SBC News

DCMS introduces new player safety standards for prize draws

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Player protection around prize draw competitions in the UK has been significantly strengthened through a new code of conduct by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Championed by Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross, the voluntary code has already been signed by 23 prize draw providers. This is an important milestone, as prize draws do not fall under the remit of the Gambling Act 2005, hence lack the otherwise stringent player protection measures mandated by the gambling framework.
The prize draws sector, however, is still a highly popular offering among the UK population, with the DCMS estimating the market’s value at £1.3bn annually in 2023 fueled by 7.4 million adult customers and more than 400 operators. A total of 88% of the player pool was also engaged with commercial gambling and lotteries.

What’s included in the provisions?
Since prize draws support both a paid and free entry route, the voluntary code spans across the two options. For paid entries, there will now be a £250 monthly cap on credit card entries, in addition to a blanket ban on credit card use for all instant-win competitions.
Signees also need to ensure that free entry routes are sufficiently publicised and accessible for all eligible players. Meanwhile, operators will have to implement measures to identify and mitigate against harm, such as signposting to support when necessary.
When signed, the code will also require robust age verification procedures to be put in place to ensure that access is only provided to players over the age of 18.
Harm prevention provisions dictate that operators have to plan for monitoring of any financial harm or distress, excessive participation, frequency of spend limit reached, behavioural patterns, and more.
Prize draw marketing also needs to be conducted in accordance with the UK’s ASA standards and be compliant with the CAP and BCAP codes of conduct.
Accountability and transparency measures bind operators to specific clauses that ensure the constant assessment of their compliance with the code, review of active third-party contractual obligations, best practices exchange, and close DCMS collaboration.

Code success could lead to legislation change
As previously mentioned, the voluntary code was welcomed by Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross:

Fiona Twycross, Baroness Tycross – Source: House of Lords
“Millions of people enjoy entering prize draw competitions every year, and they should be confident that reasonable protections are in place. Thanks to the introduction of this code, that will be the case.

“I want to thank all of the operators who have already signed up, both for their cooperation in developing the code, and their commitment to following it moving forwards.”

James Oakes, President of Omaze – one of the code’s inaugural signees, added: “Omaze is proud to be a founding signatory of the new Code of Conduct. As the UK’s largest prize draw operator, we’ve consistently set industry-leading customer safeguards, whilst raising over £100m for charities across the country.
“As more and more companies offer prize draws, we welcome DCMS’s introduction of this Code and look forward to all operators committing to the same high standards.”
Whilst the code is not a legal requirement, the DCMS added that if proven successful, the UK Government might consider making it official legislation.

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Videoslots’ UKGC sanction highlights open-loop payment concerns

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Significant risks associated with the use of pre-paid digital vouchers have been laid bare in the UK Gambling Commission’s latest action.

The UK regulator has ordered Videoslots Limited, the operator of videoslots.co.uk, mrvegas.com and megariches.com, to pay £650,000 after an investigation revealed anti-money laundering and social responsibility failures.

The case cited a customer who was able to fund their account in excess of £75,000 using digital pre-payment vouchers, before transferring the proceeds of their gambling activity to four different bank accounts.

Despite the presence of these high-risk factors, the customer’s automated AML risk score did not trigger the threshold for the operator to request source of funds information promptly, ‘leading to unacceptable delays in an account review taking place’.

John Pierce, Commission Director of Enforcement, explained: “Open-loop payment systems are high risk in nature because they could enable anonymous deposits and make it harder to trace funds.

“In this case, the licensee failed to implement timely customer interactions and did not conduct enhanced customer due diligence until the customer had reached significant spend thresholds – such failings are unacceptable.”

UKGC guidance classifies all pre-paid payment methods as high-risk due to the ability for these methods to be pre-loaded using cash or, in some cases, cryptoassets.

The commission requires such payment methods to be factored into a customer’s risk profile and appropriate risk-based due diligence to be undertaken.

“Operators must review how open-loop payment systems such as prepaid digital vouchers are managed in a gambling environment because they are high risk and present operational challenges in terms of effective monitoring,” added Pierce.

