Compliance Updates
UKGC Welcomes OSR Review of Gambling Survey for Great Britain
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has welcomed the findings from the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) regarding the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB).
Both the public statement and comprehensive review of the GSGB praised the development and transparency of the survey and provided a series of important recommendations to further enhance its reliability and user engagement.
Ben Haden, Director of Research and Statistics at the UKGC, said: “We welcome the findings from OSR, both the public statement regarding casework they have received in relation to GSGB and their overall review of the GSGB. We are pleased they recognise the huge amount of work that the team has put into developing and delivering the largest survey of its kind in the world. We also welcome OSR’s recommendations for further action, which closely align with work that we already have underway.”
The GSGB collects the Commission’s official statistics on gambling behaviours in Great Britain. After several years of extensive development, the Commission asked the OSR to review GSGB against its standards in the Code of Practice for Statistics to support continual improvement and provide independent assurance on quality and transparency.
As OSR rightly states, the absence of accredited official statistics status does not imply the GSGB is of lower quality or reliability, despite some claims to the contrary. The decision on which one to use should be based on user need and not accreditation status.
It also acknowledged that the Commission has presented clear and impartial information about the strengths and limitations of the methodological approach and statistical uncertainty of survey estimates.
The Commission has already acted on several areas outlined in the report based on earlier feedback and will provide a further, fuller update in July in line with OSR’s request.
As part of its commitment to improvement, the Commission has already updated its guidance for users of the GSGB in February 2025, with clearer examples and dedicated contact channels for questions or concerns. The Commission has also committed to promoting this guidance more widely and embedding it across all future releases.
The OSR noted that communication and user engagement will be critical to the GSGB’s ongoing success. In response, the Commission has announced plans to establish a GSGB Statistics User Group. Around 70 stakeholders have already expressed interest in joining the group, which will serve as a forum for dialogue, feedback, and shared learning.
Further improvements are underway in line with recommendations from Professor Sturgis’s independent review of the GSGB. An experimental research project was launched in April 2025 to test specific aspects of the survey’s methodology. Fieldwork is now in progress, with findings expected in Summer 2025. These results will inform the second GSGB annual report, due for publication on 2 October 2025.
Other recommendations already actioned:
• survey improvement plan updated with further information for users
• new survey questions designed to validate GSGB findings against external data sources such as Gamstop and the Bingo Association
• improvements to accessibility and usability of GSGB outputs – links to guidance added to statistical outputs released on 22 May.
Other recommendations that will be actioned:
• comparisons with forthcoming datasets from the Health Survey for England and the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, due later in 2025
• publication of a communications strategy to improve how GSGB updates are shared
• ongoing improvements to accessibility and usability of GSGB outputs to be informed by GSGB stats user group.
The Commission continues to engage with other official statistics producers, including Ofcom, the Money and Pensions Service and devolved government agencies, and is reviewing user engagement frameworks to develop a formal user engagement strategy.
The post UKGC Welcomes OSR Review of Gambling Survey for Great Britain appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Zitro has achieved a new certification in its commitment to sustainability: the ISO 14064-1 standard, which manages the improvement of its corporate carbon footprint. After successfully completing the certification process, the company now holds this accreditation that supports the management of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across all its global locations.
This certification strengthens the corporate system with which Zitro manages its ESG objectives, aimed at the progressive reduction of CO₂ emissions. The scope of this standard covers three key emission areas:
- Scope 1:Direct emissions generated by owned and rented vehicles used at all locations.
- Scope 2:Indirect emissions associated with electricity consumption in offices, laboratories, and warehouses.
- Scope 3:Direct and indirect emissions from the value chain, including suppliers, customers, business travel, product distribution, and waste management.
The ISO 14064-1 certification represents an essential milestone for Zitro in consolidating a more sustainable business model aligned with the highest international standards in corporate responsibility.
The post ZITRO OBTAINS ISO 14064-1 CERTIFICATION appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
The Isle of Man Treasury Appoints Gregory Petts as Chairman of the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission
The Isle of Man Treasury has appointed Gregory Petts as Chairman of the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission.
As Commission Chairman, Mr Petts’ role is to ensure that the GSC upholds the highest standards of regulation within the gambling sector, ensuring accountability and oversight to ensure that the GSC balances the needs of the sector with the safety of the jurisdiction.
Mr Petts is a Chartered Accountant and auditor with experience in the Gambling, Finance and Life Assurance sectors and has been part of the Commission for five years.
His invaluable experience in internal audit, governance, risk and compliance will support the GSC in its regulatory duties.
“It is essential to strike a balance, maintaining responsible growth of the sector and continuing to uphold a strong regulatory framework. Maintaining the Isle of Man’s international reputation as a trusted and respected jurisdiction is of the utmost importance,” Mr Petts said.
The post The Isle of Man Treasury Appoints Gregory Petts as Chairman of the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Texas House has approved legislation to abolish the Texas Lottery Commission and reform lottery operations after multiple scandals have rocked the agency.
Authored by State Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood), Senate Bill 3070 abolishes the commission that has overseen the lottery since shortly after its founding in 1991, moving operations to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
As originally written, the bill would also limit ticket sales per transaction, require age verification at the point of sale, push the agency into a two year probationary period and provide for greater oversight of the lottery—oversight that has been either intentionally or unintentionally lacking.
In January, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made an impromptu visit to a lottery ticket reseller responsible for selling millions of tickets online. During the course of his visit, he was denied access to the area where ticket printing was taking place.
The bill, as originally written, would allow the lieutenant governor, Speaker of the House, attorney general, and governor the ability to act as inspectors of lottery operations.
At the eleventh hour, State Rep. Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth) offered a 58-page amendment to the measure that removed this and other critical parts of the bill. It was this amended bill that was, according to Geren, drafted with the lottery vendors, colloquially called stakeholders, that ultimately passed the House.
Among other changes, the Geren amendment changed vendor and employee retention.
While it was argued that the current employees would provide for a smoother transition from the TLC to TDLR, this would include members of the staff who were complicit in the extra legislative expansion of gambling in the state of Texas, and covering for the lottery’s multiple sins.
The Geren amendment, passed under the watchful eye of IGT’s lobbyist and former chief of staff to Gov. Greg Abbott, Luis Sanez, also guarantees that the state lottery contract will remain with its current vendor, IGT. According to a lawsuit filed in Houston, the company played a critical role in an international gambling syndicate’s rigging of the April 2023 $95 million jackpot.
According to testimony given to the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee, representatives from IGT were onsite for hours during the ticket printing at a location that conducted no retail business, which is against state rules. This is the same location where children were filmed printing tickets.
Geren, a longtime proponent of expanding gambling in Texas, failed to pass a bill last session that would have allowed casino gambling in the state. This session, the lottery, and its corrupt operation took all the oxygen out of the room.
State Rep. Brent Money (R-Greenville) offered an amendment to Geren’s amendment that would have abolished the lottery and not just the commission. Money’s amendment failed by a vote of 71-58.
Geren’s amendment was ultimately adopted in a vote of 91-44.
The legislation passed in a vote of 110-29.
Now, the bill requires one more vote in the House before going back to the Senate for either approval or to be reconciled in a conference committee.
If the bill is not reconciled, the lottery may be abolished, or a special session could be forced to save the corruption-plagued institution.
The post Texas House Passes Bill to Abolish Texas Lottery Commission appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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