Month: June 2021

The charity pointed to research carried out by market research and data analytics specialist, YouGov, which showed that 77% of adults and 66% of 11-17 year olds would support a ban on gambling advertising being shown on television and radio before 9pm.

Meanwhile, when asked about a total ban on the advertising of gambling products, 63% of adults and 53% of children were found to be in favour.

RSPH said only 14% of adults and children were opposed to a total ban on gambling advertising, with the rest being unsure or having no opinion.

In addition to restrictions placed on TV and radio advertising, most respondents also supported stopping gambling adverts being shown on social media and online before 9pm. 76% of adults and 64% of children surveyed said they were in favour of such a ban.

Further, 65% of adults and 54% of children surveyed said that gambling companies should not be able to sponsor sporting events or teams and 76% of adults surveyed backed requiring the industry to pay a levy to government for measures to reduce and prevent problem gambling.

The research was based on surveys carried out across the UK on a total sample size of 12,247 adults and 2,513 children.

Of the adults polled, 88% responded “not at all” when asked whether someone else’s gambling had impacted their life in a negative way in the past 12 months. A further 4% said “don’t know”, while 4% said “not very much”, 2% said “to some extent” and 1% said “a great deal”.

RSPH, however, argued that up to 20% of the population is at risk of gambling-related harm, and therefore called upon the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to implement tighter rules for gambling advertising as part of a public health approach to reducing the risks associated with gambling.

Christina Marriott, chief executive of RSPH, said: “Advertising is a powerful force in our society – it not only influences what we buy, but it also tells us what is normal, and what we should aspire to.

“Given the harm that gambling can inflict on individuals, families, workplaces and communities, we need to take a stronger stand against it being embedded into our social and cultural lives. We no longer allow air time to other products which harm our health, like tobacco products: gambling should be no different.”

Other public figures, including Labour MP and chair of the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group, Carolyn Harris, founder of gambling harm recovery network GamLearn, Tony Parente, and chair of the Scottish Strategy Implementation Group, Phil Mackie, also commented on the results of YouGov’s research.

All called upon the government to reduce or ban gambling advertising, with some describing the industry’s marketing as a “bombardment”.

The terms of the UK’s review of the 2005 Gambling Act were published in December last year. Deposit and stake limits, questions around bonusing and the protection of under-18s from exposure to gambling are all to be considered, as well as limits on advertising and marketing for the sector.

The Authority ruled that the material, a promoted Facebook ad that appeared on 31 March for Jackpot King’s The Goonies slot game, did not have a “particular appeal to children”.

It received one complaint, from someone who thought that a slot inspired by the film was likely to be of particular appeal to those under 18 years of age as the slot was based on a children’s film.

The operator said it removed the ad from circulation, but argued that it was not of particular interest to children as the film had been released in 1985 and “was not a current or recent film that would be well known to children in 2021”. 

In addition, Ladbrokes said the ad was specifically targeted only at users aged 18 or over.

The Advertising Standards Authority investigated the ad against section 16.1 of the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP Code), which says gambling ads should show “particular regard to the need to protect children, young persons and other vulnerable persons”, as well as section 16.3.12, which says ads must not “be likely to be of particular appeal to children or young persons, especially by reflecting or being associated with youth culture”.

The ASA agreed with Ladbrokes’ assessment and did not uphold the complaint. 

The ASA noted that age-gating the content alone did not mean that the ad was not of particular appeal to children, as “the steps taken could not ensure that under-18s, who falsely reported their age, were not exposed to the ad”.

However, it said that while the film may have been meant for children, today its appeal is likely greater for those aged over 18 than those younger.

“We understood that when it was initially released in 1985, “The Goonies” – which involved a pirate-themed treasure hunt, and featured a cast predominantly comprised of children – had been directed at, and would have particularly appealed to, audiences under the age of 18,” the ASA said. “We also understood that the film had gained cult status, particularly among adults who were children when the film was originally released. 

“We considered that because of that, it was not a recent or current film with which children were likely to be familiar.”

Julie Allison has been appointed as director of markets at Microgaming as the software provider looks to expand its presence in new jurisdictions.

Allison joins Microgaming having spent more than ten years in commercial operations and both B2B and B2C marketing.

Previously, she has held senior positions at BETDAQ, Red Tiger Gaming and NetEnt, after it acquired Red Tiger. Allison oversaw acquisition, retention and enhancing the customer journey in these roles.

In her new role, Allison will focus on offering strategic direction with a focus on expanding to new markets. 

