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BGC Members Donate Record £172.5M to Tackle Problem Gambling and Gambling-related Harm

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The Betting and Gaming Council’s largest members have donated £122.5m over four years to tackle problem gambling and gambling-related harm, new figures reveal.

This record funding increase is £22.5m more than the £100m the BGC’s four largest members pledged to contribute between 2020 and March 2024.

Around a further £10m has also been donated annually from other BGC members and UK-regulated licensees, taking the contribution over the last four years to approximately £172.5m.

This year alone, BGC members expect to provide RPT funding of around £50m to a host of vital charities.

For over 20 years, the regulated betting and gaming industry has contributed millions to fund Research, Prevention and Treatment services to tackle problem gambling and gambling-related harm, via a unique voluntary levy on all operators.

This record contribution helps sustain a network of entirely independent third-sector RPT providers, which currently treat around 85% of all problem gamblers receiving treatment in Britain.

All RPT donations only go to charities accredited by the independent regulator the Gambling Commission to deliver these services, and BGC members have no say on how the money is spent.

The BGC called for the current voluntary model to be replaced with a statutory levy, as long as it is independent, protects longstanding, expert providers of RPT in the third sector and is tiered to protect land-based operators.

Those expert providers include GamCare, with over 200 staff members, who have delivered over 38,000 structured treatment sessions between 2022/23. And Gordon Moody which operates the country’s only residential care centre for women problem gamblers.

In September last year, Stephanie Peacock MP, the newly appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at DCMS got to see Gordon Moody’s world-class support and treatment services firsthand when she visited their Residential Centre in Dudley.

She praised the safe environment they provide and thanked service users and staff for sharing their experiences and providing a tour of the centre.

In addition to RPT donations, BGC members have raised millions more for a host of other charity initiatives. The BGC alone has raised more than £6m for veterans, sports and health charities through the Grand National Charity Bet Campaign and Britania Stakes Charity Bet campaign.

Wes Himes, BGC Executive Director of Standards and Innovation, said: “Around 22.5 million people in this country enjoy a regular flutter, and the overwhelming majority do so perfectly safely and responsibly.

“Our mission to raise standards carries on strong and these figures demonstrate our actions are backed by significant financial contributions which are making a real difference.

“Our members have no say on how these funds are spent and RPT donations only go to independent organisations accredited by the Gambling Commission to deliver these critical services.

“For the BGC and our members, the priority is ensuring the money reaches these charities doing exceptional work in Prevention and Treatment and funds truly independent, evidence led research.

“While this voluntary levy has delivered record funding, the BGC supports the replacement of the current levy scheme with a mandatory one, but the delivery of this new scheme must ensure future funding security for the third sector which is delivering such excellent work.

“As we go forward, this huge investment will continue, underlining this sector’s unrivalled commitment to responsible betting and gaming.”

The previous Government had launched a consultation into the creation of a new Levy, but the consultation response has been delayed by the General Election.

Despite this, BGC members have pledged to maintain voluntary contributions to ensure charities have funding security.

However, the BGC remains concerned about current proposals outlined by the previous Government, which would negatively impact independent bookmakers, who face being charged disproportionately high Levy costs of 0.4% on Gross Gambling Yield.

If enforced, this could threaten shop closures and job losses, because of the smaller margins for independent bookmakers and other financial overheads, like energy costs.

There were nearly 696 independent betting shops at the start of 2019, 160 have since closed, a reduction of around 23%.

The BGC estimates that 492 bookies, across 38 businesses, will be negatively impacted by a 0.4% Levy.

The post BGC Members Donate Record £172.5M to Tackle Problem Gambling and Gambling-related Harm appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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ACR POKER ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR FIRST-EVER BATTLE OF MALTA ONLINE SERIES AWARDING $5 MILLION GTD PRIZE POOL

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Buy-ins from $5.50 to $630 in packed 68-event schedule  

ACR Poker and Battle of Malta (BOM) have released the full schedule for the first-ever online edition of the beloved European live poker festival, the Battle of Malta Online, guaranteeing $5 million across a 68-event schedule.

Starting this Sunday on ACR Poker, the Battle of Malta Online schedule highlights include the $66 multi-flight event featuring a $500,000 GTD prize pool (flights from July 3rd, Day 2 on July 27th), the $109 tournament with $400,000 GTD (Event 68), and the $630 tournament awarding $600,000 GTD (Event 67). There’s also plenty of lower buy-in events starting at just $5.50, so everyone can join the fun and compete for great prizes.

Players can also compete for one of ten €8,000 packages to the live Battle of Malta festival at Casino Malta from October 28th to November 5th, putting players in the heart of the action at one of poker’s most prestigious events. Five packages are up for grabs each Sunday via the Beast Satellites, which play on July 13th and 20th at 5:05pm ET. All BOM Main Event satellites will also be exclusively on ACR Poker, and players who survive Day 1 online will take their stack to Day 2 live in Malta.

“The full schedule for the Battle of Malta Online is finally here, and it’s everything players could hope for,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “There’s a great mix of buy-ins and formats, alongside big guarantees, so there’s something for players of all skills and levels. The series is just around the corner, so now’s the time to plan the grind and get ready to compete for the first-ever Battle of Malta Online titles.”

What’s more, the Battle of Malta Online will feature a $35,000 Leaderboard Contest, where players earn points in any BOM event across two leaderboards: High Buy-in (over $44) with an $8,000 top prize, and Low Buy-in (under $33) with a $4,000 first prize. Plus, the overall winner will score an €8,000 package to Malta this October.

