Playtech, a top-tier gambling technology firm, is the first to earn GamCare’s new accreditation for responsible gaming. This demonstrates their dedication to prioritizing customer safety.

GamCare, the UK’s leading organization for problem gambling, has developed a new benchmark for responsible gaming. Playtech is the inaugural company to receive this certification. The standard evaluates how businesses safeguard customers from gambling-related harm.

Playtech was granted the certification for its casino products and platforms in the UK. GamCare commended Playtech’s new “Sustainable Success” strategy and its external stakeholder advisory board as models of responsible gambling.

Playtechs secure gambling and conformity technology, instruments, services, and resolutions, in conjunction with the BetBuddy integration, provide a spectrum of answers for the sector. This also underscores “Playtech Protect.”

The accreditation process involved a comprehensive examination of Playtechs operations, concentrating on the company-wide culture and executive backing for safe gambling, as well as how product teams incorporate safe gambling into product design and development.

“Through our industry-leading goods and services, we have been working closely with our licensees to help elevate the industry standard for responsible business and secure gambling,” stated Richard Bayliss, Senior Regulatory Affairs and Compliance Manager at Playtech. “Since 2018, we have amplified our strategic focus on achieving our commitment to sustainable success through collaboration with academia, charities, and thought leaders both within and beyond the industry.”

“We are very proud to be the first B2B company to attain GamCare’s B2B Safe Gambling Certification, and we are thrilled that GamCare has acknowledged our endeavors to place safe gambling at the core of everything we do.

“We understand that we must continue to challenge ourselves, collaborate with others, and identify and develop new goods and resolutions to meet the requirements of our clients, licensees, and regulators.”

Playtech has achieved a Level 2 Advanced certification in GamCares’ B2B Standards 3 for its UK-licensed casino products and platform operations, according to Hayley Jane Smith, Head of Safer Gambling Standards at GamCares. This recognition signifies Playtech’s robust commitment to enhancing safer gambling practices within the products they provide to gambling operators.

A comprehensive assessment of Playtech’s governance, product design, innovation, and staff training was conducted to evaluate their dedication to safer gambling. This included interviews with staff and management at various levels. GamCares is enthusiastic about continuing its collaboration with Playtech to further refine their safer gambling strategy and assess their other B2B business operations.

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The UKs Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has instructed Ladbrokes to remove its advertisements once more. The reason? The ads were deemed too attractive to individuals under the age of eighteen.

The advertisements, which were tweets promoting the company, showcased several Premier League managers. The ASA asserted that the ads were likely to allure those under eighteen due to the widespread popularity of the Premier League.

This marks the second time this month that Ladbrokes has been directed to take down its ads because they were deemed too enticing to those under eighteen.

The initial tweet Ladbrokes disseminated featured two images of Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle United. The subsequent tweet showcased four managers from the league at the time: David Moyes, Frank Lampard, Brendan Rodgers, and Gary O’Neil.

Ladbrokes defended the tweets, claiming that the first one was intended as editorial content celebrating Eddie Howe’s achievements as a manager. To bolster this assertion, Ladbrokes highlighted that the post did not include any call to action, promotional offers, or links to the betting operator’s website.

Ladbrokes also maintained that it had an age gate on its feed to prevent individuals under eighteen from viewing the content. The company further stated that it had implemented additional measures to ensure that the ads were targeted at individuals over twenty-five years of age.

Ladbrokes argued that utilizing Hoy’s likeness was improbable to attract young people due to his limited online presence and the fact that he spent the majority of his career in lesser leagues.

Nevertheless, the betting firm confessed to the mistake in the second tweet. Ladbrokes stated they “unintentionally” violated their policies and typical procedures by incorporating the manager’s image. Consequently, the company indicated they had taken measures to guarantee future advertisements adhere to advertising regulations.

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) raised concerns regarding Ladbrokes’ promotions.

Despite Ladbrokes’ defense, the ASA determined to uphold the complaint against Ladbrokes. Although the self-governing organization stated it had considered the arguments presented by the company, it ultimately declared they did not overturn its evaluation that the advertisements were likely to appeal to young people.

The ASA recognized that the advertisements could have appeared in media that entirely excluded minors. However, the age restrictions and targeted advertising used by Ladbrokes did not meet this standard.

