Month: April 2022

The evaluation report, produced by inFocus Consulting, detailed the programme’s work across its second year, as it delivered training to 918 organisations across the UK.

The 85% of professionals who improved their understanding after participating in the year two training programme represented an increase on 60% in year one. 

After receiving training, 97% of professionals understood how problem gambling impacts women they work with, with 96% of professionals reporting improved confidence in their ability to signpost and refer women to gambling support services. 

The Women’s Programme brings together a team of training and engagement leads who have a range of skills and experience from multiple sectors, including health and social care, mental health, domestic abuse and education.

The training aims to improve professionals’ understanding of the impact that problem gambling has on women, which helps in raising awareness and signposting towards support services. 

GamCare added that women can be disproportionately affected by gambling-related harms, experiencing financial, relationship and mental health issues. The charity noted that there was a 6% increase in the number of women accessing gambling support in the UK over the past year.

“We’re encouraged to see improved access for women using GamCare’s treatment and support services, and increased reach in our professionals training, which delivers improved understanding of how gambling harm impacts women,” GamCare chief executive Anna Hemmings said.

“Over the past year, we’ve seen an increase in the percentage of women contacting the National Gambling Helpline for support.  

“At GamCare, we know that stigma and shame are a key barrier to women disclosing concerns, either about their own gambling or someone close to them. The Women’s Programme works to reduce stigma, which affects women at risk of experiencing gambling harms, to better understand and break down the barriers they face when seeking treatment.

“Over the next year, we want to continue to raise awareness of how gambling harm affects women and to signpost the gambling support services available for women.”

MPs were invited to visit either a Paddy Power, William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral, Betfred or local independent betting shop in their constituency to place the charity bet, through the initiative organised by the BGC.

Operators vowed to hand over any winnings on charity bets to the MP’s charity of choice. However, each of the operators later increased this commitment by announcing they would donate £250 (€299/$325) to each nominated MP charity.

MPs that placed charity bets included Shadow Minister for Technology, Gambling and Digital Economy Alex Davies-Jones, Cabinet Minister and COP26 President Alok Sharma and shadow DWP Minister and former jockey Guy Opperman.

This year’s Grand National was watched on TV by 7.5 million people in the UK, with 13 million people placing bets and an estimated 600 million more watching worldwide.

The eventual winner was 50/1 shot Noble Yeats, ridden by amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen in his final race before retirement.

“Betting shops are a huge employer and do so much to support hard-pressed high streets and local economies, it was great to see MPs from across the political divide visiting bookies across the country all in aid of good causes,” BGC chief executive Michael Dugher said.

“This past weekend was a showcase for horse racing and betting, we want the Government to recognise the popularity of betting, its unique place in our national culture, and ensure they address punter’s concerns over extra checks and protect jobs in the upcoming White Paper.”

‘Give a job for UA’, also backed by Global Compact Network Ukraine, together with Local Network Poland and Happy Monday, aims to unite businesses in the search for vacancies for Ukrainians worldwide, matching refugees with relevant jobs.

The project will also urge the maximum number of companies to create opportunities for Ukrainians as they settle into life in their new surroundings. 

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, over four million Ukrainians have left the country, losing their homes, jobs, and sources of income, while 79% of Ukrainian businesses were forced to halt or almost entirely stop operating. 

Global Compact Network Ukraine said that even after the invasion ends, Ukrainians will not be able to immediately return home due to landmines, destroyed infrastructure and other factors that will take time to resolve.

As part of the new initiative, global job search site Jooble and Ukrainian career platform Happy Monday created website sections for vacancies from European companies and participants of the Global Compact Network. 

Jooble has also launched a Telegram channel for Ukrainians with daily job offers sorted by the country. 

The scheme will also include collecting general information for background questionnaires for job searches, listing local job search portals and language learning resources, evaluating local regulatory requirements and recruitment nuances, and negotiating with companies on the allocation of jobs for Ukrainians as a part of corporate social responsibility programs.

“Russian military aggression forced millions of Ukrainians to leave their homeland,” Global Compact Network Ukraine chief executive Tatiana Saharuk said. “They lived through horrible things and lost their homes and jobs. Some of them left their families. 

“Every day they worry and fear for their relatives who remained in Ukraine. And yet, Ukrainians want to work and bring their knowledge and skills to benefit those companies that will lend them a helping hand. Global Compact Network Ukraine encourages businesses worldwide: Give a job for UA, give them a chance for a decent future.”

Parimatch chief sustainability officer Maryna Grytsenko added: “The Ukrainian economy is struggling, and we are trying to sustain it in all possible ways for the future of the country. Support of the project allows us to help our compatriots to survive and send funds to those who remain in Ukraine. 

