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BGC: Compulsory Affordability Checks Threaten Regulated Betting and Gaming Industry, Warns Major Report by EY

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Britain’s regulated betting and gaming sector has urged Government to publish a White Paper that delivers for business and punters, after a new study showed affordability checks are already hitting revenues.

Research by EY for the Betting and Gaming Council confirmed the sector remained robust despite the pandemic and was now weathering the energy crisis and cost of living crisis.

However, the enforcement of tougher affordability checks, have contributed to reduced revenues, the study said.

The report backs up recent polling which showed nearly 70% of people who place a bet said they would be unwilling to allow regulated firms to carry out compulsory affordability checks to prove they can afford to wager.

According to EY, despite the external pressures facing all businesses, which have been exacerbated by affordability checks, BGC members’ total Gross Value Added contribution to the UK economy was £7.1bn.

Meanwhile the industry supports 110,000 jobs on high streets, in hospitality and in global tech powerhouses.

The contribution to the Treasury from regulated betting and gaming remained significant at £4.2bn annually.

Across the industry, overall Gross Gambling Yield – total revenues after winnings have been paid but before costs are deducted – was slightly up on 2019 despite massive global volatility.

A new White Paper setting out new laws for the Gambling Industry is expected within weeks. In expectation of Government limits on spending, BGC members have already started applying more stringent checks, which are hitting revenues.

The EY study, noted: “Online GGY has declined since mid-2021, probably reflecting the re-opening of physical venues, the introduction of affordability checks on online, and the decline in real household incomes.”

The decline in the online regulated betting and gaming sector as a result of factors including the impact of affordability checks could push customers to the black market, the study warned.

The EY study, said these pressures, “could in turn lead to leakage to the black market, i.e. operators offering remote (mainly desktop and mobile) gambling products that do not hold a UK Gambling Commission license for remote gambling.”

European countries applying tough sanctions on betting, including restrictions on stakes, blanket affordability checks and curbs on advertising, have witnessed an increase in black market betting.

Norway’s black market now accounts for over 66% of all money staked, in France it is 57%, while in In Italy 23% of money bet is on illicit sites.

The figures have prompted renewed calls from the BGC to end the uncertainty presented by the Government’s delayed review of gambling laws, and ensure any new regulations put industry on a sustainable foundation for future growth.

CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council Michael Dugher said: “The UK’s regulated betting and gaming sector is a genuine global leader. Some 22.5m adults enjoy a wager, on the lottery, on bingo, on any number of sports, online and in casinos.

“Our members pump billions into the economy, support the Treasury with more billions and support over one hundred thousand jobs.

“But this contribution is never guaranteed. This industry needs to thrive if it is to maintain its status as a global leader.

“As ministers consider the regulatory framework for this industry, they should stop and think, and ensure the decisions they make support a sustainable future.

“This is a sector that is ready to invest, on hard-pressed high streets through bookmakers, in tourism and hospitality through world-class casinos and online where our tech giant members are looking to increase the number of apprentices they hire.

“We urge the Government to find an evidence-led, balanced White Paper that protects the vulnerable, allows the vast majority who bet safely to continue to do so, and crucially allows business to thrive.”

The Government has promised a White Paper outlining a review of current Gambling legislation within weeks.

The industry standards body, the BGC, has launched 20 standards and initiatives since it was established three years ago to drive up standards.

Michael Dugher added: “This industry is serious about safer gambling, and it’s encouraging that the rates of problem gambling among UK adults remains low by international standards at 0.3 percent.

“We want to see technology used to ensure checks on spending are carefully targeted towards the vulnerable, not the vast majority who show no signs of harm.

“But without Government clarity on affordability checks, our members are concerned they are driving frustrated customers to the unsafe, unregulated black market.

“These sites have none of the safer gambling tools employed by our members, do nothing to protect young people, don’t invest anything in the sports we love like horse racing, rugby, darts and football and crucially don’t contribute a penny in tax.”

