SBC News - Player Protection Hub

Washington State sues Playtika and Aristocrat over ‘casino apps’

SBC AmericasFebruary 10, 20260167 views

Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown filed a lawsuit this week against Aristocrat and Playtika, alleging that the two companies and their subsidiaries are operating unlicensed social casino apps that equate to gambling.

Stressing that Washington has a statewide ban on all online gambling activities, the King County Superior Court filing dated Feb. 3 claims that the two companies have allowed state residents to spend more than $225 million over the last five years on “gambling activities that are banned in the state.”

The filing names various Playtika-branded companies as well as Aristocrat Leisure, Aristocrat Technologies and the company’s Product Madness, Big Fish Games, Plarium and Pixel United gaming subsidiaries as defendants. Washington and Brown are seeking a declaration that the companies’ operations violate Washington’s Gambling Act and Consumer Protection Act, as well as a preliminary and/or permanent injunction, civil penalties and other restitution.

Companies kno..

MLB pitch-rigging gambling scheme far bigger than expected: ESPN

SBC AmericasFebruary 10, 20260148 views

New documents reportedly suggest that the alleged match-fixing scheme involving two Cleveland Guardians pitchers is much more extensive than originally thought.

According to an ESPN report, Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase allegedly manipulated his own pitches in nearly 50 games for the purposes of receiving kickbacks. According to court documents filed in November, Clase and teammate Luis Ortiz allegedly conspired with a group of people to rig specific pitches based on speed and location.

The scheme allegedly allowed the co-conspirators to profit from wagers placed using information provided by Clase and Ortiz. Clase and Ortiz’s alleged involvement in the scheme led to charges of wire fraud conspiracy, bribery and money laundering.

Clase initially suspected over 9 games

In court documents filed last year, federal prosecutors initially tied 27-year-old Dominican Republic native Clase to suspicions of rigging pitches in nine games over two years. That number has now been more than ..

UK regulator consults on simplified settlements structure

A.J. KoehnFebruary 10, 20260141 views

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is evaluating whether the final destination for regulatory settlements paid by British betting operators should change.

Consultations are now open until 2 April on the potential amendment of section 2.39 of the UKGC’s ‘Statement of principles for determining financial penalties’.

Under the current texts, payments made as part of regulatory settlements do not need to be paid into the government’s Consolidation Fund.

The Consolidation Fund collects government proceeds from means such as taxation, which are then used to subsidise public initiatives. These include compulsory financial penalties imposed by the UKGC in relation to regulatory breaches under section 121 of the Gambling Act 2005.

However, as stated above, regulatory settlements – which are negotiated agreements at heart – do not currently end up in the Consolidation Fund, which the UKGC is now looking to amend.

“This would ensure that any future regulatory settlements, which are an impo..

Newsletter: Inside the first meeting of the Illegal Gambling Taskforce

Steve HoareFebruary 6, 20260138 views

The UK government announced its Illegal Gambling Taskforce last week with the minimal amount of fanfare – it was done via a 71-word LinkedIn post, without even a press release – and a minimal amount of detail on who sits on the Taskforce, how it will be funded or what its powers are to counter illegal…

Argentina hosts Responsible Gambling Month as pressure grows for federal protection

iGamingExpertFebruary 5, 20260137 views

Argentina’s provincial gambling authorities have launched a coordinated nationwide campaign to mark the start of Responsible Gambling Month this February.

The campaigns call on the need to expand public awareness on harm prevention and youth protection across the Argentine provinces.

Throughout the month, green-lit public buildings have been adopted as a unifying symbol to raise public awareness of gambling risks and safer-play behaviours.

Regulators across multiple provinces are rolling out training sessions for public officials, educators and community organisations, alongside outreach programmes designed to promote healthier gambling habits and early intervention strategies.

A central pillar of this year’s campaign is under-18 protection, with authorities expanding education around age-verification standards, limiting youth exposure to gambling content and strengthening referral pathways for families and schools concerned about risky behaviour.

“Responsible gambling is not jus..

US military to receive federal gambling addiction research funding for first time

SBC AmericasFebruary 4, 20260164 views

U.S. military service members and the gaming industry are expected to receive a major boost sparked by the looming signature of the latest Defense Appropriations Act.

The Defense Appropriations Act for FY2026, a bill that provides $838.7 billion in total spending, will provide federal government funding for gambling addiction research. The act allows federal funding to be used for gambling addiction research for the very first time.

The bill provides federal funding to research gambling addiction in both active and veteran military members through the Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP), which provides grants for medical research and treatments.

Each year, Congress provides a list of conditions and treatments that are covered under the program. In FY2025, Congress allocated approximately $150 million toward the PRMRP.

“This is an important step forward,” said National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) Executive Director Heather Maurer. “For the f..

Finland: Player protection proposals will drive players to black market

iGamingExpertFebruary 4, 20260141 views

iGaming stakeholders in Finland have warned that the proposed player protection recommendations would ensure the majority of gambling is taking place on the black market.

Speaking out against the proposed recommendations, Wildz Group told the Gambling Harm Risk and Harm Assessment Group in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health that they would weaken player protections.

Meanwhile, SkillOnNet described the proposals as “too restrictive”, arguing that they will negatively impact channelisation rates and increase gambling harm.

The supplier lamented the lack of attention that it believes is currently being paid to eradicating the black market.