“For these reasons, we conclude that the promotions were irresponsible and violated the code,” the ASA stated.

Jumpman advertisements also prohibited by ASA
Advertisements from online bingo operator Jumpman Gaming were also removed by the standards body. The operator was discovered to have violated the code in terms of its call to action on web browsers.

When individuals access a new web page, a camera symbol and the phrase “Hey! Return” show up on the tab.

Jumpman asserts that the notification is intended to remind patrons that the website hasn’t been shut down. However, the ASA disagrees with this assertion and concludes that the notification could be perceived as promoting reckless gambling habits.

Consequently, the ASA declares that the advertisement might encourage “conduct that could result in financial, social or emotional damage, exploiting the weaknesses of susceptible groups, and is therefore irresponsible and violates the code.”

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## Golden Matrix Gets the Green Light for Nasdaq Listing – Leadership – iGB

The virtual sports and gaming company Golden Matrix has been given the go-ahead to list its ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Stock Market in the United States.

**Golden Matrix Gets the Green Light for Nasdaq Listing**

The approval was granted on March 16th, and the provider stated it anticipates its stock to commence trading on Nasdaq on March 17th.

Golden Matrix’s ordinary shares will trade under the ticker symbol “GMGI”.

The listing approval comes after Golden Matrix earlier this month announced record quarterly earnings of $8.6 million (£6.5 million/€7.8 million) for the three months ending January 31, 2022.

This record number signifies a 345.0% increase compared to the same period last year.

A significant portion of the revenue growth is attributed to the provider’s acquisition of UK-based competition brand RKings, which contributed $5.5 million to total earnings following its acquisition in November 2021.

An additional $235,246 in revenue came from associated interest.

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## UK General Election: Tory Party – iGB

This week, iGamingBusiness.com will examine the gambling pledges of the leading UK political parties. We’ve consulted with a group of industry specialists to gather their perspectives on campaign promises that directly target gambling or could affect the sector. We’ll begin this three-part series with the Conservative Party’s policies.

**Home > Casino & Gaming > UK General Election: Conservative Party**

**UK General Election: Conservative Party**
This week, iGamingBusiness.com will examine the gambling pledges of the leading UK political parties. We’ve consulted with a group of industry specialists to gather their perspectives on campaign promises that directly target gambling or could affect the sector. We’ll begin this three-part series with the Conservative Party’s policies.

This is not a voting guide – there are numerous factors that determine who each individual supports, far beyond gambling. iGB will not take a position on which party should win a majority on December 12th, but aims to provide insights into key experts and prominent figures’ views on the policies of each party.

The manifesto states:
**Gambling Regulations**

Gambling laws are increasingly outdated in the digital age, given the development of the internet.

Well scrutinize it, concentrating on tackling loot boxes and credit card misuse.

We’re dedicated to combating gambling dependency and consider it a significant public health concern.

We’ll continue to take steps to address gambling addiction.

Business Transformations

We’ll stimulate the UK’s economic expansion by drawing in aspiring business owners. Our start-up visa and new regulations for exceptional talent will guarantee we can attract future entrepreneurs who desire to establish businesses in the UK.

Thriving High Streets: We’ll reduce taxes for small retail enterprises, as well as local music venues, pubs, and movie theaters.

We’ll support business expansion by investing in infrastructure and abilities. Our infrastructure upgrade plans will simplify operations for businesses – transporting goods across the nation and connecting with customers worldwide with gigabit broadband. Our new £3 billion National Skills Fund, alongside other substantial investments in skills and training, and our reforms to high-skilled immigration, will ensure that businesses can locate and hire the staff they require.

However, we also aim to address other everyday obstacles they encounter.

We’ll lessen the tax burden on businesses by lowering business rates. This will be accomplished through a fundamental evaluation of the system. As an initial step, we’ll further reduce business rates for retail businesses and extend the discount to grassroots music venues, small cinemas, and pubs. This signifies safeguarding your high streets and communities from excessive tax increases and maintaining vibrant town centers.

Boosting employment aid for small enterprises and lowering tax burdens for half a million small businesses are key priorities.

