SBC News - Player Protection Hub

Croatia to begin new civic charter for gambling funds

A.J. KoehnAugust 7, 2026051 views

From 2026, Croatia will double the amount of funding generated by the country’s gambling sector for social and public interest programmes.

The announcement comes directly from Chief State Treasurer Danijela Stepić, who confirmed that her office has been allocated €214m to distribute to public programmes.

The figure represents a significant increase from the approximately €130m made available under the previous funding cycle.

Speaking at a conference hosted by the Ministry of Finance, Stepić outlined how the funds will be distributed under the government’s annual “Regulation on the Criteria for the Distribution of Revenues from Games of Chance.”

Plenkovic wants a ‘civil approach’ to gambling

The mandate forms part of the wider reforms carried out by the Democratic Union (HDZ) government during 2025 and 2026 to overhaul Croatia’s gambling laws and regulatory framework.

Winning a third consecutive term in office in 2024, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković fast-tracked amendments to the..

Mexico aims to change structure of unloved Federal Games Law of 1947

iGamingExpertAugust 7, 2026050 views

The Congress of Mexico has received a proposal to reform the Federal Law on Games and Raffles of 1947, targeting greater controls on gambling licences and player protection.

The package of reforms has been proposed by Mexico City deputy Alberto Martínez Urincho, a representative of the governing MORENA party, who has called on lawmakers to support structural changes to Mexico’s governance of gambling.

Martínez Urincho’s principal objective is to amend the Federal Law to recognise “gambling-related harm as a public-health issue, establishing stronger foundations for consumer protections.”

Under the proposal, gambling operators authorised by SEGOB – Mexico’s Ministry of the Interior would be required to “display public-health warnings to consumers across online platforms and at the entrances of land-based gambling venues.”

Once public-health warnings are established, Martínez Urincho has called on MORENA to support an overhaul of ID-verification requirements across Mexico’s approxima..

Estonia’s safer gambling challenges as act review edges closer

iGamingExpertAugust 7, 2026046 views

As Estonia prepares to review its gambling act next year, data has revealed that the country’s self-exclusion list has grown over the past three years by almost 4,000 people.

According to local outlet ERR News, nearly 21,000 people are now on the self-imposed gambling restriction list, up from 2023’s count of 17,203 people. The data further split the restrictions in place by game product, but it is important to note that one person may restrict themselves from multiple verticals.

A person’s written application will determine if they’re added to the self-exclusion list indefinitely, and they must specify a period, six months to three years, after which they may submit a new application to be removed from the list.

20,628 people are restricted in Estonia from games of chance, while 9,767 people have self-imposed sports betting restrictions, which is up by 348 people since the beginning of the year. For lottery products, 5,968 people have restrictions in place.

Measures must be implem..

Italy ready for September launch of gambling dispute platform

A.J. KoehnAugust 7, 2026046 views

The ADM, Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency, will launch a new central complaints portal for online gambling disputes on 10 September.

The launch of the new portal was announced by the ADM on 3 August, as the agency completes a further directive of the reorganisation of Italy’s online gambling sector, focused on strengthening consumer protection and player safety.

Named the “Portale delle segnalazioni”, the ADM has created a central system to track disputes between customers and licensed online gambling operators.

Under the new requirements, operators have 72 working hours to respond to a customer complaint, with the period calculated according to working days and excluding public holidays.

Should a customer fail to reach a resolution or believe that the response provided by the operator is unsatisfactory, they will be able to escalate the matter for review by the ADM.

Users of the portal must register complaints using SPID or Italy’s electronic identity card (CIE) and provide ..

Study urges regulators to mandate gambling data portability to improve player protection

Steve HoareJuly 31, 2026090 views

Gambling regulators should require licensed operators to provide customers with standardised, machine-readable data exports to give consumers a complete picture of their gambling spend across multiple operators, according to new Australian research. Researchers argue that giving consumers cross-operator visibility of their gambling activity would create the foundation for a new generation of personalised player protection…

Massachusetts regulator cites operators for alleged betting violations

SBC AmericasJuly 31, 2026074 views

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) held a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss several alleged noncompliance matters involving four sports betting operators.

