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YGAM calls for Government to support education as part of the Gambling Act Review

Published

5 years ago

April 16, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) has told the Government that the need to educate our future generations on the potential harms of gambling is more important than ever, regardless of any legislative changes.

The charity has submitted its written evidence to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as part the call for evidence for the Gambling Act Review. In their response, YGAM outlined the importance of education and the impact of their portfolio of evidence-led programmes.

The Gambling Act Review has been labelled a ‘once in a generation’ moment for everyone connected to the sector and YGAM believes the process presents an opportunity for the UK to set standards for the world to follow.

YGAM wants the issue of gambling harm to be is given the same level of focus as other public health issues such as alcohol and drugs. In their response, the independent charity has called for increased long-term funding to be directed towards research, education and treatment and meaningful engagement from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education. YGAM has also encouraged the Government to ‘support the progress that has been in the third sector and promote initiatives that demonstrate meaningful impact’. The charity is supporting the notion of a statutory levy.

James Matthewson, Marketing & Communications Manager at YGAM said “The Gambling Act Review presents a much-needed opportunity for the regulation to catch up but also an opportunity to demonstrate the ongoing progress being made to educate and safeguard future generations. This review will scrutinise all aspects of regulation and, as an education charity, we do not claim to have the expertise to contribute to most of these intricate policy decisions. We believe keeping our young people safe should be the key focus of any outcomes from this review. Prevention is a better solution than treatment and we want Government to recognise that education has a vital role to play.”

The topic of gambling harm prevention now features on the PSHE curriculum in England and whilst YGAM welcomes this, they argue it should be a compulsory awareness session for young people during secondary education. Figures released by YGAM earlier this year show that the education charity trained 2,906 practitioners in 2020 (up from its original target of 2,592) as part of the Young Peoples Gambling Harm Prevention Programme. With this training, those practitioners have reached an impressive 184,700 young people to provide vital educational sessions on the harms associated with gambling and gaming (up from a target of 170,300).

The written evidence submitted by YGAM also calls for the gambling industry must do much more to protect consumers and admits that education alone will not prevent gambling harms. They charity welcomes the introduction of any further protections for young people and wants to see more done to minimise the exposure that children have to gambling advertising.

Lee Willows, Chief Executive of YGAM recently wrote a column for The Times newspaper in which he said ‘we have a responsibility to educate young people about the risks of gambling’ and highlighted YGAM’s close working relationship with the education sector.

Affiliate Industry

SiGMA exclusive: Aleksandra Drigo on traffic shifts, transparency, and the future of SEO affiliates

Published

53 minutes ago

July 6, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

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In an exclusive interview for the SiGMA News, Aleksandra Drigo, Chief of Business Development at SEOBROTHERS, shared her perspective on the future of affiliate marketing in Canada.

She discussed how Alberta’s upcoming market launch could reshape competition, why transparency has become a cornerstone of operator-affiliate partnerships, how compliance is changing the way affiliates choose partners, and why localisation, trusted brands, and data-driven decision-making will define the next generation of SEO affiliates.

Regulation will reshape Alberta’s affiliate landscape

As Alberta prepares to regulate its online gambling market, affiliates are entering a more challenging environment. While regulation brings greater transparency, it also increases compliance demands, acquisition costs, and competition – particularly from larger, well-funded companies.

“Many affiliates, especially independent SEO players, may decide not to enter fully regulated markets and instead focus on regions with more predictable economics and lower regulatory pressure,” Aleksandra said.

Bigger brands gain the advantage

According to Drigo, regulated markets naturally favour established affiliate businesses, whereas smaller publishers face much higher barriers to entry despite niche opportunities still existing.

“Regulated markets tend to favour larger players. Big affiliate companies have the resources for legal support, compliance teams, advanced tracking infrastructure, and long-term investment without expecting fast ROI.”

Compliance is now a deciding factor

Operator selection is no longer based solely on commercial terms. Affiliates increasingly assess partners by their transparency, reporting quality, responsible gaming standards, responsiveness, and ability to meet local regulatory requirements.

“We pay close attention to how consistent an operator is in terms of reporting, responsible gaming policies, speed of communication, and local regulations compliance. Reputation risks affect both sides. If an operator lacks transparency or fails to follow compliance standards, it directly impacts the affiliate business as well.”

Communication matters more than financial disputes

Drigo believes that most partnership conflicts arise not from payment issues, but from poor communication and limited access to performance data.

“Financial disagreements can usually be resolved quickly if there is trust and clear communication between both sides. Whereas, when affiliates do not receive timely information, face unclear reporting, or get no explanation for performance changes, tensions escalate very quickly. In regulated markets, communication and transparency become just as important as the financial terms themselves.”