Battle of Malta Online marks the 10-year anniversary of BOM, which has earned its place as one of Europe’s most iconic poker festivals, celebrated for its electric atmosphere, elite-level competition, and unforgettable player experiences. Last October, BOM reached new heights with a prize pool exceeding €4.7 million and participants from over 60 countries. This year’s BOM boasts a €2 million GTD prize pool, a revamped schedule including the €2,200 buy-in ACR High Roller, and plenty of exciting off-the-felt activities.

For further details on the Battle of Malta Online, visit ACRPoker.eu.

The post ACR POKER ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR FIRST-EVER BATTLE OF MALTA ONLINE SERIES AWARDING $5 MILLION GTD PRIZE POOL appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – June 30-July 6

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Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.

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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has issued monetary penalties totaling $350,000 against Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto for multiple violations of provincial gaming standards. The penalties follow an impromptu after-party that was permitted to take place in the pre-dawn hours directly on the casino’s gaming floor. On September 27, 2024, an electronic dance music event attended by thousands of people was hosted in the theatre adjacent to the casino at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto. The event was marked by widespread intoxication, disorderly behaviour and numerous criminal and medical incidents – both inside and outside the venue – including alleged assaults, drug overdoses and acts of public indecency. Although paid duty officers were present, additional police and emergency services were required to manage the situation.

International Game Technology PLC, doing business as Brightstar Lottery, announced that Michelle Carney, Brightstar’s Vice President of Global Lottery Marketing, will be inducted into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025. The induction ceremony will take place this September at an industry event in Ontario, Canada hosted by the Public Gaming Research Institute (PGRI) in conjunction with the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL). In her current role, Carney is responsible for the development of marketing and communications strategies that support growth for Brightstar’s Global Lottery business, including lottery product marketing, trade shows and events, thought leadership communications and B2C marketing campaign materials to support customer launches of new game content.

Partnerships

International Game Technology PLC announced that its subsidiary, IGT Canada Solutions ULC (IGT), signed an eight-year agreement with Atlantic Lottery to supply its IntelligenEVO video lottery central system technology across Atlantic Canada. The agreement includes the option for multiple extensions and positions the Atlantic Lottery to become the first World Lottery Association (WLA)-affiliated lottery operator to deploy IGT’s next-generation central management system in a game-to-system (G2S) distributed market. With peak system security, network availability and responsible gaming functionalities, IntelligenEVO is a reliable, scalable solution that can meet the needs of today and in the future. The solution will accelerate time-to-market and enables the Atlantic Lottery to benefit from the system’s suite of player-focused functionality. The technology’s G2S and open API design optimises data collection and delivery and will enable Atlantic Lottery to customise their programme for evolving player needs.

EDGE Boost by EDGE Markets, a financial platform for smart bettors and gamblers, has partnered with World Series of Poker, the premier series of worldwide poker tournaments. The EDGE Boost debit card is now the preferred payment method for WSOP, offering ease of payment, safety and several exclusive on-site perks for tournament players. In past tournaments, WSOP players were limited to $10,000 per transaction and had to complete a lengthy approval process, often resulting in frequent cash deposits. Now, those using the EDGE Boost card through PayPal checkout can bypass traditional credit card verification. They can also make entries up to $250,000, which eliminates the need to carry large sums of cash at the event and increases security measures.

The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – June 30-July 6 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Zimpler introduces ID+: A next-gen identification layer for digital payments

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Zimpler, a leading Swedish company in Pay-by-bank solutions, today announced the launch of Zimpler ID+, a new identity layer designed to simplify compliance and accelerate user conversion within digital payment environments. By embedding biometric identification and regulatory checks directly into the first user interaction, Zimpler ID+ reduces friction in sectors with complex onboarding requirements.

“Zimpler ID+ gives our partners a direct path to compliance and conversion – cutting onboarding time, reducing drop-offs, and removing the need to build identity infrastructure in-house,” said Tobias Gunnesson, Chief Product Officer at Zimpler.

“While most verification flows still rely solely on deposit-based triggers or cookie tracking, we’re the first to enable verification at the point of entry – meeting compliance head-on and delivering a better user experience from the start.”

Purpose-built for highly regulated digital environments

Zimpler ID+ serves industries where compliance is critical and abandonment rates are costly, such as iGaming and financial services. It ensures users are verified from the start, without requiring deposits or post-registration identity checks.

Key features include:

  • Quick onboarding: Verification and collection of KYC data takes place at the first point of contact, not only at the point of payment
  • Seamless return user experience: Returning users can identify with biometric technology and are recognized with the help of cookies
  • Works even without cookies: If cookies are unavailable, the user can easily identify themselves using a passkey
  • Built-in compliance: Regulatory assurance at every step of the customer journey

By functioning as a unified identity layer from sign-up through repeat visits, Zimpler ID+ helps businesses minimize onboarding churn and maximize regulatory confidence.

Solving identification friction at scale

The launch of Zimpler ID+ comes as businesses across Europe face rising pressure to improve digital onboarding while maintaining regulatory standards. National ID systems remain foundational – but they weren’t built to optimize every business touchpoint.

Zimpler ID+ complements these systems by offering operators a plug-in layer of biometric identification and gathering of KYC information tailored to business needs. It removes the need for deposit triggers, repeated logins, or re-verification after a device change.

“With Zimpler ID+, we’re introducing a flexible approach that gives businesses more control over identity flows – without compromising security or relying solely on external systems” said Gunnesson.

Product availability

Zimpler ID+ is now available as a value-added service to select partners in Finland, with more markets to be added in the future.

By embedding advanced onboarding capabilities directly into its existing infrastructure, Zimpler expects ID+ to strengthen customer retention and enhance platform value across regulated sectors for years to come.

The post Zimpler introduces ID+: A next-gen identification layer for digital payments appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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