Commission calls for crypto review

The need to address the rising popularity of crypto payments has been a particular focus for the UKGC’s CEO, Andrew Rhodes, who earlier this month emphasised the “pressure building within the system”.

“The reality is, in some years to come, there will probably be a significant cohort of consumers who use cryptocurrencies because that is what they’re accustomed to. It is a demographic shift that will find they have no place in the legitimate industry because of the currency they use,” stated Rhodes during his CEO briefing.

He added that any changes must be led by government-level discussions, as ‘once you open that door, you cannot close it’.

“The reality is, and this growth in those demographics means, I don’t think governments can ignore that pattern,” said Rhodes.

Not the first infraction

Other failures highlighted by the UKGC investigation included Videoslots’ deposit limit mechanism. Although the operator’s monitoring systems automatically set a monthly deposit, that limit ran across a calendar month and did not include the customer’s initial deposit.

As a result, a customer was able to lose £5,000 in a month despite having a £3,000 monthly deposit limit. Another also lost £7,500 over 18 days despite having a £2,000 monthly deposit limit.

The UKGC also noted that the monitoring systems deployed by Videoslots also did not effectively identify customers who were potentially at risk of gambling harm, citing one customer who did not receive any interaction from the operator despite losing £6,550 over the course of three active days of gambling across a two-month period.

Alongside the financial penalty, Videoslots has received a warning and is also required to undergo a third-party audit to ensure it is implementing its AML and safer gambling policies and procedures.

This is not the first time that Videoslots has been in hot water with the UKGC. In June 2023, the company paid £2m as part of a settlement with the regulator due to similar AML and social responsibility failures.

iGaming Expert has reached out to Videoslots Limited for comment.

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Gaming Compliance acquires controversial Yield Sec

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Gaming Compliance International has moved to significantly elevate the war against the black market through the acquisition of Yield Sec for an undisclosed sum.

As a result of the deal, Yield Sec’s platform, processes and team will be integrated into GCI’s operations. Ismail Vali, Founder and CEO of the black market monitoring platform, will also assume the role of President of GCI.

Matt Holt, CEO of GCI, commented: “We are proud to welcome Ismail Vali and the entire Yield Sec team to GCI. This acquisition accelerates our mission to deliver transparency, integrity, player protection and certainty for regulated jurisdictions worldwide.

“Yield Sec’s innovative platform for effective and efficient disruption will become a cornerstone of our offering, enabling regulators and operators to gain unprecedented awareness and actionable awareness across the total online gaming marketplace.”

According to GCI, Yield Sec’s machine-led monitoring technology, which it says was adapted from military anti-terrorism and counterinsurgency, will become a core pillar of the company’s offering as it seeks to deliver advanced regulatory technology and marketplace transparency to the global gaming industry.

Vali described joining forces with GCI as the “next stage in our mission to defeat black market crime and protect the integrity of regulated gaming”.

“Yield Sec was founded to help regulators and operators see the entire online marketplace – legal and illegal – and act with certainty,” he added.

“GCI strengthens that foundation, expanding our ability to serve clients across commerce, community, and consumers. The purpose remains the same: to secure a sustainable, compliant, and fair marketplace that benefits everyone.”

Yield Sec was founded in 2020 through a collaboration between the marketing agency A Game Above and the player protection company Beanstalk to provide a tool for the industry to monitor and counter black market gambling activity.

Black market trepidation

The deal comes at a time when the global black market is becoming an increasingly prevalent and distressing issue for the regulated iGaming sector.

The Betting and Gaming Council recently estimated that £2.7bn is staked annually on the online black market in the UK, equivalent to 2.1% of the amount staked with regulated operators.

Meanwhile, Andrew Rhodes, the UK Gambling Commission CEO, stated: “We are determined to protect consumers and maintain confidence in the regulated sector by taking robust, evidence-led action.

“Since April 2024, we’ve seen a tenfold increase in our disruption activity, and we intend to continue to work with a wide range of partners to build on this success.”

