BF Games, the dynamic games development studio, has gained leading information security certification ISO 27001 ahead of entering a new market in Switzerland.

The accreditation showcases BF Games’ commitment to information security management as it seeks to expand its product offering across regulated markets in Europe.

ISO 27001 certifies in-house developed IT products and is a mandatory requirement for suppliers entering the regulated markets of Switzerland and Hungary, both of which form a strong part of the company’s expansion strategy in the coming months.

BF Games’ diverse games offering is currently available to players in a host of European markets including the UK, Belgium, Malta, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Sweden, with Croatia the latest addition to the ranks.

Piotr Szpoton, CEO at BF Games, said: “Gaining the ISO certification is an important step for us and provides an illustration of our total commitment to best business practices and the protection of customer data.

“We believe that this approach will set us in good stead as we continue to expand our horizons, with players in Switzerland soon able to enjoy our dynamic, innovative games portfolio.”

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has won the Regulatory Excellence award in IAGR’s inaugural International Regulatory Awards.

The Gambling Commission got the award for their wide-scale collaboration with the industry on three areas of concern, leading to a fast track of consumer protection changes. Those areas were:

• incentives for High-Value Customers, or VIP schemes
• game and Product Design
• and the use of Ad-tech to target advertising away from children, young people and vulnerable adults.

The judging panel was impressed with the results achieved and the high levels of engagement with the industry which resulted in a variety of regulatory actions – including stamping out irresponsible VIP practices, making games safer by design and a number of actions around ad-tech.

New regulations for the gaming industry in Northern Ireland have been introduced this week in the country’s Assembly, significantly amending the current laws.

The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Bill creates new offences in permitting children to play gaming machines and provides powers to impose a statutory levy on gambling operators.

It establishes a mandatory code of practice for licence holders, broadens the definition of cheating to include attempted cheating, makes gambling contracts enforceable in law and permits bookmakers and bingo clubs to open on Sundays and on Good Friday.

The minimum age for minors to play a gambling machine is now 18 and it will become an offence to invite a person below that age to play. Previously, it was not an offence to permit an under-age person to gamble.

The statutory levy on gambling operators will be employed in a manner similar to the practice in England, where the money raised is used for community projects and treatment of problem gamblers.

An overhaul of online gambling legislation will form a second phase of the changes to Northern Ireland’s gambling scene and will follow after discussions.