The supplier added that she will also assess the regulatory climate to identify and maximise opportunities, particularly in markets undergoing change such as Great Britain and Germany.

“I’m looking forward to getting started with guiding Microgaming’s future markets vision, proactively embracing new regulation and supporting customers as they too prepare for change,” said Allison.

Now servicing more than 20 different markets, Microgaming said it looks to increase its global reach by entering more territories in 2021.

Approximately £3.5m is due to be repaid by Football Index from its player protection account, after a High Court ruling determined the cut-off date after which winnings accrued would no longer be counted.

The court hearing in question dealt only with funds held in player accounts, with the status of money spent on or held in active bets still undetermined.

Currently, the funds are being held by the Viscount of Jersey, who is expected to release the funds once the court ruling is recognised.

Football Index’s operators BetIndex anticipate a wait of between five and eight working days from the date the Jersey court officially recognises the ruling for the movement of funds from its player protection account into to its payment provider’s account.

When these funds are moved, players will be notified via email and the funds will appear in their Football Index accounts, which can still be accessed on the web.

Players will then be able to request a withdrawal using the same methods that were available when the platform was active. This withdrawal is expected to take between two and ten working days.

A redress scheme through a Company Voluntary Arrangement has also been designed as a means to pay back customers who lost money through active bets. Through the CVA, BetIndex hopes to relaunch the platform with creditors receiving a 50% stake in the new business.

BetIndex first went into administration back in March. After its collapse, theGambling Commission, defended its decision not to intervene with Football Index earlier.

The UK government has since opened an inquiry led by Malcolm Sheehan QC into the operator’s collapse and whether more could have been done to prevent it.

While sports betting isn’t yet legal in Ohio or Kentucky, which make up most of the Reds’ local markets, the operator said it hoped to use the deal to reach fans in Indiana, as the mobile sportsbook expands in the state.

WynnBet will gain access to official Reds marks and logos for use across its online products, as well as marketing assets to create co-branded promotional offers for sports bettors which will be made available only through the operator’s app for users in Indiana.

The operator will also offer fans the chance to receive Reds game tickets and team memorabilia during select promotions.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

The multi-year agreement will see Sports IQ provide US sports data to power Chalkline’s suite of free-to-play games.

Chalkline delivered 10,000 unique games to over 5m players globally in 2020, and Sports IQ said the deal will expand the supplier’s list of customer acquisition and retention tools, with a mix of player prop games added as a result of the deal.

Sports IQ’s sports data will power pre-match player props for all of Chalkline’s free-to-play products, which are currently used to fuel pre-game and in-play real money betting opportunities for its partners, including IGT, Bally and BetClic.

The data will allow operators to offer additional betting options such as how many passing yards a particular player will throw during a game, or the total number of points scored by a given player.

It will also allow for bets on ‘micro markets’ such as the next at-bat outcome in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Kindred – through its Spooniker holding company – received a warning and a SEK100m penalty fee in March 2020 for unauthorised bonuses and unlicensed lottery games, which were offered as part of a promotion. 

Licensees in Sweden are only permitted to offer one bonus to players, which can only be upon sign-up. However, checks on the operator’s Unibet, Maria Casino, Storspelare, Bingo and iGame sites in March 2019 revealed a number of unauthorised bonuses including an online bingo loyalty scheme.

Kindred, however, argued that these should not be considered bonuses and were instead an in-game mechanic.

Further checks in May and June 2019 uncovered offers such as free spins, free online bingo games, free bets, and rewards for playing poker. These rewards included prize draws, which Spelinspektionen said Kindred was not correctly licensed to offer as this was a lottery game.

As a result of both the unauthorised bonuses and the prize draw game, Spelinspektionen issued a fine. Fines in Sweden are based on an operator’s turnover, and this – combined with the seriousness of the offences – led to what the regulator described as a “high penalty fee”.

Kindred appealed the decision in the Administrative Court in Linköping. This court agreed with Spelinspektionen’s determination that there were multiple serious bonus failings.

However, the court said that a “medium-high penalty fee” was more appropriate than the high one that was issued. As a result, it reduced the penalty from SEK100m to SEK50m.

The announcement follows another ruling from the Administrative Court in Linköping, which repealed a decision taken in June 2020 to fine Betsson Nordic SEK20m.

Spelinspektionen argued that Betsson had breached the gaming act both by selling vouchers used to top up customers’ online gaming accounts at local convenience stores, and by issuing a Betsson payment card. 

