Australia
VGCCC: Footy Legends Team Up to Champion Limit Setting
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Aussie Rules football legend Sam Docherty and rugby league superstar Cameron Munster are teaming up for Gambling Harm Awareness Week to encourage people to set limits before they bet.
Both footballers use practical tools when they gamble and are sharing their advice with others, particularly males aged 18–34 who are the biggest users of wagering and sports gambling products.
“I’m committed to raising awareness and encouraging safer gambling habits. I know from experience the highs and lows that can come with gambling. Now, I want to focus on supporting change so that gambling harm can be minimised.
“In the last few years, I have grown immensely as a person and by setting limits, I’ve had the occasional gamble but have been able to focus on what matters most,” Munster said.
Sam Docherty said: “I’ve had my struggles with gambling in the past and now I set a weekly deposit limit. I’ve found it really helps keep my gambling activity in check. People struggling with gambling harm can feel stuck and alone because of feelings like shame and guilt – and I want them to know that it’s okay to seek help.
“It’s important that people, especially young guys, think about their actions before they place a bet. I wouldn’t take to the field without warming up and making sure my body was match fit. Setting a limit is the same. It will help protect you.
Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) CEO, Suzy Neilan said safety should be front of mind as the state’s sporting calendar ramps up.
“There is always a spike in wagering and sports gambling at this time of year, which is why it’s crucial we reach people that are statistically at greater risk of experiencing gambling harm.
“This is about safety. Setting a limit is like putting on a seatbelt as soon as you get in the car. Limits can reduce the likelihood of you experiencing gambling harm.”
Victorians spend more than $7 billion a year on gambling, including approximately $2.5 billion on wagering and sports betting products.
Gambling Harm Awareness Week is an annual event that encourages people to understand the risks of gambling. The 2025 campaign “Set before you bet” focuses on how setting limits can reduce someone’s risk of experiencing gambling harm. Protective behaviours that can be used include:
• Gamble no more than 2% of take home pay.
• Gamble no more than once a week.
• Gamble on no more than 2 different products.
“Sam and Cameron have unique experiences with gambling, and I commend them for implementing their own strategies, including setting limits when they gamble.
“What’s more, it’s great that these role models are now sharing their lessons and advice with other young men who are the cohort most at risk from experiencing gambling harm from sports betting,” Ms Neilan said.
The VGCCC has released findings from the annual Community Attitudes Survey, which asked more than 3000 Victorians about their views on gambling. The survey shows that most Victorians overwhelmingly agree gambling is addictive and can damage families and communities.
“With the widespread popularity of sports betting, it is so important for people to understand our Gambling Harm Awareness Week message and set limits before they bet,” Ms Neilan said.
“Gambling is a personal choice, and it’s vital that people are equipped with the knowledge and practical tools to manage their activity and participate safely.
‘The gambling industry must act with integrity, comply with their licence conditions and Code of Conduct obligations, and care for their customers who may be showing signs of gambling harm.”
The post VGCCC: Footy Legends Team Up to Champion Limit Setting appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested the Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block more illegal online gambling sites, after investigations found these services to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
The latest sites blocked include:
Lucky Mate
Vegastars
Wombet
Cosmobet
Fortune Play
Fortunica
Rolletto
Velobet
Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling. Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 1518 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked. Over 220 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal online gambling rules in 2017.
The post ACMA Blocks More Illegal Online Gambling Websites appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Australia
Regulating the Game 2026 Sydney — One Month Countdown as Sector Leaders Anticipate Inaugural RTG Global Awards
With a month left until Regulating the Game 2026 Sydney, the final arrangements are in progress for the industry’s premier event on gambling regulation, compliance, integrity, and safer gambling, scheduled for 9–11 March 2026 at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.
Currently in its sixth edition, Regulating the Game has become a platform for in-depth, cross-jurisdictional analysis of gambling regulation and industry performance, emphasizing the interplay between regulatory frameworks, market structures, and organizational capacity in practice. The 2026 initiative unites regulators, policymakers, operators, advisors, and technology experts to explore the translation of regulatory intent into practical application, as well as the evolution of industry systems, governance, and behaviors in light of increased scrutiny and reform.
A Program Centered on System Efficiency and Compliance Circumstances
The 2026 conference agenda is designed to transition purposefully from context to analysis to application, exploring how gambling regulation, market design, organizational capability, and leadership influence real-world results. Over three days, the program examines not just the pathway of regulatory reform, but also how these reforms are integrated, implemented, and challenged within intricate gambling settings facing ongoing evaluation and transformation.
