Connect with us
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

Latest News

GambleAware invests £2.5m into gambling harms prevention education programme across England and Wales

Published

on

Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

 

Following a competitive tender, GambleAware is awarding £2.5m to GamCare, YGAM and partners, and Adferiad Recovery to expand The Gambling Education Hub Service across England and Wales as part of its commitment to help reduce gambling harms among young people
The Gambling Education Hub (The Hub) is a gambling education programme which includes toolkits, training and peer-based theatre performances, is aimed at professionals and volunteers who work with young people and families and at young people, parents and carers themselves.
The expansion follows an independent evaluation[1] of the GambleAware commissioned Scottish Gambling Education Hub (The Hub) by IFF Research, which reveals success of its early intervention and prevention methods leading to dramatic improvements in gambling harms awareness and understanding
The Hub, which is primarily for practitioners, educators and youth workers, uses early intervention and prevention methods to reduce gambling harms among children and young people, working holistically within local communities, to promote a safer environment – especially for those most at risk

GambleAware has today announced the expansion of its Gambling Education Hubs across England and Wales, following a successful pilot in Scotland. The Hubs, which help prevent gambling harms among young people through early intervention and education, resulted in 92% of practitioners from the Scottish Hub saying they felt confident in identifying the signs of gambling harm, compared to just 35% pre-training. The Hubs also resulted in more than eight in ten young people from the Scottish Hub saying they were more aware of the consequences of gambling and 84% felt confident about where to turn to for support if needed.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

This investment from GambleAware comes at a critical period, with the Hubs designed to reach all communities across the nations by engaging at a local level in a way that central Government sometimes cannot. Young people are increasingly exposed to easily accessible gambling through the growth of online gaming and social media. GambleAware research published in 2020 showed that 94% of 11-17-year-olds in Great Britain had been exposed to gambling adverts in the last month, seeing six adverts on average[2]. This data directly led to recent caps and restrictions imposed on industry advertisers to further curb their appeal to children and youths.

The Scottish Hub delivered gambling education to almost 3,000 professionals and volunteers working with young people, as well as young people themselves, parents, and carers. GambleAware partnered with Scotland’s national youthwork organisation Fast Forward[3] to deliver the locally focused prevention programme. An independent evaluation of this project by IFF Research found that the Hub:

  • improved knowledge and awareness of youth gambling harms and gambling education among practitioners, and
  • reached over 15,800 young people resulting in increased awareness of the consequences of gambling and confidence in asking for support.

Building on this success, GambleAware has today announced the award of a £2.5m grant to expand the Hub Service to both England and Wales. Following a competitive tender process, the grant has been won by GamCare, in partnership with YGAM, ARA, Aquarius, Beacon, Breakeven and Neca to carry out the work in England, and by Adferiad Recovery, which will carry out the work in Wales.

Anna Hemmings, Chief Executive of GamCare, said: “We are delighted to be receiving this grant to deliver gambling education hubs across England. We work in collaboration with a number of organisations who bring unparalleled experience of working with young people around these issues, including; Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM), Addiction Recovery Agency (ARA), Aquarius, Beacon, Breakeven and Neca, to deliver Education Hubs across England.

Both GamCare and our partners passionately believe that information on the risks associated with gambling and gaming should be a key part of young people’s education, gaining parity with other risky behaviours such as drugs and alcohol.

We are looking forward to building on the successes of our work with young people, their parents and professionals in a new programme aimed at increasing visibility of both local and national education and support, and to working with GambleAware and our partners towards our shared aspiration of reducing gambling-related harms for young people.”

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Leon Marsh, Director of Hospital & Residential Services at Adferiad Recovery said: “We look forward to working with GambleAware on this great initiative to help reduce gambling-related harm caused to young people and to provide comprehensive training, education and resources to key stakeholders to reduce the risks associated with gambling addiction. We were delighted to hear that we had been selected to be the providers of Wales’s Gambling Education Hub and are looking forward to replicating the success of the project currently being undertaken in Scotland. Our extensive knowledge and experience in young people services puts us in a good position to be able to effectively deliver this project in Wales, and we are excited to be able to offer young people this valuable service.”

