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Our UKGC consultation response: Failing to protect the vulnerable should not be the White Paper’s legacy

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The dust has settled and the process is complete. The consultation on the proposed changes outlined in the UK Gambling White Paper is closed so now we just have to wait and see. Whilst we do so, we thought that in the spirit of transparency, we would share our own thoughts, more or less as they were communicated in our consultation response to the UK Gambling Commision.

Offering a real-time customer risk profiling tool, ClearStake’s focus was obviously on affordability checks. But then, much of the industry’s attention has been on this topic over the last few months. This is, to our mind, the single most important challenge facing the sector. Addressing it in the right way, a way that protects both punters and operators, will be the key to a sustainable, profitable future.

And with that goal uppermost in our mind, here is what we said:

1. Affordability checks must use real financial data

Certainly at the levels of spend proposed as meriting more thorough checks (£1,000 in a day or £2,000 over the space of three months), we don’t believe there is any real substitute for real financial data, by which we mean bank data. There is simply no other way of establishing whether a player can afford to lose this amount of money or not. Everything else – including data from credit reference agencies – is guesswork. We believe that the single greatest mistake that could be made during this process is not solving the problem of financial harm caused by gambling. That won’t be an issue if the government requires decisions to be made by operators in possession of a proper financial picture of their customers.

2. We can solve two problems at once

The consultation focused on affordability checks, but it would be almost perverse to ignore the wider reality at play here. Operators also have to perform anti money-laundering and source-of-funds (SOF) checks on their customers, and they do so by looking at bank statements. Given this is the case, it makes a lot of sense to us to effectively combine both these requirements within a single check.

3. At higher spend levels, it makes sense to keep customers connected

There has been a lot of talk about how frequently checks should take place, or to put that another way, whether it should be necessary to go back to a customer within six months or a year if they have already passed a check. To us, this rather misses the opportunity presented by Open Banking in particular. After the first check, assuming the player allows it, any checks in future can be entirely frictionless. The connection can remain in place and used when necessary (and only when necessary!) in order to make the ongoing compliance relationship as smooth as possible. We don’t expect ongoing connection to be mandated, but it should certainly be held up as best practice for all concerned.

4. Some of the proposed data points make little sense

When a solution that takes guesswork out of the equation is available, does it really make sense to suggest that postcodes and job titles are meaningful ways to determine an individual’s financial situation? We don’t think so. We believe that continuing to ‘lean in’ to data like this gives a misleading impression that it is good enough. It isn’t. Even as part of a broader decision-making process, it is very difficult to see where some of these data points fit in. You could say the same, of course, about missed loan repayments from three years ago.

5. The solution exists – why cobble together a new one?

Hovering behind the entire consultation process appears to be a not-quite-defined ‘solution’ to the affordability challenge. This is apparent in the various hints towards the use of CATO data (let’s just say it, even if the Commission aren’t willing to) and a hodge-podge of random data points in order to make affordability decisions, as part of a system that would have to be piloted in order to ensure a) it works and b) it doesn’t create data security issues.

Leaving aside the absurdity of asking us to judge the merits of an approach that hasn’t actually been defined, we would simply point out that in Open Banking, a solution to this challenge already exists. One that is already used by over 7 million people in the UK, by most UK operators to handle payments, and already used to handle affordability and SOF checks by forward-thinking operators. Why on earth are we re-inventing the wheel?

So there you have it. That’s what we told the consultation, albeit in language a little less colourful. I hope they listen.

BetGuard

The blueprint for North American scalability

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The Mill Adventure’s CCO, Bjørnar Heggernes, looks at how operators in North America can adopt a compliance-first, technology-driven approach to turn complex challenges into long-term growth.

North America presents one of the most potentially lucrative, yet structurally complex, opportunities in the global industry. Those looking to enter the region are presented with a highly fragmented map of state-by-state and province-by-province regulations, where crossing a border often means navigating an entirely new set of rules.

Considering Ontario, the regulated market earlier this year reported impressive 26% year-on-year growth, with total sports betting and online casino wagers approaching the $100 billion mark. However, succeeding in a market of that scale requires a grounded, knowledge-based perspective on where the real barriers to entry lie. Market access for an operator is one crucial element, but sustainable growth depends on aligning technology, operations, and compliance into a foundation built to scale efficiently from the start.

At The Mill Adventure, we don’t view our recent GLI-19 certification as a standalone announcement or a surface-level achievement. Instead, we see it as a foundational milestone that underpins our approach to North American expansion.

For operators, the true value of an advanced, certified platform lies in what it enables: the ability to operate across multiple regulated environments under a unified, consistent compliance framework. Moving into a new jurisdiction should not mean a full operational rebuild or adding complex layers on top of each other. When compliance is embedded at the platform level as a core pillar, it becomes easier to adapt at speed and with less risk. Market entry is then a question of readiness, not reinvention.

