Problem gambling – FairOdds Network

July 8, 2024

CFL wants Canadian parliament to spike gambling ad ban, as other countries ponder similar moves

Canada's parliament is considering a bill that would limit or potentially ban gambling ads. The commissioner of the Canadian Football League sent a letter to his country's parliament essentially telling it to butt out.

“We do not agree a national framework is required to regulate the advertising of sports betting in Canada,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie wrote in a letter the senate’s standing committee on transport and communications.

“Having said that, we do not claim perfection on this or any other issue. We recognise in all we do we must remain open minded and continue to learn and evolve.”

Ambrosie may be the first major professional league commissioner anywhere in the world to publicly oppose a gambling ad ban. In the letter to the committee, Ambrosie outlined measures the league has already taken to limit exposure to gambling advertising. The CFL also has responsible gaming initiatives in place and educates its employees on the topic.

Ambrosie wrote that the C..

April 12, 2024

Denmark helpline StopSpillet receives nearly 3,000 calls in first five years

StopSpillet, the specialist gambling helpline run by Denmark regulator Spillemyndigheden, has received almost 3,000 calls since its inception in 2019.

StopSpillet was introduced on 1 January 2019, providing advice and guidance to those in Denmark who are concerned over their gambling habits.

A new report revealed that since its launch, StopSpillet has received 2,933 inquiries, with figures suggesting that a large percentage of those callers have a problematic relationship with gambling. Players calling for themselves were responsible for just over 1,650 inquiries, accounting for 56% of the total.

Additionally, 1,150 inquiries, or 40% of the total inquiries, came from relatives of players. In around half of those calls, it was a parent getting in contact with StopSpillet. Meanwhile, 4% of calls came from professionals.

On the ongoing development of StopSpillet, the report read: “The Gambling Authority works continuously to spread awareness of StopSpillet, for example through campaig..

April 10, 2024

France regulator ANJ notes “significant progress” in problem gambling prevention

L'Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), the gambling regulator in France, has noted “significant progress” in reducing problem gambling in its review of operators’ action plans.

Since a 2019 ordinance, all operators in France must submit an annual plan to prevent “excessive” and underage gambling. The ANJ then reviews those action plans. The aim is to increase dialogue between operators and the regulator on the issue.

The ANJ observed that the market has made palpable progress on preventing excessive gambling. Actions have been taken to raise awareness, such as messages to players and dashboards.

Protection standards for identification and support for problem gamblers has increased. The number of at-risk players identified and then supported has risen. The majority of operators implementing improved support measures and excluding players who have been identified as most vulnerable to commercial rewards has also gone up.

ANJ: Problem gambling still too high in France

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February 27, 2024

Netherlands regulator KSA presents 2024 supervisory agenda

The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the gambling regulator in the Netherlands, has presented its supervisory agenda for 2024, citing four areas of focus.

Looking to achieve its mission of “safe gaming”, the KSA says it will increase its protection of vulnerable players in the Netherlands by looking to prevent addiction. The country took measures to do this in 2023, including the introduction of a ban on most forms of advertising.

The KSA is also looking to combat illegal online offerings, aiming for at least 90% of players to gamble with legal providers in the Netherlands. In a December article for iGB, Yield Sec chief executive Ismail Vali noted how the KSA’s current approach appeared to lack clear success in actual enforcement terms.

The KSA is vowing to further support partners, including the police and tax authorities, on investigations in the physical domain. The regulator hopes this will lead to less “undermining” between different organisations.

The KSA’s final area of emphasis is..

February 26, 2024

Affordability checks: Everything you need to know

With parliament to debate the introduction of affordability checks today (26 February), here’s everything you need to know about the proposals so far.

The long-awaited release of the Gambling Act white paper in April was the most transformative review of UK gambling in 18 years. It marked a key landmark in how the market will be regulated in the future – with affordability checks a key part of that discussion.

The government has already introduced some measures, such as the establishment of stake limits for online slots. However, other resolutions are also being worked upon as the UK government and the Gambling Commission (GC) looks to ease concerns over gambling harms in the country.

The strongest industry response to these proposals has been towards the potential implementation of affordability checks. They have met fierce opposition from operators and trade bodies.

With parliament set to debate financial checks this week, let’s take a look at how we got here.

White paper’s rele..

February 15, 2024

Connecticut report says 1.8% of state residents suffer from problem gambling

A study has found 67.8% of Connecticut residents consider the current availability of gambling in the state to be “fine”.

The study, carried out by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, revealed a general ambivalence towards gambling in the state, with 93.5% rating the recreational activity as “not at all” or “not very” important.

