Latest News
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.
Powered by WPeMatico
Gambling in the USA
BMM INNOVATION GROUP BRINGS THE WORLD TOUR TO SBC SUMMIT AMERICAS JUNE 9-11 IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
BMM Innovation Group (“BMM”, “BIG Group”, or “BIG”), a global technology company providing compliance testing, cybersecurity, and training solutions for the regulated global gaming industry, today announced its participation in the SBC Summit Americas 2026 June 9-11 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
BIG will exhibit in Booth No. 730, where the Company will showcase its leading testing, certification, cybersecurity, and training solutions for North America and Latin America.
In Latin America, BMM plays a leading role in gaming testing and certification, with offices in Argentina, Brazil, and Peru. In North America, the Company supports the growing iGaming and sports betting market with its full portfolio of testing, certification, cybersecurity, and compliance-grade training solutions.
Representing BIG’s global brands, BMM Testlabs, BIG Cyber, and RG24seven Virtual Training, the team will feature multilingual business development experts speaking English, Spanish, and Portuguese to support suppliers, operators, and regulators across the Americas.
Attendees visiting the Company’s Booth No. 730 can learn more about BMM’s expert testing and certification services, cybersecurity solutions, and compliance-grade virtual training designed to help gaming companies launch faster, stay secure, and meet regulatory requirements across global markets.
BMM’s International iGaming Leader, María Romero de Alba, said, “SBC Summit Americas is one of the most important gatherings for the gaming industry across North and Latin America, and we’re excited to bring the BMM World Tour to Fort Lauderdale. As iGaming continues to grow across the region, BMM is helping suppliers expand into new markets with trusted compliance, cybersecurity, and training solutions.”
BMM Innovation Group has also been shortlisted for “Compliance Solution of the Year” at the SBC Awards Americas 2026, which will be held June 10 in conjunction with the conference.
To book a meeting with the BIG team at SBC Summit Americas 2026, visit BMM World Tour.
The post BMM INNOVATION GROUP BRINGS THE WORLD TOUR TO SBC SUMMIT AMERICAS JUNE 9-11 IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Brazil
Vitor Paulin ends cycle at Luck.bet with data-driven transformation, new website, and new campaign featuring Caio Castro as legacy
Vitor Paulin ends cycle at Luck.bet with data-driven transformation, new website, and new campaign featuring Caio Castro as legacy.
The executive leaves the operator as of June 1 after leading the structuring of a team of more than 40 professionals and delivering the company’s highest results in Turnover and GGR.
Vitor Paulin, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer (CMGO) at Luck.bet, is ending his cycle at the operator as of June 1, 2026. During his tenure leading the company’s marketing operations, the executive drove a complete transformation that integrated Brand, Performance and Media, Affiliates, Influencers, CRM, PR, Product, and BI/Analytics into a single customer journey — Acquisition, Retention, Monetization, and Recovery.
The results were significant throughout his entire period at the company, with a marked acceleration in the second half of 2025 when he implemented the data-driven methodology: +54% Turnover, +49% GGR, +26% monthly active users, +22% average ticket size, +22% First Time Deposit (FTD), and +16% conversion rate from Registration to FTD.
Vitor leaves Luck.bet with three structural deliverables to the company: the completion of a data-driven culture implementation, a new operator website, the new brand campaign featuring Caio Castro — produced under his leadership and scheduled to launch in the coming weeks — and a new multidisciplinary team of more than 40 professionals structured in squads and operating under a data-driven culture focused on performance and customer-centricity.
“Throughout my time at Luck.bet, we led a complete marketing transformation. In the second half of 2025, with the data-driven methodology fully in place, we achieved +54% Turnover, +49% GGR, +26% monthly active users, and +22% average ticket size. It was a collective effort supported by a multidisciplinary team of more than 40 professionals, including new hires.
I thank Ivan Dutra and the entire Luck.bet team for the partnership and trust throughout this cycle,” said Vitor Paulin, former CMGO of Luck.bet.
Reflecting on his legacy at the operator, the executive highlights the integration between departments:
“The biggest legacy is structural: we transformed the operation into a data-driven marketing machine focused on results, integrating Brand, Performance, Affiliates, Influencers, CRM, PR, Product, and BI/Analytics into a single journey — Acquisition, Retention, Monetization, and Recovery.
I leave with the migration to the new Luck.bet website completed, the upcoming campaign featuring Caio Castro ready to go live in the coming weeks, and a team of more than 40 professionals consolidated and operating. The house is organized for the next cycles,” he added.
