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YGAM launch ‘Parent Hub’ as university research highlights loot box danger amongst children
National charity, YGAM has joined with research teams from Newcastle and Loughborough Universities to help parents and carers understand the danger of loot boxes, with one young respondent in the Economic and Social Research Council funded project confirming how he spent nearly £500 buying packs of random cards.
The expert insight and advice is being posted on YGAM’s new ‘Parent Hub’ website www.parents.ygam.org. The hub which has been developed thanks to funding received from Lottoland, GVC and Playtech, provides families with the resources, information and activities to help build digital resilience and safeguard children. ‘Parent Hub’ helps explain why children are drawn to purchase loot boxes, ranging from the surprise and suspense of opening a box and the desire to win something rare, to receiving specific items that deliver an in-game advantage or boost their social status.
The research covers the potential harm loot boxes can cause, such as young people’s exposure to and normalisation of gambling style systems, as well as the emotional and financial harm from repeat spending – with one young person telling researchers how he spent nearly £500 in a mobile card game by buying packs of random cards, playing for up to seven hours a day. The advice covers how parents can take important steps to safeguard children, including the use of parental controls and identifying potential signs of harm.
“For some children, the act of opening a loot box is as important as what it contains” explains Dr James Ash, Reader in Technology, Space and Society at Newcastle University, who is leading the research. “Feelings of surprise and suspense lead to the repeat purchase of loot boxes. But this is often short-lived.
“Children and young people have told us how they feel disappointment, frustration, anger, and regret at loot box purchases, yet they are still driven to purchase again. This is concerning, given the deliberate design of these mechanisms – the visual stimulus, the randomised contents, and the very unfavourable odds for unboxing rare items – which can lead to repeat loot box purchases.”
Amanda Atkinson, Head of Parental Engagement at YGAM said the research will help inform and develop the charity’s educational programmes so that all young and vulnerable people are safe from gaming and gambling related harms. She stated: “Certainly the enormous variety of games and in-app purchases that are available can make it confusing for parents to keep on top of safety controls. Through our educational resources, we are focused on providing crucial information to parents so they can identify changes in behaviours and understand the effects this may have on mental and financial wellbeing.”
In collaboration with GamCare, YGAM is delivering the UK’s ground-breaking National Gambling Education and Prevention Programme. Supported by members of the Betting and Gaming Council, the £10 million programme will reach over 3 million young people to raise awareness of the risks of potential gaming and gambling related harms.
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PokerStars Big Game on Tour returns May 17 with Koon, Deeb and Berkey
Season 3 runs weekly on PokerStars’ YouTube channel through June 14 and includes a $50,000 staked ‘Loose Cannon’ amateur spot.
PokerStars will launch a new run of PokerStars Big Game on Tour episodes on May 17, with Jason Koon, Shaun Deeb and Matt Berkey set to headline the line-up. The series will air on the PokerStars YouTube channel, with weekly episodes through June 14.
The cast for the new instalment also includes MMA fighter Sean O’Malley and high-stakes cash game player Randy ‘3Coin’ Sadler, according to the company. The episodes follow the Big Game format, featuring No Limit Hold’em cash game play.
PokerStars said the season’s ‘Loose Cannon’ will be Canadian operations manager Andy Taylor, who will be staked $50,000 and will keep any profit made at the table. The company described Taylor as running a property maintenance company and, with his wife, a non-for-profit organisation focused on supporting young athletes in Toronto.
A teaser for the new episodes aired during the livestream of the €100,000 High Rollers Invitational at PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo, which featured Koon. PokerStars noted Koon “took home €1,000,000” from the event.
Release schedule: May 17 (Episode 1), May 24 (Episode 2), May 31 (Episode 3), June 7 (Episode 4), and June 14 (Episode 5).
The post PokerStars Big Game on Tour returns May 17 with Koon, Deeb and Berkey appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
Jason Koon, Shaun Deeb, and Matt Berkey Headline New Instalment of PokerStars Big Game on Tour
Poker’s most thrilling televised cash game, PokerStars Big Game on Tour, will return on May 17 with a brand-new set of episodes featuring a stellar line-up headlined by PokerStars Ambassador and number three in the all-time poker money list Jason Koon, reigning two-time World Series of Poker Player of the Year Shaun Deeb, and American high-stakes poker pro and coach Matt Berkey.
MMA Fighter and poker enthusiast Sean O’Malley, and well-known high stakes cash game player and businessman Randy ‘3Coin’ Sadler complete the line-up, who will take to the felt against the ‘Loose Cannon’ to win big.
As always, each episode will showcase high stakes No Limit Hold’em cash game action in the beloved Big Game format, where one amateur player or ‘Loose Cannon’ is staked $50,000 and gets to keep any profit they make at the table.
Canadian Operations Manager Andy Taylor will shake up the felt as the ‘Loose Cannon’ hoping to beat the pros. Andy runs a property maintenance company as his main job and, alongside his wife, runs a non-for-profit organisation aimed at improving the skillset and mindset of young athletes across Toronto.
The teaser for the new Big Game episodes was aired during the live stream of the €100,000 High Rollers Invitational at PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo, featuring Big Game player Jason Koon. Koon took home €1,000,000 after topping a field of some of the best in the world.
The first Big Game episode will air on PokerStars YouTube channel on May 17, with new episodes airing weekly and culminating on June 14.
- Sunday, May 17 – BGOT Season 3 Episode 1
- Sunday, May 24 – BGOT Season 3 Episode 2
- Sunday, May 31 – BGOT Season 3 Episode 3
- Sunday, June 7 – BGOT Season 3 Episode 4
- Sunday, June 14 – BGOT Season 3 Episode 5
The post Jason Koon, Shaun Deeb, and Matt Berkey Headline New Instalment of PokerStars Big Game on Tour appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Apple
IBJR hails App Store approval as a milestone in the fight against illegal betting in Brazil
The Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) considers Apple’s decision to allow the distribution of regulated sports betting and online gaming applications on its Brazilian App Store a key milestone for the consolidation of a transparent and integrity-driven sector.
This measure strengthens regulation by making it easier for users to clearly identify operators that are duly authorized to operate in compliance with national rules.
Following Google’s decision, made less than a year ago, to authorize the distribution of sports betting apps on the Play Store in Brazil, this initiative acts as a powerful cybersecurity filter and helps protect consumers from the risks of the illegal market.
Since only operators licensed by the SPA are allowed to offer services to iOS users, the process of channeling traffic into the regulated environment is further strengthened.
However, for the measure to be fully effective, continuous enforcement is required, as several illegal apps can still be found on major platforms.

Data from Instituto Locomotiva, in partnership with LCA Consultoria, indicate that the illegal environment—much of it controlled by organized crime—moves around R$40 billion per year in Brazil and generates an estimated annual loss of R$10.8 billion in tax revenue.
In this context, actions that help distinguish legal operators from unauthorized ones are essential.
The presence of applications on both the Play Store and Apple Store reinforces the commitment to Responsible Gaming, as they integrate functionalities required by legislation and audited by the platforms.
These include strict age verification to prevent access by minors under 18, clear risk warnings related to gambling, and self-exclusion tools.
The post IBJR hails App Store approval as a milestone in the fight against illegal betting in Brazil appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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