SBC News - Player Protection Hub

KSA clamps down on illegal Dutch gambling ads

SBC NewsMarch 25, 20250298 views

The Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has contacted more than 40 newspaper editors about promotion of illegal gambling in media.

According to the regulator, the advertisements were for unlicensed gambling companies that were inviting Dutch players to their websites, and allowing them to play without the required player safety measures that are otherwise present with license holders, such as the CRUKS self-exclusion scheme.

The adverts were featured in online newspapers, prominently visible alongside the logos of highly recognisable and credible institutions, such as several Dutch banks.

Concerned customers immediately reported this to the KSA, which proceeded with an investigation. The investigation lasted for six months, and it is still unknown how many people exactly have fallen victims to the illegal websites.

The result – 42 editors contacted and asked to promptly remove the ads and the links behind them from their websites, as this is in direct breach of t..

EU Justice Court’s stance on gambling law backed by EGBA

SBC NewsMarch 25, 20250278 views

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has backed the European Court in its latest statement on international gambling law.

According to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), all national gambling policies produced by EU members must be communicated with the European Commission (EC) when constituting “technical regulations” – referring to services, including marketing and gambling encouragement.

Notices of such changes are submitted through the Technical Regulation Information System (TRIS) procedure. The CJEU added that failure to comply will render new provisions unenforceable against gambling providers, causing chaos in the market and confusing regulators, operators and customers.

Credit: EGBA
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, commented: “Proper notification of draft gambling regulations to the European Commission is essential for good policy making and to allow for any proposed changes to national gambling frameworks to be scrutinised for their compatibil..

Montenegro tasks ‘Olympic alliance’ to review youth gambling protections

SBC NewsMarch 25, 20250286 views

The underage and youth protections related to gambling in Montenegro are to be reviewed by a cooperative alliance formed by the Montenegrin Olympic Committee (COK) and the Administration for Games of Chance (UIS).

The partnership was formed by order of the Vlada of Montenegro, with the agencies tasked with undertaking a comprehensive review of current underage gambling restrictions and the exposure of gambling to young audiences.

A memorandum was signed by Committee President Dušan Simonović and Spasoje Papić, who serves as the current Interim Director of UIS.

The agencies are required to provide a “joint action plan” on new rules, standards, and practices needed to promote responsible gambling behaviours and to minimise gambling risks for youth in Montenegro.

The memorandum detailed that COK and UIS will cooperate in establishing workshops and lectures in schools, sports clubs, and universities to ensure direct research is provided on the impact of gambling on young people. Furthe..

Kalshi turns to IC360 to beef up event contract consumer protection

SBC AmericasMarch 25, 20250279 views

Amid continued scrutiny, prediction markets operator Kalshi has unveiled new measures which it says are focused on strengthening protections for its users and ensuring integrity is upheld in its sports trading operations.

The company’s CEO Tarek Mansour posted on X to announce a new Customer Protection Hub which will include several guardrails we have come to expect from online sportsbooks.

Tools will include deposit caps, trading breaks and voluntary opt-outs, which Mansour said will complement Kalshi’s “internal market surveillance team and regulation systems to improve our market integrity.”

“No important financial innovation has ever been created without critics,” Mansour wrote. “… That said, criticism and doubts play a crucial role in this process: they help stress test new systems and often constructively encourage them to get better.

“From day one at Kalshi, we have been conscious of our position in building prediction markets and we carry the responsibility of fostering a..

Legislative action urged to curb illegal gambling in Japan

iGamingExpertMarch 25, 20250311 views

Japan is set for a new framework around its gambling sector as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet approved a new focus on tackling addiction in the country.

As first reported by the Japan Times, central to the plans is the extended effort to take action against affiliates that promote gambling.

During a news conference following the discussions around the new bill, Yoshitaka Ito, the minister in charge of measures to combat gambling addiction stated: “There are strong indications the number of people accessing online casino sites is increasing.”

He added that he believes this is fuelling issues of gambling addiction within the country.

Noriko Tanaka, representative director of The Society Concerned about the Gambling Addiction, has continued to call for more intensive measures when it comes to the framework around iGaming.

She urged the government to take legislative action and tighten guidelines for the space.

Furthermore, there will also be strengthened efforts aroun..

