SBC News

Irish betting and gaming companies, from bookmakers to tech developers, have been requested to register their interest in a gambling licence under its new framework.

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has shared the request across social media channels, stating that it wants to make the licensing process as seamless as possible.

“To assist in our preparations for the roll out of the new Licensing regime and ensuring a scalable, efficient and effective roll out we are requesting all interested parties to register their interest for a licence in the Irish market,” a GRAI LinkedIn statement read.

All companies providing betting, gaming or lottery services in Ireland will have to apply for a licence under the new framework, governed by the Gambling Act 2024 – the culmination of a two year legislative process.

The Gambling Act was introduced to the Irish legislature, the Oireachtas, in 2022 with the purpose of updating Ireland’s gambling regulations. The country last re..

The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) will host a meeting on 4 April to begin coordination with Brazil’s federal states to establish a National Betting System.

Discussions will be led by SPA President Regis Dudena, who last week sent an invitation to the governors of Brazil’s 26 federal states to participate in discussions with the Ministry of Finance (MEF).

Dudena’s letter deemed it vital for all states to be represented in discussions for “the democratic and effective construction of a National Betting System, aiming to strengthen federative ties and improve the application of legislation relevant to fixed-odds betting in Brazil.”

The SPA seeks to create a National Betting System as a ‘federal mechanism’ to help individual states uphold Brazil’s new gambling laws, standards, and protections.

A cooperative system has been further endorsed as the best mechanism to safeguard Brazil’s new gambling regime from corruption and to protect the integrity of sports.

Furthermore, with..

Monica Shafaq, CEO of Gordon Moody, delivered a thought-provoking exposé about the link between mental health and problem gambling.

She made an appearance on the latest episode of the Safe Bet Show, hosted by Martin Lycka, SVP American Regulatory Affairs & Responsible Gambling at Entain.

As the conservation unraveled, Shafaq leveraged her experience as a well-versed mental health advocate to characterise problem gambling as a visible marker of someone’s troubled life.

Monica Shafaq/Source: Gordon Moody
According to the Gordon Moody CEO, 70% of people who come through the charity’s doors seeking help with problem gambling have been previously diagnosed with a mental health condition.

“They tell us that often gambling is used as a diversion to block off what might be going on in their lives,” she said.

“Over 30% of people who come to us also sadly contemplated harming themselves and putting their lives at risk. We know there’s a huge association between suicide ideation and ment..

Pressure mounts on mayoral interventions on gambling policies, beyond the context of the Gambling Review…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the central government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) are recognised as the two policymakers with the biggest impact on gambling regulations and policies.

There are many other stakeholders, of course, that have an impact – the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) trade and standards body, the various operators and suppliers themselves, harm prevention and minimisation groups and charities, and sports stakeholders, to name a few examples.

An authority often overlooked is local government and the influence city administrators can have on the industry was seen in two separate developments this week.

Credit: B. Lenoir / Shutterstock
In a notable case of media scrutiny, Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, has been facing pressure to make good on some electoral promises around gambling. According to The Standard, Caroline Russell, a Green ..

Ana Maria Menezes – SBC Noticias Brazil
The testimony of former gambling addict André Rolim shocks the CPI of Bets, which will recommend urgent actions to protect vulnerable customers from engaging with gambling.

The Brazil Bets regime’s safeguards to protect vulnerable consumers have been examined in the ongoing Commission Parliamentary Inquiry (CPI) investigating the financial and economic liabilities of Brazil’s growing online gambling marketplace.

A tense testimony was presided over by Senator Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS) ‘CPI of Bets’ leader, as former gambling addict and businessman André Rolim gave a personal account of how online gambling destroyed his life.

Rolim, who claims to have lost millions to digital gambling platforms, described the disorder as “a silent illness” that quietly undermines families, finances, and mental health.

“Winning in gambling is a beautiful dopamine which goes through the roof,” Rolim testified. “But losing? It’s a shame. It’s a disappointmen..