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Charity launches new best practice guide to help banks step up action to reduce gambling harms

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4 years ago

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The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute has today launched a new best practice guide to help banks and building societies step up efforts to support the growing number of customers affected by gambling harms.

Money and Mental Health’s research shows that banks and building societies can play a crucial role in reducing gambling harms, thanks to the unique insight they have into customer’s spending behaviours.

The new guide sets out ideas and advice on how banks can better identify and reach out to customers at risk, and empower them with support and tools to manage their financial situation. It has been produced to help banks follow the Financial Conduct Authority’s guidance on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers, with recommended actions all relating to relevant sections of the FCA guidance.

Developed in collaboration with financial services professionals — and drawing on the testimonies of people with lived experience of gambling problems — the guide focuses on three key areas where banks can make the biggest difference in supporting those at risk:

 

  • Creating a culture of support, and ensuring staff are equipped to help. Suggested actions here include making gambling a focus in plans to help vulnerable customers, providing frontline staff with training on gambling problems, and putting in place internal systems and resources to help staff support customers at risk.

  • Identifying and reaching out to those at risk. The guide offered advice on how banks can use customer transaction data in an appropriate and ethical way to spot those at risk, and ensure that their communications about problem gambling are as supportive and effective as possible.

  • Supporting and empowering those at risk. The guide lists measures firms should consider to support and empower those identified as being at risk — from providing signposting to external sources of help, to offering tools such as settings to block gambling transactions on cards and other kinds of spending controls to help them manage their finances.

 

Recognising that different firms have made varying degrees of progress in supporting customers with gambling problems, the guide is designed to offer ideas and encouragement to all banks on actions they can take. It sets out three levels of actions that firms can take: essential first steps all banks should start with, more advanced measures they could consider and actions they can take to lead the sector in tackling gambling harms.

Helen Undy, Chief Executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said:

“Gambling problems can cause utter devastation for those affected and their loved ones. Banks are in a unique position to help, and we have been hugely encouraged by the progress made in recent years, especially with the increasing number of banks offering the option for customers to block gambling on their cards.

“But there are still important opportunities for banks to build on this progress and to step up support for those at risk. We hope this guide can equip firms with the practical advice and ideas they need to take the next steps in improving support for customers, no matter how advanced or otherwise they are in this work.

“We’ve worked closely with frontline financial services professionals, and people affected by gambling problems, to ensure this guide is as relevant and practical as possible. But we’ve also set out ambitious ideas for how the sector can go further in making a real difference in reducing the harms that gambling problems can cause.”

Tim Miller, Executive Director at the Gambling Commission (the regulator for the gambling industry), said:

“To have a real and lasting impact on tackling gambling harms there must be a multi-sector partnership approach, and the financial sector has a particularly important role to play. This guide sets out useful ideas and steps firms can take to help protect those at risk, building on the progress they have made over recent years. We hope it will help financial services firms to continue to have a meaningful impact in reducing the financial and other harms which can result from gambling problems.”

Money and Mental Health’s guide is published as part of a two year programme of work the charity is undertaking, aimed at increasing action among financial firms towards reducing gambling related harm. The charity has secured funding through a Regulatory Settlement approved by the Gambling Commission to support this work.

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SX Bet Bets Big on Berachain: Bringing Web3 Sports Betting to Bera

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9 hours ago

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May 29, 2025

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SX Bet is the fastest-growing on-chain betting exchange—built for the future of sports and crypto.

SX Bet has officially launched on Berachain, marking the next milestone in its cross-chain expansion strategy. With over 2 million bets placed, $675 million wagered, and 93% year-over-year growth in volume, SX Bet is reshaping the future of sports betting — and Berachain is the next big stage.

SX Bet’s Berachain launch comes with a unique incentive structure designed to reward bettors for their activity. Users can now place bets using the native $HONEY stablecoin and earn $SXBRT, a receipt token that can be staked to the SX Vault on BeraHub to generate weekly yields in $BGT, Berachain’s governance token. The more you win, the more you earn.

