Latest News

GC Chief Sarah Harrison attempts to harmonize Gamblers and operators

Published

7 years ago

February 6, 2018

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Gambling Commission Chief Executive Sarah Harrison, who will promptly step down brought on board a “Tripadvisor” for gambling consumers to harmonize punters and operators. While speaking at the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) in London on Monday, assuming for the last time as the Chief Executive of the regulator she said: “Currently, in this industry, there is an imbalance between businesses and consumer. The consumer bears a disproportionate share of the risk and tends not to have much access to information and data about their own pattern of play”.

Demanding to implement change, she said: “The GC would be pushing for a more transparent industry going forward, and vowed to put more data into the public domain.” she said: “This could comprise information on the risks of particular products, the level of payout to good causes from lotteries, the treatment of customer funds, and the level of complaints.”

Consequently, she affirmed: “Brought together this could be the equivalent of a Tripadvisor for consumers helping them differentiate across operators on customer care and welfare features, as well as on price and brand.” Harrison went on to expand on three pillars of the GC’s strategy going forward; “preventing harms; protecting the interests of consumers and optimising returns to good causes from lotteries”.

Looking forward to the first National Lottery licence to be awarded by the GC in 2023, Harrison said the commission was already shaping “a robust and effective competition for the next licence, we will think creatively about how to grow the value of Lottery so that good causes continue to see significant benefit”.Harrison will step down at the end of this month to take up a senior role within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Coming to the close of her speech, Harrison alluded to the sometimes “dark” sense of foreboding that comes over the industry at the hands of much of the national media.“But you are not powerless – the ability to change public perception lies entirely within your hands,” she added. She said it was time to make “big, bold gestures to demonstrate a real commitment to fairer and safer gambling,”

As well as an independent ombudsman scheme for consumers, she suggested these should include a proper and sustainable approach to funding research, education and treatment of harmful gambling that extends beyond donating a “rudimentary percentage of GGY”, and changing the industry business model to depend less on “larger spenders” (high rollers).

Harrison added that it was also time to “bring an end to the normalisation of gambling as an activity, for children and young people,” calling for advertising of gambling products to be curbed on social media and at major sports events.

On the industry approach to problem gambling, she added: “Making gambling safer and reducing harm will not be delivered simply by GambleAware receiving and using the 0.1%. They are just one part of the system. In truth much more significant investment will be needed to meet treatment needs, to ensure high-quality research and to provide proper education about the risks from gambling.”

Harrison also pointed to further regulatory interventions on the way for the online space, revealing that as well as continuing to work with partner regulators – the CMA, ASA and ICO, the Gambling Commission would reinforce this by “proposing changes to our regulations that allow us to enforce theirs using our sanctions.”

Further, a review of how the market has evolved since the introduction of the point-of-consumption regime in 2014 “will shine a light on the need for stronger age verification and more effective customer due diligence checks at the start, and at every stage of the customers’ relationship with the gambling operator”, Harrison told the audience assembled at ICE this morning. Harrison was also critical of the industry’s propensity to use scantily clad women to attract attention to their products and called for an end to the practice.

Source: igamingbusiness.com

Industry News

MiFinity to Showcase Innovative iFrame at SiGMA 2024

Published

5 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

MiFinity, a leading global payment services provider, is excited to announce its participation at SiGMA 2024, held in Malta from 12 to 14 November. Visitors can find MiFinity at Stand 2012, where the team will be showcasing its award winning PayAnyBank service, and the latest version of the MiFinity iFrame and demonstrating how it helps iGaming operators acquire and retain players with a seamless, flexible payment experience.

Paul Kavanagh, CEO of MiFinity, commented: “SiGMA is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our latest developments and engage directly with the iGaming community. The MiFinity iFrame is a game-changer for operators looking to streamline their payment processes and enhance the player experience. We look forward to demonstrating its capabilities and connecting with both existing and prospective partners.”

MiFinity’s Business Development and Account Management teams will be on-site to discuss the new iFrame features in-depth and highlight how MiFinity can optimise payments for iGaming operators. They will also be showcasing MiFinity’s innovative suite of payment solutions developed specifically for the iGaming sector, including MiFinity PayAnyBank — a powerful tool that enables operators to send payouts directly to players’ bank accounts in multiple countries and currencies, enhancing the user experience with faster, more localised transactions and reduced FX fees.