The MGC’s open meeting allowed commissioners of the regulator to discuss noncompliance matters tied to retail and online wagering and next steps in addressing the issues. Commissioners can take three actions during public meetings when addressing noncompliance matters.

The regulator can set an issue for future discussion amongst commissioners, refer the matter to its Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB), or levy a penalty. The MGC did not levy penalties against the operators but set the issues to either be referred to the IEB or discussed at a later date by the commission.

The alleged violations were tied to these four Category 1 or Category 3 operators:

BetMGM

Caesars Sportsbook

MGM Springfield

PENN Sports Interactive, the owner and operator of theScore Bet

BetMGM cited for two alleged violations

BetMGM’s ..

UK gambling regulator commits to publishing FRA evidence in Autumn

Steve HoareJuly 29, 2026074 views

Sarah Gardner, Acting Chief Executive (CEO) of the Gambling Commission, has committed to releasing the full dataset, evidence and methodology behind the decision to implement Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs) sometime this Autumn. The confirmation came as part of an official response to a series of questions raised by the cross-party Culture, Media and Sport Committee earlier in July,…

Hard Rock Bet bans credit cards as trend gains another operator

SBC AmericasJuly 29, 2026073 views

Hard Rock Bet is the latest online gambling operator continuing the trend of blocking the use of credit cards for sports betting and casino gaming.

A representative for the Seminole-owned brand told SBC Americas that Hard Rock Bet no longer accepts credit card deposits for its U.S. sportsbook and online casino.

“The move reflects a broader industry shift toward promoting responsible gaming and encouraging the use of alternative payment methods, such as debit cards, bank transfers, and digital wallets,” said a spokesperson.

SBC Americas contacted Hard Rock Bet seeking clarity on exactly when the operator stopped accepting credit cards.

Indirect credit card use also banned

Hard Rock Bet continues to accept a range of payment methods for deposits, including:

Various types of debit cards

Online bank transfers

PayPal

Venmo

However, as well as the direct use of credit cards for depositing and withdrawing, a note on the Hard Rock Bet website states that linked credit cards may not b..

Illinois includes gambling disorder in efforts to tackle substance abuse

SBC AmericasJuly 29, 2026066 views

Illinois is changing state law to ensure that treating and preventing gambling disorders will be included in its approach to substance abuse and addiction.

Among numerous bills signed by Gov. JB Pritzkeron July 24, Senate Bill 2749 alters the state Substance Use Disorder Act effective immediately to better align Illinois’ approach to gambling disorders with its broader public health strategy.

“Substance use and gambling disorders, as defined in this Act, constitute a serious public health problem,” reads an introduction to the bill.

“It is imperative that a comprehensive and coordinated strategy be developed … Through local prevention, early intervention, treatment, and other recovery support services, this strategy should empower those struggling with substance use and gambling disorders (and, when appropriate, the families of those persons) to lead healthy lives.”

The bill adds that gambling disorder “shares similarities with drug abuse, as both activate reward systems in the br..

Adult Gaming Centres set to feel the wrath of Burnham’s new economic outlook

iGamingExpertJuly 29, 2026066 views

Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs) are set to feel the wrath of a new political agenda in the UK, as Andy Burnham has confirmed his support for the hospitality sector through a 20% cut in business rates, which will be funded by higher taxes on AGCs.

Just four days into his premiership, Burnham is already embarking on sweeping change, and he emphasised his belief that ‘can’t see all businesses as the same’.

Announcing the policy, he specifically picked out AGCs as causing social harm, grouping them in with vape shops as a specific element of the high street that offers very little to the community.

It remains unclear exactly what this tax will look like; however, as Manchester Mayor, Burnham lent his weight to campaigns led by local council members to halt the number of new AGCs opening and grant councils greater powers over planning permission.

Burnham could well be about to toe the line of the Social Market Foundation (SMF), which proposed a doubling of the Machine Games Duty on Cate..