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Allwyn’s Local Retail Champions Returns for 2025

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Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, has begun its search for the most community-minded National Lottery shopkeepers in the UK after opening nominations for Local Retail Champions 2025. The nominations period for the two national and 16 regional awards will run until midnight on 19 October.

A successful inaugural Local Retail Champions 2024 saw Raj and Manish Suchak, and Natalie and Martin Lightfoot – owners of Coldean Convenience in Brighton and Londis Solo Convenience Store in Glasgow respectively – crowned the two national award-winners. This was ahead of 16 regional winners who also picked up awards. The 18 winners fended off competition from almost 1000 other National Lottery retailers from across the UK, who had all been nominated by their customers for going above and beyond for their communities.

Allwyn is once again partnering with Reach plc – the UK’s largest commercial news publisher – to promote the Local Retail Champions campaign across consumer-facing national and regional publications and websites. It will also be supported through special in-store posters, which are new for this year.

Also new for this year is a special Innovation Award category that will reward two National Lottery retailers for their ideas about how they would celebrate National Lottery Good Causes in their store.

Prizes available:

• Two National Winners will each take home a £15k cash prize (customer nomination)

• 16 Regional Winners will each win a £5k cash prize (customer nomination)

• Two Innovation Award winners will win £2.5k cash plus up to £2.5k to bring their idea to life in store (retailer self-entry)

There are a host of reasons why retailers could get their customers nominating them for one of the national and regional prizes. For example, Raj and Manish Suchak were nominated by their customers last year for a variety of community-focused work, including creating a safe space for those in need, donating generously to local food banks, providing food for a local school’s breakfast club and fundraising for the local cat shelter. Meanwhile, Natalie and Martin Lightfoot received nominations for organising charity fundraising events and local litter-picking activities, while also providing a home delivery service for those in need.

Anything that positively impacts the local community could be a reason for a nomination.

Allwyn’s Director of Commercial Partnerships and Retail Sales, Alison Acquaye-Acford, said: “Local Retail Champions is back and we’re excited to once again be celebrating National Lottery retailers making a massive difference in their communities. As we saw from last year’s almost-1,000 store nominations, retailers right around the UK are doing incredible things to support their communities every single day. We want to find even more great stories again this year and reward retailers for their dedication and goodwill.

“As an organisation that is committed to positively contributing to society in how we go about our business, and with retailers helping to raise £30m every week for National Lottery Good Causes by selling tickets to players, it’s really important to us that we recognise and celebrate the incredible impact local retailers have on the places we live, work and visit.”

The initiative is being enabled by using part of Allwyn’s dedicated Social Value Fund, which is £1m that the company has committed to investing annually to help communities and high streets across the UK and Isle of Man to thrive.

To nominate a local retailer, a customer must be 18 or over and should write up to 150 words before 19 October on how their local National Lottery retailer has made the community a better place.

The post Allwyn’s Local Retail Champions Returns for 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

AML

Payments Under Scrutiny: Polish Example

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Online gambling continues to thrive in Poland, despite the country’s strict regulatory framework. Virtual casinos and betting platforms still attract players with the promise of easy access and quick winnings. Yet, their operations would not be possible without the involvement of payment institutions that process transactions for entities operating outside the boundaries of the law. Behind the scenes lie not only questions about compliance with Poland’s Gambling Act, but also serious concerns about money laundering and the potential financing of criminal activity.

 

PSPs Legal Responsibility

The key question remains the legality of actions taken by payment institutions that handle transactions linked to illegal online gambling. Do they, even unintentionally, help such operations thrive? Under Polish law, payment service providers are required to monitor and limit high-risk transactions. In practice, this means that every deposit or withdrawal connected to unlicensed gambling activity should be treated as a red flag. Special attention is also given to transactions made through popular mobile payment systems such as BLIK. While BLIK itself is not a payment institution under Polish law, the banks and financial operators using it are and it is they who bear responsibility for preventing the flow of funds that may support illegal gambling activities.