Several player protection obligations have been pitched by Finland’s new gambling act to prevent and reduce gambling harm in the commercially licensed market.

Measures include land-based slots having more stringent loss limits than online slots, loss limits – triggered at daily, monthly and annual limits – being centralised by government..

Provisions tabled to fast-track self-exclusion amendments in Romania

Steve HoareFebruary 4, 20260129 views

Romania’s regulator, ONJN, has asked the Ministry of Finance to take emergency measures and revamp the country’s self-exclusion framework.

ONJN’s President, Vlad-Cristian Soare, announced that they’ve put forward a proposal for an emergency ordinance (OUG) to iron all current existing gaps in Romania’s gambling legislature regarding player safety.

An OUG is usually reserved for extraordinary regulations that cannot be subject to delay, addressing matters that require urgent attention like natural disasters or economic crises – signalling that the ONJN is potentially moving to paint problem gambling as a national health matter.

Soare, who became the ONJN President in 2025 after a massive tax hole scandal saw the previous President step down, commented: “I promised that self-exclusion will not remain a paper project, as I found it when I took office, but will be implemented in three stages: functioning within the current regulatory framework (already implemented), legislative amendment to remove existing dysfunctions and implementing a modern IT solution (currently being implemented).”

Bringing self-exclusion into the modern era

In his LinkedIn post, Soare highlighted in detail what the ONJN is seeking to achieve with the help of the Ministry of Finance, listing some major improvements in Romania’s self-exclusion framework.

For one, the ONJN wants clearly defined self-exclusion periods for players to choose out from, including an indefinite option and cool-off periods in which self-exclusion cannot be withdrawn – a staple of player protection legislation across multiple mature EU gambling markets.

The ONJN also wants mandatory provisions that obligate operators to recover the deposits made by players who have been self-excluded but still given access to gambling services regardless.

Sanctions envisioned for gambling providers who have been found to be in breach of self-exclusion rules could be facing sanctions of between 50,000 and 100,000 lei (£8.5k – £17k), with repeated or serious non-compliance offences potentially escalating to license suspensions.

The proposed changes also lay the foundation for a truly centralised and simplified self-exclusion network, which the ONJN can enforce effectively against both online and land-based gambling providers.

For that reason, besides simplifying self-exclusion terminology to minimise confusion for players, the regulator is also looking to feature prominent self-exclusion information across online gambling websites and roll out specialised QR codes across gambling halls which would lead to the same national self-exclusion resources.

Lastly, Soare noted that he also seeks to break the ONJN’s exclusivity of its remit over gambling regulation and extend it over to Romanian Police authorities as well, while also being in active talks with the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics to develop a brand new modernised and cost-effective IT network.

Gamstop data suggests youth more conscious about gambling

Steve HoareFebruary 4, 20260130 views

A 40% year-over-year uptick in young people self-excluding from online gambling has been recorded by Gamstop.

The increase relates to individuals aged 16-24 and covers the six-month period ending 31 December 2025. This age group, according to the self-exclusion scheme, represents 29% of all total new registrations.

More details revealed that 38% of under-25s prefer to self-exclude for a duration of six months. For all total registrations, the most preferred option (47%) is a five-year self-exclusion.

For those choosing five years, Gamstop introduced an additional auto-renewal option at the end of 2024, with the scheme highlighting that the option’s popularity has been steadily climbing, and that at the end of 2025 it was selected by more than 50% of five-year exclusions for the first time since its introduction.

These stats are, of course, relating to online gambling. In addition, Gamstop has also unveiled its new Multi Operator Self-Exclusion Scheme for Betting Shops (MOSES) identity, which rebrands Gamstop Betting Shops and integrates better with its online self-exclusion service.

This improved integration will replace the old method of having to self-exclude from retail venues via phone, with customers instead being able to do so online.

MOSES offers a maximum self-exclusion option of 18 months, currently covering around 6,000 retail shops and more than 60 operators, and more than 9,000 people on the register.

Fiona Palmer, CEO of The Gamstop Group, which operates both MOSES and Gamstop Online, said: “Our brand refresh reflects the evolution of Gamstop and will deliver clarity, consistency and accessibility while preserving the trust and integrity built over the last eight years since we launched.

“The continued year-on-year growth in registrations highlights the ongoing and increasing need for effective self-exclusion tools. The rise in take-up of our auto-renewal option, in particular, shows that many consumers are seeking longer-term support and recognise the value of self-exclusion in helping them manage their gambling.”

Greece moves to “Zero Tolerance” to combat black market gambling

A.J. KoehnFebruary 4, 20260179 views

Athens is informed that all options are being reviewed in the economic and social fight against black market operators, including prison sentences and consumer fines for repeated play on illegal websites.

Greece maintains its ambitions to be the first EU nation to launch a ‘comprehensive framework’ dedicated to combat illegal gambling activities and related crimes.

The commitment comes from the Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who is proceeding with a bill to overhaul Greece’s laws and protections against illegal gambling and the accelerating encroachment of the black market.

Pierrakakis has informed parliament that he expects to publish a decree “in the first half of 2026”, containing new laws and toughened measures “to combat a €1.6bn illegal economy,” as the Greek state’s current losses now exceed “at least €500m annually in lost public revenues.”

“The numbers are shocking,” Minister Pierrakakis told lawmakers. “This is not simply a leak of public ..