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NHS to Open Seven New Gambling Addiction Clinics

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Seven new gambling addiction clinics will open this summer as NHS services face record demand, chief executive Amanda Pritchard announced.

The NHS said it was “adapting to new healthcare needs” and rapidly expanding the support services for thousands of people experiencing gambling-related harms.

New figures published reveal that around 1400 patients were referred for help last year, an increase of more than a third on the previous 12 months and up by almost four fifths compared to two years ago.

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The seven new clinics are in Milton Keynes, Thurrock, Bristol, Derby, Liverpool, Blackpool and Sheffield.

There are already eight gambling harms clinics open in London, Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent and Telford, as well as an additional national clinic, which treats both gambling and gaming addiction in children and young people, in London.

The NHS plans to treat up to 3000 patients a year across the 15 clinics, fulfilling the NHS Long Term Plan commitment six months ahead of schedule.

NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said: “This expansion shows the NHS once again adapting to the new healthcare needs that have emerged over the last 75 years.

“In 1948 when the NHS was founded, you had to go to a bookies to place a bet, but now people can gamble on their phone at the touch of a button and everyone, young and old, is bombarded with adverts encouraging them to take part.

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“Record numbers of people are coming to the NHS for help to treat their gambling addiction, a cruel disease which has the power to destroy people’s lives, with referrals up by more than a third compared to last year.

“As it has done since 1948, the NHS is responding at speed and rolling out seven new gambling harms clinics across England, so that even more people can be supported by the NHS in their time of need.”

Around 138,000 people could be problem gambling according to Gambling Commission figures, with around a further 1.3 million people engaging in either moderate or low-risk gambling – although other research estimates that this figure could be higher.

One patient who received help from the Northern Gambling Harms Service, said: “Gambling addiction took over my life to the extent I was suicidal and relationships with my family and friends had broken down. Engaging with NHS services has helped me get control of my life back and I’m rebuilding trust with my family and friends, once again having happy and healthy relationships with people close to me.”

The latest clinics will treat people with serious addiction issues through cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, support groups and aftercare.

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NHS teams including psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, mental health nurses and peer support workers also offer support to patients’ family members, partners and carers.

NHS mental health director Claire Murdoch said: “Addiction is a cruel disease that can take over and ruin lives, whether it be destroying finances or ruining relationships, but the NHS is here to help, so if you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction please come forward.

“Although progress has been made on clamping down on this billion-pound industry with the Government’s White Paper, I hope further action can be taken to protect our young people and future generations from being bombarded by gambling advertisement while watching sport.”

Public Health Minister Neil O’ Brien said: “The stark rise in the number of people seeking NHS treatment for gambling-related harms shows the devastating impact it can have on people’s lives and health.

“These new clinics will bring vital support to more parts of the country, so thousands more people can get the help they need. We have taken firm action to tackle gambling-related harms through our White Paper, which includes our commitment to introduce a statutory levy so gambling companies pay their fair share towards the costs of treatment services.”

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Industry Awards

PopOK Gaming Won Two Prestigious Nominations at BFTH Arena Awards Ceremony

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PopOK Gaming has achieved remarkable success at the recent BFTH Arena Awards Ceremony, securing two prestigious awards that highlight the company’s commitment to innovation and excellence in the gaming industry.

The company was honored in the following categories:
1. Best FTN Casino Game for its Fast Fruits slot game which is known for its Classic design, bright colors, and seamless gameplay.
2. Best Game Achievement for Fast Master exciting crypto themed game with Avalanche reels, featuring multipliers in Free Spins

Both games have the innovative “FTN Mania” feature which awards Fasttokens for every spin.

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“We are delighted to receive the BFTH Arena Awards” said Tsovinar Elchyan, Head of Partnerships at PopOK Gaming. “It was certainly an evening to remember. These achievements are a testament to our team’s hard work, and dedication to delivering outstanding games.”

