Online operator 1XBet announced the launch of its International Player Safety Index, a series of reports produced in collaboration with SBC Media yesterday (September 16) at the SBC Summit in Lisbon. 1XBet has set out to understand how leading operators and regulators across Western Europe approach safer gambling and will turn its attention to other…
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) International Gaming Institute (IGI) has announced the second round of annual ESPN Research Fellows.
ESPN partnered with UNLV in late 2023, signing on as the founding donor of new research leveraging the IGI’s knowledge to develop a program supporting responsible gaming policies and related education and implementation. Last year, the IGI launched the inaugural ESPN Research Fellowship initiative, recognizing educators for their responsible gambling-related projects.
UNLV noted that this year’s group of scholars have put forth proposals aimed at advancing the understanding of responsible gambling messaging in sports media and its implications for consumer well-being.
The class of 2025 consists of:
Dr. Brandon Mastromartino, director of the Institute on Sports Wagering and Gaming and assistant professor of experiential marketing at the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at San Diego State University. His project wi..
New Jersey’s gaming regulator is ready to up the ante on the player protection measures it requires from its licensed operators.
The NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) has published a new set of proposed regulations that would mandate certain responsible gambling measures in the Garden State.
“Our responsible gaming best practices for internet gaming are being turned into regulations,” said the DGE’s Assistant Bureau Chief and Responsible Gaming lead Jamie McKelvey during an iDEA Growth webinar on player protection on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The proposed measures were published in the New Jersey Register this week and are open for public comment until mid-November.
The plan includes requiring each online operator to designate one or more “responsible gaming leads” to identify and monitor at-risk patrons, as well as establishing a hard list of 10 “triggers” for determining problem gambling trends in players and wagering accounts.
The player behavior triggers include things such as ..
The Malaysian government is set to take aim at meta over the prevalence of black market gambling ads that appear on the site, according to a report by The Scoop.
It comes ahead of a crunch meeting between the two parties over the advertising of black market operators across social media sites, specifically Facebook.
The meeting, which is set to take place on 22 September, arrives following a flurry of complaints from the government over the lack of action from Facebook around harmful advertising.
One of the central issues set to be raised by the government’s Communications Minister, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, is around the lack of action when it comes to blocking credit cards with known links to black market websites.
Speaking to reporters, he stated: “If a gambling ad is paid for using a credit card, and Facebook knows this content is illegal in Malaysia, they should block the credit card account used. But Facebook has refused to do so.”
“Many people benefit from these platforms socially and economically – but we cannot allow criminals to misuse them for profit or to commit online crimes.”
He also took aim at the platform over the accessibility of black market gambling adverts and just how prevalent they are.
Social trepidation across India
This issue is not isolated to Malaysia, a recent report by the All India Gaming Federation revealed the extent at which players in the country engage with the black market.
The report detailed that unlicensed betting platforms had a total of 1.6 billion visits over a three month period.
It was a report that specifically took aim at poor effectiveness of the current measures being in place when it comes to halting the black market – specifically pinpointing website blocking measures as not having the desired effect.
This partially comes down to illegal operators utilising mirroring websites to enable users to circumvent blocking regulatory takedowns and blocking protocols.
Central to this is the usage of new UPI accounts in order to evade detection from website blocking strategies.
The report cited RBI data from July 2024, which states that mules funnel around $300m in illicit funds every month, with the illicit gambling market being one of the most significant beneficiaries of these transactions.
It revealed that mules provide one of the key ways for the illicit market to evade regulatory and financial frameworks, an evasion they rely on to be sustainable.
Furthermore, there is also evidence, according to the report, that using blocking as the sole strategy when it comes to crippling the black market is simply ineffective. The report cited Norway, the UK, Denmark, Belgium, and the United States as markets that highlight this.
The network utilised by illegal operators was described by the report as “highly sophisticated”, engaging with a myriad of payment journeys and currencies – these include UPI transactions facilitated through mule accounts, cryptocurrencies, and international wallets.
In terms of traffic drivers to the illicit market, the report cited the significant impact of social media and influencer marketing, calling on strictness of advertising policies to be increased.
It detailed that over a three month period, social media drove 42.8 million visits to just four illegal sites, whilst referral traffic generated 247.5 million visits, primarily from adult sites, gambling affiliates and promotions on sports and video streaming platforms.
It specifically took aim at the Facebook advertising policy, which has grown monumentally in recent times.
iGaming Expert Analysis: The action of the Malaysian government could well usher in strengthening of strategies from across Asia when it comes to ensuring that social media giants do more to tackle the black market. We have already seen in India the impact of Instagram and Facebook when it comes to black market engagement. We have also seen the recent growth of TikTok when it comes to a platform that bolsters black market engagement.
