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Money and Mental Health Launches New Three-year Programme to Help Banks Tackle Gambling Harms

Published

1 year ago

November 7, 2024

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The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, the charity founded and chaired by Martin Lewis, has launched the Gambling Harms Action Lab — a three-year programme working with current account providers to develop and implement new tools to address gambling related harm.

Nationwide is the first financial services firm to sign up to the programme, signalling the organisation’s support for a collaborative approach to addressing gambling harms

The programme, funded from a regulatory settlement approved by the Gambling Commission, will bring together a group of five to seven financial services firms for an 18-month period, to explore and address common challenges to improving support for people experiencing gambling harm.

This will include a focus on how improving support and outcomes for customers experiencing gambling harms can help banks meet their requirements under the Financial Conduct Authority’s Consumer Duty, which came into effect in 2023.

The Duty requires firms to take a more consumer-centred approach to banking. Money and Mental Health’s programme will support firms to develop and test new tools and interventions aimed at improving outcomes, with direct input from the charity’s Research Community of people with experience of mental health problems and gambling harms.

Nationwide has become the first financial services firm to join the Gambling Harms Action Lab programme, signalling its commitment to progress and improve its offering for tackling gambling harms and work alongside other banks in the sector to tackle this ongoing challenge.

The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute has also released new research, looking at gambling harms in Britain and the role of current account providers to support the launch of the new programme of work.

Shining a light: Exploring the role of financial services in tackling gambling harms finds that there is a huge gap between the number of people in need of support for gambling harms and the number of people regularly accessing these services.

The report also found that under the Consumer Duty framework, there is more action that current account providers can and should be taking to address gambling harms. The Gambling Harms Action Lab will support innovation and the roll out of new interventions to ensure firms are meeting their obligations under this new framework.

Helen Undy, chief executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said: “Gambling problems can cause catastrophic harms for those affected by them. Financial services are in a unique position to help, and it’s been great to see the progress made in recent years — particularly with the introductions of gambling blocking tools, which almost every current account provider now offers.

“But there is still a lot more to be done. We want to work with banks and other financial services to share ideas, overcome the challenges that might exist to improve support for customers, and to spread best practice across the sector. The Gambling Harms Action Lab is an important opportunity for firms to help drive that progress, no matter how advanced they are or otherwise in this work.

“We’re delighted that Nationwide have come on board with the programme, and we’re urging more firms to get involved so that we can continue the momentum in tackling gambling harms that we’ve seen in recent years.”

Kathryn Townsend, Head of Customer Vulnerability and Accessibility at Nationwide said: “Greater collaboration is essential if we are to truly tackle financial harm caused by excessive or problem gambling. It’s great to see the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute leading the charge on this with the launch of its Gambling Harms Action Lab. We are delighted to be the first financial services organisation to sign up to it and look forward to working alongside them and the wider industry to make a positive difference to people’s finances, relationships and mental health.”

The post Money and Mental Health Launches New Three-year Programme to Help Banks Tackle Gambling Harms appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Akshat Rathee

Indian Esports 2026: Strategic Growth and the Asian Games Milestone

Published

14 minutes ago

January 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

indian-esports-2026:-strategic-growth-and-the-asian-games-milestone

The Indian esports landscape is transitioning from a period of rapid “spectacle” growth to a phase defined by lasting institutional structure. Following the implementation of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), 2026 is set to be the year where regulatory clarity, international competition, and domestic grassroots development converge.

The Impact of PROGA: Policy into Practice

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), signed into law in August 2025, has officially moved from policy to practice. Its primary contribution to 2026 is the explicit separation of esports from money-based gaming.

Legitimacy: By categorizing esports as a legitimate competitive pursuit, PROGA has unlocked state-level adoption and cleared the way for schools and colleges to integrate gaming into their sports frameworks.
Commercial Confidence: With a clear regulatory environment, brands in sectors like FMCG, automotive, and BFSI are now viewing esports as a stable, long-term youth engagement platform rather than a risky experiment.
Athlete Pathways: PROGA facilitates the creation of standardized national registries for athletes, ensuring that competitive integrity is maintained across grassroots and professional tiers.

The Asian Games 2026: A Global Stage

The Asian Games 2026 in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, serves as the most critical milestone for the ecosystem this year.

Medal Status: Esports will feature as a full medal event with 11 confirmed titles, including League of Legends, PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version), and Pokémon UNITE.
Indian Prospects: India’s best historical result (quarter-finals in League of Legends at Hangzhou) has set a high bar. For 2026, the focus has shifted toward high-performance training camps and long-term athlete mentorship to secure a podium finish.
Multi-Sport Integration: Participation alongside traditional athletes reinforces the narrative that esports is a viable professional career, further encouraging government investment through schemes like Khelo India.

Market Evolution and Key Trends

The Indian gaming market is projected to reach approximately $5.02 billion in 2026, driven by a massive player base exceeding 500 million gamers.