BetBlocker backs UNLV IGI study into gambling blocking software

iGamingExpertMarch 25, 20250262 views

BetBlocker has announced a collaboration with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), providing a donation in support of the International Gaming Institute’s (IGI) research program to help advance academic research on gambling software and its users.

Both organisations have stated that the goal of this project is to produce “transformative insights that will help inform evidence-based policies, enhance player protection measures, and contribute to the broader public good”.

A UK-registered charity, BetBlocker provides gambling support via its free-to-use app, which blocks a user’s device from accessing more than 88,000 gambling websites and 1,500 gambling apps. The service can also be used anonymously.

Founder and Trustee of BetBlocker, Duncan Garvie, stated: “For the first four years of the project, I delivered the user technical support for BetBlocker. I’ve interacted with thousands of people using the tool and I know how much of a difference it has made to a huge number of liv..

Police pressured to take action over Indian celebs betting promotions

iGamingExpertMarch 25, 20250244 views

A number of prominent Indian actors have been accused of “accepting huge sums of money” to promote illegal betting platforms.

As reported by The Tribune in India, a case under relevant sections of India’s BNS, Gaming Act and IT Act has been registered against six actors and 19 social media influencers.

The issue was brought to the attention of the authorities by an unnamed businessman who claims that he came across those accused actively promoting the platforms on social media via pop-up ads.

“These platforms are encouraging [the] public, especially people who are in dire need of money, to invest their hard-earned money in those apps/websites. Slowly they get addicted to these apps, leading to financial distress,” claimed the businessman in his first information report (FIR) submitted to the Indian police.

According to the Miyapur Police Station, the case includes actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj and Vijay Deverkonda – stars of cinema in the Telugu language.

The businessman h..

GambleAware maps intersection of neurodivergence and gambling harms

SBC NewsMarch 24, 20250336 views

GambleAware has published the research findings of its report on “Gambling Harms and Neurodivergence: Mapping the Evidence Landscape.”

In 2024, GambleAware commissioned IFF Research and the University of Bristol to examine the intersection of gambling harms with neurodivergent disorders – an area of concern deemed as under-researched.

The study sought to understand whether individuals suffering from neurodivergent disorders such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia are at greater risk of gambling harms?

Research was required for GambleAware to provide better specialised treatment and a dedicated engagement with neurodivergent individuals by removing barriers to treatment and support.

Advised by Dr Amy Sweet and Dr Tim Morris of the University of Bristol, the research was applied over three phases of examining available evidence of neurodivergent disorders and gambling harms, followed by primary research with neurodivergent people experiencing gambling harms.

The study is concl..

Norsk Tipping rallies support as Conservatives ponder operator’s future

SBC NewsMarch 24, 20250288 views

A coordinated media campaign to save state-owned Norsk Tipping has been launched by several constituencies in Norway.

Agder, Østfold, Rogaland, and Finnmark are the four main regions that have come out united under the slogan ‘We can’t gamble away’ in support of the current gambling model in Norway, where the only entities allowed to offer gambling products are the state properties Norsk Tipping and Norsk Risktoto.

Decisive times
As Finland, Sweden and Denmark move from a monopoly gambling regime to a liberalised market, the Norwegian model – which will soon become the last remaining monopoly after Finland transitions in 2027 – is currently being put under review.

The governing Labour party appears to be in favour of a state-led monopoly, so is the majority of the second biggest political power – the Conservatives.

In fact, the 2024 Conservatives manifesto clearly states that Norsk Tipping’s responsible gambling model must be preserved so that responsible gambling measures are kept..

Ukraine to reveal ‘PlayCity’ as new state authority of gambling

SBC NewsMarch 24, 20250270 views

The government of Ukraine is expected to imminently announce the creation of a new state agency charged with the regulatory oversight of gambling activities.

This weekend, Ukrainian news sources referenced the Telegram of Taras Melnychuk, the Secretariat of the SOP government, who divulged plans for a new “Central Executive” to “implement state policy in the field of organising and conducting gambling and lotteries.”

Melnychuk’s revealed that the agency would take on the title of “PlayCity” to replace KRAIL, the liquidated Gambling and Lotteries Commission of Ukraine. However the Telegram provided no information on the direct duties of the agency.

PlayCity will be formed through coordination involving the Cabinet of Ministers, with oversight provided by Mykhailo Fedorov, the Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology, and Minister of Digital Transformation.

Gambling advisory 4H Agency confirmed to SBC that it anticipates the Rada to publi..