Industry News
As Online Gambling Legalization Expands, So Do Scams and Regulatory Issues
iovation research finds large rise in bonus abuse, credit card fraud and self-exclusion reports
iovation, a TransUnion company, today released its 2020 iGaming Report. Now in its fourth year, the report analyzes more than four billion global online gambling transactions iovation screened for fraud indicators over the past 15 years.
Among the findings, bonus abuse was the number one reported fraud by iovation’s iGaming customers for the third year in a row, rising 72% from 2018 to 2019 (pg. 10). Gambling bonuses often include giving a new player house money to gamble or existing customers incentives to play more. Bonus abusers then use multiple accounts with different email addresses in order to claim the same bonus sometimes hundreds of times, which is often against gambling operators’ terms.
“Deposit bonuses can be a valuable tool for attracting and retaining players,” said Greg Pierson, TransUnion’s senior vice president of business planning and development. “Unfortunately, a few bad apples can abuse otherwise effective programs to the point of eliminating all their value.”
Another key trend in the report was the rise in self-exclusion (pg. 12). iovation received over 363,000 reports of player self-exclusion in 2019, a 63% increase over 2018. Self-exclusion is when a player admits they have a gambling problem and tells an operator not to allow them to gamble. The operator is now legally obligated to ensure the player does not resume gambling activities. In many instances a self-excluded gambler tries to set up a new account, many times with the information of another family member, when they have a change of heart. Or fraudsters set up a new account using a stolen credit card, deposit funds using that card and then self-exclude before the chargeback – a forced transaction reversal initiated by the cardholder’s bank.
“When looking at devices and accounts associated with self-exclusion reports in 2019, we saw eight times (three million) the number of devices and three times (1.2 million) the number of accounts in comparison to reports of self-exclusion. This paints a clear picture that those who self-exclude are not always walking away,” said Angie White, iovation product marketing manager. “Having multiple devices and accounts linked to self-exclusion reports could point to a self-excluded player trying to use another device to set up a new account or something more problematic like a fraud ring.”
Other key findings in the report include:
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Credit Card Fraud Continues Climb: iovation iGaming customers reported a 37% growth in credit card fraud from 2018 to 2019. While operators look to stop credit card fraud, consumers expect reduced transaction reviews and unnecessary step-up authentication with their credit card transactions. (pg. 11)
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Significant Majority of Transactions go Mobile: 79% of all iGaming transactions came from mobile phones and tablets in 2019, an increase of 13% over 2018. It’s clear consumers expect a mobile-first experience. (pg. 6)
“Providing a secure and friction-right mobile experience to onboard new players has never been more important for competing effectively in the iGaming market with new countries and states seemingly legalizing online gambling every week,” said Pierson.
Download iovation’s 2020 iGaming Report. To discuss it in person Feb. 4-6, visit iovation at the ICE London gaming technology event, stand N9-500. For more details about the findings, register for the Feb. 19 2020 iGaming Report webinar.
About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU):
TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing a comprehensive picture of each person so they can be reliably and safely represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good.®
A leading presence in more than 30 countries across five continents, TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people.
About iovation:
iovation, a TransUnion Company, was founded with a simple guiding mission: to make the Internet a safer place for people to conduct business. Since 2004, the company has been delivering against that goal, helping brands protect and engage their customers, and keeping them secure in the complex digital world. Armed with the world’s largest and most precise database of reputation insights and cryptographically secure multifactor authentication methods, iovation safeguards tens of millions of digital transactions each day.
Eeze has promoted three executives into senior leadership roles as the casino supplier scales its operations and reorganises key functions.
Aarti Carl has been appointed Chief People Officer to lead a newly repositioned People Function. Eeze said the function was previously HR and has been redefined to reflect a focus on culture, employee experience and organisational development.
Kurt Vella has been named Chief Legal Officer, responsible for overseeing Eeze’s global legal and compliance strategy.
Shaun Cini has been promoted to Vice President of Finance. Eeze said Cini will continue supporting strategic decision-making.
