Press Releases

Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling publishes literature review

Published

5 years ago

June 3, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

An academic literature review has revealed a dearth of knowledge worldwide about the links between crime and problem gambling – so the Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling is to embark on a new research programme.

The Commission, set up by the Howard League for Penal Reform, began looking into the issue last year and carried out a literature review, which was published on Monday, 1st of June. The review found that, while millions of people are affected by gambling either directly or indirectly, there appear to be fewer than 50 peer-reviewed papers in the last 25 years that address the links between problem gambling and crime specifically.

In response, the Commission intends to conduct its own research, in three strands: the first project will look at the prevalence of gambling-related crime; the second will consider the lived experience of people caught up in the system; and the third will explore sentencers’ awareness of the issue.

Chaired by Lord Goldsmith QC, the Commission seeks to establish what the links between problem gambling and crime are; what impact they have on communities and wider society; and what steps could be taken to reduce crime and make people safer.

Lord Goldsmith QC, Chair of the Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling, said: “Concern about harmful gambling activity has been growing for some time, but this is the first commission to focus specifically on the relationship between problem gambling and crime.

“From people getting into debt and defrauding family members or employers, to domestic violence and other crimes relating to gambling-related stress, we know anecdotally that police stations, courts and prisons see significant numbers of cases – but only a handful of academic studies have looked at this across the globe.

“The criminal justice system itself does very little work to capture the scale of the challenge and even less in terms of offering interventions like those we see for alcohol or drug problems. This has to change and our Commission can play a key role in improving the response to disordered gambling and crime.”

The literature review covers jurisdictions including Australasia, the US, Canada, Germany, Scandinavia and the UK. It reveals that, while the overall quantity of research is not huge, there is a consistency in findings across all jurisdictions.

Researchers have found high prevalence rates of people committing crimes to fund their gambling. A wide variety of crimes are committed as a result of gambling addiction; not just ‘white collar’ crimes such as theft and fraud, but also offences that occur in public spaces such as street robbery. There is significant evidence of domestic abuse and child neglect linked to problem and pathological gambling.

Studies have indicated that the more complex, prolonged and persistent a gambling problem is, the more likely it is that a crime will be committed and, indeed, that many crimes may result.

Although there has been a growing understanding that gambling addiction is a behavioural disorder, little of this has been translated to sentencing; problem gambling is not considered to be a mitigating factor in sentencing in the way mental health problems or drug and alcohol addiction are.

Research suggests that, in spite of extremely high rates of gambling addiction among prisoners, prisons offer only limited treatment. There is evidence of resistance to undertaking treatment among prisoners.

Several of the studies reviewed agreed that a custodial sentence, especially when no treatment is available for gambling addiction, was not a cost-effective way of avoiding further harm to the individual or society once the sentence is completed.

A small number of specialised gambling courts have been established in the US, with the aim of ensuring that people with gambling addictions who are in trouble with the law receive appropriate treatment. There is limited data on the success or otherwise of these initiatives.

Research is needed into the potential effect of gambling addiction treatment on the rate of recidivism, as well as more general research on how best to help vulnerable populations avoid the criminal justice system.

The literature review was written by Sarah Ramanauskas, Senior Partner at Gambling Integrity, who sits on the Commission.

Source

ADM

Swintt games go live in Italy after receiving ADM certification

Published

16 hours ago

November 7, 2025

George Miller

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Rapidly-expanding software provider enters its 13^th regulated market following Italian regulator’s approval of Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt titles

Having previously outlined its intentions to enter more regulated markets throughout 2025, sought-after software provider Swintt has announced that it has now officially been greenlit by Italy’s Agencia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM) to offer its slots in the country.

The new certification has initially been granted for Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt titles, and though further approval is planned for both SwinttPremium and SwinttSelect releases in the not-too-distant future, the provider has already put pen to paper with two of Italy’s leading operators.

Launched in 2024 following Swintt’s acquisition of Elysium Studios, Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt is a cutting-edge collection of releases that incorporates elements of social, mobile and casino gaming to deliver a more engaging experience that’s custom-made for the modern player.

Featuring inventive themes, innovative features and intuitive, mobile-first game mechanics, some of the biggest hits to come from the collaboration to date include the quirky, folk lore-inspired I Hate Fairytales and the swashbuckling skull and bones epic, Pirate Pledge Hold & Win.

Given both titles boast a cast of characters that includes everything from punk rock princesses to salty sea dogs and a huge selection of rewarding bonus rounds, the two games and many more from the Elysium Studios line-up are certain to prove a popular addition among Italian audiences.

With Swintt’s successful acquisition of ADM certification now paving the way for the provider to enter its 13^th regulated market, the decision will significantly expand the company’s European footprint and enable it to form further partnerships with Italian operators in the months to come.

David Mann, Chief Executive Officer at Swintt, said: “At Swintt, our focus has always been on ensuring that our content gets put in front of players in as many regulated markets as possible – and acquiring ADM approval to offer our games in Italy is another significant step on this journey.