However, the court said that neither of those breached the law, noting that Betsson had neither received payments from anyone other than a gaming service provider or received cash as payment for online games through the sale of the vouchers.

Spelinspektionen and Kindred have also been involved in a different legal dispute over Sweden’s temporary SEK5,000 (£422.4/€489.4/$581.2) deposit cap.

Spelinspektionen had previously issued sanctions against Kindred due to a loophole that allowed players to deposit and play casino games with more than the maximum SEK5,000 per month. At Kindred sites, players could select a high deposit cap, deposit a large amount of money, lower the cap to SEK5,000 or less and play casino games with all of their funds. 

The sanctions were then overturned on appeal, and although Spelinspektionen warned that the court’s interpretation risked making the deposit cap unenforceable, the regulator’s appeal was rejected.

Produced in partnership with Epic Risk Management and RG24/7, ‘Gamble Responsibly America’ is free to download and features a range of educational resources and tools to support users facing potential issues with problem gambling

Features include information on how to set deposit limits and time-outs when gambling online in the US, a self-assessment for players to see if they should change their playing habits, a gambling diary for users to note their gaming and betting choices, as well as information about identifying harmful behavior.

Users can also access a 24/7 live chat function, to connecting them with helpline specialists, and also a list of where to find additional information and assistance on problem gambling.

“We are incredibly proud to be launching the Gamble Responsibly America application as our commitment to responsible betting and gaming is unmatched within the industry,” Entain’s senior vice president for American regulatory affairs and responsible gambling, Martin Lycka, said.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday (14 June) announced the planned relaxation of Covid-19 measures on 21 June would be delayed by four weeks until 19 July, due to concerns over rising case rates and hospital admissions in Britain.

Johnson said the situation would be reviewed after two weeks and added that he was confident the delay would not last longer than four weeks.

However, the three racing bodies said that while they understood the reasons for the delay to the relaxation of rules, they were disappointment by the decision and raised concerns over the further financial impact it will have on the racing industry.

The delay means that racecourses will be limited as to the number of people they can admit to events, though the organisations said they would continue to press the government to allow more spectators to attend meetings.

Current rules mean a maximum of 4,000 people can attend racing events, despite seated stadia being able to permit up to 10,000 fans. However, this week’s Royal Ascot will take part in the government’s Events Research Programme, meaning up to 12,000 people can attend on each of the five days, having undergone lateral flow and PCR testing.

“While it is disappointing that plans for the relaxation of restrictions and the further return of spectators have been delayed, we of course understand the principle that government’s decisions should be evidence-based and public health must come first,” BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said.

“Many of our racegoers will be frustrated by this delay, but we are doing all we can to work with national and local authorities to maximise the number of people allowed to attend race-meetings in safety.”

RCA chief executive David Armstrong said the delay would have a significant commercial effect on racecourses that had sold thousands of tickets for events after 21 June, with a total loss of between £15m (€17m/$21m) and £20m estimated. 

“The industry will continue to press hard for racecourses to receive the same 10,000 capacity limits as seated stadia,” Armstrong said. “Whilst this will lessen the hit it is still far from commercially viable in what is the peak season for welcoming spectators.”

ROA chief executive Charlie Liverton added: “The delayed relaxation of restrictions announced by government is naturally deeply concerning for all those businesses and industries that operate events led businesses. 

“British racing has worked hard with Government officials to ensure that we continued behind closed doors and, whilst this has been of benefit to all participants and stakeholders, including bookmakers, we recognise the rationale for government to delay the further relaxation of restrictions and the eagerly awaited return of spectators.”

ID verification was first introduced to slot machines back in January, in a move estimated to cut player losses by €300m.

However, the requirement is not yet in place at gaming halls owned and operated by Veikkaus through its Feel Vegas and Pelaamo brands, as well as at Casino Helsinki in the nation’s capital.

Ticket-operated slot machines at Feel Vegas and Pelaamo sites will close temporarily while they are brought up to speed, and those at Casino Hellsinki will remain open but will require registration with a casino card.

Veikkaus hopes that the measures will promote responsible gambling habits amongst players by ‘preventing potential risks of problem gambling in advance’.

Veikkaus sales director Jari Heino said: “We want to ensure a responsible and natural customer experience. It still requires a lot of testing and major technical reforms. During the summer, we will also be piloting the identification of imported vending machines and table games. They are scheduled to be covered during the fall.

“We invest heavily in implementing Veikkaus’ responsibility measures as quickly as possible, while ensuring their high-quality implementation.”