Compliance Updates
MGA Marks Safer Gambling Week by Hosting Focus Group on Addressing Problem Gambling
As part of Safer Gambling Week, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has launched the first in a series of focus groups aimed at addressing problem gambling and its effects on Maltese communities.
Bringing together key stakeholders such as Caritas Malta, Aġenzija Sedqa, the OASI Foundation and the Responsible Gaming Foundation, the session explored a self-assessment tool that the Authority is currently developing, grounded in recent research and industry trends.
The self-assessment tool, which will be available both in English and in Maltese, will guide individuals through a set of questions to help them identify whether gambling is causing harm in their lives. Based on the user’s responses, the tool will provide personalised recommendations and direct them to appropriate support services.
With invaluable input from organisations experienced in supporting individuals affected by problem gambling, the tool will undergo further refinement to maximise its effectiveness and relevance.
Clinical Chair at Aġenzija Sedqa, Anna Maria Vella, hailed the focus group as a “welcome initiative” which brought together a multidisciplinary team of experts.
“Working together and not in silos is always beneficial. We learn from each other to be more effective.”
Louis Bellizzi, Secretary of Caritas’ Foundation for Victims of Usury, said: “The MGA is in a unique position to coordinate the national effort to help alleviate the scourge of gambling addictions.”
In recent years, the Authority has taken significant steps to promote safer gambling practices, ranging from regular supervisory reviews on responsible gambling to enforcing stricter regulations.
The MGA closely monitors operators’ implementation of behavioural monitoring systems, self-exclusion systems and responsible marketing practices.
With a focus on high-risk areas, the Authority is refining its supervisory approach to be more dynamic and data-driven, ensuring responsible gambling practices are maintained and continuously improved to protect players effectively.
The MGA’s efforts align closely with the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA)’s initiative to establish a unified European standard for identifying markers of harm. The MGA is actively engaged in this initiative, working closely with fellow regulators and industry experts to create a comprehensive standard aimed at early identification of behaviours indicative of problem gambling.
The Authority’s proactive involvement in such initiatives underscores its dedication to fostering a responsible and transparent gaming sector, both locally and across Europe.
The post MGA Marks Safer Gambling Week by Hosting Focus Group on Addressing Problem Gambling appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Serbia’s Zeleno-Levi Front (ZLF/Green-Left Front), a local green political party, is advocating for a total ban on gambling ads in the country. According to its representatives, banning all ads would be the most surefire way to protect the public from gambling harm.
The ZLF just organised the Games of Chance, Games with the Health of Citizens (Igre na sreću, igre sa zdravljem građana) forum, scrutinising the gaming industry and its negative consequences. During the forum, representatives slammed the government’s recent proposal to limit gambling ads, saying that this wouldn’t be enough.
For context, the government recently proposed a ban on gambling ads featuring prominent celebrities, mirroring similar measures in other regulated markets. For context, Serbian law currently allows professional athletes to advertise betting products, to safer gambling advocates’ dismay.
The ZLF, however, believes that its total ban would be the most effective way to minimise potential harm. During the forum, National Assembly member Biljana Đorđević noted that the ZLF had submitted a ban proposal in March but regretted that the government had not responded to the proposal or discussed the matter.
Đorđević suggested that Minister of Internal and External Trade Tomislav Momirović has been avoiding the discussion. Momirović, for context, has previously suggested reducing the visibility of gambling ads by prohibiting ads on billboards on busier roads and streets.
Echoing arguments and concerns raised in other regulated markets, Đorđević said that having celebrities promote gambling exposed children to potential danger. Since younger audiences are more easily affected by marketing, this could cause them to associate betting as a normal part of sports.
ZLF MP Marina Mijatović repeated these claims, saying that the government has so far done a bad job at protecting minors from negative exposure to gambling. While Mijatović acknowledged that Serbia cannot prohibit gambling, she noted that the ads do not need to be so eye-catching and appealing.
The post Serbia’s ZLF Urges Total Ban on Gambling Ads appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has become the first laboratory to achieve accreditation in Maranhão, Brazil. The accreditation allows GLI to perform tests and certification for the gambling and lottery industry interested in working with lottery and fixed-odds betting operators in the state of Maranhão.
The milestone is the latest in a series of regulatory achievements for GLI in Brazil. Lottery of the State of Maranhão is the third jurisdiction in Brazil to accredit laboratories, and GLI is accredited in all and the first to be authorized in all.
Cassiano Pereira Junior, president of Maranhão Parcerias (Mapa), highlighted the importance of the partnership between the Maranhão State Lottery (Lotema) and GLI. “Every day we strive to make Lotema even better, providing greater security for its users. The partnership with GLI is a concrete way of achieving this goal, as its certification laboratories play an important role for the gaming and lottery industry, guaranteeing the conformity, security, and integrity of the products and systems used by Lotema,” Cassiano explained.
“We are grateful to the Lottery of the State of Maranhão for granting GLI the laboratory accreditation, becoming the first to be authorized in Maranhão. It is extremely gratifying to see how Lotema empower themselves by trusting the technical compliance process to provide transparency, integrity, and accountability to all the industry stakeholders through the certification process. The laboratory accreditation is the first step for a successful implementation of the certification based on jurisdictional standards, and the reason why we at GLI take this step very seriously and with great priority every time a new jurisdiction opens. We feel responsible for being part of the solution towards a fast and efficient implementation of regulations, thus supporting further local industry development and sustainable growth. We are grateful to Lotema and excited to be part of its thriving industry,” said Karen Sierra-Hughes, Vice President of Latin America, Caribbean, and Spain.
GLI has been working with regulators, lotteries, and industry stakeholders across the Latin American and Caribbean region for more than 26 years in their efforts toward regulation, sustainable growth, and eradicating illegal gaming. In Brazil, GLI has been side by side with government entities and all industry stakeholders for nearly 20 years, participating in public hearings in the Senate, Chamber of Deputies, and State government level, and in recent years, adding strategic local representation to strengthen their local support.
Kaizen Gaming Colombia, owner of the Betano.co brand, was authorized by Coljuegos to operate online betting in the country. With this new operator, there are now 16 web platforms that have the approval of the entity to market games of chance online.
“We continue to strengthen the online gaming industry. We hope that, with the entry of this new operator, we can continue to increase transfers for the health of Colombians. At this time, the platform is already operating for the betting public,” said Marco Emilio Hincapié, president of Coljuegos.
The entity is also in the process of authorizing an additional operator called Bingo Casino, which is expected to begin offering bets in the coming weeks.
It is worth mentioning that, by 2024, it is estimated that online betting portals will pay around $419,527 million to Coljuegos for exploitation rights, which represents an increase of 31% compared to the same period in 2023. All of these resources are transferred to the health system.
“We are seeing that online betting is a sector of the economy that has driven the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. That is why we are working to make the market even more attractive and to provide more options to bettors,” said the president.
According to financial projections, this new operator is expected to pay Coljuegos around $21.513 billion over the next five years for operating rights and administration costs, resources that can be transferred to subsidize health and scientific research.
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