A new regulatory body and a gambling levy may be implemented in Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland All Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling has released a report with 57 recommendations, urging for gambling to be acknowledged as a public health concern. They propose imposing a financial levy on gambling operators to fund research, education, and prevention efforts.
According to the Belfast News Letter, the report draws parallels between gambling and substances like alcohol and tobacco in terms of regulation. It supports existing proposals for establishing an independent gambling regulator.
The All Party Group initiated an inquiry in December 2022 to explore approaches to addressing gambling-related harms. Stakeholders were invited to provide input to shape future policies. By January 2024, they gathered oral testimony from 30 individuals and written submissions from 45 organisations and individuals.
Citing a Department for Communities survey, the group noted that 2.3% of Northern Ireland’s population has a gambling problem, significantly higher than rates in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
The Stormont APG also emphasised that current strategies primarily focusing on individual behaviours overlook the broader public health implications. Research from International Gambling Studies indicates that a typical problem gambler can impact around six other people.
BGaming and Starcasino announce new partnership in Belgium
BGaming has broadened its reach in Europe through a newly announced partnership with Starcasino, an operator based in Belgium. This collaboration means that BGaming’s lineup of games will now be accessible on the Starcasino platform, aimed at enriching the gaming experience for players in the region.
S. Maene, Marketing Director at Starcasino, said: “We are excited to collaborate with BGaming to bring their innovative games to our players. With their impressive current offerings and future releases, we anticipate delivering even more thrilling gameplay experiences.”
This latest agreement is part of BGaming’s strategic expansion efforts.
Olga Levshina, CCO at BGaming, commented: “As we continue to exceed expectations and provide top-tier entertainment in key markets, Starcasino is an ideal partner. Their strong presence and established reputation in the Belgian market will ensure that BGaming’s diverse portfolio reaches a wide audience in this growing market.”
Earlier, BGaming expanded its global presence through a partnership with Astro Play Gaming.
A survey by the Gambling Commission reveals significant public concern regarding affordability checks
A public survey has highlighted significant concern over the Gambling Commission’s affordability checks for online gambling. Conducted by the Regulus Group in partnership with Dan Waugh, the data was acquired through a Freedom of Information request.
An initial request to access the survey results, which started in 2021, was denied last year. The Gambling Commission stated there was “no outstanding public interest” to justify releasing the data. However, a subsequent request by Regulus was successful.
The survey data reveals a largely negative public sentiment towards affordability checks. Of the 12,000 respondents, 42 per cent indicated they would refuse additional requests from an operator for affordability information, while 22.5 per cent said they would cease gambling with that operator. Only 14 per cent expressed willingness to comply. Furthermore, 18 per cent of respondents reported feeling uncomfortable with such requests, and 48 per cent felt very uncomfortable.
Affordability checks, also known as financial risk checks, were recommended in the UK government’s gambling white paper released last year.
Evoplay has announced its expansion into Hungary through a partnership with Vegas.hu
Evoplay has announced its debut in the Hungarian market through a partnership with Vegas.hu. Under this agreement, Vegas.hu will offer a variety of Evoplay’s games.
Already, more than 20 Evoplay games have been launched on the Vegas.hu platform as part of Evoplay’s broader strategy to expand its presence in Hungary and across Europe.
Ihor Zarechnyi, Chief Business Development Officer at Evoplay, highlighted entering the Hungarian market and collaborating with Vegas.hu to introduce innovative gaming experiences to players in the region.
Brigitta Szenczy, Head of Gaming and Studio at Vegas.hu, noted the importance of offering cutting-edge titles to their player community as a core element of their growth strategy. Szenczy praised Evoplay’s portfolio for aligning with these ambitions and expressed eagerness to gauge player reactions to the unique gaming experiences now available.
Earlier, Evoplay solidified its presence in Georgia by partnering with Europebet.
Spillemyndigheden reports a 3.4% decline in Denmark’s gross gaming revenue for May
The Danish Gambling Authority, Spillemyndigheden, reported gambling results in Denmark for May 2024. The gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached DKK 571 million for the month, marking a 3.4% decline compared to the previous year. Online casinos dominated the revenue, contributing DKK 278 million.
In other segments, betting was the second-largest contributor with DKK 164 million, marking a significant decrease of 21.5%. Gaming machines followed with DKK 96 million, slightly down from DKK 98 million in the same period last year.
Land-based casinos accounted for 5.35% of the total GGR, generating DKK 32 million, which was a modest increase of 3.2% compared to May 2023.
Focusing on the online casino segment, gaming machines constituted the majority of the DKK 278 million total at 76.76%, with blackjack and roulette following at 6.88% and 6.19%, respectively.