Over two-thirds (67.2%) of the over 5,000 residents surveyed believe the risk of gambling harm outweighs the benefits. Meanwhile, 69.2% pointed to addiction as the biggest risk of legalised gambling in Connecticut.

However, 70.8% believe the responsibility for minimising gambling harms falls between gamblers and providers, while 68.7% have no opinion over the integrity and fairness of how gambling is offered in Connecticut. Just 17.3% are dissatisfied with the Connecticut government’s ability to minimise gambling harms.

Of the positives of legalised gambling, employment and increased government revenue led the way with 21.6% ..

September 7, 2023

NCAA demands help in the wake of soaring college gambling problems

One in four leading US college sports programmes have been notified of student-athletes being harassed by someone with gambling interests in the last 12 months, according to a new study published by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The body that runs college sports has demanded help from sportsbooks and regulators in the wake of issues identified in its Survey of Senior Compliance Administrators on Sports Wagering Issues.

The study found that 27% of schools from the so-called Power Five conferences had dealt with a sports wagering problem among their athletes or staff within the past year. This is compared to just 3% when the same question was asked in 2019.

There was also a sharp rise within all Division I schools, from 4% to 13%. Division II and Division III athletic departments actually saw a fall in reports of problem gambling between 2019 to 2023.

Another statistic shows a quarter of Power Five schools were aware of student-athletes being harassed by someon..

October 25, 2022

American Gaming Association CEO on the rebirth and renewal of US gambling

Bill Miller could argue that his tenure has seen the most transformative period for the gaming industry since the American Gaming Association was established in 1995. He talks to Robin Harrison about sports betting, gaming expansion, Covid-19, safer gambling and the illegal market in this exclusive interview.

When Bill Miller took charge of the American Gaming Association (AGA) in January 2019, the US commercial gaming industry was poised for a period of explosive growth.

Legal sports betting, thanks to the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), was rapidly spreading across the US.

The industry as a whole posted its fifth consecutive year of revenue growth for that year, with 2019’s total breaking records at $43.6bn.

The industry generated $10.2bn in gaming taxes for state and local governments with 21 of 25 commercial gaming states posting year-on-year revenue growth. This sum covers annual education costs for 832,000 elementary and secondary scho..

October 19, 2022

GB problem gambling trends in focus

This infographic highlights interesting results and recent trends from the Gambling Commission’s quarterly telephone survey on gambling participation. The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) mini-screen is conducted as part of the survey and the results provide insight into the risks to gamblers in Great Britain.

October 18, 2022

How is safer gambling promoted at retail betting shops?

Safer gambling week special: Online gambling has got much of the attention, but preventing harm in retail betting can be a difficult problem where technological solutions can be harder to implement. iGB looks at what safer gambling tools are available at betting shops.

To the average person in the UK, the most notable sign every year that it’s Safer Gambling Week would be from betting shops.

The industry’s initiatives during the week are wide-reaching, across both physical and online spaces.

But betting shops, despite a decline in numbers in recent years, are still on almost every high street in the country. And almost every one is plastered with signs encouraging people to think more about their gambling activity.

But inside those retail betting shops, what can be done to protect customers?

As pressure from the media and government around harmful gambling grows, the industry has attempted to show that it can deal with potential harm without needing strict interventions that could..

September 21, 2022

FanDuel expands responsible gambling efforts

Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel Group has announced a series of new responsible gambling initiatives to coincide with the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Responsible Gaming Education Month.

The group hosted its first, business-wide “Play Well Day” where workers were invited to an employee-only event, promoting the role of staff in creating a culture that embraces safer play.

During the Play Well Day, FanDuel announced the appointment of professional boxer, mixed martial artist and wrestler Amanda Serrano as a responsible gaming ambassador.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

July 13, 2022

Industry shares resilient amid report of white paper details

Industry share prices rebounded from an initial dip following a report that the new Gambling Act white paper will include a £125 monthly soft cap on affordability – with harder checks for players losing £2,000 in three months.

Industry commentators Earnings + More reported a number of details this morning related to the content of the Gambling Act White Paper.

Industry sources confirmed to iGB it matched up with their understanding of the document.

Perhaps the most significant detail in the report was detail of the affordability checks that operators may be required to perform. Players would be allowed to have a net loss of up to £125 per month or £500 per year before “passive” checks – to see if players have obvious signs of financial difficulties such as county court judgements – kick in.

Those who lose more than £1,000 in 24 hours or £2,000 within 90 days will face “more detailed” checks.

New accounts will face lower thresholds.

Sources raised questions, however, of what the d..

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Tag: Problem gambling