We are dedicated to bolstering nascent and small businesses through government procurement and timely payment practices. We will also take a stricter stance on delayed payments and empower the Small Business Commissioner to better assist small businesses facing exploitation by large partners.

Certain initiatives have already yielded positive results, but further advancements are necessary, such as the R&D tax credit. We aim to raise the tax credit rate to thirteen percent and re-evaluate the definition of R&D to incentivize crucial investments in cloud computing and data that enhance productivity and innovation.

It is crucial to acknowledge that some measures have not fully attained their objectives. Consequently, we will undertake a comprehensive review and reform of the entrepreneur tax cut.

How iGB chronicled the manifesto unveiling.

Industry expert perspectives on the manifesto:

General sentiments regarding the manifesto

Duncan Garvie, thePOGG (DG): The Conservative manifesto offered minimal commitments to the gambling market. While expressing some dissatisfaction with the 2005 Gambling Act, it merely stated that the Act would “be reviewed” and highlighted two areas currently being addressed by the Gambling Commission.

These commitments barely caused a ripple and may not necessitate any changes that haven’t already been implemented.

The Tories are scrambling to catch up on their stance on betting, attempting to outshine their rivals despite their lengthy tenure in power. Their platform centers on loot boxes and credit card transactions, issues already being tackled by the Gambling Commission. They’ve also pledged to reassess gambling regulations.

It’s intriguing that the Conservatives are emulating Nordic policies, renowned for their stringent approach to wagering. There’s a feeling that they’re aiming to crack down on the murky side of the industry, with more penalties and levies anticipated. But this could have unintended consequences, potentially leading to a decline in gambling income.

The Labour Party, on the other hand, is still struggling to gain momentum. However, they have more astute advisors and connections to major gambling corporations. This means that while they’ll initially focus on appealing to the masses, they’re likely to shift towards supporting online gambling regulations in the long term.

Reducing corporate levies, while – in a surprising twist that would leave Farage speechless during his political maneuver at La Belle Marache – providing more advantageous tax regulations for highly skilled foreign workers in the finance, business, and gaming sectors.

Over the coming decade, Britain will progressively regain the gambling enterprises lost during the Great Gibraltar relocation, coinciding with the gradual but steady decline of the Maltese gambling industry following its recent ethical turmoil. Through this approach, Britain will evolve into a remote gambling center, drawing in near-shore American gambling behemoths who find Delaware too proximate and the Cayman Islands too perilous and uncomfortable.

DG: Having said that, while the Conservatives essentially endorse the current state of affairs in their direct policies on gambling, they remain the sole party that still actively considers a no-deal Brexit a feasible option. If Brexit results in the economic adversity that numerous experts anticipate, maintaining the current state of affairs in terms of policy could still lead to a more substantial alteration in operators’ financial outcomes compared to those advocating for more significant policy adjustments.

DW: The paramount aspect here is not so much what was stated (which is largely derivative), but who uttered it. The fact that Health Secretary Matt Hancock, rather than the DCMS, spearheaded this endeavor should be a serious cause for concern.

An increasing amount of advocacy organizations are demanding that gambling regulations be transferred from the cultural ministry to the health ministry. Should this transition occur, we could potentially find ourselves on a trajectory towards prohibition (or at least something that resembles it).

Primary image: Wikimedia Commons

The second section delves into the Labour party’s platform.

The third section provides a detailed analysis of the Scottish National Party and Liberal Democrat policies.

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## Novo Interactive Welcomes Hentsgen to Leadership Group – Staff Updates – iGB

Löwen Entertainment’s subsidiary Novo Interactive has brought on Dr. Daniel Hentsgen as part of its leadership team.

Hentsgen will oversee Novo Interactive’s marketing, political affairs, and communications, while continuing his management responsibilities at Löwen Entertainment.

He will join the leadership group, comprising Oliver Bagus and Jürgen Issigler, starting July 1st.

“I am humbled to be named to the Novo Interactive leadership team, which reflects the confidence placed in me,” stated Hentsgen. “This inspires me to grasp the opportunities presented by the legalization of online gambling for our company group.

“With Novoline, we are crafting a product that transfers our land-based gaming strengths to the digital realm: thrilling games.”