The post PopOK Gaming Won Two Prestigious Nominations at BFTH Arena Awards Ceremony appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Mandelli celebrates 10 years with ITL

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Stefano Mandelli, Business Development Manager for Innovative Technology Ltd (ITL), is celebrating a decade with the leading provider of cash handling equipment and age & identity validation technology this month. Stefano is responsible for ITL’s presence in Italy and several countries within South East Europe.

Commenting on his long-standing achievement, Stefano said, “When I first joined Innovative back in 2014, my role focussed solely on growing our presence in Italy with an emphasis on the gaming and vending industries, alongside developing new markets. After a short period I expanded my territories, and as well as looking after customer in Italy, I am now responsible for a large part of South East Europe including Slovenia, Greece and Turkey. I am particularly proud of the strong partnerships I have established in all my regions, both with the main OEMs and with our approved Trading Partners and Service Centres. These collaborations have assisted with the growth of my markets, and even during difficult periods of supply, we have optimised lead times to ensure prompt product delivery.”

Enrique Jütten, VP of Sales & Business Development for ITL’s Gaming, Amusement and Vending sectors said, “ Stefano is an asset to our company and highly valued by the team, and his customers. Stefano’s main responsibilities are customer sales, forecasting and researching potential new business segments. He is an excellent account manager who understands his customers and their business models to ensure they choose the right ITL products to meet their needs.”

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Continuing Stefano said, “ The growth of ITL and the development of new products has given me the tools to create opportunities in new sectors such as retail, banking, parking and transportation over the past few years. The best thing about my job is meeting people from different countries and getting to know their culture and advising them on how our products can elevate their business. My focus for the future is to continue to expand my area with the target to introduce and extend our new technologies and solutions in emerging sectors.”

Concluding Enrique said, “This is an impressive achievement and I would like to thank Stefano for his commitment to ITL. I look forward to seeing Stefano continue to grow our presence in his regions, and reach new markets over the coming years.”.

The post Mandelli celebrates 10 years with ITL appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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BGaming evokes cartel chaos in Grand Patron

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Popular iGaming content provider BGaming is taking fearless players to the depths of the Grand Patron criminal empire. This feature-packed release includes two additional reels, a trio of modifiers, multipliers, three types of Free Spins modes, and a Wild symbol.

The cinematic video slot sees players step into the shoes of a cartel boss as two extra horizontal reels dictate their fate. They both reveal one random symbol during each spin in the main game, with the power to unlock one by one during the Free Spins mode.

Unpredictable gameplay is the main appeal of Grand Patron, with Spawner, Prison and Bombastic modifiers shaping its direction. Spawner sees a Wild or any regular symbol appear on both additional reels, leading to three of these symbols being added to the main game field. Prison features a question mark symbol landing on one of the additional reels, while the other sees a paytable symbol drop. The paytable character on the main reels will then be locked for a respin. If the Prison symbol lands on both extra reels, all symbols are locked and the screen is filled with one random paytable symbol, resulting in a win across all 20 paylines.

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The Bombastic modifier occurs when a bomb symbol appears on one additional reel and any regular symbol on the other. The corresponding regular symbol on the main reels then explodes at the end of the spin. Random symbols fill the spaces, with the potential for future wins. Two bombs on additional reels clear the reels and trigger respins.

Free Spins mode is granted when two Scatters appear on the extra reels during the main game, with an initial 12 spins triggered. If a Prison symbol lands at the start of the round, three extra free spins are awarded. Additionally, players can purchase one of three Free Spins modes for between x100, x250 or x1,000 of their bet amount.

The Wild has the power to substitute all paying symbols in Grand Patron, while the Multiplier can greatly increase wins.

Aliaksej Baliukonis, Game Designers Team Lead at BGaming, said: “Just like a life of crime depicted in cartel movies, Grand Patron has twists and turns at every spin. Players who like unpredictable, high-volatility games will enjoy this release, which is one of our most feature-rich titles to date.”

The post BGaming evokes cartel chaos in Grand Patron appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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