SBC News - Player Protection Hub

Gamstop saw record amount of self-exclusions in lead up to 2026 World Cup

A.J. KoehnJuly 16, 2026085 views

Gamstop has reported that May 2026 was a month which saw self-exclusion rates on its platform at an all-time high.

The UK organisation further confirmed that under 25s are the most conscious about their online gambling behaviour in light of the problem gambling charity’s latest H1 2026 report.

For the period January-June, Gamstop saw an uptick of 16% in YoY registrations, with May going in the history books as the charity’s most active month on record in terms of new signees.

In that month alone, a total of 12,236 sign-ups were recorded, unlike the rest of the period where registrations have been consistent historically on a month-by-month basis. Gamstop expects the number of new signees in July to “eclipse” May, though, as it confirmed a surge is usually seen after a big football tournament or after England being knocked out.

Matt Burgiss, Head of External Affairs at Gamstop Group, warned: “There is a real risk that people have increased their gambling during the World Cup and on..

Greece toughens domain enforcement in new strategy against illegal gambling

A.J. KoehnJuly 15, 2026088 views

Greece has approved a “key cooperation” to allow sophisticated and reactive web-blocking and domain closures against illegal gambling websites.

As announced by the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP) a new strategy has been enabled with Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) to prioritise “DNS-based” web-blocking and domain name enforcement.

The Commission states that the legislation introduces “a faster, more technically documented and more effective system” for identifying and blocking unlicensed online gambling operators.

The cooperation forms part of the ‘new Gambling Framework’ bill drafted by Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis, to modernise Greece’s gambling laws and enforcement capabilities against the growing threat of black market gambling.

DNS-based enforcement

The new enforcement will change the EEEP’s approach to how it monitors and penalises illegal gambling websites, which to date have led to illegal websites being solely bla..

Evolution and UK Gambling Commission saga ends as supplier agrees £4.75m settlement

A.J. KoehnJuly 15, 2026078 views

Evolution has agreed a £4.75m settlement with the UK Gambling Commission, concluding a licence review launched in December 2024 over the availability of its content on unlicensed websites targeting British consumers.

The settlement relates to Evolution game content being available through two operators across six websites that offered content to British players without a UK licence, in breach of the supplier’s terms of supply.

According to the business, the operators had actively evaded restrictions in place at the time.

The company stressed that “no broader pattern of unlicensed access to Evolution content in the UK was identified” during the 18-month review.

Evolution said it fully cooperated with the Commission throughout the process and immediately terminated its commercial relationships with the two operators after discovering the issue.

Martin Carlesund, Chief Executive Officer of Evolution, said: “At Evolution, we always want to do what is right, and it is not acceptable t..

Anjouan Gambling regulator hits back at illegal operators and black market claims

iGamingExpertJuly 14, 2026067 views

Whether fuelled by the elevated betting engagement of the World Cup or global pressure, the Anjouan gambling regulator has tried to set things straight.

Anjouan Gaming made an abrupt intervention via a statement shared on Linkedin yesterday. The regulator has asserted that its licences are not presented as a means to operate globally.

The Anjouan licensing framework is much maligned amongst more mature iGaming markets. The fact that many regulated markets are grappling with the threat of black market operators has led to Anjouan facing scrutiny.

It feels as if the tensions between the regulated industry and the forces fuelling unlicensed operators in their jurisdiction are at a tinderbox, with a myriad of other players being engulfed in the hostility.

Not least, social media platforms that are awash with aggressive marketing content from unlicensed operators. In the conversations around unlicensed gaming, two jurisdictions are repeatedly mentioned – Curacao and Anjouan.

In retal..

SMF wants gambling harm implemented into national health policies

A.J. KoehnJuly 14, 2026070 views

Shortly after calling for an increase in Category B Machine Gaming Duty, the Social Market Foundation (SMF) is now suggesting major reforms to the UK’s public health policies where problem gambling is given the same priority as alcohol-related harm, substance abuse and smoking cessation.

According to the think-thank, current problem gambling services are a post factum phenomenon in their majority across the UK. Therefore, the central government and local authorities as an extension to that central power must take a different approach, equipping first responders with questions on gambling in patient questionnaires as standard.

SMF’s proposal follows years-long debates in the UK where health experts and politicians have pondered whether gambling should be treated as a public health concern. So far, this rhetoric has failed to find solid ground, as only 2.7% of the adult population has been identified as problem gamblers.

Nevertheless, SMF believes that prevention is key to maintaining..

