Connect with us

Latest News

Majority of gamblers hit with affordability checks have handed over info, but wider betting population unwilling

Published

on

Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

  • Most bettors asked to undergo financial checks agree
  • Higher spending players more willing than lower spenders
  • Most who’ve not yet faced affordability checks say they will refuse

The majority of bettors who have been asked for proof they can afford to gamble have provided it, but there are big questions over how things will play out if checks become mandatory or more common, the results of a new study by sports betting community OLBG show.

A survey of bettors carried out online by YouGov for OLBG found that the majority of those who had been asked by gambling operators to provide documents such as payslips, bank statements or other documents had complied with the request.

The survey, which polled 1,007 bettors, found that 21.8% of bettors had already been asked for documents by at least one bookmaker. Of these, 74.3% had provided them, but 17.9% had refused and started playing with a different licensed operator instead. Of the remainder, 4.1% refused and moved to an unlicensed operator, while 3.7% stopped betting entirely.

The willingness to provide documentation was less widespread among those who had not yet been asked to do so, however.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Of the 78.2% of punters who had not yet faced affordability checks, 37.3% said they would refuse and simply stop betting, 35.0% said they would move to a different licensed operator and 4.1% said they’d go to an unlicensed company. Only 23.5% indicated they would be willing to provide the documents.

“Most bettors who have been asked to provide documents have done so. More importantly, very few of those who were asked stopped gambling or went to the black market, the latter being the worst unintended consequence of measures aimed at making gambling more responsible,” said Richard Moffat, CEO at OLBG.

“However, there is a stark difference between those who have been asked and those who haven’t in terms of willingness.”

As the below table shows, overall 65% of bettors reported not being willing to comply with affordability checks. Those betting lower monthly amounts were the least open to handing over financial documents, with more than three in four (75.4%) of those betting less than £5 a month and 72% of those betting £6-15 a month unwilling to undergo affordability checks.

“Few people who are spending at this level are likely to think it is proportionate for a bookie to ask for proof they can afford it and it’s quite surprising how many lower spending players report already having been asked. From the rumours about what level mandatory checks might come in, it seems unlikely checks will be forced on players at levels under £100 per month,” said Moffat.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Players spending less than £100 per month

Have you been asked by a gambling company to provide payslips, bank statements or similar documents as part of an affordability or proof of funds check? All bettors Less than £5 £6-15 £16-25 £26-50 £51-100
Unweighted base 1,007 235 224 147 154 93
Yes, I have and I provided the required documents 16.16% 6.00% 10.08% 20.86% 16.55% 14.27%
No, I have not but I would provide the documents if asked 18.45% 18.20% 18.06% 23.14% 20.31% 21.62%
Yes, I have, but I didn’t provide the documents and bet with a different licensed company instead 3.92% 0.40% 1.77% 4.22% 4.53% 6.57%
Yes, I have but I didn’t provide the documents and bet with a different unlicensed company instead 0.90% 0.00% 0.47% 0.71% 1.29% 1.08%
Yes, I have but I didn’t provide the documents and stopped betting 0.79% 0.00% 0.43% 0.70% 1.94% 1.10%
No, I have not and if asked I wouldn’t provide the documents and would bet with a different licensed company instead 27.40% 20.40% 31.52% 24.80% 35.25% 38.36%
No, I have not and if asked I wouldn’t provide the documents and would bet with an unlicensed company instead 3.20% 1.30% 3.57% 4.17% 3.27% 1.11%
No, I have not and if asked I wouldn’t bet 29.18% 53.60% 34.10% 21.40% 16.86% 15.88%
Total willing to provide documents 34.61% 24.20% 28.14% 44.00% 36.86% 35.89%
Total unwilling to provide documents 65.39% 75.70% 71.86% 56.00% 63.14% 64.10%