This core strength and adaptability unlock long-term scalability, allowing operators to execute a broader strategy with the confidence that the foundational technology is compliant from the outset.

From certification to operational readiness

Beyond the technical specifications of GLI-19, the operational essentials that shape launch readiness demand equal focus. Our experience tells us that compliance-first architecture is about meeting the day-to-day challenges, not simply passing an initial audit.

Robust infrastructure must handle complex regulatory reporting requirements and rigorous, ongoing certification and licensing processes. The platform remains the backbone of a compliant offering, supported by the necessary seamless integration of third-party services. In Ontario and other North American jurisdictions, this goes beyond core controls such as session limits and identity checks for KYC, which need to be embedded to meet market requirements. It extends to integrations with player protection systems such as BetGuard, Ontario’s self-exclusion system requiring real-time syncing and seamless verification, geolocation precision, and system traceability when it comes to data storage and audit trails.

As well as compliance, operators also need to consider how platform technology can support a stronger launch and gain maximum impact from day one. This requires platform providers to offer complete readiness in terms of infrastructure, careful coordination with third-party suppliers, and comprehensive go-live planning. Get this process right and operators can reduce friction, allowing them to focus more firmly on growth.

Compliance beyond Ontario

A rigorous approach to operational readiness sets the stage for our upcoming operator launch in Ontario. Building on the supplier license already secured in the province and our recent GLI-19 certification, the launch will put our North American entry strategy into practice in one of the region’s most demanding regulated markets. Successfully deploying our platform will demonstrate how our technology supports the operational and technical realities of compliance across the region.

That said, receiving AGCO approval to provide our full-service player account management platform, achieving the GLI-19 standard and entering Ontario are not the finish line for us. In this sector, compliance is an ongoing evolution rather than a static destination, and our roadmap reflects that reality. GLI-33 certification forms the next natural step in our platform’s continued development. As the convergence of casino and sports betting continues to define the player experience, pursuing GLI-33 is a key part of our ongoing investment in anticipating where regulation is heading, not just responding to it.

The fragmented nature of North America will continue to challenge operators, but it will reward those who build on the right foundation. By prioritizing a technology-driven, compliance-first approach to platform provision, The Mill Adventure is delivering the consistency, stability, and repeatability that operators need to scale sustainably.

The post The blueprint for North American scalability appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Pernambuco court revokes Spribe’s interim relief in Aviator trademark dispute

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TJPE cites a Brasília federal ruling that suspended the legal effects of Spribe’s AVIATOR registration and barred exclusivity claims during nullity proceedings.

The Court of Justice of Pernambuco (TJPE) has revoked preliminary appellate relief previously granted to Spribe OÜ in litigation over the AVIATOR trademark in Brazil.

In a monocratic decision, Justice Andrea Epaminondas Tenorio de Brito held that the factual and legal basis for the earlier injunction no longer exists. The court pointed to a subsequent decision by the Federal Court in Brasília that provisionally suspended the legal effects of Spribe’s Brazilian AVIATOR trademark registration and ordered Spribe to refrain from asserting exclusivity based on that registration while federal nullity proceedings are ongoing.

TJPE said its earlier relief relied on the presumption that Spribe’s trademark registration before Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) was fully valid and enforceable. With the federal court suspending the registration’s effects, the Pernambuco court found the underlying circumstances had materially changed.

The court cited Article 296 of the Brazilian Code of Civil Procedure as the basis for revoking the preliminary relief in light of the changed legal situation.

The post Pernambuco court revokes Spribe’s interim relief in Aviator trademark dispute appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Pernambuco court revokes Spribe interim relief in AVIATOR trademark dispute

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The Court of Justice of Pernambuco (TJPE) has revoked preliminary appellate relief previously granted to Spribe OÜ in ongoing litigation over the use of the AVIATOR trademark in Brazil, citing a change in the legal circumstances supporting the earlier decision.

In a monocratic decision, Justice Andrea Epaminondas Tenorio de Brito concluded that the factual and legal basis for the prior injunction no longer exists. The ruling follows a decision by the Federal Court in Brasília that provisionally suspended the legal effects of Spribe’s Brazilian AVIATOR trademark registration.

According to the press release, the federal court also ordered Spribe to refrain from asserting exclusivity based on that registration until the federal nullity proceedings are resolved.

TJPE said its earlier decision had relied on the presumption that Spribe’s trademark registration with the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) was fully valid and enforceable. With the federal court now suspending the legal effects of that registration, the Pernambuco court held that the foundation for interim relief had materially changed, prompting revocation under Article 296 of the Brazilian Code of Civil Procedure.

The post Pernambuco court revokes Spribe interim relief in AVIATOR trademark dispute appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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