GamCare, together with YGAM and other partners, brings over nine years’ experience delivering services for thousands of young people, including relevant skills, local knowledge, and stakeholder networks. Meanwhile, Adferiad Recovery is an industry leader in the fields of addiction, mental health, and young people’s services. Each organisation is best placed to carry out the expansion of the Hub Service in their own region. The new Hubs will also reflect differences in curriculums, languages, regions, need and demand, and political and other contexts, specific to each nation.

Zoë Osmond, CEO at GambleAware, said: “At a time when young people are increasingly exposed to gambling, the delivery of local focused programs for gambling education and prevention of harms has never been more important. We hope to see the positive short-term impacts from the Scottish Education Hub’s activities replicated in our newly commissioned English and Welsh Education Hubs, and we are excited to have awarded this grant to these two highly experienced organisations.

“As the lead commissioner working to prevent gambling harms, GambleAware is committed to working with local organisations and stakeholders to fund and establish tailored, best-practice prevention programmes. With young people in the UK now growing up being widely exposed to gambling marketing and advertising, these projects represent a meaningful step towards delivering a society where all children and young people are protected from the risks of gambling related harms.”

The Hubs across all nations will incorporate input from people with lived experience of gambling harms in the development of training content, service delivery, and any supporting tools or resources. GambleAware expects that equality, diversity and inclusion policy and procedures to be at the heart of the service design, provision, and day to day operations.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading
Advertisement

CEO of Expanse Studios

Expanse Studios (GMGI) Enters the U.S. Sweepstakes Market

Published

on

expanse-studios-(gmgi)-enters-the-us.-sweepstakes-market

North American Expansion Kicks Off Through Strategic Partnership with Moozi

Golden Matrix Group’s game development division, Expanse Studios, has officially entered the U.S. sweepstakes market, marking a significant milestone in its North American growth strategy. This move is powered by a strategic content partnership with Moozi, one of the most dynamic sweepstakes social casino platforms in the region.

With Moozi now featuring over 50 of Expanse Studios’ top-performing games—including immersive slots, crash games, and table games—this partnership positions GMGI to capture a share of the $5.6 billion U.S. sweepstakes market, projected to more than double to $11 billion by 2025 (Eilers).

Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios, commented:

“This partnership signifies our formal entry into the U.S. market, showcasing the innovation and player-first experiences that define Expanse Studios. Collaborating with Moozi enables us to deliver advanced gaming content to a growing audience in North America, a key region for our global growth.”

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

James Anderson, Moozi’s CCO, added:

“Expanse Studios has set a high bar for engaging and innovative gaming experiences. Their addition to our platform elevates Moozi’s offerings and strengthens our mission to lead the U.S. sweepstakes social casino space.”

This launch underscores Expanse Studios’ commitment to innovation and its long-term growth trajectory in regulated markets. By entering the North American sweepstakes market, Expanse Studios takes a bold step in expanding its footprint while delivering cutting-edge gaming experiences.

 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading

Latest News

GamCare releases Annual Report following record breaking year of support on the National Gambling Helpline

Published

on

gamcare-releases-annual-report-following-record-breaking-year-of-support-on-the-national-gambling-helpline
Reading Time: 2 minutes

GamCare’s National Gambling Helpline received a record 55,228 calls and online chats from people experiencing gambling harm in 2023-24 – a 25% increase from the previous year – according to the charity’s Annual Report.

In a year marked by uncertainty over the future shape and structure of the gambling harms treatment sector following the previous government’s white paper on gambling reform, the charity continued to prioritise those at-risk of, or currently experiencing, gambling harm.

Of all calls and online chats that were responded to on GamCare’s Helpline in 2023/24, 41,070 (74%) were classed as supportive interventions. This includes supporting people with initial guidance and advice as well as delivering a seamless entry point into structured treatment services, with individuals completing treatment reporting a significant reduction in gambling-related distress and financial harm.

