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GAMSTOP is putting vulnerable online consumers back in control

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More than eight out of ten (82%) consumers have stopped or reduced their gambling since registering with GAMSTOP, according to the first independent evaluation of the UK’s online self-exclusion scheme.

The report by research consultancy Sonnet, based on surveys of more than 3,300 users and in-depth interviews, found that 84% felt safer from gambling-related harm and more in control of their gambling after registering with GAMSTOP. Eight out of ten (80%) said that the self-exclusion scheme had delivered on their intended outcomes, whether they wanted to stop gambling completely, reduce their gambling or simply to take a short break.

Although financial losses were often an important trigger for registering with GAMSTOP, consumers also reported significant improvements in their well-being:

  • 77% felt more in control of their personal or household finances
  • 72% reported improvements in their levels of anxiety and stress
  • 63% enjoyed an improvement in the quality of their family relationships
  • 60% found they were better able to focus at work
  • 40% reported they were consuming less alcohol

The report’s recommendations include:

  • Longer self-exclusion periods – currently, the maximum self-exclusion is five years, which had been selected by 71% of consumers surveyed, but four out of ten wanted the option of excluding themselves from all online gambling for longer
  • Helping consumers to access specialist support – 53% of GAMSTOP’s users have not previously used gambling-related support services so the scheme can be a bridge to other organisations offering help with gambling addiction by working more closely with them
  • Actively engaging with family and friends of consumers – only 28% of consumers were supported by friends or family, with many too embarrassed or ashamed to seek help, so raising awareness of the service among those affected by a loved one’s gambling will provide a broader support network for consumers and their families
  • Responding to the threat posed by unlicensed gambling websites – The scheme’s users are deliberately targeted by unlicensed sites – an issue highlighted in GAMSTOP’s response to the DCMS Gambling Act review – and 10% reported accessing them while self-excluded so greater controls on these sites are required to prevent them being exposed to temptation
  • More research into the harmful effects of advertising – consumers consistently expressed their frustration at being exposed to gambling advertising and wanted greater protection

More than 200,000 consumers have registered with GAMSTOP since the scheme’s inception in 2018. The report found that GAMSTOP had reached a broad cross-section of the population across all demographic groups.

Women aged over 44 were identified as an important demographic, making up 53% of all women surveyed, and the report recommends reaching out to older age groups more generally, together with specific initiatives aimed at people with below national average income. It advocates a marketing strategy to target high-risk groups, making the service more visible through online searches and on operators’ websites.

 

The report concludes:

“This study shows very strongly that GAMSTOP is successfully achieving a reduction in gambling-related harm with far-reaching positive impacts for consumers being clearly shown in our interviews and survey… Our findings show that GAMSTOP is effective across all age groups, gender groups and, importantly, for all types of online gambling.

The vast majority (of consumers) report a very positive experience of using the service, and our research highlights that it is effective both in terms of delivering consumers’ objectives but also in alleviating a wide range of gambling-related harms”.

An office worker in his 30s, who was spending up to £300 per spin on online slot machines and ran up debts of more than £10,000, registered with GAMSTOP after his partner left him and he feared losing his job. He told researchers that, having self-excluded for five years, he felt safe from temptation during lockdown and has stopped gambling completely. He is now paying back his debts to family and friends and said: “I think this service saved my life. Best thing I ever did is cancel my demons by using this amazing service”.

A delivery driver in her mid-twenties, who was spending almost her entire weekly wage on gambling, and had tried self-excluding from individual websites, found that registering with GAMSTOP helped her take control of her gambling. She is getting married this year and has built up her savings. With the support of her family and partner, she has restricted herself to the occasional £5 bet on football at high street bookmakers and intends to renew her self-exclusion every five years to resist the temptation of betting online.

She said: “The last year I haven’t gambled at all, it was hard at first but now I don’t miss it and the money I have saved is unbelievable”.

Fiona Palmer, chief executive of GAMSTOP, said:

“We are grateful to Sonnet for carrying out this very detailed evaluation of the service and are studying their recommendations carefully. We are delighted to know that vulnerable consumers who have registered with GAMSTOP have found it has helped them control their gambling and made a positive impact on their lives.

The insights in this report are extremely helpful and we welcome the opportunity to look at all suggestions for further improvements to the service, including extending the length of the maximum exclusion period to give them peace of mind that they will benefit from the long-term protection that GAMSTOP provides”.

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Los nuevos desafíos de la industria del iGaming en 2026

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En un artículo exclusivo para Gaming Americas, Udo Seckelmann, socio de Bichara e Motta Advogados, analiza cómo el mercado brasileño de iGaming ha entrado en una nueva fase de madurez tras el BiS SiGMA South America 2026.

Dejando atrás las expectativas regulatorias, la industria ahora enfrenta presiones reales a nivel operativo, político y económico, lo que plantea interrogantes clave sobre la sostenibilidad, la fiscalización y el equilibrio entre crecimiento y protección del consumidor en uno de los mercados de apuestas más dinámicos del mundo.

