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GambleAware Report Offers Guidance to Avoid “Stigmatising Language”

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GambleAware has published a scoping study which shows that a significant amount of published research on gambling harms uses stigmatising language and makes a number of recommendations for future best practice.

The report authors – Dr Anne Stangl, Triantafyllos Pliakas and Mariana Siapka, who have published widely on the subject of stigmatisation – analysed evidence on stigma, discrimination and gambling from 54 individual studies and nine review papers across 19 countries.

The paper provides key recommendations for further research, service provision, policy, and media campaigns to help reduce stigma and discrimination experienced by people who gamble.

The recommendations for researchers and others working on gambling harms include using person-first language in studies and campaigns in order to underline that gambling disorder is a mental disorder, not a label or identity.

  • For example, use “person with a gambling disorder” or “person who struggles with gambling” instead of “gambling addict” or “problem gambler”.
  • Using person-first language also shows that a person with gambling disorder “has” a problem, rather than “is” the problem.
  • Person-first language helps to reduce the risk of eliciting negative associations or attitudes, or the risk of the person in question feeling blamed.
  • Stigmatising terms should not be used about people who experience gambling harms. For example, the term “addict” is stigmatising because it reduces a person down to their disorder.

The report found that many existing studies in gambling research report have fallen foul of these guidelines and used stigmatising language to describe people with gambling problems, indicating how some existing research may itself risk contributing to stigma around gambling.

The report also examined stigma in other contexts and found that the ways in which gambling stigma arises, and the damaging effects it can have on people, are similar to those for stigma around a wide range of health behaviours and conditions, such as mental health, drug and alcohol use, cancer, obesity and HIV. For people working in healthcare settings, the report makes a number of recommendations on how to avoid reinforcing stigma around gambling:

  • Involving people with lived experience of gambling harms in training and research
  • Raising healthcare professionals’ awareness of what gambling stigma is and how it is harmful to people who struggle with gambling, as well as their families
  • Training healthcare professionals on how gambling stigma can be an obstacle to treatment, and the strategies they can use to help services uses cope with gambling-related stigma

The recommendations and evidence gaps identified by this report will be used as the basis for further new research that GambleAware plans to fund in order to explore people’s lived experiences of stigma, understand which communities are most impacted by it, and set out potential solutions in both policy and society to tackle stigma.

Zoë Osmond, CEO of GambleAware, said: “Over the coming months and years, a major part of our work will be focused on reducing stigma and the barriers people face when accessing the support they need.

“We welcome the study findings and will use the recommendations to strengthen our work, including our public health campaigns to raise awareness of gambling harms and encourage people to get help.”

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ACR POKER INJECTS DAILY DOSE OF THRILL INTO TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE WITH LAUNCH OF DAILY MYSTERY BOUNTY EVENTS

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Monster top bounty of 10% of the total prize pool up for grabs starting this weekend

ACR Poker today announced the addition of Daily Mystery Bounty events to its tournament lineup starting this Sunday, August 3rd, delivering unmatched entertainment, thrilling action, and big wins to the tables.

Daily Mystery Bounty tournaments turn traditional bounty formats on their head. Once players are in the money, instead of receiving a fixed reward for eliminating an opponent, players receive a Mystery Bounty Chest revealing a mystery reward, with the top bounty prize being 10% of the total prize pool.

“Mystery Bounties are just pure fun,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “You never know what you’re going to get when you knock someone out, it could be some random treasure or a monster bounty that flips your whole tournament. With same-day events, fast action and bounty madness on your daily calendar, it keeps the adrenaline going and makes every hand way more exciting.”

The Daily Mystery Bounty schedule features a range of tourneys and buy-ins, with highlights including the $250K GTD Sunday Funday ($215 buy-in), the $150K GTD Major Mash Up ($66 buy-in), and the $100K GTD Moorman’s Mayhem ($630 buy-in). Starting this Sunday, players can log into the ACR Poker client, open the Tournaments tab, and find the full lineup of Daily Mystery Bounty events in the regular schedule under upcoming events.

And don’t forget, the Mystery Bounty madness continues in ACR Poker’s massive Dual Venom tournaments taking place from Sunday, August 10th to Tuesday, August 26th. Not only are the $2,650 buy-in tourneys offering huge guarantees of $8 million in the NHL event and $2 million in the PLO event, but there are massive bounties on the table for those who knock out their competitors.

