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Social Market Foundation Proposes £100-a-month Spending Cap on Online Gambling
The Social Market Foundation (SMF) has released a new report into online gambling, with the main recommendation being that a £100-a-month spending cap should be implemented.
SMF, a cross-party think-tank, also calls for a sweeping overhaul of the way gambling firms are taxed, to put financial pressure on companies registered abroad to bring their operations to Britain.
SMF proposed a comprehensive new framework of regulation and oversight for a gambling sector increasingly dominated by online playing. Its report comes ahead of a Government review of the 2005 Gambling Act, which ministers have said is not suitable for an era of online gambling.
The report recommends new “affordability checks” to protect gamblers from serious financial harm. It proposes a “soft cap” on spending where anyone who wanted to spend more than £23 a week on gambling products would have to prove they could afford to lose the money without hardship.
The report also said that the stake limits on online slot games proposed by regulators should be set between £1 and £5. Non-slot online gambling games should face new restrictions on the way they are designed rather than financial limits, the SMF said.
The report also proposes a complete reform of the way gambling operators are taxed, to put greater burdens on firms based offshore in Gibraltar or the Isle of Man, and reduce the tax faced by companies that bring their operations “onshore.”
The smaller a firm’s footprint, the higher the levels of Remote Gaming Duty and Betting Duty they should face, the SMF said. The proposed system would reward companies that bring their operations to Britain, while increasing the costs of operating “offshore,” the report said.
“Gambling taxation should be redesigned around a system of incentives which reflect a company’s level of onshore presence. This means that operators could still decide to base their headquarters in locations like Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, or Alderney, but that decision would carry significant tax implications,” SMF said.
The report also calls for a comprehensive shake-up of Whitehall and the public bodies overseeing gambling and gamblers. The structures created by the 2005 Gambling Act are “no longer fit for purpose,” SMF said.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport should no longer have sole responsibility for gambling policy, being replaced by a new cross-government Gambling Quartet, SMF said.
The lead author of the report is Dr. James Noyes, a leading authority on gambling policy and a former adviser to Tom Watson MP.
James Noyes said:
“For too long, gambling operators have talked about the need to protect their customers, but have not worked together in order to make affordability checks a reality. A fixed cap that applies across operators is the only way that consumers can be protected from harmful spend. Our proposed threshold sets the bar low enough to protect everyone, including those on low income, but is high enough to reflect the vast majority of gambling activity among the general population. Gamblers should be free to spend more than this threshold – but only after they show that their gambling is neither unaffordable nor harmful.”
On tax:
“We need to see an end to the problem of offshore gambling tax avoidance. Gambling taxation should be redesigned around a system of incentives which reflect a company’s level of onshore presence. This means that operators could still decide to base their headquarters in locations like Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, or Alderney, but that decision would carry significant tax implications. The message to online gambling operators should be clear: if you want to benefit from the British market, then make a commitment to being based in Britain.”
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Amusnet Supports BBLF Annual Meeting with Diplomatic Corps, Reinforcing Long-Term Commitment to Responsible Business in Bulgaria
As part of its long-standing partnership with the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum (BBLF), Amusnet supported the 9th Annual Meeting between BBLF and the Diplomatic Corps, held on June 26 in Sofia. The high-profile event brought together ambassadors from over 30 countries, senior executives representing more than 45 companies, and key government officials under the theme “Bulgaria as an Investment Destination.”
The forum served as a strategic platform for dialogue between the business community, the diplomatic sector and government institutions, focusing on strategies to attract, retain and support investors in Bulgaria. Discussions emphasised the country’s significant potential for innovation, economic development and international cooperation – particularly in the context of the country’s progress towards Eurozone and OECD membership.
Distinguished guests included Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Pavlov, Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Doncho Barbalov and Mila Nenova, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Investment Agency. The UK served as this year’s diplomatic partner, represented by British Ambassador Nathaniel Copsey.
“Supporting the BBLF Annual Meeting with the diplomatic corps fully aligns with Amusnet’s strategic vision of fostering a transparent, stable, and forward-looking business environment in Bulgaria. Our long-term collaboration with the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum reflects a shared commitment to high standards of corporate governance, responsible business conduct, and sustainable growth,” said Ivo Georgiev, CEO of Amusnet.
By sponsoring this key event, Amusnet reaffirms its commitment to advancing responsible business practices, fostering international collaboration and contributing to a stronger investment climate in Bulgaria. The company continues to stand behind initiatives that align with its corporate values of integrity, transparency and sustainable growth.
The post Amusnet Supports BBLF Annual Meeting with Diplomatic Corps, Reinforcing Long-Term Commitment to Responsible Business in Bulgaria appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Growthfund has launched an international tender process for the concession of the exclusive right to produce, manage, operate, promote, and exploit the Greek State Lotteries for a period of at least 10 years.
The concession right pertains to the following lotteries: the Instant State Lottery, the State Housing Lottery, the Popular Lottery, the Special Social National Lottery, the National Lottery and the Extraordinary or Special Lottery drawn by the European Association of State Lotteries (AELLE).
The tender will be conducted in two phases. In Phase A, interested parties are invited to submit an expression of interest by July 23, 2025, at 16:00. In Phase B, pre-qualified participants will be invited to submit binding offers.
Currently, the exclusive right to the State Lotteries has been granted to the company “Hellenic Lotteries S.A. – Production, Operation, Distribution, Promotion and Management of Lotteries.”
Detailed information about the tender process is available in the Invitation for Expression of Interest on Growthfund’s website: StateLotteriesEoI.
The post Growthfund Launches International Tender for the Concession of Greek State Lotteries appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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ESIC Issues Lifetime Ban to StarCraft II Player Xue “Firefly” Tao Following Match-Fixing Investigation
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) announced the outcome of its investigation into serious integrity breaches involving professional StarCraft II competitors Xue “Firefly” Tao and Jinhui “Jim” Cao. Mr. Xue has been banned from ESIC Member events and competitions for life, while Mr. Jinhui has been provisionally suspended pending further sanction.
Following a detailed inquiry spanning April to July 2024, ESIC uncovered evidence of a coordinated match-fixing and profit-sharing scheme. The investigation found that Mr. Xue deliberately manipulated match outcomes to benefit illicit betting activity orchestrated by Mr. Jinhui, with whom he had a long-standing association.
Key findings include:
• Pre-match wagers placed by Mr. Jinhui predicting Firefly’s losses — often by precise scorelines.
• Consistent match losses by Firefly aligning with those wagers across seven tournaments.
• Large Alipay transfers from Jim to Firefly immediately following these matches.
• A WeChat exchange on 21 August 2024 directly referencing prior payments and an effort to conceal evidence.
ESIC has concluded that Xue “Firefly” Tao committed 21 breaches of the ESIC Integrity Programme, spanning both the Anti-Corruption Code and Code of Conduct. As a result, he has been handed a lifetime ban from all ESIC member events and competitions in any capacity.
Mr. Jinhui has been provisionally suspended and served with a Notice of Charge. He has until 14 July 2025 to respond before ESIC issues a formal sanction.
The post ESIC Issues Lifetime Ban to StarCraft II Player Xue “Firefly” Tao Following Match-Fixing Investigation appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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