Press Releases
GambleAware publishes new research
• Exposure to gambling advertising, including on social media, can have an impact on attitudes towards the prevalence and acceptability of gambling, and in turn the likelihood that a child, young person or vulnerable adult will gamble in the future.
• The attitudes and gambling behaviours of peers and parents are critical in shaping gambling activity; they were significantly associated with both a young person’s exposure to brands and advertising, as well as with current gambling amongst those aged 11-24.
• In the report, researchers identified a number of recommendations, including the need for clearer safer gambling messages and campaigns; a requirement to improve education initiatives; a reduction in the appeal of gambling adverts to children and improved use of advertising technology, to minimise the exposure of such content to children, young people and vulnerable adults.
GambleAware has published the findings of the research commissioned to examine the impact of gambling advertising and marketing on children, young people and vulnerable adults.
The programme of research was conducted by two separate consortia, led by Ipsos MORI and the Institute for Social Marketing at the University of Stirling. The synthesis of findings across the research was written by Ipsos MORI. The research shows that regular exposure to gambling promotions can change perceptions and associations of gambling over time for children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Among those who don’t currently gamble, exposure to gambling promotions was one of the most significant associations with whether someone was likely to gamble in the future. However, the attitudes of peers and carers was also critical when looking at whether an 11-24-year-old was a current gambler. The report reveals that if a child or young person has a close friend or carer who gambles, that individual is six times more likely to be a current gambler, than those without such a connection.
However, when specifically looking at exposure, researchers observed that almost all (96%) of the 11-24-year-old participants had been exposed to gambling marketing messages in the last month. Furthermore, participants in the qualitative research were shown snippets of gambling logos and when asked to identify them, correctly identified an average of eight out of ten.
By using an age classifier on Twitter, researchers also found clear evidence of children following and engaging with gambling related accounts. It was estimated that 41,000 UK followers of gambling-related accounts on the social media platform were likely to be under 16 and 6% of followers of ‘traditional’ gambling accounts were found to be children, a figure that increased to 17% when looking specifically at eSport gambling accounts.
Researchers concluded that the rise of new forms of gambling marketing through social media have increased the ways in which children, young people and vulnerable adults can engage with gambling brands, which in turn helps to establish brand loyalty. One of the recommendations from the report was that more could be done to work closely with social media platforms to improve age screening tools, before individuals are allowed to follow accounts that promote gambling.
However, when examining where children and young people came across gambling in the past month, TV remained the most common source of exposure:
• More than four out of five (85%) aged 11-24 reported seeing gambling advertising on TV (including national lottery adverts).
• 70% of children and young people noticed gambling adverts in betting shops on the high street, window displays as well as promotions on shop floors and near tills. However, those aged between 18 to 24 had higher exposure to gambling during sports events, on smartphone apps, through merchandise, gambling websites, emails and from word of mouth.
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• Two-thirds (66%) reported seeing gambling promotions on their social media channels, that were most likely to be in the form of video adverts while watching clips on YouTube or ads appearing while scrolling through Facebook feeds.
Researchers identified a risk that some advertising may play on the susceptibilities of children, young people and vulnerable adults, particularly when their understanding of the risk of gambling may be poor. The appeal of a gambling promotions, for example ones that imply limited risk, or inflated suggestions of winning, may not always result in an immediate bet. Instead, these adverts were successful in eliciting a range of emotional and cognitive responses from children, young people and vulnerable adults. This therefore was likely to shape their attitudes and the likelihood as to whether or not they would consider gambling in the future.
Responding to the research findings, Marc Etches, CEO of GambleAware, has said: “Gambling is an adult activity, but this new research conclusively shows that it has become part of everyday life for children and young people. This constant exposure to it through advertising and marketing, or via close friends and family, has the potential for serious long-term implications for children and young people. The exposure to gambling on social media suggests there is a clear need for social media companies to improve age screening tools and for gambling companies to make full use of existing ones, to help protect children from potential harmful exposure to gambling. We must always be mindful that gambling is a public health issue and it can have serious implications for people’s mental health. This report is an apt reminder for us to ensure that the next generation is made aware of the risks of gambling as well as the help and support that is available via the National Gambling Treatment Service.”
Researchers at Ipsos MORI identified a number of recommendations to help protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from experiencing gambling harms. These included:
• The need for clearer safer gambling messages and campaigns, to increase the awareness of risk of gambling to children and young people.
• Improving safer gambling education initiatives, that extend to parents, as well as children and young people.
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• Reducing the appeal of gambling advertising, by addressing specific features that may appeal to children, for example the use of celebrities or humour, while also avoiding references to confusing financial incentives.