“Also, the project is an opportunity to help Ukrainians who are wholly focused on volunteering but ready to work for European or American companies remotely.”

Based in Ukraine, Parimatch has announced a series of schemes in recent weeks to support the country and people impacted by the invasion.

Last week, Parimatch partnered WeHelpUkrainians, a platform that provides Ukrainians with aid resources as part of the Ukraine Hospitals Appeal, with the aim of raising €1m (£834,999/$1.1m).

At the start of March, Parimatch removed its brand from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Parimatch had been operating in Russia through the Betring LLC.

At the time of the withdrawal Parimatch announced that it had set aside UAH30m to provide vital resources for those fighting for Ukraine. Parimatch later announced that it had doubled this to UAH60m.

Last month, the operator also ended its partnership with Russia-based esports team Spirit.

Under its long-term membership, ComeOn’s betting brands will be fed into the IBIA monitoring and alert platform.

ComeOn also committed to continuing to enhance its own betting products for a safe and protected player experience for its customers.

The latest signing means IBIA’s members account for over $137bn (£105bn/€126bn) of global annual betting turnover and almost 50% of all regulated commercial operator online betting activity.

“We are very excited about joining forces with IBIA,” ComeOn chief executive Juergen Reutter said. “This will enable us to keep protecting our customers and provide a safe and enjoyable player experience, which is of highest priority. 

“IBIA is the most prestigious integrity body globally, so it is a badge of honour for us to be joining them.”

IBIA chief executive Khalid Ali added: “The addition of ComeOn to IBIA’s ranks is another important step for the association as it seeks to expand its global membership of responsible and reputable sports betting operators. 

“IBIA is the only international integrity body run for operators by operators. As a not-for-profit body we are not bound by commercial pressures and can therefore focus on being leaders on betting integrity through the work we undertake for our members and the stakeholders we work with.”     

IBIA has signed a number of new members in recent months including Jack’s Casino & Sports, a brand owned by Dutch land-based casino operator JVH Gaming & Entertainment Group, and Dutch operator BetCity.nl.

Under the deal, agreed through its IGT Canada Solutions subsidiary, IGT will provide a total of 375 CrystalDual 27 video lottery terminals (VLTs) throughout the remainder of the year.

IGT will launch the VLTs with themes such as The Wild Life, Big City 5s, The Big Easy and Royal Spins Deluxe with The Price Is Right VLT content to follow in 2023.

“IGT has supplied engaging cabinets and content that have proven to entertain VLT players throughout Atlantic Canada for more than 30 years,” ALC president and chief executive Patrick Daigle said.

“Expanding on the number of new VLTs in ALC’s gaming venues with popular IGT themes allows us to deliver on our promise of providing our players with the most compelling gaming experiences.”

IGT senior vice president for Canada, South and Central America, David Flinn, added: “The versatility of IGT’s CrystalDual 27 VLT enables ALC to continue modernising its gaming offering and provides players with best-in-class, market-attuned content.

“These 1,375 CrystalDual 27 units, in addition to the more than 350 that are already in the ALC market, reinforce our commitment to the Lottery’s growth, and elevate gaming within the region with highly successful hardware.”

Jansen announced today that the sites of 158 illegal providers have been investigated in recent months. It was established that 142 of them have taken measures to prevent Dutch players from accessing their sites – as a result of which their supply is no longer accessible from the Netherlands.

Follow-up investigations and possible sanctioning action are required at 16 sites. A number of these 16 sites were already off the air for the Netherlands after an order subject to penalise was announced. After 1 October, it appeared that a number of large providers without a licence had discontinued their offer in the Netherlands.

In his speech, René Jansen commented: “This was exactly the intention of the new law: the legal offer had to push the illegal offer away. With legal providers, the player is assured of a fair game and attention to preventing gambling addiction..”

He also commented on recent concerns about advertising, saying that he is “disappointed in the fact that the gaming sector has not been able to muster the control that has been requested.”

The chairman went on to add that the KSA is currently processing 30 licence applications after a surge in the last week of March, most likely linked to the country’s cooling-off period which was set to expire on 1 April.

The operator last month announced the roll-out of its mobile sportsbook app product under the Betsafe brand in Colorado, via a partnership with Dostal Alley.

The extended agreement will mean Paysafe will now facilitate players’ online credit and debit card deposits in the state.

The Paysafe integration will also offer players a selection of alternative payment methods such as Paysafe’s Skrill USA digital wallet and both the paysafecard or Paysafecash eCash solutions.

Betsson’s partnership with Paysafe stretches back 15 years, with the two businesses having worked together since 2007.

“At Betsson, the customer is at the core of everything we do; we aim to make the entire journey on our brands as smooth and convenient as possible, including their deposit and payout experiences,” Betsson’s managing director for the US, Marina Bogard, said.