He added: “The illegal online market is unsafe, unfair and criminal – that is why the Commission has invested heavily in this area in recent years.

“To be even more effective in combating the illegal market,it’s vital that we have both a deep and broad understanding of how it operates, and this insight is a crucial step in building that understanding in a very complex area to research.”

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Romania to set gambling age at 21 as coalition pushes sector reset

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Two draft proposals have been submitted to Romania’s Parliament, as parties forming the new Liberal Pro Europe Coalition government desire to drastically overhaul the governance of gambling.
Last week, Raluca Turcan, a Minister of the Liberal Party (PNL), submitted a draft proposal demanding that Parliament increase the Romanian age of gambling from 18 to 21.
Turcan called for PNL ministers to back her proposal as the “simplest measure to restrict gambling at the most fragile age”.

Protect the Age of Innocence

Turcan’s draft bill marks the PNL Party’s first step in addressing gambling reforms, a subject matter that has grabbed national attention.

The PNL minister views the age of 18-21 as the “most emotionally and financially vulnerable stage of those entering adulthood” – a period she sees as defined by impulsivity, early income management, and limited understanding of long-term risk.

The proposal aims to provide “a window of emotional and financial maturity” by restricting gambling access until age 21. Turcan highlighted successful precedents in Portugal, Greece and Moldova, where raising the legal age helped reduce youth indebtedness and early signs of gambling addiction.

Her proposal recognises the recommendations of a youth report made by international charity Save the Children which recommended Romania raise the legal age for gambling and ban gambling advertising across all mediums.

USR calls for toughest measures
A second, more sweeping draft bill was filed by Diana Stoica of the Save Romania Union (USR), marking a long-anticipated intervention by a party that is the most outspoken critic of Romania’s gambling sector and its regulatory failures.

Stoica noted that the bill responds to a “national drama hiding in plain sight,” citing research that one in four Romanian teenagers has participated in gambling before turning 18, with many starting before age 14.

Her proposal introduces a strict 06:00–24:00 ban on online gambling advertising, reflecting the digital habits of minors and young adults. It also prohibits the use of influencers, athletes and online personalities, arguing that these figures “normalise betting” and act as the primary gateway for youth gambling.

Additional measures include mandatory, prominent “addiction-risk warnings”, and a clampdown on indirect marketing through cultural or sports sponsorships when these campaigns serve as covert promotional tools.

Both proposals call for an overhaul of the Jocurilor de Noroc (Law of Games of Chance) incorporated in 2009 and last revised in 2023. Changes are needed to incorporate stricter age rules, digital-era advertising limits, and mandatory warnings.

ONJN to face reckoning
The USR has long called for a complete overhaul of gambling governance following a series of high-profile fallouts earlier this year that exposed severe structural failures at the national regulator, ONJN.

At the centre of the controversy was a failed financial audit, which revealed that ONJN had neglected to collect almost €1bn in tax and licensing income, a fiasco that dominated news cycles at the start of the year. ONJN defended itself by claiming that successive governments had failed to update and integrate tax-collection systems despite annual changes to gambling duties since 2018.

The scandal prompted a leadership reshuffle, appointing Vlad-Cristian Soare as the new head of ONJN. Yet the office remains under scrutiny, with USR openly advocating for ONJN to be disbanded entirely.

The party wants the Ministry of Taxation to assume temporary control of gambling oversight until the coalition establishes a new governing authority with modern compliance systems.

Adding further pressure on ONJN, September saw a wave of city mayors and municipal governments demand the right to licence and tax gambling establishments directly. The mayors argued that the change was urgently needed to recover lost revenues and stressed that they had “lost all trust” in the national regulator.

Coalition wants a coordinated push on reforms

Both bills arrive as part of a broader realignment under Romania’s new coalition government, formed in June and tasked with rethinking the country’s gambling, taxation and digital-economy policies.

New Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare, appointed by newly elected President Nicușor Dan, has been mandated to review and change gambling taxation once again.

As disclosed earlier this year, The Ministry of Finance is preparing a major redesign of the tax regime, set to take effect from June 2026, introducing new tiered tax bands on player winnings and increasing licensing fees across all gambling activities.

