Latest News
HSBC UK increases gambling block feature to 3 days

With lockdown causing an increase in gambling, HSBC UK and first direct have today announced an increased cooling off period to their gambling block feature, from 24 hours to 72 hours.
The self-restriction tool, which prevents customers from being able to make gambling payments on their accounts after it’s switched on, will automatically decline any gambling transactions for three days, to help people control their urge to gamble.
Recently published data from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) highlights that lockdown measures have had an impact on gambling behavior in the UK, with a month-on-month increase of 29% in gross gambling yield (GGY), and a 7% increase in active accounts.
Maxine Pritchard, Head of Financial Inclusion and Vulnerability at HSBC UK said: “This is a challenging time for many of our customers, with some not working and perhaps facing financial difficulty. By increasing the restriction to 72 hours, this will help give our customers time to pause when they are tempted to return to gambling.
“We are always looking for new ways to support our customers and make it easier for them to manage their finances. Customer feedback on our gambling control showed us there was more we could do to help and we’ve worked closely with them and with GamCare to design the solution.”
Available to HSBC UK and first direct customers with an active debit card, the option can be switched on via the ‘Manage Cards’ section on the HSBC UK mobile app (within the ‘Cards’ section of the fd mobile app), as well as via telephone banking or by going into a branch – giving customers added control over their spending.
Anna Hemmings, CEO of GamCare, says: “The ability to block gambling transactions through your bank card or app is an important tool for those struggling with their gambling, and is ideally used together with other practical tools such as self-exclusion, blocking software, and specialist support around the issue – as we have recently emphasised through our ‘TalkBanStop’ partnership and campaign.
“The University of Bristol Personal Finance Research Centre has also highlighted that ‘positive friction’ such as a cooling off period is important for the success of blocks, as this prevents them being turned off in the event of urges to gamble. GamCare is pleased to see HSBC UK and first direct take this positive step to support their customers.”
HSBC UK and first direct both have their own specialist support teams on hand to help vulnerable customers including those at risk of financial harm from gambling and can refer customers to a trusted external organisations where needed.
EveryMatrix Press Releases
EveryMatrix awarded World Lottery Association security standard

EveryMatrix has been granted World Lottery Association Security Control Standard 2020 (WLA-SCS:2020) Level 2 certification, one of only a select few B2B technology providers to receive this distinction.
WLA-SCS Level 2 represents the most complete and comprehensive certification standard for lottery and sports betting operators and their suppliers. This achievement follows a rigorous audit carried out by GLI, which EveryMatrix successfully passed.
The standard features 21 controls for lottery technology suppliers, incorporating the use of cloud hosting for lottery gaming systems, as well as controls for privacy and application security.
As part of the certification audit, EveryMatrix’s platforms for both iLottery, sports betting and iGaming were assessed, and no non-conformities found.
Ebbe Groes, CEO, EveryMatrix, said: “Security is a top priority for EveryMatrix and achieving compliance with this rigorous standard is proof of our commitment to our existing and future WLA customers”.
In addition to WLA-SCS Level 2, EveryMatrix is ISO 27001 and ISO 20000 certified. These three certifications are a testament to its capabilities as a technology supplier, as well as its steadfast commitment to security, quality, reliability, and customer service across all facets of its business.
EveryMatrix has won several World Lottery Association (WLA) and European Lotteries (EL) agreements in the last few years including Norsk Tipping (Norway), OPAP (Greece), National Lottery (Malta), Veikkaus (Finland) and most recently with Hungarian gaming and lottery operator Szerencsejáték, one of the largest contracts in its 15-year history.
Latest News
Gaming in Spain: Post-conference mailer & webinar announcement

