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Casino Guru’s complaint data reveals scope of UK players gambling at unlicensed websites

Published

5 years ago

February 24, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Gambling Commission’s recent calls for evidence and views from the industry and the public regarding upcoming changes to Great Britain’s gambling regulation has seen a number of professionals emphasize the potential rise of black-market gambling as a consequence of tightening regulations.

These claims have been largely backed up by a PwC report, which estimates the number of UK online gamblers using unlicensed operators to have more than doubled from 2018 to 2020, from c.210,000 to c.460,000 gamblers.

Later on, UK gambling firms have been accused of exaggerating the scale of black-market gambling in an attempt to influence the GC’s decision to introduce tougher regulations. The GC’s chief executive Neil McArthur commented that the report delivered by PwC is not consistent with their intelligence picture and lacked any evidence to show an increase in illicit betting. He added that GC’s own evidence suggests that the impact may be being exaggerated.

Simon Vincze, Casino Guru’s Responsible Gambling Projects Manager, has been keeping up with the heated discussion taking place in British media and looked into their data on player complaints to get an idea about the scope of the issue: “I understand the need for regulation in the gambling market and its usefulness in keeping children and vulnerable players safe. It’s something I deeply believe in and work towards in my position as well. However, it didn’t seem right to me to just disregard the negative effects of tightening regulations altogether.”

Casino Guru operates a casino dispute mediation service, in which players can complain about any online casino if they feel to have been mistreated, regardless of its license, and get assisted for free. After looking into their data, Simon discovered 666 complaints submitted by players from the UK, of which 145 is about casinos with a license from GC and 521 is about casinos without it. This means that 78% of all complaints submitted by UK players have been about operators without a GC license.

“Of course, this doesn’t mean that 78% of UK players gamble at foreign websites. Because of the generally lower quality of service and reputation of these operators, it can be expected that these players will run into issues more often, resulting in a higher proportion of players submitting public complaints. However, it is also a clear sign that there are UK players gambling at casinos without a GC license, and that there is quite a lot of them,” Simon commented on this data.

He also compared the British situation to what has happened in Sweden: “When gambling regulations get more restrictive, an increased proportion of players usually start looking for unlicensed operators to avoid those regulations. Sweden is a great example of this, where 40% of casino players and 34% of sports betters gamble on unlicensed websites or would consider doing so in future, according to a study published back in April 2020. Taking a look at Google search data, there has been a major increase in Swedish players actively looking for unlicensed casinos since introducing the country’s gambling regulations with a strong focus on player safety.”

“With tighter regulations being introduced in Great Britain, the GC should be aware of the possibility of an increasing number of British punters actively looking for unlicensed sites in attempts to avoid the strict regulations. These players then gamble on foreign websites without the strict limits present at UK-licensed ones, ending up more susceptible to problematic gambling habits as a result of lower responsible gambling standards of some foreign operators, on top of other negative qualities that can be present at these websites.”

Data from the PwC report suggests that 4,5% of UK players gamble at foreign websites, while 78% of all complaints submitted to Casino Guru by UK players are related to these foreign websites.

Simon commented: “Combining this data would suggest that 4,5% of players are responsible for 78% of all casino complaints, which would signify a huge imbalance. Of course, the numbers are based on different data and there may be other factors in play, but I think that the imbalance is there, and has to do with the fact that players gambling on foreign websites simply run into issues more often. These can range from unclear bonus terms and bad implementation of responsible gambling features all the way to unscrupulous casinos outright scamming players.”

“If an increasing number of players leave the regulated market and go for foreign alternatives, they may be subject to a higher risk of developing problem gambling and losing money to foreign websites, some of which can have unscrupulous tendencies. This seems like a good enough reason to seriously consider the risk of rising use of black-market gambling websites by UK players,” he added.

While the GC is examining evidence presented by stakeholders and working towards updated gambling regulation, it remains to be seen how the situation ends up being handled and what new rules get implemented. Only time will tell whether tighter regulation really does increase the use of black-market sites or not, and whether the benefits will outweigh possible drawbacks.

game launches

Spinomenal releases 3 Magical Genies slot with Hold & Hit bonus

Published

1 hour ago

May 5, 2026

Wladimir P.

spinomenal-releases-3-magical-genies-slot-with-hold-&-hit-bonus

Spinomenal has released a new slot title, 3 Magical Genies, expanding its content portfolio with an Arabian-themed game built around a Hold & Hit-style Bonus Game.

The supplier said the game’s Wild symbol substitutes for all symbols except the Bonus, Boost, Collect, Multi and Jackpot symbols, with five Wilds on a winning line paying x10 the bet.

3 Magical Genies includes four Special Bonus symbols—Bonus, Boost, Multi and Collect—designed to affect symbol values during the Bonus Game. Spinomenal said a Mystery symbol can also appear in the feature, transforming into a Boost, Multi, Collect or Jackpot symbol.

According to the company, landing six or more qualifying symbols triggers the Bonus Game with three bonus spins and locked triggering symbols. During the feature, prizes can range from x1 to x10 multipliers of the total bet, alongside a Mini Jackpot (x20), Minor Jackpot (x50) or Major Jackpot (x150). Filling the grid awards the Grand Jackpot, set at x3,000 the total bet, Spinomenal said.