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BetHog Chooses Optimove as its Marketing Solution through Ignite+ Program to Jumpstart its Marketing

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Cryptocurrency casino and sportsbook startup harnesses Optimove’s Ignite+ Program to scale campaigns, gain predictive insights, and deliver personalized player journeys at scale

BetHog, a cryptocurrency casino and sportsbook from the creators of FanDuel, has chosen Optimove as its marketing solution through its Ignite+ program. Ignite+ gives BetHog access to enterprise-grade CRM and AI-driven marketing capabilities, enabling the company to accelerate campaign execution, gain predictive insights, and deliver more personalized player experiences at scale. Optimove is the creator of Positionless Marketing and the #1 Marketing Solution for iGaming and sports betting operators.

“Optimove has been an incredible platform and partner in speed-to-market from day one,” said Kyle Wachtel, Chief Marketing Officer at BetHog. “Their team didn’t just provide us with a platform. They became an extension of our marketing team, bringing expertise, predictive models, and industry knowledge that we simply couldn’t replicate in-house at this stage.”

Tomer Imber, Senior Director of Sales, US Gaming at Optimove, commented: “From the start, the BetHog team has shown incredible vision and drive, already boasting an innovative product and burgeoning brand, and we are excited to be part of their journey. BetHog is leveraging our platform to build lasting player relationships and accelerate growth.”

The partnership highlights BetHog’s rapid path from integration to execution. Within weeks, the company completed its IP warmup, validated data quality, and began sending campaigns. Optimove’s out-of-the-box predictive models and churn analytics now serve as a BI function for the startup, enabling it to focus on growth without the burden of building a large internal team.

“The Ignite+ Program was the perfect fit for us as a fast-growing startup,” Wachtel added. “It gave us access to enterprise-grade CRM capabilities and AI-driven insights without the overhead of building out a full BI and CRM function. From onboarding to campaign launch, Optimove executed at startup speed to get us live.”
With Optimove in place, BetHog is now poised to embrace Positionless Marketing, a breakthrough approach that frees marketers from traditional role constraints and gives them the ability to independently harness Data Power, Creative Power, and Optimization Power.

“We still have many opportunities to explore with Optimove, and we are confident that Positionless Marketing will help us move faster, personalize more deeply, and maximize every player interaction,” Wachtel said.

The Ignite+ Program has already supported the growth of dozens of iGaming and sportsbook operators. For BetHog, leveraging Ignite+ represents a key milestone in its journey to scale rapidly while building a foundation for personalized, AI-powered marketing.

 

The post BetHog Chooses Optimove as its Marketing Solution through Ignite+ Program to Jumpstart its Marketing appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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VSiN Launches Fall Programming Lineup, Giving Fans More of Their Favorite Sports Betting Shows and Hosts

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Sports Betting Network Adds Hour of Sharp Bettor Favorite “A Numbers Game,” Announces Hosts Mitch Moss & Pauly Howard Join Sunday Programming, Sees Return of Fantasy Sports “Guru” John Hansen

VSiN, The Sports Betting Network, announces its new programming lineup, delivering more of the network’s most popular sports betting shows and hosts. As the 2025 NFL season ramps up, VSiN’s new fall schedule launches to the largest audience in its history.

“With more viewers and listeners than we’ve ever had going into football season, we’re thrilled to launch VSiN’s new programming lineup as an answer to fans asking for more of the quality programming they want and need to inform their wagering and fantasy decisions,” said Steve Cohen, EVP of Talent and Programming at VSiN. “As our competitors across all media continue to pull back and even disappear, it’s that continued commitment to content that sets VSiN apart and fuels our continued growth.”

VSiN’s full live programming lineup launches today and can be viewed at VSiN.com. Highlights include:

  • VSiN adds one additional hour to “A Numbers Game” with Gill Alexander and producer Kelley Bydlon. The longest running show on VSiN now airs weekdays from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET. Each day, Alexander and his roster of expert guests take fans deep into the numbers of gambling, leveraging advanced metrics in his handicapping.
  • Hosts of VSiN’s popular weekday afternoon show “Follow the Money,” Mitch Moss and Pauly Howard, will add a sixth shift each week to anchor the live NFL pregame discussion on “VSiN’s Pro Football Tailgate Show” Sundays from 9 a.m. – noon ET. Analytics expert Warren Sharp and props analyst John Hansen will be among the regular guests. Having moved the show’s weekday timeslot from mornings to afternoons last fall, Moss and Howard return to mornings one day each week for the Sunday football action.
  • “The Guru” John Hansen returns as the host of “Prop Points,” bringing decades of fantasy expertise to weekdays from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET. Hansen has been an industry leader since 1995. He was the first individual to contribute to ESPN’s coverage of fantasy football online and on ESPN Radio and TV in 1996, before roles at Yahoo! Sports, “NFL Fantasy Live” on NFL.com, and as chief fantasy analyst for a ground-breaking “Fantasy Zone” channel on DirectTV.
  • The popular Circa Friday Football Invitational show, hosted by Matt Youmans, returns for a third season. Twenty-five pro bettors and handicappers compete in a weekly pro and college football pick’em contest for $30,000 in prizes. The show will be expanded by an hour, from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. ET.
  • VSiN’s own Dustin Swedelson takes the anchor desk permanently on “Cashing Out,” the network’s last live show and the final word on the day’s betting action. Each weeknight from 11 p.m. – 2 a.m. ET, Swedelson savors the wins, analyzes the losses and sets the board for tomorrow’s betting menu.
  • “VSiN by the Books” has moved its home base to VSiN’s new studio in Circa Sports sportsbook located at The Mint Gaming Hall Kentucky Downs in Franklin. The morning show and some Saturday programming will broadcast live from the recently launched retail sportsbook, which is the largest in the state of Kentucky.
  • Beginning on Saturday, Aug. 30, VSiN’s weekend programming will start an hour earlier at 9 a.m. ET to deliver all the news, analysis and insights sports fans and betting enthusiasts need on gameday.

Broadcasting 24/7 from the entertainment capital of the world in Las Vegas, VSiN empowers sports fans and bettors with the news, analysis, and insights they need to make informed wagering decisions, including 18+ hours of daily live linear sports content. Featuring some of the industry’s most knowledgeable sports betting and fantasy experts, as well as legendary book makers, VSiN’s goal is to inform and entertain the growing number of Americans betting on sports – whether they are sharp bettors or brand new to sports betting. VSiN’s exclusive content sets the stage for the day’s biggest sports betting events and includes expert tips and predictions on college and pro football, college and pro basketball, baseball, hockey, golf, tennis, NASCAR, and more.

Fans can access VSiN content on YouTube TV, SiriusXM (158), Rogers’ Sportsnet, NESN, Marquee Sports Network, MASN, Spectrum SportsNet LA, SportsNet Pittsburgh, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, more than 350 terrestrial radio stations throughout the U.S., VSiN.com, and the VSiN Watch app.

VSiN’s newsroom studio is located in the sportsbook at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

 

The post VSiN Launches Fall Programming Lineup, Giving Fans More of Their Favorite Sports Betting Shows and Hosts appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Fast Track AI to change the face of iGaming CRM

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Fast Track will unveil its new AI-driven natural language platform on 2 September during its annual Fast Track House event in Malta. The launch will also be streamed live online from 4 PM CEST, giving the iGaming industry an exclusive first look at the future of player engagement.

For the past decade, Fast Track has pioneered real-time data integration, the Singularity Model, the only Gameplay Risk Engine, and Rewards, the first AI-ready gamification system. Each innovation has moved the company closer to its vision: to digitalise the iGaming industry and deliver the first self-learning engagement platform.

Fast Track AI is trained on over 10 years of iGaming expertise and designed to transform how CRM teams work. It can perform technical analysis on terabytes of real-time data, deliver advanced insights into CRM performance and player behaviour, and uniquely take direct action on those insights across the platform.

“This isn’t just AI added to CRM. This is CRM re-engineered for the natural language era,” said Simon Lidzén, CEO and Co-Founder of Fast Track.

“Even your wildest imagination can only take you so far; minds have been bound by constraints for so long that it is hard to picture the full power of Fast Track AI. You simply need to see it to believe it. This is why I am organising a live session to unveil it; to showcase what a native iGaming CRM, built on the most comprehensive real-time data infrastructure together with the Singularity Model, is capable of. I urge the whole industry to sign up.” Lidzén added.

The big reveal will take place during the Fast Track House event in Malta and will be streamed live online. The broadcast begins at 4:00 PM CEST on 2 September. 

Registration is now open: https://app.livestorm.co/fast-track/fast-track-ai-in-action

 

The post Fast Track AI to change the face of iGaming CRM appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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