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House of Lords Questions UK Gambling Commission
A House of Lords select committee has questioned the members of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) during a hearing researching “the social and economic impact” on the country.
The hearing put Neil McArthur, the chief executive of the UKGC, and Bill Moyes, the agency’s chairman, on the hot seat. The two were asked about specific details on how the gambling industry was being run and how the regulatory agency has been involved in regulating the gambling industry within the country.
Committee leader Lord Garde of Yarmouth began the questioning, asking questions about the 2005 Gambling Act. The committee leader wanted to know if the law now sufficiently serves its purpose, especially in light of how the gambling industry has grown within the UK.
Moyes agreed that the Gambling Act may be antiquated and has deficiencies, but stated that the legislation still meets its core objectives and that it will “remain broadly relevant in making sure that gambling is safe and fair, vulnerable people are protected and at stopping crime getting a hold on gambling.”
McArthur pointed out that the agency is focused on maintaining consistency in how it operates and regulates the gambling industry. He frequently pointed to “constant touchpoints,” specific markers that he believes are necessary to prevent harm related to the gambling industry, as well as in stopping crime while ensuring that gambling is conducted in a safe and legal manner.
During the appearance, McArthur continually touched on the point of consistency, addressing the need to “balance the consumer choice of an industry in which 24 million people gamble in the U.K., against the fact that gambling harm is a problem for a significant number of people, 340,000 according to our latest statistics with a further 5 million marked as vulnerable.”
The committee focused on questions related to media skepticism of how the UKGC has been governing the industry. They highlighted specific instances of gambling problems and how the committee has been criticised for being much more “reactive rather than pro-active” in their actions.
“The Strategy has been a much tougher approach to compliance and enforcement. This was deliberate at changing the behavior of operators since we had seen too many instances of failures being repeated,” McArthur said.
MGA Games has launched a new video slot, Pharaoh’s Mystery, for the .com market on April 29. The game will also be released in Spain under the name Misterio del Faraón.
Pharaoh’s Mystery runs a 5×3 reel layout with 25 paylines. MGA Games said the game supports bets from €0.25 up to €25 and carries a top prize of €125,000.
The slot includes five special symbols: Wild, Scatter, Money, Collect, and Accumulative. It also features a Buy Free Spins option, enabling players to access bonus rounds directly.
MGA Games said the title includes a Super Respin mechanic that triggers at the end of the Free Spins screen, positioning it as a retention-focused release designed to increase engagement and average ticket for operators.
The post MGA Games launches Pharaoh’s Mystery slot with Super Respin feature appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
PointsBet Canada has launched a new iCasino aggregation and bonusing platform supplied by Bede Gaming, rolling the solution into its live player environment in Ontario.
The operator said it selected Bede following a competitive process to add external content aggregation and player engagement capabilities for the regulated Canadian iGaming market. PointsBet Canada runs pointsbet.ca on a proprietary platform originally developed by its Australian-based parent company.
Bede’s open-API aggregation platform gives PointsBet Canada access to a broader casino catalogue, with the supplier naming Games Global, Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO and Light & Wonder among the available content providers.
PointsBet Canada said the platform will support its casino strategy through promotion management and campaign tooling, including “advanced campaign workflows, and automated player lifecycle segmentation.” Bede also said it will provide “a reliable infrastructure with 99.99% uptime, and 24/7 monitoring from its Network Operations Centre.”
“Our strategy emphasizes delivering outstanding digital content that creates exceptional player engagement,” said Scott Vanderwel, Chief Executive Officer of PointsBet Canada. “I’m excited by the innovative tools we now have available with Bede. This partnership positions us strongly in Ontario and prepares us for future growth across additional Canadian markets.”
Bede said the deal is multi-year and includes a roadmap for potential future provincial launches, “including Alberta, as new regulated markets emerge in Canada.”
The post PointsBet Canada rolls out Bede Gaming aggregation and bonusing platform appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
PointsBet Canada has now launched its new casino aggregation and bonusing platform with Bede Gaming, following a competitive selection process.
The new solution through Bede Gaming has now been successfully launched into the live PointsBet Canada player environment, enabling an expansive library of new, engaging content for its users. The open-API aggregation platform notably provides the operator with access to a robust casino catalogue that includes Games Global, Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, Light & Wonder, and others.
This partnership will strengthen PointsBet Canada’s casino strategy by enabling more competitive player acquisition and improved long-term retention through an enhanced user experience. Bede’s comprehensive content catalogue and engagement toolkit offer greater configurability and flexibility in promotion management, advanced campaign workflows, and automated player lifecycle segmentation.
Bede will also deliver operational stability and efficiency through proven support processes, a reliable infrastructure with 99.99% uptime, and 24/7 monitoring from its Network Operations Centre.
“Our strategy emphasizes delivering outstanding digital content that creates exceptional player engagement,” said Scott Vanderwel, Chief Executive Officer of PointsBet Canada. “I’m excited by the innovative tools we now have available with Bede. This partnership positions us strongly in Ontario and prepares us for future growth across additional Canadian markets.”
In addition to Bede powering PointsBet’s iCasino offering in Ontario, the new multi-year agreement expands Bede’s international portfolio and establishes a shared roadmap for future provincial launches, including Alberta, as new regulated markets emerge in Canada.
“We are thrilled to partner with the PointsBet Canada team, and eager to support their ambitious goals in Canada,” said Colin Cole-Johnson, Bede Chief Executive Officer. “Our Partnership Model means that we mobilise to support the strategies of our customers, and we’re thrilled to already be demonstrating this through the successful launch of this new casino solution. Bede remains committed to providing stable, secure and pioneering technical solutions to the North American regulated gaming markets.”
The post PointsBet Canada and Bede Gaming Launch New iCasino Partnership appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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