“As an established iGaming market with a huge emerging player base, we feel our Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt line-up can make a big impact in the region and we look forward to being able to roll out our other core line-ups very soon.”

The post Swintt games go live in Italy after receiving ADM certification appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Best Sportsbook Provider 2025

BETBY WRAPS UP EXPO YEAR WITH BEST SPORTSBOOK PROVIDER WIN AT SiGMA CENTRAL EUROPE B2B AWARDS

Published

18 hours ago

November 7, 2025

George Miller

betby-wraps-up-expo-year-with-best-sportsbook-provider-win-at-sigma-central-europe-b2b-awards

Reading Time: < 1 minute

BETBY has been named Best Sportsbook Provider 2025 at the SiGMA Central Europe B2B Awards, held during the prestigious SiGMA Central Europe event that took place from November 3-6 at Fiera Roma in Rome, Italy.

This accolade recognises BETBY’s continued commitment to excellence and innovation in sportsbook technology, reflecting the company’s efforts to deliver flexible, user-centric solutions that empower operators.

Over the past year, BETBY has continued to enhance its product portfolio with new sportsbook management tools, AI-powered features, and expanded coverage across major and niche sports. This latest recognition highlights the company’s dedication to setting new benchmarks in performance, scalability, and user experience.

Coinciding with the event, BETBY has also launched the second phase of its global campaign featuring world chess champion Magnus Carlsen, titled “Leaders Choose Leaders.” The campaign reinforces the shared values of insight, precision, and excellence, highlighting that in both chess and business, true leaders recognise and choose other leaders.

“We’re honoured to receive this recognition from SiGMA Central Europe. It’s a testament to the hard work, passion, and innovation of our entire team. Our goal has always been to build the best sportsbook infrastructure in the industry, and this award reinforces that we’re on the right path,” said Leonid Pertsovskiy, CEO at BETBY: “It also comes at a perfect moment, as we launch the second phase of our global campaign with Magnus Carlsen — ‘Leaders Choose Leaders’ — a message that perfectly reflects this achievement and our vision of leadership through excellence.”

Following previous wins across global industry events, including recent honours at SiGMA Euro-Med and SBC Summit Lisbon, this new distinction further cements BETBY’s position as a Tier-1 partner and technology provider in the iGaming sector.

To find out more about BETBY, visit: https://betby.com/

The post BETBY WRAPS UP EXPO YEAR WITH BEST SPORTSBOOK PROVIDER WIN AT SiGMA CENTRAL EUROPE B2B AWARDS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

David Mann Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt

Swintt bring players four times the fun in Lucky Fortune Door Wild

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2025

George Miller

swintt-bring-players-four-times-the-fun-in-lucky-fortune-door-wild

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Sought-after software provider’s enhanced Premium release sees players step into the glow of the Far East as wild symbols and Quadspins combine for huge rewards

With Swintt having already opened the way to a world of wonder in the original Lucky Fortune Door, this month the award-winning software provider is back in action again with Lucky Fortune Door Wild – an exciting reboot that gives players even more ways to win!

Like its SwinttPremium predecessor, Lucky Fortune Door Wild is a five-reel slot that can be played with either five or ten paylines. Boasting an engaging Far East theme, the slot combines dragons, yin and yang pendants and coins with new golden ingot wilds that substitute for all other symbols.

The good news for fans of the original game is that the slot’s signature Quadspin mechanic again makes a welcome return. Activated whenever a win of at least 4x the bet is triggered, players will have the choice to either claim their current prize or gamble a portion of it to activate Quadspins.

Should they decide for the latter option, the gameboard will be divided into four separate reel sets to potentially quadruple the prizes on offer – and of course, with substitute wilds now also in play, the chances of players landing the slot’s maximum 6,000x win multiplier will be greatly increased.

As a further incentive, during Quadspins, an extra mystery symbol is also added to the reels. Should any instances of this icon appear on any of the four reel sets, they will be replaced by a random matching symbol to create additional payline wins and generate potentially huge prizes.

On top of this, should players continue to land wins of 4x their bet or greater during Quadspins, they can elect to remain in the feature for longer. With a maximum of 50 Quadspin available per set, the odds of them embarking on a prolonged winning streak are, therefore, much more likely.

To cap it off, all wins in Lucky Fortune Door Wild are paid from both left-to-right and right-to-left, meaning that no matter how aggressively players choose to play, fortune is only ever a spin away.

David Mann, Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt, said: “With Swintt’s signature Quadspin mechanic proving a hugely popular addition to our Premium line-up, we’re delighted to be giving the feature another outing in Lucky Fortune Door Wild. Offering the same great gameplay as the original release but now with added wilds, it’s sure to be a big hit with players and operators alike.”

The post Swintt bring players four times the fun in Lucky Fortune Door Wild appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.