iGaming

GambleAware has updated its report on the efficiency of the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) used by research, education and treatment (RET) stakeholders to identify and measure harms. PGSI is a screening tool “widely used, albeit not specifically designed” to estimate the number of people experiencing gambling harms. The index has been referenced by specific health surveys of England, Scotland …

Payments provider OKTO has extended its reach in the Italian igaming sector via a newly signed partnership with Macao Win. The agreement will roll out the company’s cash-to-digital payment solution, OKTO.PVR, in Italy for the first time, building on previous moves the firm has made in the market. In the context of changing regulations in Italy, OKTO is confident that …

Irakli Gharibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, has instructed ministerial agencies to proceed with increasing taxes on gambling businesses.    The PM declared the command as a primary directive of the Budget Speech, citing concerns that gambling had reached “catastrophic levels”, as Georgians are reported to have wagered GEL 52bn (€17bn) in 2022. As a direct response to growing concerns, Gharibashvili has …

Sweden’s Gambling Inspectorate, the Spelinspektionen, has responded to a consultation initiated by the country’s government examining how gambling induced debt can be countered, offering its view on a credit card ban. In a proposal published today, the regulator’s Director General, Camilla Rosenberg, stated that ‘there may be reason to reconsider’ whether a ban on credit card use for gambling payments …

Spanish authorities have vowed to deepen academic research to bolster the treatment, intervention and prevention of gambling disorders. Yesterday, DGOJ – Spain’s General Directorate of Gambling – announced that 26 projects will receive research grants in the field of ‘gambling disorder prevention’. The initiative is led by Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs, which has reserved €1.3m funding for academic studies …

Global betting platform provider Playbook Engineering, has announced the expansion of its executive team this week with the appointment of Jonathan Chilton as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). In a statement confirming the move, the firm said that the hire marks the latest in a series of appointments within the business over the past few months. Chilton’s arrival follows …

 Spelinspektionen, the Gambling Inspectorate of Sweden, has issued a warning and penalty fee of SEK 9m (€750k) on Videoslots for failure to uphold protections of Sweden’s Money Laundering Act. The Inspectorate had placed Videoslots under supervision on 2 November 2021, citing “shortcomings in the work against money laundering and financing of terrorism”.  Under scrutiny, Videoslots is reported to have insufficient …

Playtech Plc has issued a further legal update on its ongoing service fee dispute with its Mexican joint-venture partner, Caliplay. Updating investors, the FTSE250 gambling technology group responded to a Mexican court order filed by Caliplay on 5 October, which sought the “annulment of its legal relationship with Playtech and its related parties.” Playtech states that it has “accepted service …

Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs has published the findings of its “Prevalence Study of Gambling on the General Public of Spain”. The study was presented to public health and welfare stakeholders who form part of the Responsible Gambling Advisory Council. The council is charged with developing safer gambling policies to protect Spanish consumers from gambling harms. Research was conducted using …

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published its latest datasets tracking the prevalence and engagement of gambling in Britain up to the period of September 2023.  In March 2020, the Commission started publishing industry datasets on a quarterly basis to provide transparency on gambling activities to industry stakeholders, coinciding with the UK’s implementation of COVID-19 lockdown measures. The report’s data …