Nazare painted the measures as necessary: “We want to send a very important signal regarding the taxation of gambling, which we know very well how harmful it is to vulnerable communities when left unchecked.”

Although the PNL and USR proposals differ in scope, together they reflect an accelerating consensus within the governing bloc: Romania’s gambling sector requires a structural reset from youth protection and digital advertising to taxation, oversight and regulatory accountability.

Further legislative activity is expected in the coming months, as coalition partners prepare additional proposals on education, prevention, compliance, and long-term youth protection as Romanian politics views 2026 as a year of change for the gambling sector.

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Gamban launches “permanent” iOS app to celebrate anniversary

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Problem gambling support tool Gamban has marked its 10-year anniversary with the launch of a semi-permanent iOS mobile app.

Gamban emerged on the market in 2015, introducing the first-of-its-kind gambling blocking software for Apple Mac computers and pushing software innovation in the space forward for mobile devices.

In particular, Gamban differentiated its app by limiting the user’s ability to remove it from their Android devices at will whenever they had the urge to gamble, achieved through a myriad of investment, research and development, the company added. This functionality has now been transferred over to iOS as well.

At Gamban’s anniversary event in Shoreditch, Co-Founder Jack Symons said: “What sets us apart from other options is our commitment and ability to continually invest in our approach to blocking gambling. We are not interested in a minimum viable solution – gambling blocking software is far too important to do on the cheap.

“In line with this aspiration, we are pleased to announce that our new version for iPhones will be impossible to be removed by users for their chosen duration of protection. This will enable more peace of mind for Gamban users and their families as they embark on their recovery journey.”

While a full launch date hasn’t been specified yet, the iOS update is currently being beta tested in a variety of languages, including English, French, Spanish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese and Japanese.

Besides a gambling block, the mobile app also includes features such as tracking the amount of saved time and money whilst away from gambling, as well as the ability to signpost to localised treatment services.

The success of Gamban was evidenced in the numbers provided at the anniversary event, with the company claiming that more than 460,000 people have used its app since 2015. Blocking of all types of gambling is currently available on the blocklist, which features around 350,000 domains and apps, and adds 300 new ones daily.

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GambleAware provides a loose fit on UK gambling attitudes 

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GambleAware has reported that more than five million people in the UK want to reduce or stop gambling altogether. Yet the headline figure appears loosely benchmarked against national population estimates.

The charity has used its annual Treatment and Support survey as a basis, which was conducted by YouGov over November and December 2024.

In total, the surveyed amounted to a total of 17,933 people, of which six in ten adults (60.8%) reported to have gambled at least once in the last 12 months at the time of the study.

Furthermore, the YouGov findings highlighted that one in six (16%) of those 60.8% reported that they want to either reduce or quit gambling entirely.

GambleAware’s estimate is based on extrapolated findings from a pool of 17,933 respondents against 2024 population figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), a method that raises questions about the accuracy of its portrayal of public attitudes to gambling.

ONS figures showcased that the total UK adult population stood at 53.5 million people. GambleAware has taken that and multiplied it by the 60.8% figure from the YouGov study, loosely highlighting that 32.5 million people gambled in the 12 months before the study was conducted.

That 32.5 million estimate was then multiplied by the previously mentioned 16%, resulting in around 5.3 million people who want to either quit or reduce their gambling.

Again, these figures are purely speculative, with GambleAware imposing the results from a survey pool of 17,933 people over the total UK population of 53.5 million as per official ONS estimates.

What the survey actually says
Examining the survey alone, YouGov highlighted that 80% of the total respondents who gambled in the last 12 months were happy with their current gambling habits.

Of that total, 62% were confident that they do not gamble very much, while 44% saw no need to reduce or quit gambling as they have not experienced any negative consequences. Additionally, one in five (20%) said they viewed gambling as fun, while 9% saw no gains from reducing or quitting.

