SBC News

Alberta iGaming market fine-tuned but still missing a launch date

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It has been confirmed that the Alberta iGaming market will largely mirror the framework of Ontario, as progress has been made in polishing the market’s regulatory framework.

The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) has published the Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming, outlining the key components for iGaming in the Canadian province, including licensing fees, tax rates, advertising and player protection. Parts of the province’s iGaming direction had been known since spring last year, when the iGaming Alberta Act was passed.

Whilst a lack of clarity remains around the go-live date for the market, Alberta iGaming will be overseen in a similar fashion to the Ontario iGaming market, with the AGLC as the regulator and the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) filling the role of the conduct-and-manage agency.

AGLC Vice President of Gaming Dan Keene is currently the AiGC’s interim CEO, with recruitment ongoing for other positions.

There will be a slight difference, as th..

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BetMGM in hot water for allegedly sending emails to underage people

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BetMGM came under fire from Massachusetts regulators after a report found the online sports betting and casino operator allegedly sent marketing materials to underage people in the state.

At a Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) public meeting on Thursday, the commission also put BetMGM under the spotlight over what it alleged was improper delivery of promotional emails to certain populations for a period of more than a year.

BetMGM sends thousands of improper emails, says MGC

According to the MGC, between April 2024 and July 2025, BetMGM allegedly sent promotional emails regarding MLB, its mobile Ballpark app and the Boston Red Sox to 3,803 people under the age of 21, violating the state’s gaming rules. In the Bay State, sports betting is only legal for people aged 21 or older.

The operator also allegedly sent rounds of emails to 19 people on the state’s self-exclusion list and 25 players who were in a “cool off” period.

In addition, BetMGM admitted that it was unable to confir..

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Feature: Is regulating betting advertising the federal government’s responsibility?

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The legislation that would task the federal government with establishing national guidelines for regulating sports betting advertising may have been approved by the Senate two years in a row, but not all Canadian politicians in Parliament are convinced it’s the right way to go.

Bill S-211 would mandate the Minister of Canadian Heritage to consult with federal and provincial government representatives and a range of stakeholders to develop nationwide standards. Particular focuses would be on identifying measures to restrict ads as deemed appropriate, assessing ways to promote research and intergovernmental information-sharing and establishing guidelines for the prevention and diagnosis of gambling harms and addiction.

Last week, the National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act got its first lengthy presentation since it passed the Senate in October, as members of the House of Commons offered their thoughts to start the second reading process.

Sports betting hindsight and fore..

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PAGCOR rallies against prohibition calls with new measures

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The status of online gaming in the Philippines is once again under the microscope as PAGCOR vowed greater regulation in the face of prohibition calls.

The regulator’s Chair and CEO, Alejandro Tengco, unveiled plans to explore a complete ban on gambling advertising, after already implementing a TV and radio ad blackout during ‘primetime’ – between 5.30pm and 8.30pm.

“Radio and TV stations are asking if they can still show the ads during dead slots, mainly for advertising revenue. But for us, if it’s possible to completely ban them, that’s what we want to enforce,” said Tengco.

PAGCOR, alongside a number of other government agencies, faced questioning from anti-gambling campaigners, including Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and Senator Erwin Tulfo.

Gatchalian has proposed several measures to further regulate the sector, including a minimum betting age of 21 and a minimum deposit requirement of P10,000 (£129).

Not present at the meeting of the Committee on Games and Amusement was Senator ..

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Spain’s DGOJ backs ‘Stop Juego’ as new consumer protection tool 

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DGOJ, Spain’s Directorate General for Gambling Regulation, continues to deploy new tools to enhance safer gambling for digital consumers.

This week saw the launch of ‘Stop Juego‘ (Stop Gambling), the DGOJ’s new app designed to block gambling across desktop and mobile devices.

The application enables Spanish consumers to voluntarily self-exclude from gambling activity through a simplified digital process, strengthening the DGOJ’s evolving framework for player protection.