Spinomenal CO-CEO, Omer Henya commented: “3 Magical Genies brings the magic of the Arabian world to life, where riches are within reach for those with luck on their side. The Hold & Hit mechanic, alongside the four Special Bonus symbols, makes this a magical ride full of golden promise.”

The post Spinomenal releases 3 Magical Genies slot with Hold & Hit bonus appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

iGaming

Predictor by Slotegrator, a prediction market engine for iGaming brands, available for pre-order

Published

1 hour ago

May 5, 2026

Wladimir P.

predictor-by-slotegrator,-a-prediction-market-engine-for-igaming-brands,-available-for-pre-order

Predictor by Slotegrator is a prediction market engine packaged for iGaming operators that will bring the booming trend of event betting to any platform. Currently available for pre-order to a select group of Slotegrator’s clients, Predictor is a true prediction market, using a P2P model and updating odds after every bet. This model captures the appeal of the vertical while protecting operators’ margins.

Predictor by Slotegrator, a prediction market engine developed by leading iGaming software and business solution provider Slotegrator, is available for pre-order. By integrating Predictor, operators will allow their players to buy binary contracts on real-world events using a P2P exchange model. Odds are updated automatically, and operators earn a fixed commission on bets, providing zero-risk revenue.

“Predictor is a natural extension of our product philosophy. At Slotegrator, we believe that technology doesn’t follow trends but shapes them,” said Olga Ivanchik, COO. “The prediction market model is still in its early stages in iGaming, and we are among the first to package this mechanism for casino and sportsbook operators in a scalable, product-ready format. It marks a step toward a more adaptive and diversified operator offering.”

Prediction markets are a massive global trend. Bloomberg reported in February that Kalshi was handling more than $2 billion per week in bets, with Polymarket close behind. Players can bet on everything from sporting events to politics, the price of crypto, and celebrity tweets.

Sportsbook operators who are losing bettors to Polymarket, and want to bring them back by offering unorthodox bets, have the perfect solution in Predictor. Additionally, while classic sportsbooks carry risk on every bet, the P2P exchange model means they will earn on commission. It’s also fast and flexible, with new bets going live in 30 seconds.

Predictor is also ideal for online casino operators looking to increase retention by offering their players betting opportunities beyond traditional casino games, and new operators seeking to capitalize on the global prediction market trend will also benefit from the solution.

Predictor operates on an AMM/LMSR protocol, making it a true prediction market. The pressure created when increasing numbers of bettors select “yes” or “no” directly influences the odds, just like major platforms like Polymarket or Kalshi — and quite different from fixed-odds betting.

Prediction markets are popular not only for the vast array of bets available, but for their real-time data collection; more often than not, the favored outcome on Polymarket or Kalshi in fact comes to pass. This so-called “wisdom of the crowd” has a huge draw for bettors, and carries a huge part of prediction markets’ appeal.

“With Predictor, we are going beyond the usual ways of betting to a model where users actively shape the market. We are giving operators a new way to offer dynamic, event-driven experiences via a single iframe, and completely risk-free,” explained Product Owner Maksym Shtun. “Operators can also create completely unique betting experiences tailored to their own platform — the possibilities are endless.”

Slotegrator will present a demo of the solution at this year’s iGB L!VE, on 1-2 July.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.

The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.

The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.

Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.

The post Predictor by Slotegrator, a prediction market engine for iGaming brands, available for pre-order appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

ATG

ATG Casino goes live with Fantasma Games slots via EveryMatrix in Sweden

Published

1 hour ago

May 5, 2026

Wladimir P.

atg-casino-goes-live-with-fantasma-games-slots-via-everymatrix-in-sweden

ATG Casino has gone live in Sweden with slots from Fantasma Games via EveryMatrix, extending an earlier agreement to integrate aggregated content from the supplier.

ATG’s Swedish customers now have access to Fantasma titles including Explosive Banana X, Thundra Hydra Coins Max and Mission Coinplete, among others. Fantasma Games is part of the EveryMatrix Group.

The rollout includes EngageSuite Jackpots. EveryMatrix said the product uses real-time, customisable in-game widgets and allows operators to configure up to four jackpots per game without impacting base bets, with built-in simulation tools to estimate win frequency.

Carl Gatt Baldacchino, Account Management Casino, EveryMatrix, said: “Expanding the ATG® Casino deal with Fantasma Games titles was the natural next step of our partnership. By combining our aggregated and in-house content with our premium jackpot solution, ATG® will deliver a more engaging and differentiated experience to its players.”

Jan Sonnevi, Head of Casino, ATG, said: “Partnering with EveryMatrix has allowed us to introduce high-quality content and innovative engagement features to our players. We already saw how successful these additions were thanks to the record-breaking win registered by one of our players in January.” EveryMatrix noted ATG previously recorded a 1.4 million MEGA Jackpot win earlier this year using EngageSuite Jackpots.

The post ATG Casino goes live with Fantasma Games slots via EveryMatrix in Sweden appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.