“The qualitative data shows that the main reasons for participants not wanting to make changes to their gambling were because they felt that their gambling was under control, or because they perceived it as a fun activity and enjoyed the occasional wins, alongside the potential of ‘a big win’,” the report said.

“This was even the case among those who had previously experienced ‘problem gambling’, where people preferred having clear limits and better control over how much they gamble, as opposed to wanting to reduce or stop altogether.”

GambleAware to provide needs until final day…
GambleAware has historically been the commissioner of gambling harm education, prevention and treatment across Great Britain, but will close its doors in March next year.

The decision to close down the Charity and its twenty years of services is due to the new statutory levy introduced by the UK government that appointed three new commissioners across England, Scotland and Wales.

Until its closure, the charity will remain fully active and ready to deliver the necessary support for those experiencing gambling harm, with services like its support finder or spend calculator expected to remain operational until GambleAware’s shutdown in March.

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Bet99 launches new RG campaign with ex-UFC champion Georges St-Pierre

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Canadian sportsbook BET99 has launched its latest responsible gaming campaign with UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre.

The new commercial is a continuation of St-Pierre’s work as an RG ambassador for the sports betting and online casino operator, which began back in 2022. The TV, digital and social commercial features the Quebecer wearing traditional karate dress and highlighting BET99’s responsible gambling tools.

“Responsible gaming isn’t a tagline for us, it’s the core of what we do,” said BET99 CEO Jared Beber. “Players trust us with their time and entertainment, and that trust means creating an experience that’s always fun, safe, and in control. RG keeps betting where it belongs: enjoyable, balanced and pressure-free.

“We also know important messages stick better when they make you smile. Humour cuts through the noise, gets attention and helps people actually remember the tools and support available to them. And don’t worry, I promise we won’t have GSP show up at your house and break your TV. What will show up is a platform built around safety, transparency and real protections: limits, tools and a team that genuinely has your back.”

A proudly Canadian gaming operator, BET99 has worked with other athletes in the past with strong connections to the country, including Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews and Toronto FC legend Sebastian Giovinco.

RG the name of the game for athlete use in Ontario
In Ontario, online gambling operators are free to sign up athletes and celebrities as brand ambassadors as long as they exclusively advertise responsible gambling initiatives.

Since February 2024, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s regulations mandate that active or retired athletes cannot be used in marketing, “except for the exclusive purpose of advocating for responsible gambling practices.” Ontario also has a requirement that operators must spend a certain percentage of their annual gross gaming revenue on RG-specific messaging.

Other iGaming brands licensed in Ontario have followed this playbook. BetMGM has high-profile partnerships with the likes of Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid and hockey’s “Great One” Wayne Gretzky, former Toronto Raptors player Tracy McGrady is British sportsbook BetVictor’s face in Ontario, and Super Group’s sportsbook Betway uses French former soccer star Thierry Henry for RG advertising in the province.

BET99 expanding in sports and casino
Sports is a big piece of BET99’s business in Ontario, and the operator has enhanced its sportsbook in recent times with some notable deals.

In September, it partnered with micro-betting specialists Kero Gaming to launch many more in-play betting markets. It also launched Genius Sports‘ BetVision feature, which allows users who place pre-game or in-play wagers on certain games to watch free live streams of the game in the BET99 app, as well as get real-time statistical and betting updates overlaid on the stream.

BET99 has also been building out its online casino offering in a regulated provincial market that is around 85% iCasino by wagering handle and operator revenue. It struck a deal with prominent content supplier Pragmatic Play in June to enhance its live casino selection, and subsequently added a range of online games from Cyprus-based studio Evoplay last week.

This week, BET99 surpassed 3,000 games on its Ontario casino platform, including slots, table games, live casino, instant win titles and exclusive BET99-branded titles.

“Sports may be the front door to BET99, but iCasino is where players spend the most time,” Beber told Canadian Gaming Business earlier this year. “We’ve learned that a compelling iCasino experience isn’t just about having the largest library of games; it’s about presentation, personalization and trust. Deep personalization is about building genuine relationships with players as much as delivering relevant content. It comes back to Canadian values: serving players with integrity, pride and transparency.”