• Improved use of advertising technology and age screening tools, to minimise the exposure of such content to children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Steve Ginnis, Research Director at Ipsos MORI, has said: “The research points to the ubiquitous nature of gambling advertising, beyond sports and beyond television; and further demonstrates that the impact of exposure goes beyond traditional selling techniques that elicit an immediate response. The evidence captured in this research suggests that there is value in taking further action to reduce exposure and appeal of gambling advertising, which in turn is likely to help mitigate against the plausible risk of gambling-related harms among children, young people and vulnerable adults. Our recommendations are intended to help stimulate collective discussion and action.”
Affinity
SCCG Management Partners with Affinity Group and Gaming Gateway to Expand Global Gaming Licensing and Corporate Structuring Services
SCCG Management has entered into a strategic partnership with Affinity Group, the Isle of Man-based corporate service provider and regulatory consultancy firm, to bring multi-jurisdictional gaming licensing, compliance, and corporate structuring capabilities to gaming operators, technology providers, and investors worldwide. The partnership positions SCCG as Affinity’s market representation channel into the broader gaming and sports entertainment sectors, while Affinity’s corporate services, regulatory expertise, compliance support, and multi-jurisdictional licensing through Gaming Gateway give SCCG clients a direct path to licensing in some of the world’s most respected gaming jurisdictions.
What Affinity Group Does
Founded in 2004 on the Isle of Man, Affinity Group is an independently owned corporate services company that specializes in helping regulated businesses establish, structure, and maintain operations across multiple jurisdictions. The company has built a particular depth of expertise in eGaming, where it has been assisting operators with licensing and corporate structuring since 2013.
Affinity operates through several specialized brands, with Affinity Nav serving as its regulatory consultancy arm focused on eGaming and fintech. Affinity Nav provides end-to-end support for both startups and established operators, from initial consultancy and strategic planning, to regulatory liaison, regulatory framework expertise, and ongoing compliance management after go-live.
Beyond licensing, Affinity provides a comprehensive suite of corporate services that gaming companies need when entering new markets: company incorporation and administration, provision of directorship and company secretary services, registered office facilities, bank account opening assistance, escrow services, VAT registration and returns, and liaison with lawyers, payment solution providers, hosting providers, and software suppliers. This breadth means a gaming operator or technology supplier can work with a single partner to handle the corporate and regulatory infrastructure required to operate in a new jurisdiction.
Gaming Gateway: Taking Global Licensing Further
In 2025, Affinity launched Gaming Gateway, its Florida-based brand dedicated to taking Affinity’s proven licensing track record, with a 100% license application success rate, truly global. Building on the deep jurisdictional expertise Affinity has established, particularly across the Isle of Man and Malta, Gaming Gateway extends that capability across a wider range of international markets, assisting clients in obtaining both inward and outward-facing licenses the world over.
Whether an operator is seeking to enter a new regulated market or a jurisdiction requires outward-facing regulatory approvals, Gaming Gateway delivers the same bespoke, end-to-end service that has defined Affinity’s 100% license application success rate, now at a truly global scale. The SCCG partnership directly extends Gaming Gateway’s reach into the operator and supplier relationships SCCG has built across more than three decades in the industry.
Why This Matters for the Gaming Industry
The global gambling industry is expanding rapidly into new regulated markets, and with that expansion comes an increasing demand for licensing, compliance, and corporate structuring expertise that most operators and technology suppliers do not have in-house.
Securing an eGaming license is not simply a regulatory filing. It requires a deep understanding of the specific jurisdiction’s regulatory framework, corporate governance requirements, beneficial ownership disclosure rules, anti-money laundering obligations, player protection standards, and ongoing reporting commitments. Each jurisdiction has its own application process, timeline, and operational expectations.
Affinity operates in several of the most sought-after gaming jurisdictions. The Isle of Man, regulated by the Gambling Supervision Commission, is widely regarded as a gold-standard tier-one jurisdiction with particular strengths in operator flexibility and access to global markets. Malta, governed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), provides the EU regulatory gateway that many online operators require.
For gaming companies evaluating market entry, the ability to work with a single corporate services partner across multiple jurisdictions reduces complexity, speeds up application timelines, and ensures consistent governance standards. Affinity’s established relationships with regulators in each jurisdiction, built over more than two decades of operations, provide clients with a level of access and institutional knowledge that accelerates the licensing process.
What SCCG Brings to the Partnership
SCCG Management will represent Affinity Group across the gambling and sports entertainment ecosystem, connecting Affinity’s licensing and compliance capabilities to the operator, platform, and technology relationships SCCG has built over more than 33 years in the industry.