Two weeks after the conclusion of the 2023 Gaming in Spain Conference, we can look back at another highly successful event.
If you were there, we were very happy to have you. If you could not make it this year, see you next time? We will be back in May 2024 – a specific date will be announced soon!
Furthermore, following up on this year’s Gaming in Spain Conference, we would also like to announce our upcoming Gaming in Spain webinar Products & services for the regulated Spanish iGaming market on Wednesday, June 21 (more on this below).
Looking back at the 2023 Gaming in Spain Conference
We were exceedingly happy to welcome key decision makers in Spain’s regulated iGaming industry in Madrid for a full day of knowledge & networking.
A highlight of the day was the keynote speech by Mr. Mikel Arana, Director General of Spain’s national gambling regulator, DGOJ, who not only stressed the need for clear communication between industry and regulator, but also explained the regulator’s new approach to responsible gaming:
“It is very important for the DGOJ to maintain contact with Spanish operators and – even if we do not always agree – to explain first-hand why we make the regulatory decisions we make and what goals we want to achieve with them. […]
Above all, we have established a new approach to player protection. First, by not treating all players the same. Second, by not letting player protection depend on the criteria of individual operators’ social responsibility policies, but by establishing a common minimum standard.”
Mr. Arana’s full presentation was recorded and is available here: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Arana
Full recordings of the other sessions are available below.
Regulatory reform in the Spanish iGaming market
- Jorge Hinojosa, Director General, JDigital: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Hinojosa
- Peter Marcus, Group Operations Director, Entain: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Marcus
- Maarten Haijer, Secretary General, EGBA: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Haijer
Market regulation: Past & future
- Mikel Arana, DG, DGOJ & Birgitte Sand, CEO Birgitte Sand & Associates: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Arana_Sand
- Juan Espinosa, Founder Silverback Advocacy; Santiago Asensi, Managing Partner, Asensi Abogados; Birgitte Sand, CEO Birgitte Sand & Associates: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Asensi_Espinosa_Sand
The Spanish market: Facts & figures
- David Henwood, Director, H2 Gambling Capital: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Henwood
- Mauro de Fabritiis, Founder, MDF Partners: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_DeFabritiis
- Chris Gyere, Head of Tech Recruitment at Pentasia & Headcount: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Gyere
Enforcing individual betting limits & preventing ID fraud
- Marc Sabadi, iGaming Spain Manager, Mitek: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Sabadi
Operations (panel)
Featuring:
- José Antonio Giacomelli, GM, MGA Games
- Felipe Masa Sánchez-Ocaña, Director E&Y Abogados Sevilla
- Mikel López de Torre, Digital Director, Sportium
- Jordi Sendra, COO, Alea
- Alba Castro Torruella, Associate Director, Kreab España (moderator)
Video: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Operations
Responsible gaming
- Alla Serebrianskaia, Partner, Asensi Abogados & Aurora Merino Salas, CEO, Asensi Technologies: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_RG_Asensi
- Rasmus Kjaergaard, CEO, Mindway AI: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Kjaergaard
- Paul Foster, CEO, Crucial Compliance: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Foster
Future market developments (panel)
Featuring:
- Xavi Muñoz, Partner, ECIJA Law Firm
- Mauro de Fabritiis, Founder, MDF Partners
- Scott Longley, Contributing Writer, Earnings + More (moderator)
Video: https://bit.ly/GiS2023_Future
We thank our sponsors Asensi Abogados, Asensi Technologies, Betconstruct, Jdigital, Crucial Compliance, iGamingCeuta, MDF Partners, Mindway AI, Mitek and Sportradar for making this event possible!
GiS Webinar | Products & services for the regulated Spanish iGaming market
Join us on Wednesday, June 21 at 11:00 CET for our FREE Gaming in Spain webinar Products & services for the regulated Spanish iGaming market.
This webinar will highlight several relevant products & services that are specifically tailored to the Spanish market.
In addition, the webinar will feature a brief regulatory and legal update provided by Spain’s leading gambling lawyer, Santiago Asensi.
Other topics and speakers include:
- Staff training – Jochen Biewer, Managing Director, Chevron Group
- Promotions & bonus monitoring – Mauro de Fabritiis, Founder, MDF Partners
- Player monitoring and RG services – Rasmus Kjaergaard, CEO, Mindway AI
- ID verifications solutions – Marc Sabadi, iGaming Spain Manager, Mitek
Don’t miss it! Register today: https://bit.ly/GiS_Webinar
Latest News
BF Games rolls out dice games with PepperMill Casino in Belgium

BF Games, the dynamic games development studio, has strengthened its foothold in the Belgian market after introducing its selection of dice games to PepperMill Casino.
Following a direct integration, the operator’s Belgian customers can now access over 10 of BF Games’ titles, including Ancient Secrets Dice, Energy Fruits Dice, Magic Queens Dice, Pyramid Treasure Dice, and Royal Crown Dice.
PepperMill Casino is a prominent operator in the Belgian market, offering a wide choice of dice and table games. The company also operates land-based gambling venues in Belgium and the Netherlands and draws on this experience to offer great online entertainment to players.
The partnership is the latest in a string of deals that have seen BF Games extend its reach in the Belgian market, further positioning itself as a renowned supplier to the local iGaming industry.
BF Games will continue its geographical expansion in 2023, exploring key markets across Europe as well as North and Latin America.
Claudia Melcaru, Head of Business Development at BF Games, said: “This launch with PepperMill Casino is a great testament to the appeal of our dice titles and sees us further our reach in Belgium, a key market for our commercial growth.
“It’s a thrilling time for BF Games as we maintain strong momentum from both an expansion and product point of view and this partnership with a leading operator further underlines our success.”
Jorn Stifter, Casino Manager at PepperMill Casino, said: “As an operator that is well-known for its refreshing dice offering, we couldn’t be happier to take BF Games’ titles live, further strengthening our product portfolio.
“Their content offers a wide variety of themes and features that will appeal to our customers so we look forward to a successful partnership.”
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