“As they have done in other markets, we are confident that Paysafe’s payment solutions will be able to support us with all our needs to achieve our goals.”

Paysafe’s chief executive for North America igaming, Zak Cutler, added: “We have a proven track record facilitating payments for Betsson brands and their players in multiple European and global markets, and we’re confident that we’ll play an equally important customer acquisition and retention role for the operator in Colorado and beyond.”

Playtech said that its RNG casino and live offerings, followed by its full platform, went live on the first day of the market opening through various partnerships.

Playtech said that “a further wave” of deals in Ontario will be announced in the coming weeks.

Playtech was previously active in the province through the provision of data analytics technology and other services to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

In January, the company announced that its IMS platform, casino, live casino, poker and bingo technology would be rolled out for NorthStar Gaming’s launch in the newly regulated province.

“This is a significant market in size and a major milestone for Playtech in North America,” Playtech chief operating officer Shimon Akad said.

“We are thrilled to have launched with multiple licensees on day one and we are looking forward to continuing to launch with more of our partners in the coming days. We also expect Ontario to be at the forefront of responsible gambling, where our technology and ability through artificial intelligence to analyse certain player behaviour will be particularly relevant and important.”

The launch of Ontario’s regulated market followed almost three years of work after the provincial government revealed plans to end the lottery’s online gambling monopoly in April 2019.

The government introduced legislation to allow for a licensing regime back in 2020, and final standards for online betting and gaming were published last September.

Charmaine Hogan, Playtech’s head of regulatory affairs, added: “As we continue to enhance our efforts on sustainability of the gambling sector in general, we wholeheartedly welcome Ontario’s igaming market launch.

“An efficient regulatory framework brings operators and suppliers under local oversight and, as is the case in Ontario, with a strong emphasis on the protection of players from the outset.

“At Playtech, artificial intelligence is being used to enable the analyses of player behaviour and flag signs of problematic play early on, and to engage with those players, in-play, and in a personalised way, using automated tools and customised messages.

“We offer our technology, tools, as well as experience to all, and although the uptake is with operators, we want to see a more responsible and sustainable entertainment industry in the long run – and we aim to continue engaging, wherever we can, with all interested parties and sharing good practices as well as our research findings.”

Last month, Playtech posted €112.3m (£93.4m/$123.3m) in adjusted net profit for its 2021 financial year amid ongoing talks over a potential acquisition of the business by TTB Partners.

GLMS will use the Alcohol and Gaming Commission (AGCO) licence to support its member, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), with monitoring and education services. GLMS said the services are part of its activities to raise awareness of fighting the manipulation of sports competitions, thus supporting inter-jurisdictional and inter-stakeholder cooperation efforts to combat the global problem.

GLMS obtained its licence days after Ontario launched its legal online gambling market.

Ludovico Calvi, GLMS president, said: “I am delighted that GLMS has become one of the first registered integrity bodies to win approval from the AGCO. GLMS has always supported regulated, responsible, and sustainable betting market environments, as bans have often favoured the proliferation of black market, criminal organisations and match fixing.”

GLMS said it enjoys a sound working collaboration with AGCO and has also provided its perspective to AGCO in terms of developing the registrar’s standards for gaming, which were published in the summer of 2021.

Calvi added: “We believe that the standards set by AGCO will create a sustainable sport betting market in Ontario and can be considered a best practice for other Canadian provinces. We are very excited to provide integrity services to our current and future members in Ontario and other provinces.”

The launch of Ontario’s online gambling market followed almost three years of work after the provincial government revealed plans to end the lottery’s online gambling monopoly in April 2019. The government in 2020 introduced legislation to allow for a licensing regime.

Major gambling groups such as FanDuel and BetMGM have obtained licences to operate in Ontario.

Malta-headquartered Videoslots will launch its Mr Vegas brand in the state of Pennsylvania in 2023, using its proprietary platform and the Caesars licence.

The joint venture then expects to roll out its proposition across the country as more and more states regulate casino product offerings.

Videoslots chief executive Alexander Stevendahl said the move represents an exciting opportunity for the group to connect with US players for the first time in the growing market.

He said: “We are excited to start executing our plans in the US, which has huge growth potential, starting with the great state of Pennsylvania. Thanks to a distinctive name like Mr Vegas and an innovative product, I am confident it will become one of the casinos of choice for players.

“This is a significant milestone in our strategy, having enjoyed significant success with our product in a host of markets, including Sweden, the UK and Denmark. We are now aiming for something similar in the US as we move towards our goal of becoming the world’s leading casino operator.”

Videoslots recently promoted Henrik Enesund to the position of head of casino.