Users who register via the app are automatically enrolled in Spain’s General Registry of Gambling Access Bans (RGIAJ), preventing them from accessing licensed online gambling platforms and physical gambling premises subject to identity controls, including casinos, bingo halls and arcades

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The Stop Juego app is available for download on iOS and Android devices, allowing individuals to complete the registration process directly from their mobile phone. Access is validated through Spain’s digital identification syste..

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New Jersey may explore banning gambling push notifications

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The latest responsible gambling proposal in New Jersey hinges on how gaming operators can encourage users to gamble.

Sen. Andrew Zwicker introduced Senate Bill 3401 on Monday, legislation that would ban licensed online casinos and sportsbooks from using mobile push notifications or text messages to solicit wagers or deposits. The bill specifically focuses on operators sending those kinds of alerts to users who do not currently have the app open or visible on screen.

New Jersey would be able to fine operators up to $500 per instance if they violated the prohibition.

The ban would apply to not only online sportsbooks and iCasino platforms but all gaming licensees in New Jersey, also including Atlantic City casinos and retail sportsbooks.

New Jersey legislators put RG front and center

The first state to legalize online sports betting post-PASPA and a core online casino jurisdiction, New Jersey has typically been one of the most proactive states in looking to add more responsible gamb..

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German state records five billion gambling self-exclusion checks

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The Regional Council of Darmstadt has vowed to continue strengthening the parameters of the OASIS gambling self-exclusion scheme.

The Council is charged with the management of OASIS (Online Abfrage Spielerstatus), operated as the central self-exclusion system of Germany’s Fourth Interstate Gambling Regime (GluNeuRStV).

Publishing its 2025 update, Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt detailed that more than 5.2 billion queries were processed through OASIS during the year.

Darmstadt defines “queries” as individual checks made by GluNeuRStV-licensed operators against the central OASIS database of self-excluded players. As noted by the authority, “the figure underlines the significance and scale of the OASIS system in safeguarding German gambling’s compliance infrastructure.”

GluNeuRStV licensing requirements mandate that each licensed operator — land-based and online — must verify a customer’s status with the OASIS database before permitting participation.

The authority confirmed that the n..

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Wolverhampton rolls out four-year gambling harm reduction plan

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Wolverhampton Council has opened a public consultation to inform its Gambling Harm Reduction Strategy, as local governments across the country continue to confront the gambling industry.

With the opportunity to comment open until 20 March, the consultation aims to address what the Council sees as the “increasing harmful impact” of online betting, gaming platforms and targeted advertising.

Local policymakers have reported that 5.3% of Wolverhampton’s population is currently at risk of gambling-related harm, while 1.2% exhibit signs of already being affected by problem gambling.

Furthermore, the Council reports that between 2019 and 2022 only 70 locals sought gambling support through the local treatment specialist Aquaris. No data was provided about the use of the national helpline GambleAware, however.

Wolverhampton Councillor Obaida Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Community, said: “Gambling harm is a real and growing issue that affects individuals, families and comm..

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FanDuel joins DraftKings in banning credit card deposits in US

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Users of the two biggest online gambling operators in the U.S. will not be able to fund their betting activity with a credit card.

After DraftKings stopped accepting credit cards as a deposit method anywhere in the country last year, FanDuel is making the same change.

“Over the last few months, FanDuel has been evaluating the payment methods that we offer to customers and made the decision to remove credit cards as an option for our sportsbook, casino and racing product in the United States,” a FanDuel spokesperson told SBC Americas.

The spokesperson did not confirm a timeline for the phase-out, but messages to customers suggested it will take effect on March 2. Like DraftKings’ own change last year, the FanDuel ban does not impact its operations in Canada.

FanDuel follows in DraftKings’ footsteps

Last August, DraftKings announced it would no longer allow customers in the U.S. to deposit funds via credit card on its sportsbook and casino platform.

The company said at the time t..

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