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UKGC Moves to Increase Consumer Protections in Online Gambling

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UKGC Moves to Increase Consumer Protections in Online Gambling
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The gambling regulator in the United Kingdom has found that under its rules, consumer protections and social responsibility measures around the use of gambling machines could be significantly improved.

In a report issued this week, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) made recommendations that would harden protections for gambling consumers (including those participating in gambling over the internet) following a thorough review of the gambling industry in the country.

The purpose of the review was to “reduce the risks that consumers, especially those that are vulnerable, face from gambling,” and the report calls upon industry stakeholders including the government, the UK Gambling Commission and gambling providers to play a role in the achievement of the stated initiatives.

Many of the headlines coming out of the UKGC’s review focus on recommended changes to range of acceptable stakes for fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs), electronic gambling games that return a predetermined percentage of the overall money wagered to the consumer as winnings over the course of time.

Examples of FOBTs include roulette, slot machines, bingo and simulated horse and dog races. FOBTs are traditionally found in land-based betting shops, but with the growing popularity of online gambling, and in particular online gambling that takes place on mobile devices, the recommendations made by the UKGC will likely have a much broader impact on the gambling industry in the United Kingdom.

STAKE LIMITS FOR FOBTS

In conjunction with making a recommendation regarding stake limits for FOBT, authorities sought the input of other stakeholders including local authorities, political organizations, faith groups and licensed gaming operators.

Gaming operators suggested keeping the current stake levels and enhancing responsible gaming measures as a way to further protect consumers. However, other stakeholders proposed lowering the maximum stake levels as their preferred strategy.

The report recommends a sharp reduction in stake limits for FOBTs. Currently, these betting devices have a maximum stake limit of £100 and a limit of £500 on the amount of the prize a consumer can win from their wager. The report suggests reducing the stake limit to £2 for FOBT slots games and £30 for other FOBT games.

In addition to revising the allowable stake levels, the regulator also recommends measures that would further limit the amount that a player can lose over a certain period of time by adjusting the volatility of returns and the speed of play.

THE UNITED KINGDOM’S LIGHT TOUCH APPROACH TO ONLINE GAMBLING

Traditionally, the UKGC has been known for its “light touch” approach to online gaming regulations. Compared to other gaming regulators round the world, The UKGC has imposed fewer restrictions on online gambling operators.

One such example is the way the UKGC treats online poker player pools, commonly referred to as “liquidity.” Most other major online gambling regulators around the world have limited the players that can be included in an online poker operators’ games by creating regulations that require operators to segregate their player pools in their jurisdiction from the companies’ other operations in other countries.

This closed liquidity model has proven detrimental to online poker, and while regulators in jurisdictions such as France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and New Jersey have learned their lesson in this regard and have moved away from the closed liquidity model, current regulations still restrict the sharing of player liquidity to other jurisdictions that have similar regulatory requirements and have established a formal agreement between the government authorities in those jurisdictions.

In contrast, the UKGC allows online poker operators to offer games to those in the UK that include players from outside of the country. This is of particular value to players that choose to play on sites that have a large global presence, as it provides a wider choice of games, stakes and far bigger prize pools for poker tournaments than operators in a closed or limited liquidity jurisdiction.

However, as part of its review, the UKGC has recognized a number of areas in the online gaming sector in which it can implement improvements to further enhance the effectiveness of the protection of consumers.

UNFAIR PRACTICES IN ONLINE GAMBLING PROMOTIONS

The online gambling market in the UK was established in 2014 and represents the largest regulated online gambling market in the world. In the UK, the industry now generates £4.7 billion gross gambling yield (GGY) per year and growth in the sector is expected to continue. Considering the size of the market, it is no wonder that the regulator paid particular attention to the igaming side of the industry.

The UKGC made recommendations for policy changes in several areas of online gaming.

One area that the UKGC is looking to shore up its regulations is around unclear and/or unfair terms and conditions on gambling sites. A review by the regulator found “widespread instances of unfair terms and practices in relation to promotional offers.”

