Press Releases
Self-exclude From Gambling To Avoid Temptation During Lockdown – Warning To Vulnerable Consumers
FIONA PALMER, chief executive of GAMSTOP, is urging anyone worried about their gambling while they are stuck at home during the coronavirus lockdown to exclude themselves from all online gambling websites.
Fears have been raised by MPs that vulnerable customers will increasingly turn to online gambling as a distraction at the very time when they can least afford it, leading to a surge in gambling-related harm. The Gambling Commission has issued new guidance to all licensed companies to keep customers safe and the Betting and Gaming Council, which represents operators, has published a ten-point plan for its members to follow.
GAMSTOP is a free service that allows consumers to exclude themselves from gambling websites. By registering with GAMSTOP, consumers can choose to restrict themselves from all UK-licensed online gambling sites for a minimum period of either six months, a year or five years.
More than 130,000 people have registered with GAMSTOP since the scheme went live in April 2018, with 73% opting to self-exclude for five years, the maximum period available. Early evidence shows that nine out of ten consumers who chose to self-exclude for a shorter period have not returned to gambling at the end of their chosen timeframe, which means their self-exclusion has automatically remained active.
Fiona Palmer, chief executive of GAMSTOP, said:
“We are concerned that, at a time when so many people are being forced to stay at home during the coronavirus, vulnerable consumers who may have an issue with their gambling might be tempted to spend money they do not have on online gambling. We want to make them aware that GAMSTOP provides a free, simple and secure solution for anyone who wants to take a break from online gambling.
“People generally come to us when they realise that excluding themselves from all online gambling is the first step they need to take to provide the necessary breathing space to tackle their issues with gambling. Self-exclusion is just one tool in a suite of services; we work closely with charities, such as GamCare, who offer specialist treatment, as well as with banks who provide financial blocking options to their customers and with providers of device blocking software. Our focus is to help people take that first step and register with GAMSTOP rather than putting it off whilst the country is in lockdown”.
Early evidence since the nationwide lockdown triggered by Covid-19 suggests a spike in calls from users registered with GAMSTOP who are trying to lift their self-exclusion before their chosen minimum period has expired so they can begin gambling again – however, once someone has registered with the service they are prevented from doing this for their own protection.
GAMSTOP’s data shows that 42% of its users are aged 25-34 – the age group identified in the Gambling Commission’s official health survey as most likely to be classified as problem gamblers – with 27% in the 35-44 group and 13% aged 45-54, just ahead of 12% who are in the 16-24 age group. Outside London, the cities with most registered users are Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Leicester.
Darts commentator Chris Murphy, who began gambling at 17 and lost over £100,000 in a long-standing battle with the addiction which once led him to attempt suicide, credits GAMSTOP with helping him to give up gambling.
Mr Murphy, 33, from Leeds, said:
“GAMSTOP has been a game-changer for me. It has proved to be an important safety net at times when I have felt vulnerable and has allowed me the breathing space for gambling urges to pass. More recently, knowing that I can’t gamble online has helped diminish any urge to do so. GAMSTOP is not an ultimate solution for my gambling addiction, but it is a vital part of a practical toolkit that creates the space for a gambling addict like me to pursue treatment and recovery with a reduced risk of relapse.
If you want to stop gambling, signing up to GAMSTOP is a good place to start, alongside other measures such as using blocking software for gambling sites and allowing a trusted other to look after your finances for an initial period. The most important advice I can give is to seek help for your gambling problem or addiction. There are many peer-to-peer support groups and professional help is now more widely available than ever through the NHS.
In my own experience, the ability to pause and think is crucial. Taking action, such as blanket self-exclusion through GAMSTOP, can help remove the temptation to use gambling as a solution to financial or emotional problems. The COVID-19 crisis is presenting many challenges to people who may consider turning to gambling as a solution and GAMSTOP is an important form of protection against those dangers. If you are missing gambling during this crisis, I would advise using the time to reflect on your relationship with gambling and speak to somebody about it, rather than switching to the more dangerous and harmful forms of gambling that remain available in the absence of sports fixtures”.
Latest News
Xanada Investments Announces FTDX as the Winner of the Xanada Startup Contest
Xanada Investments has announced FTDX as the winner of its prestigious Xanada Startup Contest, an initiative designed to identify standout startups capable of delivering substantial value to the iGaming industry. This contest attracted nearly 250 applications from diverse regions and business verticals, making it a highly competitive process. FTDX distinguished itself with a powerful solution that enables iGaming operators to convert previously unmonetized visitor traffic from regions outside their operational scope into significant new revenue streams.
FTDX’s platform allows operators to redirect traffic from untapped regions effortlessly, unlocking immediate financial value from these visitors. By integrating FTDX’s dual reward system, which optimizes both click-through rates and deal values, operators can enhance overall performance. Already live, FTDX is achieving up to 3% conversion rate from these redirected visitors to First-Time Deposits (FTDs).
Vladimir Malakchi, CEO & Managing Partner of Xanada Investments, shared his thoughts on the victory:
“FTDX stood out not only for its innovative solution but also for the rigorous preparation and commitment they demonstrated throughout the contest. Their detailed approach and well-strategized entry showed a clear vision and a deep understanding of the market, making them an ideal winner of the Xanada Startup Contest.”
Björn Nilsson, Founder of FTDX, expressed his excitement about the win:
“We’re thrilled to be recognized by Xanada Investments. This win represents an exceptional opportunity for us to scale our solution globally and enhance our impact across the industry. Xanada’s promise to support us as a forward-thinking start-up is highly appealing, and we’re excited about the business growth this partnership enables.”
