SBC News

Gluecksspiel (GGL), the Federal Gambling Authority of Germany has launched a new ‘public information campaign’ on online gambling safeguards.

The initiative was announced this week as the headline directive of Germany’s first ‘nationwide action day against gambling addiction’ hosted on 27 September.

The authority detailed: “GGL is supporting this annual day of action by providing an information brochure in which all player protection measures of the GlüNeuRStv 2021 are presented in a consumer-friendly and clear manner.”

Coordinated by the GGL, the campaign will see Germany’s 16 Federal Bundeslander promote public awareness of player protection measures under the State Treaty on Gambling (GlüNeuRStv) of 2021.

GGL Co-Chief Executive, Ronald Benter, stated: “ It is important to us that the general public is informed about the legal regulations and that players can better assess which offers are illegal and which are legal, i.e. that they adhere to the strict rules for player protect..

The consumer protection challenges of loot boxes remain present in EA Sports’ rebranded flagship football title, EPIC Risk Management has asserted.

EA Sports FC 24 is the new incarnation of the long-running FIFA franchise, rebranded after EA Sports failed to agree terms with the global governing body of association football.

The presence of loot boxes in video games has been a controversial topic for many years, although the debate around these features intensified – as did many other discussions – during the Gambling Act review.

Loot boxes in FIFA have been a particular focus of this debate, although the products are present in other titles such as CS:GO, a popular esports – and by extension esports betting – product.

EPIC noted that FIFA/FC 24 loot boxes are prominent in the Ultimate Team segment of the game in the form of ‘player packs’, where gamers purchase a pack containing unknown players based on the chance some high-ranked footballers could be included.

The gambling harm ..

Flutter Entertainment has reinitiated its ‘Cash4Clubs’ commitment in support of amateur sports clubs and organisations across the UK.

Kicking-off the Cash4Clubs 2023 programme, Flutter has pledged to donate £200,000 to community clubs and charities over the rest of the year.

Cash4Clubs will allow cash-strapped sporting organisations across the UK and Ireland to bid for direct grants of £2,000 a time to improve their facilities, purchase new equipment, help fund coaching programmes, or to invest in the sustainability of their club.

Since Cash4Clubs was launched in 2008, Flutter has invested £5m into community sports by Flutter through its home brands of Betfair, Paddy Power, Sky Betting & Gaming and Tombola.

Ian Brown, Flutter UKI chief executive, said: “We want to help small sporting clubs to play an even bigger role in their communities so I’m delighted that Cash4Clubs is back.

“Research shows that for every £1 invested in sports, an average of £6 is returned in social value. We..

Danish retail bettors will be required to use player ID cards in order to place a wager from 1 October 2023 as new government-backed rules come into effect.

The design and implementation of the new player IDs is the prerogative of licensed Danish operators. Betting firms can decide whether ID cards are physical or virtual, such as incorporated into company apps.

However, all player IDs must be linked to the gambling account held by the player in which winnings are paid out. An omnichannel requirement, this may require existing retail customers who do not have online accounts to open one.

The stated purpose of the IDs is to bolster consumer protection and to reduce the risk of under-18s from entering betting shops. The cards allow players to set deposit limits, and it is hoped digital record keeping will prevent loss of player winnings if a physical betting slip is misplaced.

Additionally, Danish players who are registered with the ROFUS self-exclusion scheme after 1 October, by whi..

SOFTSWISS has shown its support for the global environmental initiative ‘Cleaning up the World’, joining several other companies at a campaign in Poznań, Poland earlier this month.

On 16 September, SOFTSWISS representatives travelled to Poland for the 30th edition of the campaign, working with around 130 companies to help transform a significant area in the Polish city into a cleaner and more eco-friendly environment.

“We truly embrace the power of positive change, recognising the profound impact that each person’s contribution holds. Together, we are making real and noticeable changes that we can see, touch, and feel,” stated Katsiaryna Shved, Event Manager of Employer Brand at SOFTSWISS.