In the Venom NLH, eliminating just one opponent could earn a player the top bounty prize of $500,000. While in the Venom PLO, which ties ACR Poker’s biggest Omaha tourney ever, there’s a juicy $200,000 bounty for the taking. And that’s not all, every knockout in both tourneys earns players a minimum bounty of at least $5,000.

For full details about the Daily Mystery Bounty tournaments or to find out more about the Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms, visit ACRPoker.eu.

 

The post ACR POKER INJECTS DAILY DOSE OF THRILL INTO TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE WITH LAUNCH OF DAILY MYSTERY BOUNTY EVENTS appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Take Aim at Mega Wins: ELA Games Unleashes Chaos With New Shooter Game “Shoot Happens”

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A chaotic jungle journey with big, bad foes and insane riches.

Welcome to the jungle, where Shoot Happens! Face your opponent, take aim, and fire your way to riches.

ELA Games unveils its boldest title to date, a combination of decision-making and narrative progression where every shot counts.

In Shoot Happens, you’re not just a player. You’re the main character who has to fend off waves of increasingly dangerous (and valuable) monsters. Armed with 3 shots per round, you’ll need precision and calm nerves to take down the reward and add it to your Winpot. Hit the target for riches. Miss… and it’s back to the beginning.

The Choice Is Yours

Each round is in the hands of the player. Do you cash out now? Or keep slashing through the jungle for bigger and better rewards? Decision-making, timing, and a whole load of guts go a long way.

Expect the Unexpected

Random projectile bonuses can appear in any round, boosting your rewards massively. And just when you thought your journey through the treacherous jungle was over, the final boss appears. While the other monsters may have been a piece of cake, he doesn’t stay down. Each time you defeat him, he respawns for juicier and recurring payouts. Keep going as long as you can handle it, and you might walk out as the top dog of the jungle.

Marharyta Yerina, ELA Games’ Managing Director, commented on the game’s release, “With Shoot Happens, the team ventured outside of conventional game formats, and we wanted to give players a super engaging experience where they’re in control. This title is a bold approach to game design in this industry, as we’re empowering players with choice and enriching the gameplay experience with strong visuals, narratives, and plenty of replayability.”

Play how you want. The Winpot is yours

Shoot Happens is the perfect blend of fast-paced action, bold decision-making, and interactive gameplay. Whether you’re a cautious player or a complete daredevil, the game is an enticing experience for all.

How deep into the jungle are you willing to go?

The post Take Aim at Mega Wins: ELA Games Unleashes Chaos With New Shooter Game “Shoot Happens” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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AGA Research Reveals Consumers Know Sweepstakes Casinos are Gambling

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As gaming regulators, state Attorneys General, and state legislatures continue to scrutinize the business practices of online “sweepstakes” casinos, new research shows that consumers overwhelmingly use these platforms to gamble – and that sweepstakes operators are heavily targeting players in key states. By exploiting loopholes in the law, these operations undermine the integrity of the legal, regulated gaming marketplace.

According to Sensor Tower data compiled by the American Gaming Association (AGA), half of all online, real-money casino advertisements seen by consumers in early 2025 promoted offshore “sweepstakes” casinos. The data shows these unregulated operators concentrate their advertising in populous states.

“These operators present themselves like legal, regulated platforms – but they operate outside the law and regulation. There are few if any responsible gaming tools, no regulatory oversight, and no consumer protections. It’s a dangerous subterfuge that puts players at real risk,” said AGA Vice President of Government Relations, Tres York.

Despite operating outside the regulated gaming market, “sweepstakes” casinos are widely perceived by players as gambling platforms, with 68% of users saying their primary reason for playing is to win real money. This confusion is no accident – many of these sites mimic the look, feel, and language of legal operators, blurring the line for consumers and reinforcing the need for clearer enforcement and public education.

Key findings include:

• 90% of sweepstakes casino users consider the activity to be gambling.

• 69% describe sweepstakes casinos as places to wager real money.

• 80% of sweepstakes players spend monthly, and nearly half spend weekly, without the safety nets offered by regulated operators.

The number of monthly sweepstakes casino players is twice as high in states lacking sweepstakes prohibitions.

“Sweepstakes” casinos aggressively market on popular digital platforms throughout the country. Legal, regulated gaming operators, by contrast, advertise responsibly in legal states where consumer protections and regulatory oversight are in place.

“The data is clear. Consumers see right through the ‘sweepstakes’ casino facade and they’re calling it what it is: gambling. We look forward to policymakers continuing to enforce their laws and create clarity through new policy measures to protect their residents,” added York.

The post AGA Research Reveals Consumers Know Sweepstakes Casinos are Gambling appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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