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GambleAware Commits £4M for Britain’s First Academic Research Hub Specialising in Gambling Harms

Published

5 years ago

August 18, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

GambleAware has begun an eight-month grant award process to establish the first Academic Research Hub in Great Britain specialising in gambling harms research.

The ambition is for the Academic Research Hub to have a significant impact on the whole gambling research landscape, both within Great Britain and across the globe, through the inclusion of new and diverse areas of research. The Hub will contribute to GambleAware’s overarching vision of creating a society safe from gambling harms and help deliver the charity’s strategic objective to actively build academic research capacity. To ensure longevity, it is also expected the successful institution will secure alternative funding to allow continued growth and development beyond the initial grant award.

In Great Britain at present, most gambling research is from a social science perspective and is delivered by a small number of academics. However, the new Hub seeks to broaden out the range of academic disciplines engaged with gambling harms research in Great Britain. With the application of a public health lens, the successful institution will dictate its own research focus and will support and inform the wider system of treatment providers, organisations and agencies working to prevent and reduce gambling harms.

A select number of universities have been invited to apply for the grant and were chosen based on multiple university rankings, including those rated highly for research areas relevant to gambling behaviour and harms prevention. Whilst the grant will be awarded to a single university, it is expected the successful institution will take a highly collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach both within its own institution and externally with other academics and partners, including internationally.

GambleAware is encouraging applications from those with a strong academic track record in adjacent disciplines, including but not limited to public health, mental health, health inequalities, health economics, epidemiology, clinical health and/or psychology.

Alison Clare, Research Director (Interim) at GambleAware, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for a British university to develop and innovate in a relatively under-researched field, bringing to bear a much wider range of academic disciplines than are currently engaged in gambling harms research. With this significant investment, a British university and its partners will have the chance to create a step change in building knowledge in an area which links and overlaps with many other subjects and fields.

“It’s a different type of grant award to the smaller projects and programmes in our current research portfolio, with GambleAware taking a much more arm’s length approach in guiding the area of research focus. Our main criteria is that universities apply a multi-disciplinary, public health lens in setting out the rationale for their chosen research area. From our early discussions with selected universities, we’re expecting some very creative and innovative proposals at the initial Expression of Interest stage.”

GCGRA

South African expat wins AED 5m in The UAE Lottery’s Wednesday Lucky Day draw

Published

59 minutes ago

May 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

south-african-expat-wins-aed-5m-in-the-uae-lottery’s-wednesday-lucky-day-draw

A 39-year-old South African expat, Branden Tekram, has won AED 5 million in The UAE Lottery’s Lucky Day draw, according to the operator. The company said the win marks “the first time the second prize has been won on a Wednesday draw since its recent introduction.”

Tekram said he discovered the result while checking email. “It’s still overwhelming and unbelievable. I don’t know how to explain it. I mean, I’m a millionaire in Dubai,” he said. He added that he told his wife at home and they “sat there in disbelief.”

The winner said the family plans to take a staged approach to using the money, including funding a prototype linked to a patent application his wife is working on, and potentially moving into a villa. He also said the win could help them access additional support for their son.

The operator said it has awarded more than AED 300 million in prizes to more than 340,000 winners across its portfolio, including Lucky Day, Scratch Cards, and E-Instants. Lucky Day draws run every Wednesday and Saturday, with prizes including the AED 30 million grand prize and AED 5 million second prize. The company said all games are regulated by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA).

The post South African expat wins AED 5m in The UAE Lottery’s Wednesday Lucky Day draw appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

game release

Spinomenal adds Desperado Drifter Hold & Hit 3×3 to slot portfolio

Published

59 minutes ago

May 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

spinomenal-adds-desperado-drifter-hold-&-hit-3×3-to-slot-portfolio

Spinomenal has released The Desperado Drifter Hold & Hit 3×3, the latest addition to its Hold & Hit portfolio.

The Western-themed slot uses a 3×3 bonus grid and features a Wild symbol (a bag of gems) that substitutes for all symbols except Bonus and Bonus Collect. Bonus coins land on reels one and three, while the Bonus Collect coin lands on reel two.

When Bonus Collect lands alongside one or more Bonus symbols, the game triggers an Instant Win Feature that collects the values and adds them directly to the player’s balance. The same symbol combination also starts the Bonus Game, with triggering symbols locked in place and three spins awarded initially.

During the Bonus Game, only Bonus and Bonus Collect symbols can appear. Spins can apply multipliers of x1, x2, x5, x7, x10 and x15, and the feature includes jackpots set at Mini (x25 total bet), Minor (x50 total bet), Major (x150 total bet) and Grand (x5,000 total bet) for filling all nine positions. The spin counter resets each time a new symbol lands.

Spinomenal CO-CEO, Omer Henya, commented: “The Desperado Drifter Hold & Hit 3×3 gives players the chance to join a high-stakes Wild West adventure. Smart visuals, nail-biting gameplay and a four-tier jackpot peaking at x5,000 make this a title that will keep players coming back for more.”

The post Spinomenal adds Desperado Drifter Hold & Hit 3×3 to slot portfolio appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Affiliate Succes

Kwiff appoints RavenTrack as primary affiliate tracking provider

Published

59 minutes ago

May 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

kwiff-appoints-raventrack-as-primary-affiliate-tracking-provider

Kwiff has appointed RavenTrack as its primary affiliate tracking provider, as the sports betting operator looks to strengthen oversight and reporting across its affiliate channel.

The companies said the partnership will see Kwiff integrate RavenTrack’s platform-as-a-service tracking technology to support “greater transparency, accuracy, and efficiency” for its affiliate programme.

Kate Scowen, sales and growth manager at RavenTrack, said: “From our very first conversation, it was clear that Kwiff were looking for more than just a tracking platform, they needed a partner who could genuinely match their ambition and long-term strategic vision. We’re truly grateful that Kwiff chose RavenTrack in what was a highly competitive process, and I’m personally proud to have helped bring the partnership together.”

Jack Milner, campaign manager at Kwiff, added: “RavenTrack came highly recommended and with a strong track record within the iGaming sphere. We have enjoyed a fantastic start, working with their brilliant and incredibly helpful team and I look forward to a long and fruitful partnership together.”

Kwiff said the move supports its ongoing expansion across the UK and international markets, and that RavenTrack will provide infrastructure to manage affiliate data and optimise ROI for the channel.

The post Kwiff appoints RavenTrack as primary affiliate tracking provider appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.