The MiFinity Affiliates team will also be available to explain the benefits of MiFinity’s affiliate program, which offers some of the highest commissions in the industry and unique promotional opportunities via the MiFinity Bonus website.

Meet the MiFinity team at Stand 2012 at SiGMA 2024 to learn more about the company’s solutions and how they are transforming the iGaming payment landscape. Pre-book a meeting with the MiFinity team or drop by the stand during the event to explore how MiFinity can support your business.

Book a meeting here > outlook.office365.com/book/[email protected]/

Latest News

ECA and AGEM applaud creation of Association Assembly at ICE Barcelona

Published

9 hours ago

November 5, 2024

George Miller

ECA and AGEM applaud creation of Association Assembly at ICE Barcelona

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The news that January’s ICE Barcelona will include a major new feature dedicated to global gaming’s most influential trade associations has been welcomed by organisations in Europe and abroad.

Making full use of the additional space at the Gran Via Fira de Barcelona, the first ICE Association Assembly has been created to enable trade bodies to promote their values and create new opportunities for the gaming community across every sector and geography, including both the Brussels-based European Casino Association (ECA) and the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), the global trade association for gaming equipment suppliers with its primary headquarters in Las Vegas.

Erwin Van Lambaart, Chair of the ECA confirmed: “Our members are already planning their week in Barcelona and they will be at this historic edition of ICE in great numbers. ICE is a pivotal event for the global gaming community and having a show floor feature which will enable us to engage directly with all sectors is a unique opportunity.

“Traditionally, our association’s involvement at ICE and its Conference program has primarily centred around networking and product development orientation—connecting with our members, regulators, suppliers, and fellow trade bodies. However, ICE 2025 marks a significant milestone. For the first time, the ECA will have the chance to fully interface with the global industry supply chain in its entirety. We are looking forward to this unique opportunity to articulate our vision for the future to a diverse and comprehensive audience, where innovation, responsibility and significant partnerships for guest and customer centricity will have centre stage.”

Daron Dorsey, CEO of AGEM added: “We represent the interests of our gaming suppliers whose well-known brands are global in reach, so to be given the opportunity to explain our agenda and engage with what is a truly international audience of association colleagues on the ICE show floor is invaluable.”

January’s editions of ICE and iGB Affiliate will occupy 120,000sqm of space compared to the 100,00sqm at ICE 2024. In a major endorsement of the opportunities offered by the relocation to Barcelona 72% of the 25 biggest exhibitors will have an increased stand presence at ICE 2025.

Industry Awards

Blask Wins Prestigious “Startup of the Year” at 2024 Starlet Awards

Published

11 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Blask, the pioneering AI-powered analytics ecosystem for iGaming, has been named “Startup of the Year” at the prestigious 2024 Starlet Awards. The company earned this recognition for developing a groundbreaking market intelligence platform that has redefined how gaming operators leverage data and market insights.

Award Recognition

The award confirms Blask’s revolutionary approach to market analytics and its significant impact on how iGaming companies access and utilise market intelligence. Powered by AI models including Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing, Blask analyses billions of data points across 2000+ active brands to provide unprecedented market insights.

The Starlet Awards recognition follows Blask’s recent SiGMA Asia Startup Pitch 2024 Award victory. “Winning these awards affirms our belief that innovation and bold ideas can reshape the iGaming landscape. The recognition underscores the impact of our cutting-edge AI technology and our relentless pursuit to transform data into actionable insights”, reflects Max Tesla, CEO and Co-founder of Blask

Blask provides operators with a strategic edge across multiple critical areas. Its real-time market analysis capabilities deliver instant access to crucial market metrics, while the high-granularity data available at one-hour intervals enables swift, informed decision-making. The sophisticated AI modelling system estimates GGR and FTD by analysing a comprehensive range of inputs, including historical data, third-party OSINT data, market performance, competitor metrics, historical brand performance, market reports, and public company disclosures.

Beyond analytics, Blask offers robust brand monitoring and competitor analysis tools, alongside strategic and tactical planning capabilities particularly valuable for market entry decisions and maximising performance during major events. The recently introduced customer profile feature harnesses AI to generate detailed, country-specific user profiles, adding another layer of strategic insight for operators.