Latest News

UNISON announce partnership with YGAM

Published

5 years ago

August 14, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

UNISON, the UKs largest trade union, has partnered with the national charity Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) to provide their members with expert training on gambling and gaming-related harms.

As part of a £10 million National Gambling Education Programme supported by members of the Betting & Gaming Council, the charity is providing free accredited workshops and resources to anyone who works with or cares for young people. Research from the Children’s Commissioner shows 93% of children play video games and Gambling Commission research shows there 55,000 11-16 years olds classified as problem gamblers in England, Scotland and Wales.

Designed to build digital resilience, the workshops cover key information on gaming and gambling in the UK. The resources will provide UNISON members with the tools needed to safeguard young people from the potential risks of gambling and gaming-related harm, including lesson plans, activities, signs to look out for and information on where to go for advice and support. All training sessions have been externally evaluated and are assured by the principle awarding bodies, City & Guilds and ASDAN.

Due to the COVID19 pandemic, YGAM has accelerated the digital transformation of their training so it can be delivered online. UNISON members can book onto the free session by visiting the YGAM website – https://www.ygam.org/book-a-workshop/.

Commenting on the partnership Teresa Donegan, Head of Learning and Organising at UNISON said: “We are really pleased to have developed this relationship with YGAM, their training and resources are really excellent and will be an invaluable resource to our members to support them in their work with young people across public services whether it be in youth, community or social services or in the further or higher education sector.”

UNISON has over 1.3 million members and have initially organised for YGAM to run several national sessions and hope to follow this up with a host of regional training through the UNISON regional education teams across the country.

Stevie Milward one of UNISON’s national Learning and Workforce Development Officers recently attended the training and was shocked at how gambling-related behaviour is encouraged by many computer and mobile games and the ease with which young children can become accustomed to it. “Many parents won’t realise what their children are being subjected to on a regular basis and it is great to be able to have the ability to work with those practitioners that deal with children and young people (and their parents in some instances) on a daily basis, in their work, so that they can pass on the education they receive from the training to help keep those young people safer.” said Stevie.

Kev Clelland, Operations Director at YGAM, said: “We are delighted to be working with UNISON. We are constantly listening to the needs of practitioners and young people and it is very clear from these conversations that the workers that UNISON represents need and appreciate our resources more than ever. YGAM’s vision is for all young and vulnerable people to be safe from gaming and gambling related harms and this collaboration will help us reach thousands of young people to raise awareness of the potential risks of gambling and gaming related harm.”

YGAM recently launched a new leading-edge ‘Parent Hub’ website to provide resources and expert advice around gaming and gambling to support families to build up their children’s resilience and establish a healthy online/offline balance. The new website has received endorsements from parents, teachers, safeguarding officers and the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) who labelled the resources ‘vitally important’ for parents. www.parents.ygam.org

Finnish market

Veikkaus Renews its Betting and Online Casino Operations

Published

28 minutes ago

October 24, 2025

Niji Narayan

veikkaus-renews-its-betting-and-online-casino-operations

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Veikkaus’ active preparation towards the new gambling system, which will launch in 2027, continues.

As part of the new strategy, Veikkaus held change negotiations in the Betting and Online Casino operations in the autumn. The change negotiation process has now been completed. Following the change negotiations, 14 employment relationships ended and 19 Veikkaus employees underwent significant changes in their employment relationships.

“We had to make decisions that were painful from a human perspective, but they are necessary for the future of the company. I would like to thank those who will no longer be with us for their hard work,” said Business Director Jarkko Nordlund.

According to Nordlund, Veikkaus is now creating a new organizational structure that will prepare the company for the coming years.

“Digitalization is also strongly driving our industry. International competition and the pace of development are really fierce. Veikkaus has decades of fine traditions and a lot of good expertise as a company. Alongside these, we now need the kind of professionalism that will enable us to serve our customers even better and more individually.”

The company is recruiting dozens of new digital channel and betting professionals over the coming year.

“We need more expertise for Veikkaus that will make us even stronger and more competitive in the new market situation. We are also looking beyond Finland’s borders. According to current estimates, more than 30 new positions will open by next summer. We want to be strong, growing and profitable in the future,” Nordlund said.

The Parliament intends to have the new Gambling Act passed by the end of 2025. When the law comes into force, it will open up the opportunity for other gambling companies, in addition to Veikkaus, to apply for, for example, sports betting and online casino licenses in the Finnish market. According to the current estimate, other gambling companies could also start operating with a license in Finland during 2027.

Lottery games, cardboard tickets and physical slot machines will remain exclusive to Veikkaus in the future.

The post Veikkaus Renews its Betting and Online Casino Operations appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Compliance Updates

Kansspelautoriteit Sees Increasing Risk Analyses of Sports Betting

Published

28 minutes ago

October 24, 2025

Niji Narayan

kansspelautoriteit-sees-increasing-risk-analyses-of-sports-betting

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has conducted research into the risk analyses that online gambling providers must conduct regarding their sports betting offerings. The study examined the implementation of the identification, analysis and evaluation of risks to the integrity of the relevant matches at four providers. Based on this risk analysis, providers must identify and mitigate match-fixing risks.

Following reports to the Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU), an investigation has been launched into a possible match-fixing. By examining the providers’ risk analyses, it will become clear whether providers have their analyses properly in place and are adequately assessing, assessing and ultimately mitigating the risks. While the KSA sees room for improvement in areas such as the specification of certain risks, the measures taken and the implementation of the reporting obligation, it is generally positive about the implementation of the providers’ risk analyses. This represents an upward trend compared to a year ago. The KSA continues to randomly audit risk analyses.

Source: kansspelautoriteit.nl

The post Kansspelautoriteit Sees Increasing Risk Analyses of Sports Betting appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Amusnet

Amusnet Releases Vampire Dice

Published

28 minutes ago

October 24, 2025

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Amusnet invites players into a realm of mystery and midnight thrills with Vampire Dice, its latest Online Casino portfolio addition. This captivating dice-themed game combines gothic elegance, thrilling features and an immersive atmosphere where every roll reveals secrets of the night.

As the moon rises, Vampire Dice comes alive with its hauntingly beautiful design and dark, enticing energy. Step into a world ruled by immortals and hidden treasures, where every moment is filled with anticipation and every roll could awaken the riches buried within the shadows.

At the heart of the excitement lies the Expanding Wild, a powerful feature that stretches across the dice, transforming ordinary rolls into extraordinary wins.

Dare to roll the dice and embrace the allure of the unknown – fortune awaits beneath the crimson moon.

Expanding Wild

The Wild symbol expands across the dice, enhancing your chances for thrilling and rewarding combinations.

Gamble

Play the game and multiply the winnings through the Gambling feature

Jackpot Cards

The Jackpot Cards bonus game is triggered at random during the gameplay to allow players to win impressive jackpots.

The post Amusnet Releases Vampire Dice appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.