Problem gambling in focus, UKGC goes after bet365

This week saw many new developments that had to specifically do with problem gambling and responsible play all over the world, not least in the United Kingdom.

We also saw a big regulatory action coming from the UKGC’s corner, with the watchdog issuing a fine over anti-money laundering and social responsibility failures to bet365 and two entities registered in the company, operating the brand’s bingo & casino and sports betting products respectively.

Moving on, a huge part of the week was focused on responsible gambling. For one, GambleAware released data that 100,000 people had used its free online self-assessment tool since it launched in April2023, and a good number of those people have either taken steps to lessen the frequency or intensity of gambling or have sought help with the National Gambling Helpline.

In the meantime, Innovate UK, the government’s fund for various innovative grants and programs, has allocated money to Yaspa, a fintech company, which will now develop a new AI-powered platform to help assist vulnerable consumers who may be experiencing gambling-related harms, with a strong focus on businesses doing the detection.

Yaspa estimates that it could help operators in the sector identify and help as many as 300,000 problem gamblers. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling has warned that there has been a significant increase in the number of people placing calls to the state’s gambling helpline.

The numbers have been steadily increasing since 2018 going from 10,713 helpline contacts back then to 26,230 helpline contacts in the period of 2022-2023. The FCCG further projects that the number for 2023-2024 may yet reach 39,748.

Massachusetts has introduced the Youth Sports Betting Safety Coalition, an amalgamation of sports bodies and teams that are dedicated to addressing problem gambling among young people in the Bay State. The idea behind the organization is to raise awareness for youth gambling and prevent it. Gambling in the Bay State is illegal for individuals under the age of 21.

Similarly, BetMGM has teamed up with Prove Identity to use the latter’s Prove Pre-Fill solution which is designed to help iGaming and sports gaming leaders to onboard their players quickly and more safely. The tool helps boost commercial results for operators, but it similarly ensures that no fraudulent activity is occurring or that players on self-exclusion lists are registering.

Meanwhile, Caesars Entertainment has won a new responsible gambling certification, the RG Check accreditation awarded by the Responsible Gambling Council and is considered one of the highest honours in the sector.

Around the Industry

As responsible gambling measures are strengthening all over the world, the Netherlands’ gambling regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit, has provided details about the state of the gambling industry for 2023.

The regulator noted that the gambling industry has grown once again, with revenue increasing from 2022 and the number of players inching slowly up as well. The rate of channelization in the country remains one of the highest for the regulated gambling markets anywhere with 90% participation.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas Sands continues to push boldly into Texas where the prominent hospitality and gaming giant wants to see a land-based casino resort built. These efforts are going through private and legislative efforts, with Las Vegas Sands divesting from Nevada over the past years to raise a war chest elsewhere.

Suppliers have also had a strong week as Hacksaw Gaming tied another content partnership with Admiral Bet and Pragmatic Play expanded its footprint in the Netherlands.

Swintt further dived into the regulated gambling market in Serbia with Rizk Casino, a prominent local brand which saw Flutter Entertainment acquire a controlling stake in it several months ago. Meanwhile, events are returning in full strength this week.

The Canadian Gaming Summit will be focusing a separate track on Sports Betting and discuss a range of topics from how to build loyalty to how to emulate the lottery’s model in the vertical.

Meanwhile, 3 Oaks Gaming broke ground in the regulated market in Romania, securing a license to provide its products locally.

Let Them Talk

This week we also had the opportunity to catch up with Sergiy Schelkov from Epom, who spoke about the importance of advertisement and how brands stand to benefit from understanding the frequency of promotional materials to ensure better results. Schelkov has some interesting insights to offer anyone interested in his detailed opinion piece penned exclusively for Casino Guru news.

Casino Guru News and the All Things Gambling webinar series are back with a new episode that discusses gambling advertisements in sports and the ethical dilemma of balancing money versus integrity.

The conversation was joined by EPIC Global Solutions Director of Business Development Martin Bland, EPIC Global Solutions Head of Delivery Mark Potter and iGaming Consultant Joel Orme who took on this important topic and looked for answers.

Not least, we caught up with Svante Sahlström, Chief Commercial Officer at Thunderkick, with whom we discussed the company’s latest releases and also spoke about the need to create more immersive and narrative-driven slots that will meet player demand and shifting preferences for content.

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