Compliance Updates
UGC Once Again Appeals to Google to Stop Blocking Legal Gambling Ads
The Ukrainian Gambling Council (UGC) has appealed to Google to stop blocking all advertising of Ukrainian licensed gambling organisers, as it does not comply with the current legislation, leads to losses for both business and the state budget of Ukraine, and helps illegal operators to enrich themselves.
Combating illegal online gambling advertising is an important component of counteracting the development of the shadow gambling market. However, over the past year, an unbalanced policy in this regard has led to extremely negative consequences – search engines have begun to block all advertising related to the activities of primarily licensed Ukrainian gambling market organisers that have established and unchanged domain addresses in the Ukrainian Internet segment. However, illegal operators, who can easily change the names of their websites and move from one domain to another (in different jurisdictions), have hardly felt the effects of the bans.
In fact, Google considers Ukraine as a country where all types of gambling, except lotteries, are currently prohibited, and it blocks advertising mainly from legal companies. This situation leads to negative consequences and the expansion of the illegal services market. Licensed companies have obtained state licences and launched marketing campaigns, including sponsorship of sports competitions, but they cannot legally advertise their services online. As a result, companies lose customers and profits, and the state loses taxes.
It is worth noting that lotteries are among the services allowed on Google in Ukraine. However, all lottery operators, without exception, operate in Ukraine on the basis of licences that expired back in 2014. In fact, lotteries imitate gambling – betting, online casinos, slot machines – without having the appropriate licences. They also do not pay any taxes and licence fees to the budget. However, lottery operators are not subject to any restrictions on gambling advertising.
In order to remedy the situation and streamline the system of prohibitions in order to prevent further losses of business and state funds, the Ukrainian Gambling Council (UGC), a non-governmental organisation that unites licensed gambling organisers, has once again appealed to the management of the regional office of Google in Ukraine, namely, Paul Terence Manicle, Director of Google LLC, and Tetiana Lukyniuk, General Director of Google Office in Ukraine, with a request to lift the existing restrictions and provide an opportunity to officially advertise gambling, in particular, on the territory of Ukraine using Google services:
• activities related to the organisation and conduct of gambling in gambling establishments;
• organising and conducting casino gambling on the Internet;
• organising and conducting betting activities in betting shops and on the Internet;
• organising and conducting gambling in slot machine halls;
• organising and conducting poker games on the Internet.
Also, to remove the existing restrictions and allow official advertising of mobile applications on the territory of Ukraine using Google services and provide all opportunities for the official placement of mobile applications for organising and conducting online gambling on Google services.
The post UGC Once Again Appeals to Google to Stop Blocking Legal Gambling Ads appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Betclic
Betclic Becomes the First French Operator to Earn RG Check Certification
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Betclic has become the first and only French operator to obtain the international RG Check certification, the world’s leading benchmark in player protection.
Betclic Group ranks among the top three global performers out of 170 operators assessed.
This certification recognises Betclic Group’s ongoing ambition to make online gaming a safe, responsible and transparent experience.
RG Check certification is an international audit that evaluates gambling operators’ commitment to responsible gaming. It covers more than 200 criteria, notably including prevention strategy, training, governance and responsible communication.
Recognised for its high level of requirements, RG Check currently assesses nearly 170 gambling operators around the world.
With a score of 89.44/100, Betclic Group achieved the third-best global performance and became the first French operator to receive the label.
Betclic stands out in several key areas:
96/100 for “Responsible Gaming Policy, Strategy, and Culture”, demonstrating a coherent approach fully integrated into the company’s strategy.
93/100 for “Employee Training”, highlighting continuous training for teams on best practices for player protection.
97/100 for “Marketing Communications”, ensuring ethical practices and the protection of vulnerable audiences.
90/100 for “Account and Payment Management”, confirming reliable and secure procedures.
Sarah McCarthy, CEO of the RG Council, said: “Betclic’s successful RG Check accreditation demonstrates their dedication to player protection and responsible gambling practices. This achievement shows what’s possible when operators prioritize evidence-based safeguards and commit to meeting rigorous standards. We’re proud to recognize their efforts in advancing safer gambling on betclic.fr and setting a strong example for the industry,”
Betclic Protect: A Pioneering and Differentiating Programme
The certification, valid for three years, rewards a collective commitment to making online gaming a safe and responsible experience, based on human support, technology and transparency.