The Malaysian government is clearly intent on ensuring that social media platforms do more and unsurprising given the funnel that social media can provide to the black market – here’s hoping that other governments will follow their lead on this one.
Italy is preparing to overhaul its defences against illegal gambling as the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) sets out plans for a national “cybersecurity shield” in the forthcoming Budget Law.
The measure, revealed by Italian gambling news source AgiproNews, will require any business offering public internet access to install anti-illegality software on devices ranging from PCs and kiosks to tablets. Developed jointly by ADM — Italy’s Customs & Monopolies Agency — and state-owned tech hub SOGEI, the software will automatically block connections to unauthorised gambling domains.
“The software will be made available for download to all operators and relevant authorities, creating a national safeguard against illegal gaming domains,” AgiproNews has reported.
ADM to lead mutli-stakeholder project
ADM will draft the implementing regulations, while inspections by both the Guardia di Finanza and ADM will ensure compliance. Fines will be levied against non-compliant operators, with heavier penalties — and potential criminal charges — if devices are found in “closed browsing” mode designed to funnel users directly to illegal betting sites.
The move follows a ruling by Italy’s Constitutional Court which struck down the Balduzzi Decree’s blanket ban on gaming devices in public venues, arguing the measure was disproportionate and unduly restrictive to business freedoms. Even so, ADM has stressed that so-called “totems” and closed-circuit devices dedicated exclusively to gambling remain prohibited.
MEF: New Regime needs better protection
The MEF is keen to stress the economic weight behind the reform. Italy’s gambling industry generates an estimated €21bn in gross income, delivering around €8bn annually to the state through duties and taxes.
New online protections are considered critical to securing the government’s updated licensing regime, under which operators must pay €7m per licence. So far, ADM has approved 46 applications.
The reforms reflect a market in transition. While Italy remains Europe’s fourth-largest regulated gambling market, MEF officials highlight that online gambling alone is now worth roughly €1bn per year, with rapid growth accelerating the need for robust digital protections.
As noted that the new online regime requires operators to adhere to a new compliance charter, mandating that operators promote responsible gambling tools for players to control time and spend and offer in-play warnings on high-risk games.
Italy is no stranger to Black Market encroachment
Yet exposure to the black market remains high. In 2023, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) estimated that Italy faced around €1bn in illegal activity, as offshore operators exploited the country’s strict Dignity Decree, which banned advertising and sponsorship. The restrictions have fuelled demand for “quick-deposit” skin sites, many of them hosted abroad.
The Meloni government has signalled it wants to repeal blanket bans, instead moving towards a modernised framework for marketing and sponsorship. A new mandate is expected to reach parliament later this year, shaped by recommendations from Serie A, Italian media and the Ministry of Sports. Negotiations are ongoing between Sports Minister Andrea Abodi and Serie A president Ezio Simonelli.
Land-based reorganisation moved to 2026
Despite the urgency, wider structural reform has slipped. The second phase of Italy’s gambling reorganisation has been pushed back to August 2026, a delay blamed on complex negotiations with regional authorities and ADM’s need to complete the Lotto Italia tender, awarded to a consortium of Brightstar, Allwyn and Novomatic
Key settlements are required on compensation terms for provinces and municipalities that host gaming outlets, alongside new licensing conditions for franchise networks and an expected revision of land-based gambling taxes. The fiscal and regulatory changes are likely to dominate talks between Rome and regional governments over the coming year.
2026: Year of technical upgrades for Italian gambling
2025 is recognised as year of regulatory revisions and settlments for Italian gambling. Moving into 2026, it will likely be a year of technical adjustments and settlements for both online and land-based incumbents, as the government moves in a new direction that recognises and values the economic contribution of the gambling sector.
Italy’s policy shift reflects a balancing act: securing billions in state revenues, tightening oversight of a fast-growing digital market, and settling disputes with provinces and franchise operators, while giving Serie A and national media a lifeline after years under the Dignity Decree’s advertising blackout. Whether the “cyber shield” can hold back the black market tide will be the first real test of the MEF’s new regime.
British charity GamCare has expressed confidence in the contribution its Money Guidance Service (MGS) makes as part of its wider gambling harm treatment programmes.
The charity first launched the MGS back in 2022 with pilots in the East Midlands and Yorkshire & the Humber regions of England, as a response to demands for financial advice.
Gambling’s societal impact has been under the microscope, both regulatory and academically and otherwise, for the past few years, particularly during the 2005 Gambling Act review between 2020-2023.