Sessions cover public policy, regulatory practice, sector performance, and innovation, focusing on:
• The strategic direction of gambling regulation, enforcement and supervision, and how regulatory posture is evolving post-inquiry and reform
• The operational reality of compliance, including AML/CTF supervision, financial crime risk, and implementation challenges and opportunities
• Safer gambling governance, consumer protection frameworks and the application of RegTech at scale
• Market structure, black and grey market dynamics, and the unintended consequences of regulatory design choices
• Technology, data governance, RegTech and the use of AI to support integrity, oversight and organisational decision-making
• Leadership, accountability, culture and the capability required to translate policy intent into durable operational outcomes
The agenda integrates keynote addresses, moderated panels, expert masterclasses and Industry Spotlight sessions, designed to support informed debate while grounding discussion in real-world regulatory and operational experience.
Global RTG Awards to Be Presented for the First Time
A key aspect of Regulating the Game 2026 is the introduction of the first Regulating the Game Global Awards, which honor leadership, stewardship, and measurable effects in areas such as sector direction and reform, compliance, safer gambling, technology, and community results.
The Global Awards were created to offer impartial, thorough acknowledgment of individuals, organizations, and solutions that are enhancing standards and leading to improved regulatory and social results. Finalists have been verified in six categories after an objective evaluation by a judging panel made up of senior leaders with extensive knowledge in regulation, law, integrity, governance, and responsible gambling.
The RTG Global Awards Gala Dinner will take place as a central event of the conference agenda, allowing finalists, peers, and industry stakeholders to engage in the Awards without needing to attend the entire conference.
Pitch! Showcase and Industry Interaction
The conference agenda includes Pitch!, a forum by Regulating the Game for exploring both new and traditional methods to tackle regulatory, compliance, and safer gambling issues. Pitch! highlights research, practical technologies, operating models, and concepts being implemented or tested in regulated settings, and analyzes how innovation is embraced, managed, and expanded in conjunction with current systems and controls.
Paul Newson, Founder of Regulating the Game and Principal at Vanguard Overwatch, stated that the 2026 event signifies the growth and significance of the existing regulatory landscape:
“Regulating the Game exists to engage honestly with how gambling regulation, sector performance and organisational capability intersect in practice – not just policy intent, but how expectations are interpreted, implemented and sustained over time.
The Global Awards sit alongside that purpose. They recognise and help surface leadership, stewardship and practical work that is lifting capability, strengthening governance and positioning organisations – and the sector more broadly – for more resilient and sustainable operation. The intent is to cultivate credible leadership voices and highlight work that is demonstrably improving outcomes.”
The post Regulating the Game 2026 Sydney — One Month Countdown as Sector Leaders Anticipate Inaugural RTG Global Awards appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Konami Gaming subsidiary Konami Australia is a finalist in the Regulating the Game Global Awards 2026, adjudicated by representatives from the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL), The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) and Leagues Clubs Australia. Konami’s SYNK Vision biometric player tracking solution has been named a finalist for “RegTech Solution of the Year”, recognising innovative technology improving compliance, anti-money laundering (AML), safer gambling or integrity outcomes.
Tom Soukup, senior vice president & chief systems product officer at Konami Gaming, said: “The potential for SYNK Vision to deliver transformative advancement is unmistakable, especially as it relates to anti-money laundering, compliance, and player protection. This important acknowledgement of Konami’s SYNK Vision in the Regulating the Game Global Awards is credit to our valued casino customers and team members for working collaboratively, pushing casino systems technology to new heights of innovation, efficiency, and responsibility.”
Organised by the annual gambling law and regulation conference Regulating the Game, the Regulating the Game Global Awards 2026 event takes place on March 10 in Sydney, Australia. SYNK Vision has been independently selected as a finalist in this year’s programme, bringing Konami’s patented facial-recognition technology to the forefront of responsible gaming. Installed at casino table games and electronic gaming machines (EGMs), SYNK Vision can securely identify, track and protect players automatically based on biometric facial characteristics, regardless of whether they are members of the venue’s established player loyalty programme.
Gerard Crosby, senior vice president & chief games product officer at Konami Gaming and director of Konami Australia, said: “SYNK Vision equips gaming facilities to rapidly detect barred players, immediately notifying personnel and locking the machine from play if associated with an EGM—all while preserving player privacy across its gaming ecosystem. In addition, its advanced identity‑verification capabilities enhance AML tracking and compliance efforts across regulated venues. Konami is happy to support regulated gaming markets with this previously unattainable ability, to the benefit of countless communities and individuals.”
The post Konami’s SYNK Vision Named Finalist in Regulating the Game Global Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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