Latest News
Expert On Tackling Gambling Harms in Society
Recent research from Swansea University highlights a significant link between strategic forms of gambling and harmful gambling behaviours, particularly among individuals with a history of mental health issues, such as PTSD.
The study marks the first identification of a direct relationship between game type and gambling risk in this demographic. Findings indicate that while participants showed a preference for both strategic games—like poker—and non-strategic games, those inclined towards strategic gambling faced a higher risk of experiencing gambling-related harm.
In a broader context, the gambling industry is grappling with increasing regulatory pressures aimed at enhancing player protection. This development has led to a shift from mere acknowledgment of the need for responsible gambling practices to active implementation of measures, including the use of AI for monitoring and supporting safer gambling behaviours.
Casinos. com spoke with Dr. Jamie Torrance, a lecturer and researcher in psychology at Swansea University, who currently focused on understanding the harms associated with online sports betting alongside the development of an educational brief intervention aimed at increasing scepticism towards gambling advertising.
“An example of where this works well can be seen with state-owned operators in Nordic countries,” said Dr. Torrance on whether the goal of more regulation is for a safter gambling ecosystem. “They maintain strict regulations yet do not have a huge concern about the black market. Instead of pushing customers away, proper regulation should ideally attract them back to legal platforms.”
“Increased regulatory oversight should lead to healthier gambling practices. It’s important to engage with cybersecurity measures to block illegal operators, whether they use VPNs or target specific regions. The challenge is having the right people in place, both in terms of technical skills and policymaking.”
It’s often said tighter regulations will drive customers to the black market, a point which Dr. Torrance contests.
“Based on my research and consultations with various stakeholders, it’s clear that the black market is perceived as a significant threat to the legitimate gambling industry. However, I believe it’s somewhat overemphasized,” explained Dr. Torrance.
“Many in the gambling sector often claim that the black market poses a monumental risk, yet from my discussions, I don’t think it’s as dire as they suggest.”
“The gambling industry warns that stringent regulations drive customers toward the black market. In theory, tighter regulations should actually help retain customers by ensuring a safer gambling environment. It’s not uncommon for regulators to think that increased oversight will prevent customers from turning to illegal options.”
eSports
BETBY ENHANCES ESPORTS EXPERIENCE WITH EXPANDED OUTRIGHTS AND PLAYER PROPS PORTFOLIO
BETBY, a premium sportsbook provider, has released a major update to its esports portfolio, introducing an unmatched selection of new outrights and player prop markets. With these additions, BETBY now offers three times more outright options than the market average and a completely unique range of player-specific betting markets, setting a new standard for player engagement opportunities through esports content.
BETBY’s expanded outright offerings deliver diversity and unmatched depth in the industry. For instance when it comes to Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), bettors can now access markets that go beyond the standard winners and most played maps, with new betting markets such as Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP), Magnum Sniper Rifle (AWP) Kill Comparisons, and numerous others now available. In Dota, unique markets like Most Popular Hero (Picks + Bans) and Hero with Highest Kill Death Assist (KDA) provide a more engaging and data-driven betting experience. These markets are updated throughout the entirety of tournaments, ensuring players can place bets during breaks occurring between game days or stages. The update extends beyond Dota and CS2, as BETBY now offers unique outright markets as well for games like Escape from Tarkov: Arena and Standoff 2 – content which is currently not being offered elsewhere in the esports landscape.
The second significant enhancement is the introduction of a much broader esports player props portfolio, which is entirely developed by BETBY’s team of expert traders. This allows players to place bets on individual performances across all S-Tier, A-Tier, B-Tier, and C-Tier tournaments for main esports disciplines, and not only on the occurrence of major events.
These additions further bolster BETBY’s esports portfolio, following a series of major updates that underline the company’s focus on innovation and its dedication to providing engaging content for its partners and their end-users.
Kirill Nekrasov, Head of BETBY Games, commented: “We decided to accelerate the launch of new outrights and player prop markets for esports because we see a gap in the industry. We wanted to develop our own solutions and noticed that even though providers offer classic pre-tournament outrights, none of them provide continuously updated outrights when the events are in progress. Regarding player props, it’s relatively new content as part of our esports feed. If we talk about traditional sports, like soccer or basketball, it’s the standard for the industry. But I foresee that when it comes to esports it will as well be an absolute must-have in the future, with the performance and statistics of teams and players now becoming more widely available. Despite the fact that player props are not a new thing in the esports industry, these markets are offered only throughout top-tier tournaments and only for a limited number of teams. What we did was push this feature not only for top tournaments, but also B-Tier and C-Tier tournaments, whilst at the same time broadening player props coverage to a wider teams coverage.”