Trend	Impact in 2026
Mobile Dominance	Over 95% of the market remains mobile-first, fueled by 5G expansion and affordable hardware.
Beyond BGMI	2026 is seeing a push to diversify the market into fighting games, sports simulations, and PC titles to avoid “one-title dependency.”
Monetization Shift	Revenue is shifting from pure advertising toward battle passes, subscription models, and in-game progression.
Tier II & III Growth	Most new user acquisition is coming from smaller cities, demanding more vernacular and localized content.

The post Indian Esports 2026: Strategic Growth and the Asian Games Milestone appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Bison Strike

ENJOY Boosts Global Distribution with Strategic EveryMatrix Deal

Published

14 minutes ago

January 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

enjoy-boosts-global-distribution-with-strategic-everymatrix-deal

ENJOY, the fast-rising iGaming content developer, has secured a significant distribution agreement with EveryMatrix. The deal will see ENJOY’s full suite of video slots and next-generation live casino game shows integrated into the SlotMatrix aggregation platform, making them available to an expansive network of tier-one global operators.

This partnership marks a critical milestone for ENJOY as it enters its primary phase of commercial expansion. By joining the SlotMatrix ecosystem—one of the industry’s largest content hubs—ENJOY gains immediate access to regulated markets worldwide and a streamlined path to brand visibility.

Bison Strike and Innovation in the Spotlight

The integration includes ENJOY’s most recent flagship launch, Bison Strike, alongside a curated library of high-performing titles. ENJOY is carving out a reputation for “indie-style” creative flair combined with technical reliability, focusing on two core verticals:

Video Slots: High-volatility titles with immersive storytelling and meticulously crafted art.
Live Game Shows: 24/7 interactive experiences streamed from a purpose-built studio, designed to drive player retention through next-gen engagement mechanics.

Leadership Insights on Global Scalability

The agreement follows a string of successful partnerships for ENJOY, which has already established links with platforms like SoftGamings and Gamingtec under the leadership of its new CCO.

“This partnership with EveryMatrix gives us a launchpad that, as a newcomer, we are privileged to access,” said Christos Zoulianitis, Chief Commercial Officer at ENJOY. “EveryMatrix’s reputation as a trusted aggregator and its global distribution power allow us to accelerate our growth significantly. We’re bringing fresh ideas to both the slots and live casino verticals, and EveryMatrix gives us the reach to put that innovation in front of the right operators immediately.”

Bjorn Sjoberg, CCO at SlotMatrix, added: “ENJOY has shown real ambition and creative flair with its early releases. Our mission is to connect high-quality, forward-thinking studios with operators who value fresh content, and ENJOY fits that brief perfectly.”

The post ENJOY Boosts Global Distribution with Strategic EveryMatrix Deal appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Blask Index

Saudi Arabia, Greece, and the Philippines Lead iGaming’s Rising Markets in 2025

Published

14 minutes ago

January 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

saudi-arabia,-greece,-and-the-philippines-lead-igaming’s-rising-markets-in-2025

Saudi Arabia, Greece, and the Philippines have emerged as the most significant rising markets of 2025, according to a comprehensive year-end analysis from the market intelligence ecosystem Blask.

The findings are based on the proprietary Blask Index, a real-time tracking tool that monitors player attention and search volumes across 107 countries. While established markets like the United Kingdom maintained the top spots, these three jurisdictions saw the most aggressive climbs in global rankings.

2025 Market Movers: The Biggest Climbers

The global iGaming landscape experienced a shift in 2025 as emerging interest in the Middle East and regulatory overhauls in Asia-Pacific redirected player attention.

Market	Index Rank Change	2025 Position	Key Growth Driver
Saudi Arabia	+9 Places	20th	High youth demographics & digital adoption
Philippines	+4 Places	12th	New PAGCOR B2B licensing framework
Greece	+4 Places	17th	Robust online growth from operators like OPAP

Saudi Arabia: The Surprise Performer

Saudi Arabia was the year’s most improved market, breaking into the Global Top 20 for the first time. Despite strict local prohibitions, the market saw a sharp uptick in interest driven by a young, mobile-first population (over 70% under age 35) and a massive shift toward digital entertainment under the Vision 2030 initiative. The growth reflects an “underground” surge in demand typically seen in restricted but hyper-connected markets.

Philippines: Regulatory Modernization

The Philippines climbed to 12th place, fueled by the PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) decision to formalize the iGaming supply chain. The introduction of the B2B Accreditation Framework in October 2025 forced game developers, aggregators, and payment providers to undergo formal probity checks, bringing the region in line with mature jurisdictions like the UK and Ontario.

Greece: Digital Transition

Greece’s ascent to 17th place was largely attributed to the performance of its largest operator, OPAP. The company reported double-digit growth in its iGaming and sports betting divisions throughout 2025, with online GGR surging nearly 20% in the first half of the year. This success underscores the Greek market’s successful transition from a retail-heavy model to a digital-first ecosystem.

“The global iGaming landscape is shifting faster than ever,” said Max Tesla, CEO and co-founder of Blask. “Operators that can spot emerging trends early, and understand what is actually driving interest on the ground, are far better positioned to capture new growth opportunities as they appear.”

The post Saudi Arabia, Greece, and the Philippines Lead iGaming’s Rising Markets in 2025 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.