In March 2024, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities published an assessment of the gambling treatment system, highlighting that 57% of individuals engaging in treatment were referred by the National Gambling Helpline. This underscores the Helpline’s critical role in connecting people to the support they need. Over 9,100 free treatment sessions were delivered in the year to April 2024, with an average of just 2.1 days’ wait from point of referral.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

GamCare’s targeted programmes aimed at young people, women, and the criminal justice system provided training on how to spot the signs of harms and where to signpost into support for 10,344 professionals, and education for 53,324 young people, children and parents. The Women’s Programme, in partnership with organisations such as Refuge, trained 3,813 professionals to recognise and address gambling-related harm among women.

Margot Daly, Executive Chair of GamCare’s Board, says: “Throughout a challenging year and with heightened demand for our services, GamCare’s staff have got on with the job of preventing harm where possible and treating harm where necessary. While we expect important changes in the gambling harms landscape, we have been determined not to let this uncertainty affect our relentless focus on the people who really matter – those at-risk of or currently experiencing gambling harms.

“I would like to thank and pay tribute to our frontline staff who provide 24/7 support for all those at risk or in distress. I also want to thank GamCare’s senior executive team who have steered GamCare through a period of sustained change, and to my fellow trustees for their guidance, unwavering support and the time each has dedicated to ensuring that the charity stays on course and on mission.

“As we look ahead to how the future of the gambling harms sector is shaped, we are committed to working proactively with the NHS and other partners and commissioners to ensure that people are continually able to receive the right support at the right time.”

The post GamCare releases Annual Report following record breaking year of support on the National Gambling Helpline appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading

Latest News

Kambi Group plc repurchase of shares during 18 December – 23 December 2024

Published

on

kambi-group-plc-repurchase-of-shares-during-18-december-–-23-december-2024
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Kambi Group plc (“Kambi”) has during the period 18 December to 23 December 2024 (the “Buyback Period”) repurchased a total of 40,000 ordinary B shares (ISIN: MT0000780107) as part of the share buyback programme, within the mandate approved at the Extraordinary General Meeting on 20 June 2024 (the “Programme”).

The objective of the Programme is to achieve added value for Kambi´s shareholders and to give the Board increased flexibility with Kambi´s capital structure by reducing the capital. The Programme is being carried out in accordance with the Maltese Companies Act, EU Market Abuse Regulation No 596/2014 (“MAR”) and other applicable rules.

During the Buyback Period, Kambi repurchased a total of 40,000 ordinary B shares at a volume-weighted average price of 99.13 SEK. From the beginning of the Programme, which started on 6 November, until and including 23 December 2024, Kambi has repurchased a total of 344,000 ordinary B shares at a volume-weighted average price of 104.94 SEK per share.

During the Buyback Period, Kambi has repurchased shares as follows:

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Date Aggregated daily
volume (number of
ordinary B shares)
Weighted average
share price
per day (SEK)
Total daily
transaction
value (SEK)
18 December 2024 10,000 100.00 999,967
19 December 2024 10,000 99.39 993,929
20 December 2024 10,000 98.86 988,588
23 December 2024 10,000 98.26 982,562

All acquisitions have been carried out on Nasdaq First North Growth Market in Stockholm by Carnegie Investment Bank AB on behalf of Kambi. Following the acquisitions and as of 23 December 2024, Kambi’s holding of its own shares amounted to 344,000 and the total number of issued shares in Kambi is 29,903,619 ordinary B shares. Under the Programme Kambi is authorised to repurchase a maximum of 3,127,830 ordinary B shares, up to a maximum amount of €12.0 million.

A full breakdown of all transactions carried out during the Buyback Period is attached to this announcement.

Information on the Programme is available on Kambi’s website, https://www.kambi.com/investors/share-information/

The post Kambi Group plc repurchase of shares during 18 December – 23 December 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading

Trending