BETBY will be showcasing its premium sportsbook solutions and services at the upcoming ICE 2025 in Barcelona.
Latest News
3 Day Countdown Starts for Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0
Following months of excitement and build-up, the final stretch for the Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0 is here as the highly anticipated event is merely three days away. From December 12-14, industry leaders will gather under one roof at the grand InterContinental Hotel in UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah, bringing to life the ultimate blend of iGaming and Web3.
Revamped Nomination List
The third edition of the successful Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards is bigger than it has ever been. The nominations list this year includes industry familiar categories such as the Best Online Casino Game, Best FTN Casino Game, Rising Star Provider and Best Innovative Gamification Feature.
On top of this, the nominations list is shifting into higher gear by being merged with Ortak themes, leading to the following new Ortak-related casino categories:
- Best Ortak Live Casino Game Category
- Best Ortak Casino Game Category
- Best Ortak Slot Game Category
- Best Ortak Crash Game Category
For the first time ever, Ortak-assigned awards have been introduced that are judged independently by the Ortak committee, based on real-life data. These include:
- Highest Value Ortak Collection
- Highest Turnover Ortak Collection
- Most Valued Ortak NFT
- Top Ortak Collector
- Best Ortak of the Year
In order to boost engagement even more, separate voting was held to reveal the Game of Public Choice. All voting processes are overseen by a third-party international auditing firm to ensure maximum transparency.
New Concepts Unveiled
The unprecedented scope of Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0 opens up new opportunities for recognising and celebrating new ideas and novel concepts. The stakes are raised high as more than 160 submissions have come in from 70+ game providers.
During the event, BetConstruct Co-Founder and visionary Vigen Badalyan will share business insights on upcoming ventures and introduce new visions for the innovative Ortak platform.
Winners of the Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0 will be revealed in an epic ceremony on the 13th of December and attendees can expect a showdown unlike anything the industry has seen. All eyes are on Ras Al Khaimah for a proper send off to 2024!
Latest News
Kambi Group plc repurchase of shares during 4 December – 10 December 2024
Kambi Group plc (“Kambi”) has during the period 4 December to 10 December 2024 (the “Buyback Period”) repurchased a total of 50,000 ordinary B shares (ISIN: MT0000780107) as part of the share buyback programme, within the mandate approved at the Extraordinary General Meeting on 20 June 2024 (the “Programme”).
The objective of the Programme is to achieve added value for Kambi’s shareholders and to give the Board increased flexibility with Kambi´s capital structure by reducing the capital. The Programme is being carried out in accordance with the Maltese Companies Act, EU Market Abuse Regulation No 596/2014 (“MAR”) and other applicable rules.
During the Buyback Period, Kambi repurchased a total of 50,000 ordinary B shares at a volume-weighted average price of 103.64 SEK. From the beginning of the Programme, which started on 6 November, until and including 10 December 2024, Kambi has repurchased a total of 254,000 ordinary B shares at a volume-weighted average price of 106.40 SEK per share.
All acquisitions have been carried out on Nasdaq First North Growth Market in Stockholm by Carnegie Investment Bank AB on behalf of Kambi. Following the acquisitions and as of 10 December 2024, Kambi’s holding of its own shares amounted to 254,000 and the total number of issued shares in Kambi is 29,903,619 ordinary B shares. Under the Programme Kambi is authorised to repurchase a maximum of 3,127,830 ordinary B shares, up to a maximum amount of €12.0 million.
-
Aquisitions/Mergers2 days ago
PolarLotto Acquires Competitor and Strengthens Market Position
-
Latest News15 hours ago
3 Day Countdown Starts for Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 3.0
-
Latest News15 hours ago
Fire up the fun with sizzling wins, multipliers and free spins and a delicious a max win potential of 102,840x
-
Latest News15 hours ago
Kambi Group plc repurchase of shares during 4 December – 10 December 2024
-
Latest News18 hours ago
Capecod Announces New Strategic Partnership with Ainsworth
-
Compliance Updates17 hours ago
New Zealand Introduces Racing Act Changes to Extend TAB NZ Monopoly
-
eSports17 hours ago
Abios enhances esoccer solution with bet builder launch
-
Balkans16 hours ago
Gamanza Games launches in Bulgaria with inbet partnership