Christian Arras, President and CEO of Löwen Entertainment, added: “Entering the online gambling market and further developing it is a significant challenge for us in the years to come. We are pleased to be able to depend on Dr. Daniel Hentsgen and his expertise in political and communication areas.”

Hentsgen recently criticized Germany’s new gambling interstate agreement, accusing the government of overlooking gamblers and gaming providers.

Spains digital gambling earnings saw a modest increase in the final quarter, reaching €315.3 million (£269.8 million/$342.0 million). This represents a slight rise compared to the same period in the previous year and the preceding quarter. The total amount deposited by players also experienced an upward trend.

The overall gambling revenue in the fourth quarter showed a 0.6% increase compared to the same period in 2022. This figure also surpasses the revenue generated in the third quarter of the current year by 3.6%.

Casinos emerged as the primary source of income in the final quarter. The segment’s total revenue reached €171.3 million, representing 54.3% of the total market revenue in Spain. The growth in the casino sector was fueled by a significant increase in slot machine revenue (25.9%) and live roulette revenue (15.3%).

Sports betting revenue reached €114.7 million, accounting for 36.4% of the total revenue. Poker revenue contributed €25.4 million, representing 8.1% of the total revenue. Poker tournaments experienced a slight decline of 0.5%, while cash poker games saw a 7.0% increase.

Bingo activities generated €3.8 million in revenue, accounting for 1.2% of all revenue, while competition revenue amounted to €50,000.

In terms of player spending, consumers deposited a total of €1.04 billion into their online gambling accounts in the fourth quarter. This represents a 9.4% increase compared to the same period in 2022.

The average monthly number of active gaming accounts was 1,269,585, reflecting a 6.8% year-on-year increase.

Although the average count of fresh gaming profiles dipped by 2.3% to 129,207, operator marketing efforts saw a surge.

Total expenditures for operator marketing campaigns in the final quarter reached €113 million, a 5.3% jump from the previous year. This allocation included €53 million for promotions, €45.2 million for advertising, €14 million for affiliate marketing, and €0.75 million for sponsorships.

At the end of the fourth quarter, Spain had 78 authorized operators. Of these, 49 provide casino games, 43 offer sports betting, 9 offer poker, 3 offer bingo, and 2 offer competitions.

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Latvias gaming industry experienced a resurgence in the third quarter, following a period of closure.

Gaming earnings in Latvia saw a significant increase from the second quarter to the third quarter, concluding on September 30th. However, these earnings remain below the levels observed in 2019.

The primary source of revenue was slot machines in casinos, although the revenue generated was considerably lower than the same period in the previous year. Table games, bingo, and betting establishments also contributed to revenue, but their contributions were less substantial than those of slot machines.

Online gambling also generated a considerable amount of revenue, although it was slightly lower than the previous year.

In summary, gambling revenue in Latvia for the initial nine months of 2020 was significantly lower than the corresponding period in the preceding year.

The gaming sector in this area produced €5 million in income, followed by €8.4 million from sports wagering.

Virtual card games, especially poker, witnessed a substantial rise in earnings, expanding by 54.0% to €466,493. The Lottery and Gaming Oversight Agency reported an extra €6.1 million in income from other sources.

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The Norwegian Department of Culture and Equality has provided an extra document to the discussion paper from September 21, 2021, to address privacy concerns about the proposition.

The Norwegian DNS blocking discussion will consider privacy concerns.
The initial discussion paper sent to the European Commission stated that Norwegian authorities would be allowed to implement DNS blocking of unlicensed gambling sites. This would be achieved by changing the country’s then-proposed Gambling Act, allowing Norway to put blocking orders into effect. Under current law, only the country’s government-owned businesses are permitted to broadcast online gambling to domestic customers.

The ministry now believes that the original discussion paper did not sufficiently consider the privacy implications of the change. The government agency said it concluded that the personal and communication protection aspects of the proposition “should be of worry,” and thus would be adding an extra document to the original proposition.

Privacy implications of Norwegian blocking orders
In the original discussion paper, the ministry proposed that internet providers – as part of DNS blocking – should redirect users to a landing page run by the Norwegian Lottery Authority (the country’s gambling regulator).

