Press Releases
UK’s Betting and Gaming Council announce new 10 pledge action plan for safer gambling during the Covid-19 crisis
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the new standards body for betting and gaming which covers betting shops, online betting and gaming businesses and casinos, has announced a new 10 pledge action plan agreed with its regulated member companies, which sets out the standards expected of our members during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
The 10 pledges build on actions and interventions that BGC members do as part of safer gambling operations, however the BGC will now require heightened monitoring, tailored responses and new action to address the unprecedented situation of social distancing and home working. Although overall gambling has fallen dramatically with the absence of sport and due to the closure of betting shop and casino closures, the BGC’s pledges will come into force immediately to help ensure that the highest safeguards are in place and action is taken to protect anyone betting online who may be more vulnerable as a result of the crisis.
The BGC supported the Gambling Commission, who last week demanded increased consumer protection and responsible marketing. The new pledges demonstrate the BGC’s determination to ensure the highest standards are implemented and cover the following areas:
1. Increase safer gambling messages across all sites and direct to all customers
2. Step up interventions if customers increase time and spend beyond normal pre-crisis patterns
3. Actively promote deposit limits
4. Action to ensure appropriate and responsible advertising including monitoring volume
5. Report all illegal, rogue advertising from black market online operators
6. One-strike-and-you’re-out policy where affiliates breach pledges
7. Signpost help to GAMCARE and the National Gambling Helpline and GamStop for self-exclusion
8. Commitment to ensuring funding for Research Education and Treatment (RET)
9. Welfare checks and well-being help for staff
10. Supporting the Government’s ‘National Effort’ with volunteers and facilities
Commenting on the 10 pledges, Michael Dugher, BGC chief executive, said:
“In this time of national crisis, with so many people self-isolating and social distancing at home, it is vital that we do everything possible to ensure safer gambling and to protect potentially vulnerable or at risk people.
“We all know that levels of gambling have plummeted not just because of betting shop or casino closures, but because of the absence of sport, which is also fundamental to online betting. Although gambling levels have dropped during the COVID crisis, our commitment to safer gambling is being stepped up. It is important that we help our customers stay safe and in control of their gambling during these difficult times. That’s why BGC members have developed a 10 pledge action plan that will help govern members throughout this crisis.
“Increasing safer gambling measures with more monitoring and customer interventions, stepping up safer gambling messages and measures like promoting deposit limits, together with a tough crackdown on affiliates and calling out rogue black-market operators, will make a big difference. We are also signposting professional help and are committed to funding Research, Education and Treatment (RET).
“The betting industry supports tens of thousands of jobs up and down the country, and we are equally determined to support the Government’s National Effort through helping with volunteers and facilities”.
Source: BGC
América Latina
Las diferencias locales de Argentina representan tanto un desafío como una oportunidad para el sector del iGaming
El crecimiento del iGaming en Argentina ha posicionado al país como uno de los mercados más dinámicos de América Latina. Sin embargo, detrás de esta expansión existe un desafío que está cobrando cada vez más relevancia para los operadores: adaptarse a un mercado donde cada provincia presenta diferentes requisitos regulatorios, condiciones operativas y dinámicas comerciales.
A diferencia de muchos otros mercados de la región, Argentina no opera bajo un único marco regulatorio. Cada jurisdicción establece sus propios requisitos, procesos de licenciamiento y condiciones de operación, lo que obliga a los operadores a adaptarse constantemente a diferentes realidades dentro de un mismo país.
Para OKTO PAYMENTS, proveedor de infraestructura de pagos y servicios financieros para industrias digitales complejas y reguladas, estas particularidades locales representan tanto un desafío como una oportunidad. A medida que el mercado evoluciona, los operadores deben encontrar formas de escalar de manera eficiente manteniendo la consistencia en entornos operativos cada vez más diversos.
“Durante años, el crecimiento fue el principal objetivo de la industria. Hoy, el desafío radica en cómo escalar eficientemente en un mercado donde cada jurisdicción puede presentar distintos requisitos, expectativas y dinámicas operativas”, señaló André Boesing, gerente general para South LatAm de OKTO PAYMENTS.
A medida que el mercado continúa madurando en las distintas provincias, los operadores enfrentan crecientes exigencias en materia de transparencia, trazabilidad y control operativo. La capacidad de adaptarse a requisitos regulatorios y operativos diversos se está convirtiendo en un factor cada vez más importante para lograr un crecimiento sostenible.
Como resultado, la capacidad de coordinar múltiples proveedores, métodos de pago y procesos operativos se ha vuelto cada vez más estratégica para los operadores que buscan ampliar su presencia en todo el país manteniendo una experiencia de usuario consistente.
“Los usuarios esperan una experiencia simple y fluida independientemente del lugar donde jueguen. Pero detrás de esa experiencia existe una creciente complejidad operativa que los operadores deben gestionar eficientemente a medida que se expanden a diferentes jurisdicciones”, agregó Boesing.
