Press Releases

UK Gambling Commission guidance in light of COVID-19 outbreak

Published

6 years ago

March 20, 2020

As the situation with COVID-19 continues to impact daily life in Great Britain, like many of you, the Commission is following Public Health England guidance and we have told all staff to work from home until further notice.

We recognise these unprecedented circumstances will be having a significant impact on businesses and many will be facing uncertain and unsettling times. The Commission has a well-practised and comprehensive Business Continuity Plan, which we have invoked with the intention of minimising the impact on our regulatory work and the advice and services we provide.

A number of operators have already contacted us to alert us to the challenges they face and seek our advice about how to respond. We realise that the unprecedented changes to daily life, and in some cases, financial uncertainty, will create challenges for your business. The changes will also increase the risks to some individuals, which means that despite the fact that these are challenging times we must all continue to protect consumers.

Here you can find information about how the Commission will be operating during this time, along with important reminders about how you should continue to protect consumers.

COVID -19 – A reminder to operators

First and foremost, we expect all our licensees to follow the applicable Public Health guidance. Where facilities for gambling are being offered we expect all our licensees to ensure that they have sufficient management, staffing and oversight in place to maintain compliance with the LCCP that apply to their licences.

Fees and applications

Our expectation remains that licensees ensure the maintenance of sufficient management, staffing and oversight in order to uphold the licensing objectives. Licensees should assess their ability to maintain compliance with the LCCP and consider voluntary partial or full suspension of their offerings should compliance not be achievable and until such time that a fully compliant service can be offered.

Unfortunately, due to the way that our fee system is structured we don’t have the ability to reduce fees.

We are also unable to fast track applications. We will continue to monitor the situation and will communicate any changes to our expectations accordingly.

A reminder specifically for online operators

The social distancing measures that are being put in place will mean that more people will be at home and we would like to remind online operators that they must continue to act responsibly, especially in regards to individual customer affordability and increased social responsibility interactions.

As a reminder, we expect licensees to:

Assess individual affordability on an ongoing basis – customers may be experiencing disrupted income. (Social Responsibility code 3.4 refers to our guidance – ‘Customer interaction- formal guidance for remote gambling operators’ )
Increase social responsibility interactions and intervene where customers are showing signs of gambling related harm
Onboard new customers in a socially responsible way and not exploit the current situation for marketing purposes
Refresh the information they have on customers regularly
Review the levels which trigger interaction for AML and SR
Ensure that your gambling products have been tested by a test house before they are released to the market.

Source: UKGC

Related Topics:COVID-19 UK Gambling Commission UKGC

Up Next

Stefan Backlund Joins Internet Vikings’ Board of Directors

Don't Miss

Singular Expands Game Offering With Wazdan

API integration

Belatra signs cooperation deal to distribute slots via VeliGames

Published

5 hours ago

July 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

belatra-signs-cooperation-deal-to-distribute-slots-via-veligames

Belatra has signed a cooperation agreement with VeliGames to distribute its online slots to operators across Latin America, Africa and Asia. The deal was announced Tuesday 7th July 2026.

VeliGames is a game aggregation platform by VeliTech. The companies said the platform is designed for operators in Latin America, Africa and Asia, with architecture optimised for unstable internet connections and low-cost devices.

Under the expanded agreement, VeliGames will gain access to Belatra’s portfolio through a single API integration, giving operators access to Belatra’s slots via the aggregator.

Misha Voinich, Head of Business Development at Belatra said: “Our integration with VeliGames through a single API opens a direct route for our slots to reach operators in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Our mathematical architecture and character-based IP are focused on long-term player retention, and VeliGames’ technology ensures stable operation of content in these markets regardless of the quality of communication.”

Revaz Janelidze, Operations Lead at VeliGames, added: “Belatra’s award-winning portfolio and proven mechanics are just the kind of dependable content our operator partners are looking for across multiple regions. Bringing the games into our ecosystem through a single API makes it simple to deliver, even on lower spec devices and slower connections.”

The post Belatra signs cooperation deal to distribute slots via VeliGames appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

GCGRA

UAE Lottery names second AED 30m Lucky Day jackpot winner in five weeks

Published

5 hours ago

July 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

uae-lottery-names-second-aed-30m-lucky-day-jackpot-winner-in-five-weeks

The UAE Lottery has confirmed its second AED 30 million Lucky Day Grand Prize winner in five weeks. The operator said Sunil Kumar Sadasivan, a 52-year-old Indian resident of Abu Dhabi, matched all seven winning numbers in the Wednesday, July 1 draw.

The company said the Wednesday Lucky Day draw has now produced two AED 30 million Grand Prize winners and one AED 5 million Second Prize winner “in a span of a few months.” Lucky Day draws run every Wednesday and Saturday at 9:30 PM.

Speaking about the win in a statement included by the operator, Sadasivan said: “When I first looked at it, I couldn’t believe it. Then I looked again and saw the full number. That’s when I realized I had won.”

The UAE Lottery said each draw offers an AED 30 million Grand Prize and an AED 5 million Second Prize, as well as three guaranteed AED 50,000 Lucky Chance prizes. Tickets cost AED 50, according to the operator.

The company said its games are regulated by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) and reiterated its commitment to responsible gaming.

The post UAE Lottery names second AED 30m Lucky Day jackpot winner in five weeks appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Aviator

Pernambuco court revokes Spribe’s interim relief in Aviator trademark dispute

Published

5 hours ago

July 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

pernambuco-court-revokes-spribe’s-interim-relief-in-aviator-trademark-dispute

TJPE cites a Brasília federal ruling that suspended the legal effects of Spribe’s AVIATOR registration and barred exclusivity claims during nullity proceedings.

The Court of Justice of Pernambuco (TJPE) has revoked preliminary appellate relief previously granted to Spribe OÜ in litigation over the AVIATOR trademark in Brazil.

In a monocratic decision, Justice Andrea Epaminondas Tenorio de Brito held that the factual and legal basis for the earlier injunction no longer exists. The court pointed to a subsequent decision by the Federal Court in Brasília that provisionally suspended the legal effects of Spribe’s Brazilian AVIATOR trademark registration and ordered Spribe to refrain from asserting exclusivity based on that registration while federal nullity proceedings are ongoing.

TJPE said its earlier relief relied on the presumption that Spribe’s trademark registration before Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) was fully valid and enforceable. With the federal court suspending the registration’s effects, the Pernambuco court found the underlying circumstances had materially changed.

The court cited Article 296 of the Brazilian Code of Civil Procedure as the basis for revoking the preliminary relief in light of the changed legal situation.

The post Pernambuco court revokes Spribe’s interim relief in Aviator trademark dispute appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.