In spite of this, the administration, unlike web service providers, is not subject to Norway’s privacy rules. Proposing that users be rerouted to the organization’s server log-in page could unintentionally result in the capture of electronic tracks left by users, including details about IP address, access time, and browser kind.

Based on the Norwegian Data Protection Authority’s opinion on the 2021 consultation, this would conflict with the “data minimization” principle in the country’s data regulations.

“The department suggests that the log-in page should be owned and operated by web service providers, not by the Norwegian Lottery Authority, as initially proposed in the September 2021 consultation statement,” the supplement states. “If the log-in page is added to the web service provider’s server, personal information about users attempting to access the site will be blocked by DNS.”

Websites offering gambling will be blocked
Even though the initial consultation took place almost two years ago, during which time Norway has had two changes of administration, the government currently has no authority to prevent foreign websites from broadcasting unauthorized gambling to Norwegian citizens.

However, this situation may be about to change. According to Norwegian business news website E24, the country’s Minister of Culture will “do everything in his power” to support the proposal, and these websites will be blocked by DNS blocking orders from the New Year.

The Norwegian legislature, known as the Storting, is set to receive a proposition in November that could potentially legalize online gambling in Norway, effective January 1, 2024. To stay informed about developments, you can subscribe to the iGaming newsletter.

Illumination & Marvel (I&M) has declared intentions to purchase the remaining portion of SciPlay’s stock.

The firm, which currently possesses 83% of the social gaming enterprise, has presented a bid of $20 per share for the remaining publicly traded stock. I&M also controls 98% of SciPlay’s voting rights.

The transaction will place a valuation of $2.1 billion on SciPlay, which represents a 28.5% premium over SciPlay’s closing price on May 17, the final day of trading preceding the offer.

Should the acquisition be finalized, SciPlay will transition into a wholly owned subsidiary of I&M.

I&M stated that the agreement will integrate their operations, streamlining collaboration to bolster the group’s strategy across diverse platforms. I&M also asserted that merging their finances with SciPlay will grant them enhanced flexibility to allocate funds across the group, thereby augmenting shareholder value.

“This proposed transaction presents SciPlay’s public stockholders with a compelling blend of value, expediency, and certainty,” remarked Matthew Wilson, president and CEO of I&M, in a communication to the group’s board of directors.

Public stockholders of SciPlay will immediately get a cash bonus for their shares, enabling them to obtain liquidity and lessen their investment danger in a fluctuating and unpredictable market.

Wilson also mentioned that L&W will not perform due diligence and does not expect the deal to require regulatory approval or approval from L&W shareholders. He also stated that L&W does not need any outside financing to fully fund the transaction.

“Through our existing partnership with SciPlay, we believe this transaction will be operationally smooth, and we are excited to fully join forces with SciPlay’s skilled leadership team and employees to continue innovating for our customers and players,” he said.

SciPlay’s Progress in the Initial Quarter
Last week, L&W revealed that its revenue for the initial quarter of 2023 rose by 17.1% year-over-year, driven by record performance from its online gambling and SciPlay businesses.

L&W witnessed double-digit growth across all business segments in the quarter, with its gaming segment remaining its main source of income.

Revenue for the initial quarter was $670 million, up from $572 million in the same period last year. Gaming revenue reached $419 million, SciPlay revenue was $186 million, and online gambling revenue was $65 million.

L&W Listed on the ASX
Before announcing the news, L&W also received conditional approval to be listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) this week. L&W will be permitted to enter the ASX’s official listing as an ASX Foreign Exempt Listed Company.

L&Ws formal quotation for their board deposit interest (CDI) will commence on the 22nd of May. Each CDI will symbolize a fully paid standard share.

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Scientific Games is acquiring the PlayOn cashless gaming system from ACS.

Scientific Games will incorporate the PlayOn product line into its collection and rebrand it as AToM – Automated Teller Machine. The financial aspects of the agreement have not been disclosed.

The system enables players to use their cards to obtain funds for live table games without leaving their seats. Players can swipe their card, input their PIN, and receive money without incurring any charges.

Casino operators can also leverage AToM to obtain real-time financial data on all game-related transactions. This assists them in monitoring player behavior and identifying potential problem gambling.