Press Releases
UK’s NAO – Gambling regulation: problem gambling and protecting vulnerable people
The UK Gambling Commission and government need to do more to ensure that regulation can protect gamblers effectively, according to a new NAO report.
There are an estimated 1.8 million ‘at risk’ gamblers and 395,000 ‘problem’ gamblers – including 55,000 children, some of whom are as young as 11.1
Gambling addiction can lead to mental health problems, relationship difficulties, large-scale financial loss and, in some cases, crime or suicide.
The NAO’s report looks at regulation of an industry which now yields over £11.3 billion2 for gambling operators every year. The Gambling Commission3, which regulates the industry, has annual funding of £19 million and almost all of it comes from licence fees paid by gambling operators. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) is the government department with overall responsibility for gambling policy and regulation.
The report concludes that while the Commission has improved regulation, there is much more it should do. It has increased enforcement against gambling operators that break rules, for example by revoking licences, and has also strengthened its rule book.4 But it needs to do more to incentivise operators to raise standards and be more systematic and detailed in recording and analysing information about gamblers to plug gaps in its knowledge.
Even if the Commission makes these improvements, it is a small body that is unlikely to be fully effective in regulating a challenging and fast-changing industry within the current system. Gambling regulation does not have features seen in other sectors, such as an ombudsman, and the way it is funded is not flexible meaning the Commission cannot change licence fees to respond to new risks emerging quickly from changes in technology and demand.
The report’s recommendations include that the Commission and DCMS should:
Be more strategic about getting gambling companies to better protect people. This could include incentivising companies to do more to make gambling safer beyond meeting minimum requirements
Ensure gamblers are aware of services to resolve disputes, and review whether these arrangements are working effectively.
Review how regulation is funded so they can keep pace with a fast-changing industry.
“Licensed gambling has grown by 57 per cent – £4.1 billion – over the last decade mainly due to a massive increase in online and smartphone gambling. The risks to gamblers are changing as technologies develop.
“Yet the Gambling Commission is a small regulator in a huge and fast-evolving industry. While the Commission has made improvements, gambling regulation lags behind the industry. The Commission and government need to work together to ensure that regulation keeps pace with the risk to gamblers.” – Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO.
11 experienced people managers from the SKS365 group’s 4 locations gathered last week in Belgrade for the new GROW People Management Program. From 15 th to 19 th of April, through trainings, discussions, and social connections, people had the opportunity to further grow individually and as a team, while enjoying Belgrade’s city center and rivers.
Created in 2023 with the purpose of building foundation people management skills across the organization, GROW initiative evolved this year by including a new, advanced program for experienced people managers to further consolidate their skills and prepare for future opportunities.
Building and fostering connections, sharing experiences, and enjoying team building experiences – all these activities have been part of the GROWpmp agenda for the 11 people managers coming from Commercial, Product and Development, Finance, and Sportsbook departments of the group’s 4 locations – Malta, Italy, Austria, Serbia.
GROWpmp included a variety of topics that people managers in SKS365 recognized as the key areas for management development. Topics such as influence through communication, team effectiveness, DEI, through to presentation skills and business topics like understanding finance and management reporting, were delivered with the support of external professionals and internal experts, while designed and organized by the SKS365 People & Culture team.
The post SKS365 keeps investing in people: GROW People Management Program took the next level appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
North Star Network are delighted to announce the acquisition of umdoisesportes.com.br, which becomes the latest addition to NSN’s global sports media portfolio.
Born from the GRPCOM merger of the editorial teams of Gazeta Do Povo and Tribuna do Paraná in 2020, Um Dois Esportes provides in-depth sports coverage and analysis for the Brazilian state of Paraná and beyond.
North Star Network co-founder Julien Josset said: “Thank you to the team at GRPCOM for their faith in us to take the brand forward. Um Dois Esportes is an established and renowned site in Paraná State, and we’re excited about the challenge of developing this asset.”
“We’re happy to maintain the collaboration with the existing editorial team, and look forward to working with them, bringing our unique NSN approach, to take UDE forward.” NSN’s signing of Um Dois Esportes is the media house’s fourth acquisition of 2024, following the recent deals to purchase UK-based SportsMole and MrFixitsTips, as well as Chilean site AlAireLibre, which was announced in March.
The latest addition to the North Star media portfolio joins existing assets including Top Mercato, Afrik-Foot, and Vringe. The Paris-based company already oversees a significant Brazilian operation, delivering over 6 million sessions per month, from the likes of Trivela, Premier League Brasil and Lakers Brasil.
NSN will retain Curitiba-based journalists from the Um Dois Esportes legacy team to maintain the asset’s unique tone and popular coverage of the Paraná sports scene across site and social.
“We were surprised by the interest, and initially had no intention of selling Um Dois, but as the conversations evolved, we realised this was a serious group with good intentions,” said GRPCOM Director Rafael Mello. “We were very happy to see our project being valued by a large international group and going global, demonstrating the quality of the content we produced.”
“We’re also proud that North Star inherited our journalists, who are truly responsible for the success of the product we offer readers every day.”
The post North Star Network acquires Um Dois Esportes appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BNXT League , the professional men’s basketball league played across the Netherlands and Belgium, and PepperMill Casino, the online casino licensed in Belgium, are pleased to announce their partnership centered around the BNXT League’s Belgian Play Offs.
PepperMill Casino will be a naming partner of the Belgian play offs. For the 24-25 season, PepperMill remains a partner of the BNXT League until the restrictions on gambling advertising take legal effect on January 1, 2025.
The partnership between BNXT League and PepperMill Casino aims to create engaging and customized content that engages and captivates fans on multiple fronts while increasing brand awareness.
“The basketball community is growing and buzzing with excitement and energy,” stated Anthony Rus, General Director of PepperMill Casino. “This partnership allows us to create memorable moments that build brand awareness and capture the hearts of fans.”
“Wim Van de Keere, general manager of the BNXT League, adds, “The playoffs are undoubtedly the sporting highlight of the season. We are delighted to still be able to tie a dynamic partner like PepperMill Casino to us despite the restrictions coming up from 2025.”
The post BNXT League and PepperMill Casino join forces appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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