In a new feature series for SBC, the compliance experts of Gambling Integrity dissect the sector’s regulatory and governance challenges. As regulators demand that operators implement Markers of Harm, Gambling Integrity founder Malcolm Bruce questions whether anyone can find a solution to undefined discipline… If you’re an online gambling company under the critical eye of a conscientious regulator, then you …

Spillemyndigheden, Denmark’s gambling inspectorate, has celebrated the success of voluntary self-exclusion scheme ‘ROFUS’,  which has reached a milestone registering over 40,000 Danish players from gambling harms.  Operating since 2012,  the Register of Voluntarily Excluded Players (ROFUS), is a voluntary scheme that allows players to take a break from both online and land-based gambling for indefinite periods decided by the customer.  …

UK penal reform organisation The Howard League has pointed its stakeholders to concerns raised by a study researching the “damaging impact of gambling in prison culture and safety”.  A recent study conducted by the Commission on Crime and Gambling Related Harms has highlighted a problematic culture of gambling in prison and its negative outcomes on inmates.  The research, undertaken since …

Stéphane Pallez, CEO of Groupe FDJ, has emphasised the importance of preserving the positive social impact of the French national lottery and its betting subsidiary during ‘uncertain times.’ Two years after Groupe FDJ’s Paris Euronext IPO, 2022 saw the French lottery giant bring its retail unit of 14,500 points-of-sale network back to business. Servicing 25 million players, an uninterrupted FDJ …

GambleAware has awarded a grant of £350,000 to the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the University of Wolverhampton to investigate the impact of stigma and discrimination on people affected by gambling harms.  The study will explore how individuals who suffer from gambling addiction are stigmatised and discriminated against by various groups across society, including healthcare providers, charitable organisations, …

Altenar has strengthened its B2B supplier presence in the Balkans by partnering with Bulgarian operator BetMarket to redevelop its sportsbook and igaming offering.  BetMarket already has an existing relationship with Altenar, which has serviced the Bulgarian operator’s prop markets and virtual sports offering. BetMarket, which started as a bingo and slot games operator in 1997, has steadily grown its sports …

Lottstift, Norway’s gambling authority, has revealed its plans to initiate a tender for the management of the 24-hour problem gambling helpline, ‘Hjelpelinjen‘. The announcement comes as Sykehuset Innlandet, the health trust responsible for the provinces of Hedmark and Oppland, has decided to cease its management of the helpline on December 31, 2023. As a result, Lottstift is seeking a new …

Over 1.45m citizens of Georgia have been banned from gambling under a series of strict reforms introduced by the government this month.  The figure was disclosed by Lasha Khutsishvili, Minister of Finance of the Caucasus nation, in an update to government on market developments. 2022 saw PM Irakli Garibashvili approve a new decree which prohibited individuals under 25, socially vulnerable …

Speculation mounts across the UK media’s grapevine that April will be the definitive month in which the government publishes the long-overdue White Paper on gambling reforms. Writing in The Sunday Times, long-standing gambling critic Dominic Lawson – son of Nigel Lawson, former Chancellor of the Thatcher government – cited: “I’m told the white paper will at last be published on …

Independent standards body Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA) has confirmed the appointment of Kai Cantwell as CEO.  A seasoned federal officer, Cantwell will begin his leadership tenure of the RWA on 17 April, taking charge of the independent organisation, which represents Australia’s licensed online betting industry. Cantwell is the former chief of staff for Australia’s Minister for Families and Social Services …