Regarding next steps, the executive plans a short break for strategic reflection before starting a new cycle: “I will take a short window for perspective before the next executive cycle.
In the coming weeks I will be open to conversations with market leaders — my main focus remains iGaming, with a natural extension into companies born digital such as fintechs, retail-techs, e-commerce, and the new economy in regulated markets in Brazil, Latin America, and Europe.
And who knows, I may also venture into entrepreneurship — I have no shortage of ideas for new products!” he concluded.
The post Vitor Paulin ends cycle at Luck.bet with data-driven transformation, new website, and new campaign featuring Caio Castro as legacy appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
AGS
AGS celebrates 10 straight years as a best and brightest company to work for in the nation
For the 10th consecutive year, global gaming supplier AGS announced it has been named one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® in the Nation.
Presented by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR), the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For awards are not pay-to-play. Instead they are based on an independent, research-driven assessment of company practices and employee survey results.
Ten straight years places AGS in rare company by any measure; in gaming, it’s unprecedented.
No other gaming manufacturer has been recognized in the program or been awarded this designation, making this recognition a standout achievement for the team and the industry.
“Ten years of this honor is a testament not to us as a company, but to the remarkable individuals who power everything we do,” said David Lopez, President and Chief Executive Officer of AGS.
“We’ve built something truly special here – a people-first culture of long-term excellence that I’m incredibly proud of and that continues to propel us forward.”
Companies are evaluated across a comprehensive set of criteria that reflect the employee experience.
These include compensation and benefits, engagement and retention, education and development, achievement and recognition, civility and inclusion, leadership, communication, community initiates and corporate responsibility, and overall workplace well-being.
AGS earned high marks for its focus on key areas such as benefits, communications and shared vision, civility and inclusion, and employee enrichment, engagement and retention – surpassing the Best and Brightest benchmark, which reflects the median score of other participating companies.
In 2026, only 19 other companies in the country reached the 10-year mark, and just 46 organizations in total have been recognized for more than 10 years.
“What makes this recognition meaningful is that it’s based on how our employees truly feel,” said Kim Nasuta, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at AGS.
“Ten years in a row speaks to the consistency of our values and how deeply embedded they are in how we hire, support, and grow our people.”
This milestone reflects a decade of AGS’ consistent, employee-first culture – an accomplishment that is difficult to sustain year after year.
Ten years through real change is even harder. In that stretch, AGS doubled its employee count and office footprint, tripled its game studios, and expanded from two countries to ten.
The company looked different almost every year. The culture didn’t.
AGS was also awarded the same honor in the Atlanta market, which reflects the local impact, while the national honor acknowledges AGS’ broader commitment to culture across its U.S. footprint, which includes offices and game studios in Las Vegas, Reno, Scottsdale, Austin, and Oklahoma City.
The Metro Atlanta offices – home to many of the company’s R&D, engineering, and operations teams – continues to be a foundation of the Company’s innovation and culture.
Additionally, AGS supports a vast network of remote sales and field service employees located near customer operations throughout the country – extending the Company’s culture of connection and performance beyond physical offices. AGS also has a strong global presence with teams located in eight countries outside of the U.S.
This latest recognition follows AGS also being named to the 2026 USA TODAY Top Workplaces USA list for a second year in a row, solidifying its position as a standout employer in the gaming industry and beyond.
The post AGS celebrates 10 straight years as a best and brightest company to work for in the nation appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
-
iGaming industry7 days agoPragmatic Play Releases its Latest Slot Game “The Big Dog House”
-
Aphrodite Legends of Olympus™7 days agoInspired Expands Portfolio with Three New iGaming Slots: THE GREAT EGGSCAPE™, APHRODITE LEGENDS OF OLYMPUS™, GOLD FEVER MINE ALL MINE™
-
betting market6 days agoBiS Brasília brings together experts and authorities to discuss the future of Brazil’s betting market
-
AGLC7 days agoAlberta iGaming Corporation Appoints Dan Keene as its CEO
-
Alberta7 days agoPlay’n GO secures Alberta iGaming supplier licence from AGLC
-
40 Coins of Chance7 days agoSYNOT Games Enters into a New Partnership with Topwin
-
BetGames7 days agoWeekend Reels | Week 21: Slot Drops & Trends
-
Alberta6 days agoPlay’n GO granted Alberta iGaming licence, expanding Canadian market footprint