About Xanada Investments
Xanada Investments is an ideological investment fund led by industry visionaries, targeting PreSeed, Seed, and Series A funding of promising projects and their leaders who resonate with their ethos. The fund’s goal is to build an excellent xanadu-like business ecosystem, which will ideologically and strategically bond leaders into one community for the global idea of mutual prosperity.
About FTDX
FTDX empowers iGaming operators to maximize the value of every visit, across all borders, by converting visits from regions outside their business scope into a newfound source of revenue
Latest News
EGT Digital is ready to create a stir at SiGMA Europe 2024
EGT Digital is pleased to announce that it will participate in this year’s SiGMA Europe. The company will present a special selection of its latest innovations and top performers at stand 1120.
The iGaming provider will demonstrate its wide range of casino developments, including the 4 jackpot bestsellers Bell Link, Clover Chance, High Cash, and Single Progressive Jackpot, as well as over 120 titles. Together with well-established slots like Sugar Duke, Burning Goals, and Shining Crown, the guests will be able to see and test the newest addition to Clover Chance: the game Sugarville. As its name suggests, it will take players to a world of sweet wins, where the multiplier increases with every subsequent toppling, reaching up to the impressive x128. Adding to this the fact that the mystery jackpot can be triggered at any time, Sugarville definitely has what it takes to become one of EGT Digital’s next irresistible offerings.
Fans of quick wins will be able to enjoy the instant games of the Bulgarian company, which are popular for their attractive original design and mechanics, ensuring highly engaging gameplay.
EGT Digital’s in-house developed “all-in-one” betting platform X-Nave, will also be on display to show its 4 main modules: Sport Product, Gaming Aggregator, CRM Engine, and Payment Gateway. Each can function as a part of the turnkey solution or independently, as they could be integrated with third-party developments.
The new Customizable tournament page will be the main accent in the Sport Product. It enables players to access relevant information and place bets easily. The page is divided into different tabs: Lobby, Matches, Boosted, Outrights, Bet Feed, Teams, Groups, Brackets, Promotions, and Quiz, which provide users with a more personalized and engaging betting experience.
X-Nave’s Gaming Aggregator will demonstrate its extensive array of more than 12,000 titles, including slots, live games, table games, bingo, lottery, Poker, TV games, skill-based games, and crash games from over 110 popular providers. The module will also introduce numerous new functionalities. Among them is the Buy Bonus feature, giving operators one more option to reward players beyond the standard free spin bonuses, as well as the Aggregator inbuild bonus support, enabling bonus management through the Aggregator.
In addition to the option for different types of navigation layouts, allowing operators to be extremely flexible in content arrangement, a new Hot and Cold games category will also be available. It will provide live visualization of the games’ RTP. This way they will be classified as hot or cold, and the players will have the necessary information to make their choice.
The list of novelties at the Gaming Aggregator will be complemented by the Recommendation Engine, which underpins personalized content delivery, product suggestions, and tailored search results. This X-Nave module will also present its Casino as Widget, an innovative solution for implementing EGT Digital’s CMS system into third-party websites, casino verticals, or independent categories.
The CRM Engine will showcase numerous games and tournaments. The operators will become familiar with an array of tools, allowing them to make more detailed player segmentation. They will also be able to learn more about a new AI/ML chatbot and an AI/ML module, which will make a selection of casino games based on visitors’ behavior.
The event visitors will also get acquainted with the Payment Gateway, which will show its rich portfolio of payment methods, including Open Banking. The module now offers a button that makes the repetition of the last successful deposit from the cashier possible, as well as an option to choose a bonus during a deposit. To ensure greater security, the Payment Gateway is now supplied with an option for mandatory two-factor authentication when requesting a withdrawal.
Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital, commented: “It is always a pleasure for us to participate in SiGMA Europe and especially now in the tenth jubilee edition, which is expected to be the most attended so far. Here we have the opportunity to gain valuable information about the latest trends in the industry, as well as to hold so many fruitful meetings with current and potential new clients. We can’t wait to welcome all our guests on 12-14 November and present to them our fascinating new products, which can bring even more success to their business. We are also looking forward to the SiGMA Europe Awards, where our Shining Crown Bell Link game is a finalist in the Best Performing Slot Game category.”
Central Europe
Evoplay enters Czech market with exclusive Fortuna collaboration
Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has made its debut in the Czech Republic through an exclusive collaboration with leading operator Fortuna.
As part of the agreement, 39 of Evoplay’s top-performing games, including popular titles like Penalty Shoot-out and The Greatest Catch, are now available to Fortuna customers in the Central European country.
The collaboration not only introduces Evoplay’s diverse portfolio to the Czech market but also solidifies the company’s commitment to expanding in key territories.
Fortuna, a Fortuna Entertainment Group (FEG) brand, is a prominent online casino operator in the Czech market, and the partnership offers Evoplay a solid platform to reach more local players, supporting both companies’ growth objectives.
The strategic move marks a significant milestone for Evoplay, as it becomes the studio’s inaugural partnership in the market with plans for further expansion.
Ihor Zarechnyi, CBDO at Evoplay, said: “Breaking into the Czech market with an exclusive partner like Fortuna underscores our strategic vision for regulated markets. We’re thrilled to bring our diverse content offering to Czech players and are confident this collaboration will yield outstanding results.”
Myke Foster, Group Head of Commercial Gaming Operations at FEG, said: “This partnership reflects our commitment to delivering best-in-class entertainment and exceptional gaming experiences to all FEG customers, with Evoplay providing a broad content portfolio proven with players around the globe.”
“We are thrilled to be the first operator to take Evoplay’s titles live in the Czech market, and we anticipate a new level of engagement among our local audience.”
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