A medida que los operadores amplían sus operaciones en múltiples jurisdicciones, gestionar distintos proveedores de pago, métodos de pago y requisitos operativos se vuelve cada vez más complejo. Capacidades como la orquestación de depósitos y retiros, la gestión de tesorería y liquidez, y los procesos de liquidación eficientes están emergiendo como habilitadores críticos para este crecimiento. Al permitir que los operadores centralicen múltiples conexiones de pago a través de una única capa de infraestructura, mejoren la visibilidad de la liquidez y optimicen los procesos de liquidación, estas capacidades ayudan a reducir la complejidad, fortalecer el control operativo y respaldar una experiencia de usuario fluida en diferentes mercados.
“En muchos casos, la infraestructura pasa desapercibida hasta que algo sale mal. Sin embargo, en mercados altamente fragmentados como Argentina, la capacidad de gestionar múltiples proveedores, mantener la consistencia operativa y adaptarse rápidamente a los requisitos locales puede convertirse en una ventaja competitiva en sí misma. En OKTO PAYMENTS llamamos a esto ‘jugar de una manera diferente’: competir no solo a través de productos y servicios, sino también mediante la resiliencia operativa y la capacidad de adaptación”, explicó Boesing.
Para OKTO PAYMENTS, la evolución del mercado argentino demuestra que el éxito a largo plazo dependerá no solo de atraer usuarios, sino también de la capacidad de operar eficientemente en entornos cada vez más complejos.
“Los operadores mejor posicionados para alcanzar el éxito a largo plazo serán aquellos capaces de combinar crecimiento, control operativo y adaptabilidad. La infraestructura financiera ya no es simplemente una capa de soporte tecnológico; se está convirtiendo en una ventaja estratégica en mercados cada vez más sofisticados”, concluyó Boesing.
OKTO PAYMENTS trabaja con operadores que navegan el escenario multijurisdiccional de Argentina para simplificar las operaciones de pago mediante una única capa de orquestación para depósitos y retiros instantáneos, gestión de tesorería y liquidez.
The post Las diferencias locales de Argentina representan tanto un desafío como una oportunidad para el sector del iGaming appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Jani Kontturi Head of Games at SkillOnNet
SkillOnNet adds Octoplay casino games across its UK brands
Octoplay titles go live on PlayOJO, Genting, SpinGenie and MegawaysCasino, with more regulated markets planned.
SkillOnNet has launched Octoplay’s casino games across its UK iGaming sites, making the supplier’s content available to players on brands including PlayOJO, Genting, SpinGenie and MegawaysCasino.
The UK rollout includes Octoplay titles such as Vegas is Dead: Battle Arena, Shaolin Panda: Chaos Reels, and Serpent Gold: Hold and Win. SkillOnNet said it plans to expand the partnership into additional regulated markets in the coming months.
Jani Kontturi, Head of Games at SkillOnNet said: “We’re delighted to welcome Octoplay to our platform in the UK. The studio has built a strong reputation for developing high-quality games that combine engaging mechanics with blockbuster production values. We are confident our players will love the content, and we’re excited to extend the partnership into additional regulated markets in the near future.
Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay: “Launching with SkillOnNet in the UK represents another important milestone for Octoplay. SkillOnNet operates some of the industry’s most established iGaming sites, and this partnership allows us to bring our games to a wider audience of players. We look forward to building on this initial launch and expanding together into further markets.”
The post SkillOnNet adds Octoplay casino games across its UK brands appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
blask
New Blask heatmap tracks real-time interest across World Cup 2026 nations
Blask has launched the Blask World Cup Index, a free interactive map showing daily interest across the majority of the 48 nations competing in the 2026 tournament. It runs for the duration of the competition.
Blask updates the map every 24 hours. Countries where interest towards the major football tournament grows over the previous day turn green. Countries where it fell turn red. Unchanged markets stay grey. Hover over any country for a quick snapshot, click through for a multi-day view, or follow the leaderboard of the fastest-rising and falling markets.
What the Blask World Cup Index measures
Blask World Cup Index draws from the Blask Index, Blask’s measure of iGaming search volume within a given market. On the landing page it tracks football related categories: how actively people in each country are searching for odds, match markets and other football-related content tied to the 2026 tournament.
Country cards show day-by-day trends; a daily leaderboard surfaces the daily World Cup Index and its change with the previous day. Visitors can track how interest in their country builds in the days before their team’s next match and how fast it collapses after an exit. The leaderboard shows which nation leads the index and how that position shifts with results. For operators and affiliates, the most actionable view is a market where interest is growing faster than the team’s performance would predict — the signal that precedes a volume spike.
After a 4-1 victory over Paraguay, the United States leads our World Cup Interest Index with 14.4 million demand points — more than three times ahead of second-placed Brazil (4.28 million), despite the Seleção’s global popularity. Germany sits third with 3.15 million following a 7-1 win over Curaçao, while England (2.53 million) and Egypt (2.22 million) round out the top five ahead of their opening group-stage matches.
To put the 2026 data in context, Blask has published two research reports drawing on iGaming activity across the 2018 and 2022 World Cups — one covering six European markets (UK, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy), one covering six LATAM markets.
The data shows the effect is not automatic: Germany posted positive acquisition signals at both tournaments despite group-stage exits; Peru surged +41% in 2022 without qualifying; Colombia fell 14% the same year.
Both reports include country-level APS data, cross-market patterns, and 2026 projections.
The post New Blask heatmap tracks real-time interest across World Cup 2026 nations appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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