The ‘Cleaning up the World’ initiative aligns with SOFTSWISS’ social responsibility values. Along with environmental campaigns, the company also aids victims of natural disasters and military conflicts, supports individuals battling serious illnesses, champions social causes and fosters multicultu..

Data published by GamCare has shown a disparity between experience of problem gambling related to sports betting and online slots.

GamCare detailed that the number of people reporting problems with online sports betting to its National Gambling Helpline fell from 34% in 2018-19, to 20% in 2022-23.

The figures suggest that the sports betting side of the industry may be more advanced on know your customer (KYC), player protection and responsible gambling initiatives.

On the other hand, the number of people citing problems with betting exchanges increased from 0.3% to 7.6% over the past five years, according to GamCare’s latest data.

The biggest challenges encountered related to online slots, with 60% reporting problems with such products, a major increase from 34% in 2018-2019. On a broader, multi-product scale, 73% of the 5,660 callers to the helpline reported problems with gambling.

Colin Walsh, GamCare’s lived experience manager, said: “There is still a perception that gambling h..

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands’ gambling authority, has announced the funding of three new pilot projects to “raise awareness of problem gambling.”

The Addiction Prevention Fund (VPF) will finance the development of these projects, which aim to educate the Dutch public on detecting gambling risks and intervening in addiction and related harms.

Established in 2021, the VPF supports the launch of the KOA marketplace, which regulates online gambling in the Netherlands. The fund, managed by the KSA, collects a “levy from providers of high-risk games of chance”.

Working alongside the KSA, the Ministries of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) and Justice and Security (JenV) oversee the fund’s support for public initiatives related to addiction prevention, harm minimisation, research, education, and the improved supervision of the KOA market.

Announced this week, the VPF will fund a trial of an “e-learning early detection of problem gambling” training programme developed by the add..

The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch Gambling Authority, will recommend legislative and regulatory amendments around player protection to the Netherlands’ Ministry of Justice.

A KSA investigation into operator ‘duty of care’ practices concluded this month with the authority judging that companies could ‘intervene more quickly and effectively’ in cases of excessive gambling by certain customers.

In the regulator’s view, current operator player protection and intervention methods and measures are not sufficient to adequately safeguard bettors. As well as making recommendations to the government, the KSA will also enhance its own policies.

René Jansen, KSA Chairman, said: “The KSA puts safe play first. We receive worrying signals and, as a supervisory authority, we investigate providers who may far exceed the limits of their duty of care. If we notice this, we will intervene.

“With this research we see where, outside of these signals, providers are not doing well. Players must be..

Ireland’s Minister of State at the Department of Justice, James Browne – the politician with oversight of the country’s legislative changes on gambling – has commented on the results of a report into underage gambling.

Published by Ireland’s Institute of Public Health (IPH), the report is based on data from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD), a cross-sectional study of 15-16 year old students carried out every four years in 35 European countries.

Of significance for Browne, the Minister emphasised that Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Bill, updating the country’s betting regulations for the first time since 1956, is a ‘public health measure’.

The latest report from the Irish public health authority puts the number of 16 year olds in Ireland reporting participation in gambling over the last 12 months at ‘between one in four and one in five’, or 22.9%.

The 22.9% figure is presented by the report as a ‘composite’ figure, consisting of several different ..

Gambling has been recognised as a ‘related factor’ in the UK government’s new strategy to reduce suicide rates by improving prevention and early intervention through the NHS and wider local public services.

This morning, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published details of its new “five-year strategy to reduce suicide rates”.

DHSC Undersecretary for Mental Health, Maria Caulfield, announced that the government has reserved £150m in capital funds to expand the NHS’ existing programme focused on providing urgent and emergency care.

Further initiatives will see the government establish a £10m fund to support the vital work of voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations.

“While this strategy outlines ways to prevent suicides for everyone over the next five years, we must ensure we continue to focus on groups with higher suicide rates or where concerning trends have been observed,” Caulfield declared.

Listed alongside domestic abuse and online safet..