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Casino Guru’s complaint data reveals scope of UK players gambling at unlicensed websites
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.
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Brazil
Brazil federal court suspends Spribe’s Aviator trademark rights pending final ruling
18th Federal Civil Court of the Federal District blocks enforcement of Brazilian registration No. 501759803 after action by Aviator Studio Brazil.
A Federal Court in Brazil has ordered the suspension of Spribe’s trademark registration for “Aviator,” preventing the company from relying on exclusivity rights tied to Brazilian trademark registration No. 501759803 until a final judgment is issued.
The decision was issued by the 18th Federal Civil Court of the Federal District, following legal action brought by Aviator Studio Brazil. Aviator Studio said the court recognized the strength of its claims on the grounds of invalidation of Spribe’s trademarks.
According to Aviator Studio, the case centers on evidence that the Aviator trademark was created and used years before Spribe obtained trademark protection in Brazil. The company said the court acknowledged evidence that the Aviator brand originated in Georgia in 2016 and was formally registered there in 2018.
The court also took note of prior judicial decisions in Georgia that, according to Aviator Studio, invalidated Spribe’s registration of the Aviator trademark and confirmed the rights of the original trademark owner.
“This decision represents an important step in protecting the Aviator brand and enforcing intellectual property rights internationally. In practical terms, this means that, until the final resolution of the Spribe’s trademark invalidation proceedings, Spribe will no longer be able to continue it’s disruptive practices against operators, including sending threatening letters or initiating legal actions related to the use of Aviator Studio’s trademark.” comments George Pruidze, CEO of Aviator Studio. “We remain committed to defending the integrity of the Aviator brand and ensuring that its legitimate ownership is recognized across all jurisdictions.”
The post Brazil federal court suspends Spribe’s Aviator trademark rights pending final ruling appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Aviator Studio
Aviator Studio Secures Significant Legal Victory in Brazil as Federal Court Suspends Spribe’s Aviator Trademark Rights
Aviator Studio has achieved a significant legal victory in Brazil after a Federal Court ordered the suspension of Spribe’s trademark registration for “Aviator,” recognizing the strength of Aviator Studio’s claims related to the grounds of invalidation of Spribe’s trademarks.
The decision, issued by the 18th Federal Civil Court of the Federal District, prevents Spribe from relying on the exclusivity rights arising from Brazilian trademark registration No. 501759803 until a final judgment is rendered.
The ruling follows legal action brought by Aviator Studio Brazil, which demonstrated that the Aviator trademark had been created and used years before Spribe obtained trademark protection in Brazil. The court acknowledged evidence showing that the Aviator brand originated in Georgia in 2016 and was formally registered there in 2018, years before Spribe’s Brazilian registration.
Importantly, the court also took note of previous judicial decisions in Georgia that invalidated Spribe’s registration of the Aviator trademark and confirmed the rights of the original trademark owner.
“This decision represents an important step in protecting the Aviator brand and enforcing intellectual property rights internationally. In practical terms, this means that, until the final resolution of the Spribe’s trademark invalidation proceedings, Spribe will no longer be able to continue it’s disruptive practices against operators, including sending threatening letters or initiating legal actions related to the use of Aviator Studio’s trademark.” comments George Pruidze, CEO of Aviator Studio. “We remain committed to defending the integrity of the Aviator brand and ensuring that its legitimate ownership is recognized across all jurisdictions.”
Aviator Studio will continue pursuing all available legal measures to safeguard its intellectual property rights and protect the integrity of the Aviator trademark worldwide.
The post Aviator Studio Secures Significant Legal Victory in Brazil as Federal Court Suspends Spribe’s Aviator Trademark Rights appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
brand-activations
Esportes da Sorte runs World Cup fan chant spot on Times Square screens
The Esportes Gaming Brasil activation aired in two five-minute slots after Brazil’s opening match, alongside a broader SBT sponsorship and bar program.
Esportes da Sorte aired a World Cup-themed activation on Times Square’s large-format screens in New York on 13 and 14 June 2026, following Brazil’s opening match of the tournament. The campaign ran in two continuous five-minute slots and prompted passers-by to sing the chant: “I am Brazilian, with great pride and great love”.
The Times Square creative featured singer Léo Santana and a group of brand ambassadors and influencers named by the company as Carlinhos Maia, Bruno Formiga, Luisinho Freitas and Raul Erlich, who are producing tournament coverage from the US.
The activation was placed by Esportes Gaming Brasil, the holding group behind Esportes da Sorte, Lottu and Onabet. The company said the New York placement formed part of a wider multi-platform World Cup strategy spanning advertising, live activations and real-time content.
Esportes Gaming Brasil is an official sponsor of the tournament broadcasts on SBT, with planned visibility across free-to-air TV, the +SBT streaming platform, N Sports and digital channels. In Brazil, the group said it is also running activations across approximately 130 bars in cities including São Paulo, Recife, Salvador, Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza.
The company is also running two national campaigns during the World Cup period: “Cheer Like a Corinthian” and “Call-Up”.
The post Esportes da Sorte runs World Cup fan chant spot on Times Square screens appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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