This result stems from significant human and financial investments, embodied in “Betclic Protect”, a pioneering player-protection programme that includes:
• Raising awareness among all players through broad public campaigns.
• Providing moderation tools enabling players to stay in control.
• Detecting risky behaviours using a model combining 60 behavourial indicators.
• Supporting players in difficulty through personalised assistance.
More than 100 specialists at Betclic are dedicated exclusively to responsible gaming.
Betclic Group’s management also requires 100% of employees to be trained annually on responsible gaming specifics, demonstrating the company’s full commitment to this issue.
Nicolas Béraud, founder and CEO of Betclic Group, said: “Becoming the first French operator certified by RG Check is a collective source of pride. It crowns years of investment in player protection and confirms that responsibility and innovation can strengthen one another. This certification also highlights that our ‘Betclic Protect’ program is among the most robust in the world, enabling us to offer a safer gaming experience to our 5 million customers.”
This certification comes as Betclic launches its annual “Responsible Gaming Week” from 17 to 20 November 2025, during which employees across Betclic Group’s five offices (France, Poland, Portugal, Ivory Coast, Malta) will be trained on prevention and awareness topics through workshops and conferences.
The post Betclic Becomes the First French Operator to Earn RG Check Certification appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
PRONET GAMING BECOMES FIRST B2B OPERATOR TO ESTABLISH SCBPO ACCREDITED OPERATION IN THE PHILIPPINES VIA CLAYMORE SOLUTIONS
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Omni-channel turnkey provider Pronet Gaming is the first internationally-licensed B2B company in the gaming sector to establish an SCBPO-accredited operation in the Philippines via Claymore Solutions.
Claymore Solutions is accredited by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) as a Special Class BPO (SCPBO), which authorises them to provide employer of record & serviced office space to internationally licenced gaming operators enabling them to establish operations in the Philippines without taking bets or payments.
Pronet Gaming will now build out IT and Trading teams in Manila, further strengthening its operational presence and technical capabilities in the region.
Pronet Gaming CEO Alex Leese said: “Establishing an SCBPO-accredited presence in the Philippines is a milestone that aligns perfectly with our long-term strategy of expanding our footprint in Asia, in a fully compliant way. We’re happy to have made this possible through the collaboration and support of our trusted partner, Claymore Solutions.”
Paul Fox, Chairman and Co-Founder of Claymore Solutions, said: “We’re honoured to be working with Pronet Gaming, providing EoR and serviced office space solutions for their operations which underlines the quality of local staff and further boosts the Filipino economy.”
PAGCOR Chairman Al Tengco commented: “We’re delighted to have B2B operators such as Pronet Gaming establish their Trading and IT operations here through Claymore Solutions. I hope that more companies follow given the wealth of readily available Filipino talent in this sector.”
Claymore will announce additional client partnerships in the near future.
The post PRONET GAMING BECOMES FIRST B2B OPERATOR TO ESTABLISH SCBPO ACCREDITED OPERATION IN THE PHILIPPINES VIA CLAYMORE SOLUTIONS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
GGL Warns Against “El Gordo” Ticket Purchases
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GGL, the Federal Authority of German Gambling, has issued a warning to consumers about the illegal status of participating in Spain’s popular annual Christmas lottery “El Gordo” through online platforms. The Authority has also published FAQs on the legal situation.
During the pre-Christmas period, especially in November and December, advertising for online participation in the so-called Spanish Christmas lottery “El Gordo” increases significantly. Many of these offers are specifically targeted at people residing in Germany, even though participation is not permitted in Germany.
GGL points out that the advertised online offers are illegal. Instead of participating in the official lottery, these online offers from Germany simply involve betting on its outcome against a private third-party provider. No contractual relationship is established with the Spanish state lottery operator. According to the regulations of the German Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021), such “secondary lotteries” are not eligible for a permit and are therefore illegal.
The post GGL Warns Against “El Gordo” Ticket Purchases appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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