These days, at many online casinos no deposit is required to be able to play for real money, but the significant restrictions that accompany some of these promotional offers have angered consumers, which in turn has put the issue on the radar of the gaming regulator.

Warnings have been issued to some licensed operators, and the UKGC has already begun consulting on amendments to the regulations. “We will also publish guidance for operators and ADRs on unfair terms, and provide more information to consumers about the treatment they should expect to receive,” the regulator stated in the report.

UNDERAGE CONSUMERS OF ONLINE GAMBLING

Making sure that underaged people are not engaging in online gambling is an area of particular interest to the regulator. A recent study found that 3% of children ages 11 to 16 years old claimed to have gambled on the internet.

In addition, broader concerns were raised about the availability of some online social games. While these games are not technically considered gambling, in part because they are free and provide no monetary prize, “they may encourage young people to gamble,” the regulator contends.

As of now, there are no requirements for playing social-style casino games offered by licensed operators, but the regulator has flagged this issue and plans on possibly amending its regulations to require age verification for those seeking to play those games. The UKGC is also concerned about “gambling-style games that are offered by non-gambling operators” which fall outside of the purview of the regulator.

 

Source: Pokerfuse

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RAPTOR PR HIRES AWARD-WINNING JAMES LAW AS PR DIRECTOR

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RAPTOR PR HIRES AWARD-WINNING JAMES LAW AS PR DIRECTOR
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Raptor PR, the specialist tech PR agency for the global video games industry, has appointed MCV/DEVELOP 30 Under 30 2023 winning PR and communications professional James Law as PR Director. James will play an instrumental role in the establishment of Raptor PR’s new consumer gaming PR division, and will be leading on key B2B accounts at the agency.

Since early 2021, Raptor PR has carved out a unique reputation as the world’s only specialist B2B tech PR agency for the global games industry. James’ appointment will see the agency expand its B2B offering with a fully integrated B2C PR service for ambitious game development studios and publishers from the worlds of mobile, PC and console gaming.

James was previously PR Manager at Heaven Media, a leading creative marketing agency specialising in the gaming and technology industries. His experience includes global brands such as Nexon, Fanatec, and PowerA, as well as indie darlings like OutOfTheBit, Wales Interactive, and Utomik. Prior to Heaven Media, James was an experienced consumer games industry journalist, having written for leading gaming outlets such as Eurogamer, NME, Rock Paper Shotgun, and PC Gamer. He has also been Managing Editor at Gfinity Esports.

Rana Rahman, Founder and CEO at Raptor PR, commented: “We’re beyond excited to have James come on board to help shape the next evolution of Raptor PR. We’ve spent the last three and a half years establishing ourselves as the leading B2B tech PR agency for the global games industry, with flagship clients such as The Games Fund, Sandsoft, Midjiwan, Stardust, and Metaplay. We implicitly understand the complexities of the businesses and technologies that are powering the games industry, hence it is a natural progression for team Raptor PR to voyage into the world of consumer gaming PR, immediately supporting our existing portfolio with consumer gaming consultancy and tactical execution.”

James Law, PR Director at Raptor PR, commented: “Raptor PR is in such an exciting place with the agency’s fantastic success and strength in the B2B gaming and tech sectors. The opportunity to lead the agency’s nascent consumer gaming division is one I couldn’t resist – I love the games industry and the people in it, and the Raptor team is one that shares my passion for gaming and drive to make the industry a better place. I can’t wait to get stuck in – meeting the brilliant Raptor team and working alongside them has already been a fascinating learning experience, and it’s been a treat to be able to contribute and deliver my own unique perspectives. Here’s to a successful new partnership!”

James’ work demonstrates a passion for the games industry community, and a desire to make it a better place. As co-founder of startmenu, a website and community dedicated to bringing new and upcoming writing talent together within the games industry, James has helped build bridges into the industry that previously didn’t exist. At Raptor PR, James will be supported in his voluntary roles, as an ambassador for Safe In Our World, the video games industry mental health charity, and as a mentor in the 2024 Limit Break mentorship scheme.