Three years after launching the MGS regionally in 2022 and nationally in 2023, GamCare believes that the service is serving a ‘critical function’ for people looking for help with problem gambling and gambling-related harm.
Kathy Wade, Money Guidance Service Manager at GamCare, commented: “It’s fantastic to see the impact that the team has had in helping people recover from gambling-related financial issues, especially as we continue to see rising costs impact people in Britain.
“This report highlights the important steps the team is taking in helping people get back on their feet after gambling-related debt. We’re looking forward to implementing the recommendations of the report and continue building an excellent service which helps people get back in control of their finances.”
Gambling debt and gambling reform
GamCare’s evaluation report of the MGS concluded that people who received support via it reported having greater control of financial stability, a reduction of their debt, and general support for recovery and general wellbeing.
Participants also stated that the service has joined the dots between gambling support and debt advice, one of GamCare’s main objections when setting up the MGS.
The charity reported back in 2022 that 76% of people calling into its National Gambling Helpline stated that they had encountered financial difficulties due to gambling while 31% said that financial struggles were a key reason behind their gambling.
The report’s publication comes amid a renewed debate around gambling harm in the UK, with some politicians and other stakeholders calling for another look at Britain’s gambling regulations.
This is despite the recommendations of the Gambling Act review still being implemented by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the wider industry.
Much of the concerns driving these calls for another regulatory review revolve around the financial impact of problem gambling, with politicians like Dawn Butler MP often arguing that betting shops are located in more impoverished areas than affluent ones.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs of Spain has raised the alarm at teenagers’ exposure to gambling, deemed “a worrying scenario for all Spanish authorities.”
Concerns are raised following the publishing of the 2024 ESTUDES Survey, which provides insights on behavioural risks and addictions in secondary schools across Spain.
According to the study, almost one in five teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 (19.8%) admitted to having gambled for money, with the average age of initiation beginning at approximately 13.9 years.
Of those who gambled, a majority of 19% did so in physical venues such as bars and cafés, while 9% responded that they had gambled online.
Among the most concerning findings, a near one in four teenagers (24%) who engage in gambling admitted having played Type III games such as slot machines, cards and other high-risk formats.
Type III games are recognised as the highest risk games category impacting customer behaviour. However, within many of Spain’s autonomous provinces Type III games can be serviced by cafés and bars as ‘recreativos’ – in-venue terminals with fixed jackpots.
The data reveals a clear gender divide. By the age of 17, nearly one in five students are involved in gambling, with boys more than twice as likely as girls to take part. While many gamble infrequently and spend modest amounts, 3.7% of teenagers already show signs of problematic behaviour, rising to 5.5% among boys.
When placed alongside other risky behaviours, gambling remains under-addressed. The ESTUDES survey shows that only 48.4% of students recall receiving information on the dangers of gambling, compared with more than 70% who recall prevention training on alcohol and tobacco use.
This educational gap is seen by authorities as one of the most pressing concerns, particularly given that gambling begins at almost the same age as drinking and smoking.
In response, the Ministry has called for an urgent strengthening of prevention policies in schools, with greater emphasis on educating young people about the risks of gambling and early signs of problematic behaviour.
Authorities have also flagged the need for tighter checks on retail points where underage gambling typically occurs, including cafés, lottery shops and small venues that continue to provide easy access to minors.
The Ministry concluded that without stronger action at the educational and retail levels, the current trajectory risks embedding gambling into adolescent habits in the same way tobacco and alcohol once were, but with potentially hidden consequences that emerge later in adulthood.
The findings of the ESTUDES survey are required by Spain’s federal government and its commitment to uphold the United Nations 2030 Agenda (UN2030) – which contains the charter to reduce social inequalities by investing in education and public health.
In wider developments, Spain seeks to position itself as the most sophisticated EU member state in supervising gambling behaviours, tasking the Directorate of Gambling (DGOJ) with building a dedicated AI-driven monitoring system to detect risk patterns.
Last week, the DGOJ launched its first public consultation on the framework since 2023, outlining a model that will apply more than 60 behavioural variables from frequency and stake size to deposit timing and cash-out habits — to identify players at risk.
The system aims to unify standards across operators and enhance consumer protections, underlining Spain’s ambition to combine education, prevention, and cutting-edge technology in tackling gambling harms.
GambleAware states that UK authorities must address and understand gambling harms as a public health crisis with extended consequences for households and communities.
The message is led by the GambleAware Annual Treatment and Support Survey of 2024, which reveals that “almost one in three (30%) adults who gamble and are experiencing any risk of gambling problems want treatment, support or advice.”