SX Bet will be hosting a summer Berachain betting tournament with a 69,420 bet credit prize pool from May 31 – July 14th and airdropping bet credits to top Berachain communities.

But the Berachain deployment is not just about incentives. It’s about creating a scalable global liquidity hub for bettors and builders alike. Builders can leverage SX liquidity to launch their own custom betting frontends and experiences.

“SX Bet isn’t just a single dApp — it’s a betting protocol anyone can build on. With this Berachain launch, we’re not just growing SX, we’re growing the entire Web3 betting ecosystem,” said Andrew Young, SX Bet Project Lead.

The cross-chain architecture enables shared liquidity across multiple blockchains, allowing users to place bets on their preferred chain without sacrificing odds or depth.

Already the top sports betting dApp by volume on Arbitrum, SX Bet has achieved sustained growth without relying on ongoing incentives — proving that sharp odds, fast UX, and a product-first approach win. Bettors choose SX for its peer-to-peer, non-custodial, on-chain model — a platform with the best odds, deepest liquidity, and a clear message: winners are welcome.

SX Bet is setting the standard for scalable sports betting infrastructure in Web3.

For bettors: more rewards, deeper liquidity, and better odds.
For builders: a plug-and-play liquidity engine to leverage and build upon.
For chains: a sticky, high-volume dApp proven to drive user growth and retention.

Start betting and earning on Berachain today: bera.bet

 

The post SX Bet Bets Big on Berachain: Bringing Web3 Sports Betting to Bera appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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GAN Limited

SEGA SAMMY Completes Acquisition of GAN Limited

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17 hours ago

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May 29, 2025

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GAN Limited announced that it has completed its merger with an affiliate of SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS INC.

SEGA SAMMY through its affiliated entity SEGA SAMMY CREATION INC. acquired all of the outstanding securities of GAN for $1.97 per share in cash, which represents a premium of over 121% to GAN’s closing stock price on November 7, 2023 (the trading day prior to the announcement that GAN entered into a merger agreement with SSC).

Seamus McGill, GAN’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our acquisition by SSC is an exciting next step for GAN and the culmination of many years of hard work to deliver an unparalleled and unique gaming experience for our clients and players. GAN’s board of directors carefully evaluated a range of options to maximize shareholder value, and SSC’s recognition of the value of our assets and people leaves us confident that this transaction is in the best interest of our shareholders and provides a home for our assets to flourish. We look forward to seeing the company continuing to grow with the guidance of a global gaming and entertainment leader.”

Koichi Fukazawa, Senior Executive Vice President and Group CFO of SEGA SAMMY, said: “We are excited to be bringing the GAN team onboard. The team brings significant experience in the U.S. market, along with significant technical and development resources. This marks a new chapter in SEGA SAMMY’s operations, and we look forward to serving our customers with increased product offerings and resources.”

B. Riley Securities Inc. served as financial advisor to GAN’s Special Committee and Board of Directors and Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP is served as legal counsel to GAN. SMBC Nikko Securities served as SEGA SAMMY’s financial advisor and Greenberg Traurig acted as SEGA SAMMY’s legal counsel.

The post SEGA SAMMY Completes Acquisition of GAN Limited appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Century Casinos Announces Sports Betting Partnership with BetMGM in Missouri

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17 hours ago

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May 29, 2025

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Century Casinos Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Century Casino & Hotel Cape Girardeau (Century), has entered into a long-term agreement with BetMGM to bring BetMGM’s sports betting platform to the Missouri market.

Under the terms of the agreement, BetMGM will operate an online and mobile sports betting application under Century’s license in Missouri. The agreement includes a percentage of net gaming revenue payable to Century, with a guaranteed minimum, as well as retail sportsbook options to be exercised at Century’s discretion.

“We are excited to partner with BetMGM, a leading online sports betting and gaming entertainment company with a dynamic and innovative brand. This partnership is another step forward in leveraging our Missouri licenses and delivering premium entertainment experiences for our customers,” said Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger, Co-Chief Executive Officers of Century Casinos.

The post Century Casinos Announces Sports Betting Partnership with BetMGM in Missouri appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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