Press Releases
GambleAware publishes independent review of scale used to identify gambling harm
GambleAware has today published a report on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) scale, for those who wish to identify, understand and reduce gambling harms.
The PGSI is set of nine questions about gambling behaviour which has been widely used to identify the extent and scale of gambling problems.1 However, it has not been developed as a clinical tool and there is debate surrounding how best to use it for identifying and measuring gambling harms. This led GambleAware to commission Ipsos UK to explore the nature of this index.
The study used advanced statistical methods on a dataset of over 21,000 people taken from the 2020 and 2021 waves of the Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey commissioned by GambleAware. It found that the PGSI scale can continue to be used to estimate the potential risk of gambling harm, despite it having some limitations.
The analysis found that there was a strong, consistent link between higher PGSI scores and higher rates of psychological distress, and that the scale can be used as a tool when considering integrating mental health interventions into treatment plans for people who score highly on the scale.
However, the researchers also found that some PGSI questions are more likely to indicate a severe risk of harm than other questions. For example, the questions on whether a person has borrowed money to fund their gambling, whether they are experiencing financial problems due to gambling, or whether they feel the need to gamble more to experience the same thrill, may indicate a greater level of harm, whereas the questions on whether a person feels guilty about their gambling activity or chases losses when they gamble appeared to indicate relatively less harm. This raises questions about whether each PGSI item should be weighted equally when using the PGSI as a clinical or screening tool.
Finally, the study recommended that the full PGSI questionnaire – all nine questions – should be used wherever possible. The alternative short-form PGSI, which uses three of the nine questions, should only be used if there is extremely limited opportunity to interact with people being tested. This is because using the short-form PGSI has a tendency to fail to identify some cases of ‘problem gambling’, and therefore can understate the prevalence of ‘problem gambling’, compared to the full PGSI.
Haroon Chowdry, GambleAware Director of Evidence & Insights, said: “The PGSI scale has long been an important tool for understanding the scale of gambling harms at both individual and population level. We commissioned this independent study because we wanted to take a closer look at the features of this index, how exactly it varies and how well it captures different kinds of harm, which has not been analysed before.
“We are reassured by the findings that the PGSI generally works well as an index and can identify different levels of harm, although there are areas where the scale or how it is used may be able to be improved. We hope treatment services, clinicians and policymakers will take note of the recommendations to ensure they are making the best use of this scale to help those experiencing gambling harms.”
Steven Ginnis, Research Director, Ipsos UK, said: “The results of this study increase the knowledge base on the PGSI scale and confirm that it should continue to be used to estimate the potential risk of ‘problem gambling’ among large groups. However, the findings suggest PGSI is unlikely to work as well on its own as a diagnostic instrument for individuals or for screening purposes. We therefore recommend that PGSI users and practitioners also look beyond the broad classification groupings – not all people within a PGSI classification are at the same potential risk of harm from gambling.”
Nordic iGaming platform provider Finnplay has simultaneously launched two innovative mobile apps for Kansino.nl and Vegas.hu targeting the Dutch and Hungarian markets respectively.
This formidable achievement is a testament to Finnplay’s unrivalled technical proficiency and deep multi-jurisdictional experience. Finnplay’s focus on native app development for both Android and iOS platforms ensures that its partners capitalise on the relentless growth in popularity of mobile gaming.
By strategically soft-launching both apps over the summer, Finnplay enabled its partners to quickly leverage the mobile offering’s advantages, supporting key business expansion goals.
“These two game-changing launches in Hungary and the Netherlands underline Finnplay’s stature as an iGaming powerhouse,” the Managing Director for Finnplay, Jaakko Soininen, said. “Our work with Kansino and LVC Diamond demonstrates our ability to operate seamlessly across diverse markets and regulatory landscapes.”
“Finnplay’s fine work has produced a cutting-edge app that gives us the ideal platform to launch our sportsbook offering,” the Online Director for LVC Diamond, Dr Egresits Csaba, said. “It’s been a pleasure working closely with Finnplay and we have the utmost confidence in the tech to ensure we continue to grow our business.”
“Our mission is providing players with the best experience possible whether they are playing on desktop or mobile,” the Product and CX Director for Playnorth, the company behind the Kansino brand, Daphne Xerri, said. “Finnplay has created the perfect app that guarantees a seamless experience across all formats.”