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Soft2Bet Presents CampoBet.dk: Its Latest Casino and Sportsbook in Denmark

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Soft2Bet, a leading provider of technical solutions for online betting, announces the launch of CampoBet in Denmark for mobile and desktop users. Already an industry award-winning brand, CampoBet is now available under the name CampoBet.dk for Danish users, offering them a comprehensive betting experience across 30 different sports.

The CampoBet brand provides some of the best odds in the market on more than ten million sporting events per year and with a full range of pre-match and live betting options. In addition to its sportsbook offering, CampoBet also offers more than 3,000 casino games to its players including the best live casino products complete with high-quality production values and top-level professional dealers.

CampoBet.dk players will also have access to Soft2Bet’s award-winning Motivational Engineering Gaming Application (MEGA), the best gamification platform in iGaming, and will be able to take part in weekly challenges and rewards to enhance their playing experience with intelligent and engaging content.

All this is available through CampoBet.dk’s easy-to-navigate UI, providing a quality experience for players that is focused on simplicity and seamless payments for both new and experienced bettors.

“CampoBet.dk is an innovative online platform that offers a comprehensive betting experience and we are delighted to introduce it to our Danish customers,” the Chief Product Officer for Soft2Bet, Yoel Zuckerberg, said. “The user interface is fast, simple and flexible so that players can access their favourite betting markets and casino products with ease and make CampoBet.dk a firm favourite among iGaming enthusiasts in Denmark.”

CampoBet is already active in Malta and Sweden with CampoBet. com and CampoBet.se respectively and the launch of CampoBet.dk marks a significant milestone in Soft2Bet’s expansion into Denmark and the Nordics region in general. Both Soft2Bet and CampoBet have been shortlisted for prestigious industry awards in recent years and this year Soft2Bet’s gamification platform MEGA won the award for In-House Innovation of the Year at the EGR Nordics Awards.

CampoBet’s mobile app will also shortly be available to Danish Android and iOS users. For more information, please visit www. CampoBet.dk.

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Thunderkick Unveils Sequel to Top-Performing Game with Midas Golden Touch 2

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Latest release features wild multipliers, Gift of Midas feature and thrilling bonus game

Independent slots studio Thunderkick has announced the launch of Midas Golden Touch 2, the highly-anticipated sequel to the acclaimed 2019 original.

This latest release invites players to rediscover an enchanted realm where everything King Midas touches turns to gold. The 3×5 video slot boasts 15 paylines and showcases Thunderkick’s signature high-quality design and innovative features.

In the base game, players can trigger the Gift of Midas feature at random, adding up to nine wild symbols or up to three scatter symbols to the reels. Wild symbols carry multipliers from 2x up to 32x based on the number of wilds in a winning payline.

Landing three or more scatters triggers the lucrative bonus game where any win activates a sticky re-spin feature. During re-spins, winning symbols lock in place while the rest of the reels re-spin, continuing until no additional winning symbols appear.

The Epic Wild symbol, starting with a 2x multiplier, is also added to the reels at the start of each free spin. Collecting three scatters during the bonus game doubles the Epic Wild multiplier up to 32x and awards two extra free spins.

Midas Golden Touch 2 also introduces new BET+ options, allowing players to increase their chances of triggering the bonus game. For an additional cost, spins can be 2x or 5x more likely to activate the coveted bonus game.

This release sees Thunderkick continue to develop high-quality, dynamic slots that have contributed to its significant growth, with recent releases Xterminate and 12 Bolts of Thunder receiving impressive player engagement rates.

“We’re excited to invite players back to King Midas’ kingdom with this feature-rich sequel,” the Game Product Owner for Thunderkick, Mike Collins, said. “With Midas Golden Touch 2, we want to offer a visually immersive journey filled with golden treasures and big win potential.

“Features such as the new BET+ options add an extra layer of choice and excitement. The original Midas Golden Touch was a player favourite and we believe this follow-up will resonate strongly with customers and operators worldwide.”

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