The survey, conducted by YouGov for the past five years, notes a steep increase in adults seeking help for gambling-related harms — double the 17% recorded in 2020.
2024 data and insights underline a troubling rise in the scale of harm, determined in the UK by the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Anyone who scores more than eight in the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, run by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), is considered to be suffering from gambling harm.
“The proportion experiencing any level of problems with gambling (PGSI score of 1+) has risen to 16%, up from 13% in 2023, with statistically significant rises seen in the proportion in the PGSI 1–2, 3–7 and 8+ categories,” the report read.
Family harms & risk
Research underscores that gambling harm extends far beyond the individual to households and communities. “Overall, 8.1% of the adult population surveyed were classified as an affected other… up from 7.0% in 2023 and the highest figure across years. This corresponds to approximately 4.3 million GB adults.”
The toll on families and loved ones is clear: “Three in four (75%) of affected others” said gambling damaged their relationship with the person who gambles. 69% reported experiencing depression, anxiety or anger, and half (50%) faced direct financial consequences from a loved one’s gambling.
The report also estimates that “around two million children may be living in households with an adult experiencing ‘problem gambling’.” Broader data suggests up to 5.8 million children may be affected by someone else’s gambling, either through financial stress or family disruption.
Qualitative interviews illustrated the personal strain. One participant shared: “I would definitely be looking to cut it down just to enjoy family time more, and be more present, and stop the arguments that occur with friends and family.” (Male, 34, PGSI 4). Another said: “Losing the money was definitely a big influence [in reducing gambling]… losing the money a couple of times in a row. I just said enough is enough, so it was like cold turkey straight away.” (Female, 47, PGSI 5).
Cost of living cuts deeper
The report shows that gambling harms often compound existing financial pressures. People experiencing “problem gambling” (PGSI 8+) were disproportionately affected by the cost-of-living crisis: “77% reported having taken steps to cut back on essentials such as energy use and food shopping, compared with 49% of those experiencing no reported problems (PGSI 0).”
Crucially, “those experiencing ‘problem gambling’ (PGSI 8+) were the only PGSI group where a majority reported that their gambling has had some impact on their financial situation recently. Over two in five (44%) reported that it has improved as a result, whilst around one in four (23%) said it has worsened.”
For many, short-term wins offered false hope, but the long-term result was instability. One female participant described: “I wasn’t able to buy food for about a week because I’d spent the food shopping money on scratch cards.” (Female, 53, PGSI 7). Another reported borrowing from family to cover everyday costs: “I’d lose, I don’t know, like a hundred pounds… so I’d text my dad, for example, and be like, ‘the washing machine’s broke… I need to borrow a hundred pounds’, because I was trying to constantly make up for what I’d lost again.” (Female, 27, PGSI 18).
Zoë Osmond OBE, CEO of GambleAware, said: “Gambling can be highly addictive, with devastating impacts on people’s lives, relationships and financial stability. While it is encouraging that more people have sought help, this rise may also point to a growing public health crisis. We are increasingly alarmed by how gambling is being normalised and how frequently people—especially young people—are exposed to gambling across Great Britain.”
Public wants stricter advertising rules
The survey also revealed overwhelming support for curbs on gambling advertising, especially when children are exposed. “91% supported a ban on advertising on TV channels or programmes popular with children, and 90% supported a ban on social media.” A majority also backed bans before the 9pm watershed and restrictions at sporting events.
The report warns that gambling is being normalised for young people, with risks heightened by digital media, gaming and the spread of gambling-style content.
Supporting stricter oversight of advertising, Osmond concluded: “To reverse this troubling trend, urgent preventative action is needed. This must include tougher regulation of gambling advertising to stop gambling being portrayed as ‘harmless fun’.
There should also be mandatory health warnings on all gambling ads, stricter controls on digital and social media marketing, and a full ban on gambling promotion in stadiums and sports venues to protect children and young people from harm.”
UK authorities must understand demand for treatment and support
The 2024 YouGov survey is likely to mark GambleAware’s final research contribution, as the charity prepares to wind down and cease operations by 31 March 2026. Its closure forms part of the UK government’s transition to a statutory levy and a new public health-led system for addressing gambling harms.
Kate Gosschalk, YouGov Associate Director, said: “We are pleased to share the findings from the latest annual Treatment and Support Survey, a substantial online survey of around 18,000 people in addition to interviews with those who gamble. The new data provides valuable insight about gambling harm, including an increase in the number of people seeking support/treatment over the past five years.”
September 15 will see SBC organise a ground breaking charity football event in Lisbon. Make sure you get the chance to see some of the most legendary names in football by securing your ticket today at https://www.legendscharitygame.com/
The NCAA is poised to take action against another group of men’s college basketball players who are accused of violating the organization’s sports betting rules.