 

Clear Legal Framework, Limited Excuses

Polish law leaves little room for speculation here. The register of domains used to offer illegal gambling, the ban on processing payments for unlicensed operators, and the penalties outlined in the Fiscal Penal Code and Criminal Code set clear boundaries of responsibility.

The Anti-Money Laundering Act (AML) and the EU Regulation 2023/1113 require payment institutions to actively monitor transactions, block suspicious transfers, and cut off risky relationships. Guidance issued by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF/UKNF) and the National Risk Assessment, along with its sectoral annex, describes typical abuse schemes and makes it clear that payments directed toward online gambling should be treated as a major warning signal. In practice, this means that financial channels supporting illegal gambling must be identified and shut down before the funds return to players as so-called “winnings.”

And this principle is now being actively enforced. Recently, the Financial Supervision Authority (UKNF) went a step further, issuing a sector-wide warning urging payment service providers to block financial flows to unlicensed operators. In response, Polish payment providers have begun withdrawing support for illegal gambling sites and removing payment options such as BLIK from unlicensed platforms.

 

The Hardest to Detect: The Intermediary Role

The flow of funds into illegal online gambling can take many forms, depending on the relationships between the parties involved in the transaction. The most difficult to detect, however, is the scenario in which a payment institution acts only as an intermediary within a larger payment chain transferring money between other financial service providers without directly serving the payer or the recipient. Even in such cases, the institution is not exempt from its obligation to continuously monitor and analyse all transactions.

Depending on the type of payment, it should apply different verification methods, all aimed at determining whether executing a transfer on behalf of another provider could, in practice, end up funding entities that organize illegal online gambling. The institution must obtain information from the ordering provider about the recipient, determine whether it is engaged in gambling related activity, and verify its legal status. If red flags arise during the analysis such as missing data in the payment chain, a domain listed in the official register, or the absence of the website from the list of legal operators the transaction should be paused or rejected and properly escalated. This includes raising the risk level, notifying the relevant authorities, or even terminating cooperation. When dealing with correspondent relationships involving other institutions, including those based within the European Union, heightened caution is essential.

 

Grey Market Fuelled by Inaction

Illegal online gambling would not exist without the support of the payment system. Although the law clearly defines the obligations of financial institutions, in practice it is often these very institutions that knowingly or not enable the flow of money into illegal online gambling. This is why effective identification and blocking of such transactions is crucial, especially within complex payment chains where tracing the connections can be most difficult. Every transfer made in support of illegal online gambling represents not only a legal risk but also real support for the shadow economy that thrives on the lack of vigilance within the financial sector.

This article was supplied by:

Marek Plota

Founding Attorney at RM Legal & Gaming In Poland •

Marek is a founder and a head of the legal team at RM Legal Law Firm and Gaming In Poland, jointly providing multidisciplinary and multijurisdictional support for leading international gambling operators in the Polish, European Union, and African markets. His gambling practice includes regulatory support at the pre and post-licensing stage, IT, and taxation services, as well as the unique service of performing a function of a gambling representative. RM Legal is the only law firm in Poland representing offshore companies operating legally in the Polish gambling market. Apart from gambling Marek specializes in corporate commercial law and international investment projects.

The post Payments Under Scrutiny: Polish Example appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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David Mann Chief Executive Officer at Swintt

Martina Muscat joins Swintt as new Marketing Manager

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In-demand software provider appoints experienced iGaming marketing specialist to strengthen brand consistency and ensure all communications really resonate

Swintt, the sought-after software provider celebrated in the industry for its innovative approach to game design and player engagement, has announced it has appointed Martina Muscat as Marketing Manager.

Having previously spent six-and-a-half years at Play ‘n GO as Online Marketing Coordinator before enjoying a more recent spell as Marketing Specialist at IGT, Martina arrives in the role with bags of industry experience that will help Swintt improve its communications across all channels.

Among the primary responsibilities of the new position, Martina will be tasked with ensuring that every upcoming game launch from Swintt tells a story that truly resonates with global audiences and that a consistent approach is taken in regards to all future messaging surrounding the brand.