Compliance Updates
Salsa Technology Launches Salsa Safe, a Dedicated Platform for iGaming Regulators
Salsa Technology has added another product in its portfolio of solutions for the iGaming sector. This latest addition is a secure system designed to meet the demand of global regulators in the online gambling sector.
Salsa Safe provides regulatory bodies in the sector including Brazilian state lotteries with a comprehensive system. It integrates operator management data and enables effective and transparent monitoring of operations.
In addition to being an important ally of regulators, Salsa Safe provides operators with the tools they need to comply with all regulatory requirements, helping to prevent fraud, protect players and promote responsible gaming.
The platform was specially designed to enhance responsible gaming by monitoring suspicious bets, types of self-exclusions and data control. Salsa Safe automates management reports for financial teams including transaction volume per operator, tax calculation and application of compliance models. It is worth highlighting that the product is fully integrated with PIX, which is the most popular method of the Brazilian payment system.
Salsa Safe offers a unique approach to data management, combining data from multiple sources to provide regulators with a complete view of operations. The platform’s intuitive design and advanced reporting capabilities make it easy to monitor operations, detect fraudulent activity and comply with regulations.
“We are excited to introduce Salsa Safe,” the Chief Operating Officer for Salsa Technology, Andre Filipe Neves, said. “This comprehensive solution not only provides regulators with necessary tools for monitoring operator activities but also assists operators in meeting the stringent requirements imposed by regulators.”
ZBD – the leading fintech company powering instant Bitcoin payments within the gaming industry – has integrated its payment technology into Splitgate, a Free-to-Play PvP Portal Shooter developed by 1047 Games, further adding to its roster of game integrations. This integration brings real-time rewards to the PC version of the competitive shooter. The ZBD-developed project has been created for mainstream gaming audiences to experience Splitgate in an innovative new way, offering high-value tournament prizes that bring a new competitive edge to Splitgate gameplay.
With a tournament prize pot of 50M sats (0.5 Bitcoin), Splitgate PC gamers from the US and Brazil will be competing for a prize pool equivalent to approximately $18,000 USD at today’s market price. ZBD is demonstrating the disruptive potential of its technology in esports and competitive play by providing instant tournament winnings to gamers in the form of sats, which are tiny fragments of Bitcoin (like pennies to the dollar). The 4v4 team deathmatch tournament begins on the 10th December 2023, with a grand final on the 22nd December 2023. A limited beta warm-up will run in the build-up to the tournament from the 2nd of December. Gamers can participate in the tournament by registering in the dedicated ZBD Discord server.
Competitive gamers are often required to wait days, or even weeks to receive prizes. With ZBD and its application of the Bitcoin Lightning Network, winning payments can be paid out instantly. No money is required from gamers to play, although pay-ins are accepted for PvP battles for a share of the Bitcoin prize pot.
The debut project from 1047 Games, Splitgate, has generated more than 18 million downloads across various platforms since it launched in 2019. The multiplayer shooter, featuring innovative player-centric portal mechanics, provides a fresh take on the FPS genre.
Ben Cousens, Chief Strategy Officer at ZBD, commented:
“We’re delighted to collaborate with Ian, Nick and the phenomenal team at 1047 Games to redefine the reward system in gaming and give players a revolutionary new way to experience in-game competition. For developers and publishers alike, this integration delivers a proven gamer retention model as evidenced by this partnership, and the additional 100+ games powered by ZBD. With the ZBD-infused version of Splitgate, we’ve raised the bar for competitive gameplay by seamlessly providing Bitcoin rewards to gamers who demonstrate skill and loyalty.”
Ian Proulx, CEO and Co-founder of 1047 Games, added:
“With Splitgate, we’ve proudly carved out a reputation for creating highly innovative gameplay experiences. Splitgate continues to have a loyal and engaged player base. We’re always excited to hear innovative solutions to reward our players, such as what ZBD has done, and the tournament that they plan to hold later this month.”
The ZBD wallets of tournament winners will instantly receive sats which can be cashed out, spent, sent to friends or redeemed for gift cards. This is enabled by pioneering technology from ZBD, which has raised almost $50 million since 2019 to build its payments technology on top of the Lightning Network, a layer 2 network for instant Bitcoin transactions.
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