Just one day after levying bans against three former NCAA student-athletes, the governing body of college sports in America is pursuing additional sports betting violations against 13 former men’s basketball players who competed across six institutions:
Arizona State
Eastern Michigan
Mississippi Valley
New Orleans
North Carolina A&T
Temple
The NCAA Committee on Infractions is investigating alleged violations that include student-athletes wagering on or against their own teams, sharing information for gambling with third parties and knowingly manipulating the scoring or outcome of competitions.
An unknown number of the student-athletes also refused to cooperate with the probe.
An updated version of the NCAA guidelines includes punishments for student-athletes who influence the outcome of their own games or provide gam..
GambleAware has published its annual report for 2024, citing concerns over a rise in marketing around prize draws such as McDonald’s Monopoly and Omaze, as it reported a significant rise in gambling harm support in the past four years.
Prize draws were highlighted within GambleAware’s ‘Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey 2024’ for the first time, but this vertical is not regulated as a licensed form of gambling.
The gambling support charity noted that prize draws are a vertical in which people who gamble are either estimated to be experiencing any level of problems from participating, around one in four (27%), while around one in nine (11%) are estimated to be experiencing ‘problem gambling’ (PGSI 8+).
GambleAware has warned that prize draws have “many similarities to certain types of gambling”, the risks associated with them may not be understood and that they normalise gambling, particularly for young people and children.
Image: GambleAware’s ‘Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey 2024’
Treatment and support survey
Conducted by YouGov, GambleAware’s ‘Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey 2024’ is an online quantitative survey of 17,933 adults in Great Britain, as well as a qualitative element.
Fieldwork was undertaken between 25 November 2024 and 23 December 2024. The survey included 17 one-on-one depth interviews with people who gamble and seven one-on-one depth interviews with people who recently started gambling.
According to the report, almost one in three (30%) adults who gamble and are experiencing any risk of gambling problems want treatment, support or advice, almost doubling the 17% figure from 2020.
GambleAware noted that the increase “could be an indicator of gambling harm as a growing issue across the country”, adding that the proportion of adults who are experiencing ‘problem gambling’ has risen to 3.8% in 2024 (2020: 2.4%).
There has also been an increase in the number of people being impacted by a friend or family member’s gambling, from losing money to having a relationship break down, with the figure increasing to 8.1% (2020: 6.5%), equivalent to an estimated 4.3 million adults.
“Gambling can be highly addictive, with devastating impacts on people’s lives, relationships and financial stability,” noted Zoë Osmond OBE, CEO of GambleAware.
“While it is encouraging that more people have sought help, this rise may also point to a growing public health crisis.”
‘Urgent preventative action’
The report also spotlighted children’s exposure to gambling, with 91% of people backing a ban on gambling advertising on TV and video games, while 90% support a social media ban.
Osmond noted: “We are increasingly alarmed by how gambling is being normalised and how frequently people—especially young people—are exposed to gambling across Great Britain. To reverse this troubling trend, urgent preventative action is needed. This must include tougher regulation of gambling advertising to stop gambling being portrayed as ‘harmless fun’.
“There should also be mandatory health warnings on all gambling ads, stricter controls on digital and social media marketing, and a full ban on gambling promotion in stadiums and sports venues to protect children and young people from harm.”
National Lottery and cost of living
The report also asked for perspectives on the UK National Lottery, which were mixed, as 45% of people agreed that the National Lottery was good for society overall, while 14% disagreed with the statement.
Perceptions of National Lottery game types were varied due to their characteristics, as draw games’ delayed gratification and lower cost per play were associated with less risk, while instant win games’ game design and ease of access were viewed as more addictive and harmful.
Image: GambleAware’s ‘Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey 2024’
80% of respondents also said that gambling had no impact on their financial situation in the past three months. However, those who were experiencing ‘problem gambling’ were the only PGSI group where the majority reported that gambling had some impact on their financial situation recently – 44% said it improved, while 23% said it had worsened.
The PGSI 8+ group were also more likely to report that the cost of living had impacted their gambling, with 43% saying they had gambled more, 30% saying it had no impact, while 23% said they gambled less.
The proportion saying they were gambling more increased with PGSI score, with the report stating that the findings show people experiencing ‘problem gambling’ don’t all experience the cost of living the same way regarding their gambling habits.
September 15 will see SBC organise a groundbreaking charity football event in Lisbon. Make sure you get the chance to see some of the most legendary names in football by securing your ticket today at https://www.legendscharitygame.com/