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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.

Crash Games

ICONIC21 launches Arrow Chase, a continuous multiplayer multiplier game

Published

47 minutes ago

May 12, 2026

Wladimir P.

iconic21-launches-arrow-chase,-a-continuous-multiplayer-multiplier-game

ICONIC21 has launched Arrow Chase, a new iGaming title the supplier says is designed as a continuous experience rather than a round-based game.

The game is built around an arrow that “endlessly” moves across the screen towards multiplier blocks. ICONIC21 said players choose multiplier blocks to bet on and receive instant payouts when blocks are hit, with the experience running without “rounds, resets” or downtime.

ICONIC21 is also positioning Arrow Chase as a multiplayer product, with all players watching the same on-screen action at the same time. The company said the concept aims to combine timing-driven play associated with crash-style mechanics with a continuous flow.

Edvardas Sadovskis, Chief Product Officer at ICONIC21, said: “Every few years, something comes along that makes the industry stop and reconsider what a game can be. We believe Arrow Chase is one of those moments. We built something with no round, no reset, no interruption, because we believe that is what the next generation of players will come to expect. What comes after it is a conversation we are very much looking forward to having.”

ICONIC21 said Arrow Chase was informed by ongoing discussions with operator partners on player behaviour and demand, and suggested the format could evolve into a new category with naming still to be defined.

The post ICONIC21 launches Arrow Chase, a continuous multiplayer multiplier game appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Betina Todorova Smartico Partnerships Manager

Honoré Gaming and Smartico Join Forces to Drive Player Engagement

Published

47 minutes ago

May 12, 2026

Wladimir P.

honore-gaming-and-smartico-join-forces-to-drive-player-engagement

Honoré Gaming, the trailblazing online sportsbook platform and tech provider, has teamed up with Smartico, a specialist in CRM automation and gamification, to improve its player engagement and retention features.

In preparation for the expanded World Cup, the incorporation of Smartico’s sophisticated CRM solution transforms the Honoré Gaming platform into a holistic entertainment ecosystem, signifying a strategic advancement in its progression toward a more intelligent, automated, and player-focused future.

Smartico’s adaptable features will bolster Honoré Gaming’s broader goal of providing operators with top-tier tools to enhance revenue and improve customer analytics, establishing CRM as a fundamental element of its platform offerings. Intelligent interactions will be a crucial factor for achieving favorable outcomes in Honoré’s main markets in French-speaking Africa and Central America, where comprehending player behavior and providing pertinent interactions are vital for long-term growth.

Emphasizing gamification and automation, Honoré Gaming will implement tailored engagement strategies influenced by local market specifics, while adhering to the key elements that contribute to a platform’s success – from deposits to gameplay, winnings, withdrawals, and return play.

Honoré Gaming CEO, Christophe Casanova said: “Smartico’s CRM solution is a critical pillar in our mission to better serve our operators and end users. Our partners can now implement data-driven customer experiences that increase player LTV ahead of a major World Cup summer. The integration of Smartico’s AI-driven technology represents a pivotal shift in Honoré Gaming’s operational scale, transforming its analytical depth and redefining how the platform communicates and interacts with players.”

Betina Todorova, Smartico Partnerships Manager added: “We believe that the combined strengths of our AI-driven technology and Honoré Gaming’s platform will deliver significant value to operators. Working together across African and Central American markets will benefit local partners and ultimately create more engaging player experiences.”

The post Honoré Gaming and Smartico Join Forces to Drive Player Engagement appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI

SportVot raises $3.6m to expand sports production platform into Europe, US and West Asia

Published

47 minutes ago

May 12, 2026

Wladimir P.

sportvot-raises-$3.6m-to-expand-sports-production-platform-into-europe,-us-and-west-asia

SportVot has raised $3.6m in a new investment round as it plans to expand across Europe, Australia, the United States, and West Asia. The company said the funding will support international growth and further development of its AI-led production and analytics capabilities.

The round was led by Indian Angel Network’s IAN Alpha Fund, with participation from Anicut Capital, SucSeed Indovation Fund, LVX (LetsVenture), Capital-A, and other global investors.

SportVot positions its platform as a unified workflow covering capture, production, distribution, and monetisation for competitions outside top-tier broadcast ecosystems. The company said its cloud-based setup supports remote production in real time and includes automated highlights, graphics, insights, multi-angle viewing, decision review systems, and virtual advertising.

The company lists customers and partners including Junior Super Kings (Chennai Super Kings’ Junior’s Tournament), All India Football Federation, Rugby India, the International Table Tennis Federation (Oceania) and the International Padel Federation. It said that since launching operations in 2025 in Australia it has worked with organisations including Table Tennis Australia, Table Tennis Queensland, Netball Victoria, the National Pickleball League and KommunityTV.

SportVot said it has delivered over 500,000 matches across its core markets, reaching more than 100 million viewers in 30+ countries. In Australia, it said it streamed 12,000 matches over the past year across 30+ partner organisations.

Tim Anderson, Managing Director, SportVot Australia, said: “Over the past year, we’ve seen strong adoption from sports organisations across Australia looking to scale how their competitions are captured and distributed. The ability to deliver consistent, high-quality production across different sports and formats has been key. This next phase allows us to build further on that momentum, both within Australia and in closer alignment with global markets.”

Sidhhant Agarwal, Founder & CEO, SportVot, said: “What we are seeing globally is not a lack of sport, but a lack of structured systems to capture and distribute it at scale. Our focus has been to build something that can work across geographies, sports, and formats without adding operational complexity. As we expand into new markets, the goal is to enable more competitions to be seen, experienced, and sustained.”

The post SportVot raises $3.6m to expand sports production platform into Europe, US and West Asia appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.