Lai Fatt Chiang, Chief Executive Officer at Eeze, said: “These appointments reflect both the strength of our internal talent and our commitment to building a leadership team that can support our continued growth.
“Aarti, Kurt, and Shaun have each made a significant impact on the business, and I am confident they will continue to play a key role in shaping our future.”
The post Eeze promotes Aarti Carl, Kurt Vella and Shaun Cini in leadership reshuffle appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Former Hub88 senior account manager joins as QTech targets expanded European operator partnerships.
QTech Games has appointed Iryna Alabuhina as Head of Commercial – Europe, tasking her with expanding the company’s commercial footprint across the region.
Alabuhina joins from Hub88, where she served as Senior Account Manager working with operators across multiple international markets. Before that, she held business development and platform-management roles at SOFTSWISS, and later joined Evolution, where she focused on managing CIS clients and platforms.
QTech Games CEO Philip Doftvik said: “We’re delighted to have secured Iryna’s broad expertise and sharp sales skills for this dedicated commercial-lead role at QTech, as we continue to strengthen and scale up our influence across Europe. Aside from her fantastic experience, Iryna is a great cultural fit with QTech and a person with the right mindset that will help us grow even faster.
“We’re thrilled with Iryna’s fast start as a team player and leader, especially as QTech crosses the threshold of our next growth cycle, consolidating our incumbent position as the dominant aggregator for emerging markets.”
Alabuhina said: “I’m excited to join QTech Games as Head of Commercial for Europe, focusing on strengthening existing partnerships and driving new business growth. QTech is an aggregator renowned for its team morale and collaborative ethos, not to mention some defining points of delineation in the aggregation space – whether that’s its raft of tech-led product developments, rapid-fire integrations, simple invoicing structure, or offset pricing. I was also struck by QTech’s unique commercial model, rich portfolio and enterprising mindset.
“I’m now looking forward to broadening our horizons and partner-base still further, as I head up a talented commercial team for Europe, assembling the best online games and taking them to market across some territories of great potential.”
QTech Games is the top game aggregator for developing markets and a vital industry leader in game exploration. Its remarkable selection of continually updated content is highlighted by 200+ suppliers, more than 5,000 casino games, and over 1,000 live tables – and still growing! Consequently, this is integrated with a continuously growing international presence, exclusive gaming tools and services, and cutting-edge AI technology to enhance its partners’ offerings and improve their customer experience.
The post QTech Games names Iryna Alabuhina Head of Commercial for Europe appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Play’n GO has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, framing the year as a milestone as the supplier marks 20 years in the gaming industry. The report covers performance across four pillars—Players, Partners, People and Planet—and positions sustainability as tied to product design, operations, and partner expectations.
On climate reporting, the company said it has “achieved and exceeded” its long-term 90% reduction target for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and reported a 69% absolute reduction in Scope 3 emissions versus its 2023 base year. Play’n GO also said its total material emissions for 2025 were kept below 500 MTCO2e.
The report also points to a move into land-based delivery. In 2025, Play’n GO said it launched its first land-based gaming solution in partnership with Genting UK, positioning the rollout as part of a “player-first, low-footprint approach” for regulated venues.
On responsible entertainment, the company said it continues to reject game mechanics it believes “compromise player trust or wellbeing,” and highlighted participation in discussions on digital wellbeing and cognitive health, including at the United Nations and G7. “We have always believed that great entertainment should be fun, safe and fair,” said Vanessa Björkbacka, Director of CSR at Play’n GO.
The report also outlines internal development and reporting infrastructure. Play’n GO said 43% of employees engaged in AI-related learning during 2025 and that average training time exceeded seven hours per employee globally. It added that reporting was further aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and World Economic Forum Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, alongside investment in “secure, AI-supported carbon data management.” “As expectations on transparency and accountability continue to rise, we see it as our responsibility to lead,” Björkbacka added.
The post Play’n GO publishes 2025 Sustainability Report with emissions and governance updates appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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