The engagement covers SCCG’s standard advisory structure: qualified introductions to gaming companies evaluating new market entry, international expansion support, commercial partnership development, and strategic advisory. Affinity will also benefit from SCCG’s content and marketing infrastructure, including newsletter distribution to approximately 34,000 gaming industry professionals, thought leadership placement, event visibility, and amplification through SCCG’s digital channels.
Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, will serve as a brand ambassador for Affinity, representing the company’s capabilities in meetings, at industry events, and across SCCG’s network of operator and investor relationships.
Target Verticals
The partnership will focus on connecting Affinity to several categories of gaming and entertainment businesses: online gaming operators and sportsbooks seeking multi-jurisdictional licensing strategies, gaming technology suppliers and platform providers needing licensing in operator markets, startup and early-stage gaming companies requiring corporate structuring and initial license applications, established operators expanding into new regulated markets, gaming-adjacent fintech and cryptocurrency companies navigating regulated frameworks, and investors and holding companies evaluating jurisdictional structures for gaming assets.
The post SCCG Management Partners with Affinity Group and Gaming Gateway to Expand Global Gaming Licensing and Corporate Structuring Services appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
New SGP lets users combine up to 10 same-match selections plus 10 across multiple events on desktop and mobile.
Duelbits has launched Same Game Parlay (SGP), adding a sportsbook feature that lets players combine multiple player and match markets within a single bet slip. The company said the initial rollout is focused on soccer and World Cup betting and is available on desktop and mobile.
The SGP product supports same-match combinations across player props including goals, shots, shots on target, assists, cards, fouls, tackles and goalkeeper saves, alongside match and team markets such as match winner, goals, corners and shots. Duelbits also said users can build parlays across multiple events where SGP markets are available.
Duelbits positioned the launch as a fix for bet combinations being rejected or marked invalid, saying the feature is powered by a specialist player props and statistics provider to reduce rejected selections and streamline odds updates and settlement. At launch, players can include up to 10 selections within a single event and a further 10 selections across multiple events, with plans to expand those limits in future updates.
Jasper Hoekert, Chief Marketing Officer at Duelbits, said: “Same Game Parlays have become one of the most popular sportsbook products globally, particularly as player prop betting continues to grow across major sports. We saw a clear opportunity to improve the experience available to our players by offering significantly more combinations, reducing invalid bet rejections, and creating a smoother betting journey overall.
“This initial launch is focused on soccer and the World Cup, but it’s only the first step. Our long-term vision is to allow customers to combine virtually any market they want across sports, events and player props, with US sports being the main focus for phase 2. We believe there is a significant gap in the crypto sportsbook market for this type of offering, and we’re excited to continue expanding the product over the coming months.”
The post Duelbits adds Same Game Parlay for soccer player props and World Cup betting appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
LatAm
Innovative payment solutions provider teams up with leading LATAM fintech platform to expand digital wallet access for online betting customers in Mexico
Neosurf, the innovative payment provider specializing in cash-to-digital and digital wallet solutions for the iGaming industry, has today announced a new partnership with Mercado Pago that expands the funding options available to online betting customers in Mexico.
Mercado Pago is Latin America’s leading fintech platform, with over 56 million active monthly users, and the collaboration will enable Mercado Pago wallet holders to use their r Mercado Pago balance to fund online betting accounts via the Neosurf wallet.
The integration, initially focused on the Mexican market, allows users to seamlessly transfer funds from their Mercado Pago wallet directly to participating sports betting operators via the Neosurf wallet.
The partnership marks a significant step forward in payment innovation for the Mexican online betting market, and combines Mercado Pago’s extensive digital wallet reach with Neosurf’s specialized gaming payments infrastructure and unique, player-focused wallet design.
Neosurf’s products are designed for sports betting and igaming, supporting rapid deposits and fast payouts. The new partnership reflects the continued growth in digital wallet adoption across Latin America, where customers are increasingly seeking flexible mobile-first experiences.
Sue Page, Neosurf CEO Americas, said: “Mexico represents a major growth market for both digital payments and online betting, and we’re incredibly excited to partner with Mercado Pago. This partnership creates a new, easy way for Mercado Pago wallet holders to use their balance to fund their online sports betting accounts through the Neosurf wallet. It reinforces our commitment to delivering secure, compliant and player focused payment solutions throughout Latin America.”
The post Innovative payment solutions provider teams up with leading LATAM fintech platform to expand digital wallet access for online betting customers in Mexico appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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