En un artículo exclusivo para Gaming Americas, Udo Seckelmann, socio de Bichara e Motta Advogados, analiza cómo el mercado brasileño de iGaming ha entrado en una nueva fase de madurez tras el BiS SiGMA South America 2026. Dejando atrás las expectativas regulatorias, la industria ahora enfrenta presiones operativas, políticas y económicas reales, lo que plantea preguntas críticas sobre sostenibilidad, aplicación normativa y el equilibrio entre crecimiento y protección del consumidor en uno de los mercados de apuestas más dinámicos del mundo.

BiS SiGMA 2026 dejó en claro que la conversación en torno al sector de apuestas en Brasil ha cambiado de forma fundamental. La industria ya no se discute como una oportunidad futura moldeada por expectativas regulatorias, sino como un ecosistema en funcionamiento sujeto a presiones del mundo real. Con el marco regulatorio en vigor y operadores activos, el foco se ha desplazado hacia cómo se comporta realmente el mercado bajo regulación y en qué puntos ese marco está siendo puesto a prueba.

Este cambio fue evidente tanto en la calidad de las discusiones como en el perfil de los participantes. En ediciones anteriores, gran parte del debate se centraba en el marco regulatorio ideal, la tributación y las estrategias de entrada al mercado. En 2026, el foco se trasladó hacia temas más sofisticados y, en muchos sentidos, más desafiantes: implementación regulatoria, fiscalización y el equilibrio entre crecimiento y protección del consumidor.

Un elemento adicional que permeó muchas de las discusiones fue el reciente endurecimiento del discurso político hacia el sector. Declaraciones del Presidente que sugieren la posible eliminación del mercado regulado de apuestas, así como iniciativas en el Congreso orientadas a restringir de forma amplia la publicidad del sector, revelan preocupaciones legítimas sobre externalidades negativas, pero también un riesgo concreto de que la política pública se diseñe de forma desconectada de la nueva realidad regulatoria.

La crítica aquí no se dirige a la preocupación por la protección del consumidor, que es sin duda esencial, sino a la forma en que se ha llevado a cabo este debate. Medidas prohibitivas o excesivamente restrictivas, particularmente en el ámbito de la publicidad, tienden a producir efectos adversos ya observados en otras jurisdicciones: menor capacidad de canalización hacia el mercado regulado, fortalecimiento de operadores ilegales y debilitamiento de los propios mecanismos de protección al consumidor.

En este contexto, la publicidad no debe ser vista únicamente como un factor de riesgo, sino también como una herramienta de política pública. Es a través de la publicidad que los operadores licenciados pueden diferenciarse de entidades no reguladas, comunicar prácticas de juego responsable y operar dentro de parámetros auditables. Las restricciones desproporcionadas, en la práctica, reducen la visibilidad de quienes están sujetos a regulación, al tiempo que amplían el espacio para quienes operan fuera de ella.

Además, la inestabilidad del discurso político, especialmente cuando coquetea con escenarios de prohibición tras años de esfuerzos para estructurar un mercado regulado, genera una importante inseguridad jurídica. Las inversiones realizadas bajo un marco regulatorio reciente son reevaluadas, los costos de cumplimiento aumentan y el apetito de nuevos entrantes tiende a disminuir. En última instancia, esto afecta no solo el desarrollo del sector, sino también la recaudación del gobierno y los objetivos regulatorios originales perseguidos por el Estado.

Otro tema clave discutido durante el evento fue el impacto del aumento de la carga impositiva, particularmente tras el incremento del Gaming Tax, sobre la competitividad del mercado regulado. Existe una preocupación legítima de que un entorno excesivamente gravoso, combinado con fuertes restricciones publicitarias, pueda generar un escenario económicamente inviable para los operadores licenciados, incentivando nuevamente la migración hacia el mercado no regulado.

Otro punto destacado del evento fue el debate en torno al rol de los intermediarios tecnológicos, incluidos los market makers en segmentos emergentes como los prediction markets. La expansión de estos modelos plantea importantes interrogantes regulatorios: en qué medida los marcos existentes son suficientes para acomodar estas innovaciones y cuándo será necesario avanzar hacia regímenes regulatorios específicos, posiblemente bajo la supervisión de autoridades como el regulador del mercado de valores.

Una comparación con ediciones anteriores de BiS SiGMA demuestra claramente la creciente madurez del sector. Si Brasil alguna vez fue visto como una gran promesa, hoy es una realidad compleja que requiere ajustes finos y coordinación institucional. La agenda ha pasado de la apertura del mercado a la gobernanza, ahora bajo un escrutinio político y social mucho más intenso.

Por último, un aspecto que merece especial atención es la creciente profesionalización de todos los actores involucrados. Operadores, reguladores, proveedores de servicios e incluso el debate público han evolucionado significativamente. Hoy existe una comprensión más clara de que el éxito del mercado brasileño depende de su credibilidad y de su sostenibilidad a largo plazo.

