (VSE) program leverages idPair’s proprietary technology to provide a single, streamlined process for users to block themselves. idPair and the coalition first rolled out a VSE in Nebraska and New Mexico in 2024 and expanded it to 13 new states last year.

Now, it will span all 50 states. The operators said this marks the first time in history that a single, integrated self-exclusion mechanism will span the entire nation across multiple operators.

“By expanding this operator-led program to all ..

Introducing the ‘the losing sound’ that breaks players from slot machine trance

Steve HoareMarch 12, 2026069 views

An Australian advertising industry creative director has created what he calls ‘the losing sound’ to combat slot machine addiction. After a relative lost A$150,000 ($107,000) in one year on Australian “pokies” (slot machines), Neil Walshe teamed up with Rumble Studios and Milos Photography when he realised that pokies only have a winning sound. The reason…

Congress introduces POINTS Act for federal funding for problem gambling treatment

SBC AmericasMarch 12, 2026055 views

A group of bipartisan lawmakers is making a legislative effort to provide federal funding to support prevention, screening and treatment services for gambling addiction to the public.

Reps. Erin Houchin and Andrea Salinas have introduced House Bill 7875, a piece of legislation that aims to provide a pool of dedicated funding for people experiencing gambling-related harm and to support those who are at risk of problem gambling.

The Providing Opportunities for Individuals In Need of Treatment & Support (POINTS) Act aims to close a gap in addictive disorder treatment, as federal funding is allocated toward alcohol and drug addiction, but not gambling.

“As sports betting and online gambling continue to expand across the country, we have a responsibility to ensure people struggling with addiction are not left behind,” said Salinas.

“Gambling addiction can devastate individuals and families, yet too many communities still lack the resources needed to provide prevention, treatment, and re..

Massachusetts committee passes bill to tax sports betting at 51%

SBC AmericasMarch 11, 2026042 views

A piece of legislation that would overhaul the regulated gaming market in Massachusetts is moving forward after receiving a favorable vote by a state joint committee.

Senate Bill 302 was passed by the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies on Monday by a 5-0 vote, resulting in the measure being referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee for further consideration. The bill, sponsored by Sen. John Keenan, aims to implement new standards in Massachusetts that address economic, health and social harms related to the availability of sports wagering.

SB 302, coined as The Bettor Health Act, was first introduced last year but took its first major step forward on March 9, 2026.

It would make sweeping changes to gambling rules related to tax rates, prop and live bets, TV advertisements, responsible gambling funds and deposit limits. The piece of legislation is familiar to lawmakers as the bill was under consideration in the House and Senate in 2025 and carried..

Spanish concern over inflated trends in female gambling

iGamingExpertMarch 11, 2026076 views

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs of Spain has raised concerns over a noticeable growth in the number of women engaging in online gambling.

New insights published on 2024 data by the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), Spain’s Directorate of Gambling, recorded a 23% increase in the number of female players, representing the addition of almost 64,000 new women engaging in online gambling over the course of a single year.

Deeper analysis points to the Ministry’s concern that 60% of the total segment are aged under 35. The DGOJ was instructed to explain why it had recorded such an exceptional trend in 2024, and whether it reflects an anomaly in Spanish gambling participation or signals a structural shift in player demographics.

As cited: “The number of female players increased by 23.53%, meaning that almost 64,000 more women gambled online in Spain. This percentage is also higher than the growth in the number of male players during that same period.”

The Directorate under..

Entain warns prediction markets facilitate underage sports betting

iGamingExpertMarch 10, 2026051 views

Entain’s Stella David has issued a criticism of the damaging consequences of the rise of prediction markets, claiming they facilitate underage sports betting in the US.

Many states across the US require players to be 21 to gamble. However, platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi, which are federally regulated through the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), have a minimum age requirement of 18.

Given that the platforms are currently offering markets on sports events, they are effectively bypassing state gambling laws, according to the Entain executive.

Updating investors yesterday, she stated: “Let me be clear, when people play the prediction markets in sports, it looks like a sports bet, it sounds like a sports bet, and it acts like a sports bet. I don’t think anybody should be in any doubt. It’s sports betting.

“In the US, you’ve got to be 21 to play, [but] 18 to 21-year-olds are playing prediction markets, and they’re playing prediction markets in non [online sports betting..

New Zealand online casino bill set for Parliament scrutiny

iGamingExpertMarch 6, 2026058 views

Regulated online casinos are edging closer towards reality in New Zealand, as the Online Casino Gambling bill has passed its second reading in the country’s Parliament.

The rubber stamping of the regulation is scheduled to be completed in June; however, there are still a few hurdles that are left to be overcome.

Support was shown for community returns from the online casino gambling market in the second reading, as offshore gambling duty (online gambling duty once the bill passes) will increase from 12% to 16%, with approximately 4% ring-fenced for community benefit.

Further scrutiny is set to come for the bill, as it now progresses to the Committee of the Whole House, which will consider the legislation in detail, debate each of its clauses and make any changes if necessary.

Once the clause review is complete, the bill will return to the House of Representatives for its third and final reading. The House will then vote and decide if the legislation should become law. If the bil..

Virginia passes credit card ban but seeks online casino compromise

SBC AmericasMarch 6, 2026048 views

On a busy day in the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Wednesday, Senate lawmakers gave final approval to a bill to ban the use of credit cards for sports betting.

A little more than a month after House Bill 515 passed the House by a 94-3 vote, senators unanimously approved it 40-0.

The bill would remove credit cards from the list of approved account funding methods for sports wagering operators who are licensed to do business by the Virginia Lottery Board. The Lottery already prohibits credit cards for lottery play.

The three no votes on the House floor are the only rejections the idea has faced in the legislature this year. It was approved unanimously by multiple committees in each of the House and the Senate over the last six weeks, as well as on the Senate floor on Wednesday.

The Senate-approved version has one small amendment, made in the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee two weeks ago, to add that sportsbooks must be held accountable in taking “reasonable mea..