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NCAA study finds men’s basketball leads in gambling harassment

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A recent NCAA study found that men’s basketball players receive the highest rate of gambling-related harassment among the organization’s body of student-athletes.

In October, the NCAA conducted a Student-Athlete Needs, Aspirations and Perspectives (SNAP) study providing feedback from student-athletes about a variety of issues impacting their daily lives. Between Sept. 30 and Oct 5., the NCAA partnered with sports employment platform Teamworks to deliver the survey to 6,789 students across 163 institutions. The NCAA offers SNAP surveys to institutions up to six times per year.

The NCAA’s latest SNAP survey for October included topics on performance technology, mental health and fan behavior related to sports betting. It was limited to student-athletes in their sophomore year or above for their experiences related to fan engagement.

Men’s basketball leads the pack

The October 2025 NCAA SNAP survey had men’s basketball players lead all student-athletes who receive negative or threaten..

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UK gambling nets full cooperation for Safer Gambling Week

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Safer Gambling Week 2025 (#SGWeek2025) takes place this week (17-23 November), with all UK gambling stakeholders expressing their full commitment to promoting safer play and responsible gambling.

Entering its ninth consecutive year, the initiative is co-led and coordinated by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), amusement trade body BACTA, the Bingo Association – and all other memberships associated with UK Gambling.

Last year’s edition highlighted that over 1.5 million unique accounts used a safer gambling tool during the week, which was a 22% YoY increase. The number of people who set deposit limits went up by 14%.

Furthermore, more than 60 million impressions on online safer gambling messages were generated across the biggest social media platforms – X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. It is safe to say that the organisers will aim to break these records in 2025 in the week running from 17 to 23 November.

Baroness Twycross, UK’s Minister for Gambling, said: “As a Government, we are fully committed to reducing harmful gambling and protecting those at risk. That is why we have introduced a statutory levy aimed at providing funding to tackle this.

“We welcome the contribution that Safer Gambling Week makes. It provides a good opportunity to highlight the tools and support that is available to people who may need it.”

Also engaging with the campaign was Andrew Rhodes, CEO of the UK Gambling Commission, who reiterated the importance of this week’s activity for the industry and its commitment to consumer protection.

“While progress has been made, we must continue to ensure that the tools and protections available to consumers are effective and widely promoted.

“Collaboration and evidence-based action remain central to making gambling in Great Britain fairer, safer, and crime-free,” Rhodes commented.

Joining the responsible gambling conversation was also Louie French, Conservative Party MP and Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, who said: “I’m backing the Safer Gambling Week campaign to tackle gambling-related harm. This important initiative brings the industry together to support safe and responsible gambling.

“Millions of people safely enjoy a flutter every month, whether it’s on the horses, football, or the lottery. But for some, gambling can cause immense harm to their lives. It’s vital that the industry quickly identifies and supports these people.”

Interestingly, French also made a comment against the widely-speculated gambling tax increases that are expected to be announced with the UK’s new Budget on 26 November.

The public debate has been led by speculations whether Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves will increase the duties across the board or leave betting out of the equation.

In his Safer Gambling Week statement, French added: “If the Government taxes people away from regulated bookmakers, they’ll fuel unsafe betting online.”

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Former NCAA athletes tied to alleged Mafia-backed gambling ring

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The Italian Mafia is tied to another alleged multimillion-dollar gambling scheme, with the latest charges involving a group of former NCAA athletes.

The New Jersey State Police (NJSP) and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced charges against 14 people who were involved in an alleged sports betting ring with ties to organized crime. New Jersey police charged state resident Joseph M. “Little Joe” Perna with racketeering conspiracy, gambling offenses and money laundering for allegedly leading an illegal operation that had student-athletes serve as bookmakers.

New Jersey authorities initiated an investigation into the alleged gambling ring in January 2024 that found the scheme had siphoned through roughly $2 million over two years.

“The takedown of this organized illegal sports gambling ring underscores our unwavering commitment to dismantling criminal networks that profit from corruption and greed,” said NJSP Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan. “These racketeering opera..

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