Of course, given Swintt already boasts a packed product portfolio that includes Premium, Select and Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt titles, Martina will have plenty of inspiration to work with and can use the studio’s previous successes as the blueprint to drive improvement going forward.

Martina Muscat, Marketing Manager at Swintt, said: “I’m really excited to be joining Swintt as the new Marketing Manager at what is an incredibly important time for the brand. With players these days wanting experiences, trust and something that feels tailored to them, I believe Swintt’s mix of in-house creativity and partnerships has put us in a great position to meet their demands.

“With a clear focus on regulated markets and a commitment to doing things the right way, Swintt’s huge portfolio of content means there’s so much variety and creativity to work with – and for someone like me, that’s marketing gold. Couple that with a great company culture that’s both ambitious and collaborative and it’s the exact type of environment where I can do my best work.”

David Mann, Chief Executive Officer at Swintt, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Martina to the Swintt team and believe her considerable experience in marketing will help us create an even more engaging and consistent brand persona as we continue to launch new games going forward.

“One of the things that really struck me about Martina was her passion and enthusiasm for the role. She recognises that with new markets opening, rising player expectations and ever-evolving regulations, the pace of change in our industry is relentless – but rather than being put off by the challenges, she’s sees the opportunities and is already thinking about how Swintt can capitalise.”

The post Martina Muscat joins Swintt as new Marketing Manager appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Affiliate Industry

Affilka by SOFTSWISS Partners with Voluum for Smarter Affiliate Campaign Tracking

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Affilka by SOFTSWISS has announced a strategic partnership with the Voluum ad tracking and optimisation platform. The integration provides iGaming affiliates and operators with advanced tools to monitor, analyse, and optimise traffic, turning data insights into higher revenue and efficiency.

Affilka’s API integration with Voluum’s advanced click-tracking system enables affiliates to manage traffic more efficiently and gain deeper insights to maximise campaign results. This collaboration unlocks powerful new features that support smarter decision-making:

  • Fast and simple setup without postback creation, giving affiliates complete conversion data while eliminating unnecessary complexity and delays.
  • Centralised traffic and player activity data in one place within the Voluum panel, making it easier to monitor performance and act on insights.
  • Detailed tracking of campaigns and conversion events, enabling accurate ROI measurement and optimisation.
  • Clear traffic funnel insights, helping affiliates understand player journeys and refine acquisition strategies by accessing data that was previously available only in Affilka.
  • Automated campaign optimisation, reducing manual effort while maximising returns.

Gleb Bichan, Product Lead at Affilka by SOFTSWISS, shares: “Affiliate marketing success starts with data. By integrating Affilka with Voluum, we bring together two powerful platforms to give partners exclusive insights and a unified performance view in one place. This unique data enrichment creates new opportunities for smarter campaign optimisation, stronger decision-making, and ultimately, better business results.”

Operators relying on paid and affiliate traffic also benefit from this partnership with unified dashboards, centralised reporting, and role-based collaboration tools. They can analyse performance metrics such as sign-ups and first-time deposits in real time, gaining clearer insights to refine acquisition strategies.

Kamila Łuksza-Szpyt, Managing Director at Voluum, comments: “In an era of tightening regulation and heightened transparency, the Affilka and Voluum integration revolutionises iGaming acquisition strategies. With centralised player information and no need for individual postbacks, operators can effortlessly optimise their campaigns and focus on what truly matters – acquiring quality players with ease.”

By integrating with Affilka, Voluum performance tracker gives affiliates sharper data and easier collaboration, while equipping operators with the automation and tracking they need to scale efficiently.

 

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 35,000 casino games, Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Platform and the Jackpot Aggregator. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.

About Voluum

Voluum is an all-in-one ad tracking, optimization, and automation platform that helps iGaming operators and affiliates acquire high-quality players. With over 10 years of experience in performance marketing, Voluum integrates with top traffic sources, affiliate networks, and iGaming operators via s2s postback, pixel, or API. This delivers real-time data insights, simplifies campaign management, and prevents wasted budgets. 

The post Affilka by SOFTSWISS Partners with Voluum for Smarter Affiliate Campaign Tracking appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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