The future belongs to trusted brands and localisation

Looking ahead, Drigo expects meticulous localisation, brand authority, first-party audiences, and community-driven products to define success in regulated North American markets. As AI reshapes search, affiliates will need stronger technology, diversified traffic sources, and compliance-friendly SEO strategies to remain competitive.

“With AI and online search ecosystem changes already transforming the SEO landscape, affiliates need to become much more flexible and technology-driven than before. And compliance-friendly SEO strategies and diversification beyond traditional search traffic are becoming increasingly important.”

The post SiGMA exclusive: Aleksandra Drigo on traffic shifts, transparency, and the future of SEO affiliates appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Belgium

EveryMatrix to replace Betcenter Belgium sportsbook platform in omnichannel deal

Published

2 hours ago

July 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Merkur Group-owned operator will migrate retail and online sports betting across 50+ shops and hundreds of terminals onto EveryMatrix’s full stack.

EveryMatrix has agreed an omnichannel partnership with Betcenter Belgium to power the operator’s sports betting platform, replacing an in-house legacy setup with EveryMatrix’s full technology stack.

Under the deal, EveryMatrix will migrate Betcenter’s customer activities and operations and deliver sportsbook services across both retail and online channels. Betcenter operates online and in more than 50 retail betting shops, with 600 Self Service Betting Terminals (SSBTs) and 300 SSBT-light units, according to the companies.

The agreement extends EveryMatrix’s relationship with Betcenter owner Merkur Group, following a March announcement that EveryMatrix would power Merkur’s Cashpoint brand in Denmark for online sports and casino and more than 1,000 sports betting terminals in 230 shops.

Ebbe Groes, Group Co-CEO & Co-Founder, EveryMatrix, said: “To be able to extend our partnership with Merkur Group in Belgium so soon after agreeing to work with its Cashpoint brand in Denmark is something you rarely see in our industry.

“There has been, and continues to, be an enormous amount of hard work put into both making and delivering these deals on both sides so I’d like to thank the Merkur Group and my own internal EveryMatrix teams for making this a reality.”

Mathias Dahms, Managing Director of the Sports Betting Division, Merkur Group, said: “We have learned to regard EveryMatrix as a reliable and competent partner and look forward to taking the next step with them on this challenging project in Belgium.

“Through this partnership, we will consolidate our market-leading position in Belgium and further expand it with new products.”

The post EveryMatrix to replace Betcenter Belgium sportsbook platform in omnichannel deal appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Blueprint Gaming

Blueprint Gaming rolls out Rapid Fire Jackpots to NetBet UK

Published

3 hours ago

July 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

blueprint-gaming-rolls-out-rapid-fire-jackpots-to-netbet-uk

The expanded integration will bring Blueprint’s full Rapid Fire Jackpots portfolio into NetBet’s casino lobby over time.

Blueprint Gaming has expanded its partnership with UK-facing operator NetBet by rolling out its Rapid Fire Jackpots progressive jackpot content to the operator’s casino lobby.

The companies first partnered in 2025, with NetBet already offering Blueprint releases including Fishin’ Frenzy Lure ‘Em In, Eye of Horus and King Kong Cash. NetBet has also run a selection of Rapid Fire Jackpots titles, including Fishin’ Frenzy Big Catch 3, The Goonies Quest for Treasure 2 and Fishin’ Frenzy Even Bigger Fish 2.

Under the extended collaboration, Blueprint said the entire Rapid Fire Jackpots portfolio will be integrated into NetBet’s casino lobby over time, starting with an initial batch of titles now made available to NetBet players.

Rapid Fire Jackpots launched in June 2024 and is positioned by Blueprint as a complementary mechanic to its Jackpot King product, designed to deliver more frequent jackpot wins. Jack Lawson, Senior Account Manager at Blueprint Gaming, said: “Rapid Fire Jackpots has added a new dimension to our portfolio since launch, giving players access to more frequent jackpot drops alongside the premium gameplay experiences our content is known for.

“Expanding the rollout of the mechanic with NetBet allows us to build on the strong momentum already generated through our partnership, while further cementing our position as a leading supplier in the UK market.” Claudia Georgevici, PR Manager at NetBet Casino, said: “Blueprint Gaming’s titles have proven to be a strong addition to our casino lobby over the past year, and the integration of Rapid Fire Jackpots is set to further boost that offering.

“The mechanic’s combination of achievable, frequent jackpot wins and engaging gameplay delivers exactly the type of experience that resonates with our players, making it a valuable addition to our growing content selection.”

The post Blueprint Gaming rolls out Rapid Fire Jackpots to NetBet UK appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.