British betting firms “considering all options” to prevent Financial Risk Assessments

A.J. KoehnJuly 14, 2026054 views

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has told SBC News that it is keeping “all options” open as the Gambling Commission presses ahead with plans to implement the most stringent level of customer finance checks.

On Tuesday 7 July, the Commission announced that Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs) are now in the pipeline. FRAs are the second of two layers to finance risk checks, the most widely used and least stringent being Financial Vulnerability Checks (FVCs).

“We are considering the Commission’s latest announcement and all options available to us,” a BGC spokesperson told SBC News.

“No decisions have been taken at this stage.”

The measures have been colloquially called ‘affordability checks’ by the industry and gambling law reform advocates since the early days of the 2020-2023 review of the 2005 Gambling Act.

The White Paper on this review proposed financial risk checks when published in April 2023.

Over the following years, this concept has morphed into FVCs and FRAs – the for..

Amazon agrees to settle social casino class-action lawsuit for over $200M

SBC AmericasJuly 14, 2026063 views

Amazon is resolving a lengthy legal dispute over the distribution of virtual casino chips that could allow members of a class-action lawsuit to receive more than $200m.

According to court documents filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, Amazon filed a motion for preliminary approval to settle the suit that was initially filed in November 2023 by Nevada resident Steven Horn.

Horn accused Amazon of violating the Consumer Protection Act and Washington gambling law by “brokering illegal gambling transactions on social casino apps available through the Amazon Appstore.” The suit takes issue with Amazon being the “exclusive payment processor for in-app purchases of virtual casino chips in those apps.” It also concerns developers and acknowledges Amazon taking a 30% cut of each transaction.

Amazon immediately disputed the allegations made by Horn, but is now settling the matter.

What an approved settlement for Amazon could look like

The proposed settle..

Gibraltar grants two prediction markets licences

iGamingExpertJuly 14, 2026059 views

Gibraltar has taken a landmark step when it comes to embracing prediction markets and has become the first jurisdiction in the world to launch a regulatory regime solely covering the prediction markets sector.

The decision builds on the market move to license both ADI Predictstreet and Wire Markets.

As a result of the shift to embracing prediction markets in a regulated way, these two companies will now be regulated under Gibraltar’s new predictions regime.

Travis Geiger, co-founder of WagerWire, stated that the move was a “landmark moment for the prediction market industry”.

“By focusing on market integrity, innovation, and responsible oversight, Gibraltar has established a thoughtful framework that gives operators the clarity they need to build for the long term. We’re incredibly proud to have worked alongside HM Government of Gibraltar throughout this process and excited for what comes next.”

A suprvisory authority will oversee the framework, with Nigel Feetham KC MP, Gibralta..

Brazil’s gambling regulator defends betting ad rules as health concerns raised

A.J. KoehnJuly 14, 2026058 views

Brazil’s gambling industry and its gambling regulator flocked to defend the betting market’s advertising standards after a number of health experts raised concerns about societal harm.

A public hearing was hosted by Brazil’s Sports Committee and its President, Federal Deputy Saulo Pedroso, who is an avid supporter of stricter advertising rules and sponsor of Bill No. 1,212/2025, which aims to severely limit gambling marketing.
During the hearing, Pedroso argued that the regulatory regime, which was first enforced on 1 January 2025 to officially regulate online betting and gambling, has missed the mark of protecting society by allowing companies to run a disproportionate volume of advertisements.

Mental health as primary concern in Brazil

Pedroso also rallied a number of health experts who shared similar harsh criticism and voiced concerns about a deepening gambling-related public health crisis, which advertisements are in no way helping to solve.

Leonardo Carriço, a gambling disord..

DCMS laments black market sponsors but they will remain for at least another full PL season

A.J. KoehnJuly 14, 2026067 views

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has revealed to SBC News that a consultation “will go live soon” as it looks to ban unlicensed operators from sponsorship deals in British sport.

It comes as licensed operators in the sector, namely Ladbrokes Coral owner Entain, grow more and more frustrated about the presence of black market bookmakers in the Premier League despite being subject to a voluntary front-of-shirt sponsorship ban.

The front-of-shirt ban has driven numerous operators, both unlicensed and unlicensed to look for alternative sponsorship routes, yet a ban on unlicensed operators sponsoring British sports will not come into place until the 2027/28 at the very earliest.

Licensed firm Betano has secured a deal to become Tottenham’s training kit sponsor, for example, while UK-focused (and licensed) Midnite has agreed deals with four Championship sides in Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, Wolves and Southampton.

The ban also comes at a strenuous time for UK oper..