Udo Seckelmann
Socio del área de Gambling & Crypto en Bichara e Motta Advogados

The post Los nuevos desafíos de la industria del iGaming en 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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The iGaming Industry’s New Challenges in 2026

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In an exclusive article for Gaming Americas, Udo Seckelmann, partner in the Gambling & Crypto department at Bichara e Motta Advogados, examines how the Brazilian iGaming market has entered a new phase of maturity following BiS SiGMA South America 2026.

Moving beyond regulatory expectations, the industry now faces real operational, political, and economic pressures, raising critical questions about sustainability, enforcement, and the balance between growth and consumer protection in one of the world’s most dynamic betting markets.

BIS SIGMA 2026 made it clear that the conversation around Brazil’s betting sector has fundamentally changed. The industry is no longer being discussed as a future opportunity shaped by regulatory expectations, but as a functioning ecosystem already subject to real-world pressures. With the framework in force and operators active, the focus has shifted to how the market actually behaves under regulation — and where that framework is being put to the test.

This shift was evident both in the quality of the discussions and in the profile of participants. In past editions, much of the debate focused on the ideal regulatory framework, taxation, and market entry strategies. In 2026, the focus moved toward more sophisticated — and, in many ways, more challenging — topics: regulatory implementation, enforcement, and the balance between growth and consumer protection.

An additional element that permeated many discussions was the recent hardening of political discourse toward the sector. Statements from the President suggesting the potential elimination of the regulated betting market, as well as initiatives in Congress aimed at broadly restricting betting advertising, reveal legitimate concerns about negative externalities but also a concrete risk of public policy being shaped in a way that is disconnected from the newly established regulatory reality.

The criticism here is not directed at the concern for consumer protection — which is undoubtedly essential — but rather at how this debate has been conducted. Prohibitive or overly restrictive measures, particularly in the field of advertising, tend to produce adverse effects already observed in other jurisdictions: reduced channeling capacity toward the regulated market, the strengthening of illegal operators, and a weakening of consumer protection mechanisms themselves.

In this context, advertising should not be viewed solely as a risk factor, but also as a public policy tool. It is through advertising that licensed operators can differentiate themselves from unregulated entities, communicate responsible gambling practices, and operate within auditable parameters. Disproportionate restrictions, in practice, reduce the visibility of those subject to regulation while simultaneously expanding the space for those operating outside it.

Moreover, the instability of political discourse — especially when it flirts with prohibition scenarios after years of efforts to structure a regulated market — creates significant legal uncertainty. Investments made based on a recent regulatory framework are reassessed, compliance costs increase, and the appetite of new entrants tends to decline. Ultimately, this undermines not only the development of the sector but also government revenue and the original regulatory objectives pursued by the Government.

Another key topic discussed during the event was the impact of increased taxation — particularly following the rise in the Gaming Tax — on the competitiveness of the regulated market. There is a legitimate concern that an overly burdensome environment, combined with severe advertising restrictions, may create an economically unviable scenario for licensed operators, once again encouraging migration to the unregulated market.

Another highlight of the event was the debate surrounding the role of technological intermediaries — including market makers in emerging segments such as prediction markets. The expansion of these models raises important regulatory questions: to what extent are existing frameworks sufficient to accommodate these innovations? And when will it be necessary to move toward specific regulatory regimes, potentially under the oversight of authorities such as the securities regulator?

A comparison with previous BIS SIGMA editions clearly demonstrates the sector’s growing maturity. If Brazil was once seen as a major promise, it is now a complex reality that requires fine-tuning and institutional coordination. The agenda has shifted from market opening to governance — now under much more intense political and social scrutiny.

Finally, one aspect that deserves particular attention is the increasing professionalization of all stakeholders involved. Operators, regulators, service providers, and even the broader public debate have evolved significantly. There is now a clearer understanding that the success of the Brazilian market depends on its credibility and long-term sustainability.

Udo Seckelmann
Partner in the Gambling & Crypto department at Bichara e Motta Advogados

The post The iGaming Industry’s New Challenges in 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Endorphina secures AGCO supplier registration in Ontario

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Endorphina Limited has obtained a Gaming-Related Supplier registration in Ontario, Canada, allowing the company to supply its online slot content to licensed operators in the province.

The registration was issued by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). Ontario is one of North America’s most closely regulated online gambling markets.

“Securing approval in Ontario is a significant achievement for Endorphina. It confirms the quality of our products, the strength of our compliance framework, and our readiness to operate in highly regulated environments,” said Head of Compliance at Endorphina, Džangar Jesenov.

Endorphina said it has a portfolio of 200+ slots, partnerships with 6,000+ operators, and an active presence in more than 50 jurisdictions. The company positions the Ontario approval as part of its broader expansion strategy in regulated markets.

The post Endorphina secures AGCO supplier registration in Ontario appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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