Players spending more than £100 per month

Have you been asked by a gambling company to provide payslips, bank statements or similar documents as part of an affordability or proof of funds check? All bettors £101-200 £201-300 £301-500 £501-1000
Unweighted Base 1,007 57 16 16 20
Yes, I have and I provided the required documents 16.16% 30.04% 31.87% 50.63% 40.65%
No, I have not but I would provide the documents if asked 18.45% 19.41% 12.94% 0.00% 4.79%
Yes, I have, but I didn’t provide the documents and bet with a different licensed company instead 3.92% 12.40% 6.73% 0.00% 15.35%
Yes, I have but I didn’t provide the documents and bet with a different unlicensed company instead 0.90% 1.77% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Yes, I have but I didn’t provide the documents and stopped betting 0.79% 1.70% 0.00% 6.45% 0.00%
No, I have not and if asked I wouldn’t provide the documents and would bet with a different licensed company instead 27.40% 24.19% 36.36% 30.49% 28.90%
No, I have not and if asked I wouldn’t provide the documents and would bet with an unlicensed company instead 3.20% 5.19% 12.10% 6.45% 5.12%
No, I have not and if asked I wouldn’t bet 29.18% 5.31% 0.00% 5.98% 5.20%
Total willing to provide documents 34.61% 49.45% 44.81% 50.63% 45.44%
Total unwilling to provide documents 65.39% 50.56% 55.19% 49.37% 54.57%

* Players spending more than £1,000 per month were excluded as numbers were too small to be statistically significant.

However, while willingness to undergo affordability checks does seem to increase among players who spend more on a monthly basis, even among those spending £100-plus per month, less than half were open to affordability checks.

One big difference between players at lower spend levels and those spending more than £100 was the likelihood of players stopping gambling if asked to undergo checks. While 53.6% of those betting less than £5 said they wouldn’t gamble if faced with affordability checks, just 5.31% said the same in the £101-200 per month category.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Higher spending players were more likely to have moved to a different licensed company rather than provide documents, but across all spending amounts a significant proportion of players reported plans to do so if asked to provide documents.

“Many players reported either having already moved to a different licensed operator or being willing to do so over affordability checks. Therefore, there is now a big question mark over what might happen if affordability checks become mandatory and all licensed operators have to impose them at certain levels,” said Moffat.

The survey also found that younger players were more willing to submit to financial checks. About one-third (33.34%) of those aged 18-24 said they had been asked for and provided documents, while 22.86% said they hadn’t been asked but would do so. In the 55-plus age group, the percentage of players reporting the same fell to 6.40% and 15.37%, respectively.

More details on this breakdown can be found in the full survey report, along with various other findings on the UK’s gambling habits.

Powered by WPeMatico

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Latest News

63 suspicious betting alerts reported by IBIA in Q1 2025

Published

on

63-suspicious-betting-alerts-reported-by-ibia-in-q1-2025
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) reported 63 alerts of suspicious betting to the relevant authorities in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025. The Q1 2025 total is 3% less than the 65 alerts in Q4 2024, and 11% more when compared to the revised Q1 2024 total of 57 alerts. IBIA monitors over $300bn per annum in betting turnover (handle) across more than 80 members with over 140 sports betting brands globally.

The 63 incidents of suspicious betting in Q1 2025 concerned six sports, across 23 countries and 5 continents. Other key data for Q1 2025 includes:

  • Football and tennis accounted for 40 of the Q1 2025 alerts (64%), a 14% increase from 35 alerts in Q4 2024.
  • Sporting events in Europe and North America, with 32 alerts combined, made up 51% of the total reported; that was a decrease of 29% compared to 45 alerts in Q4 2024.
  • Table tennis saw a notably reduction in alerts from 21 reported in Q4 2024 to 9 reported in Q1 2025, representing a 53% quarter-on-quarter fall.

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “The first quarter of 2025 was relatively consistent with the previous quarter and the comparable period last year. Football and tennis remain the most reported sports, albeit their combined Q1 2025 number was down 14% on Q4 2024. This quarter-on-quarter reduction was primarily due to a fall in tennis alerts, which have shown a welcome reduction in recent years. The Q4 2024 increase in table tennis alerts has not continued into Q1 2025 and has fallen back to previous levels. IBIA has taken increased precautions regarding this sport and agreed a number of new integrity partnerships and protocols in Q1 with the aim of detecting and sanctioning corrupt betting activity.”

IBIA is a leading not-for-profit dedicated to protecting the integrity of regulated sports betting markets worldwide. Its global monitoring network serves as a powerful anti-corruption tool, identifying and reporting suspicious betting activity. In late 2024, IBIA further strengthened its capabilities with a major technological upgrade, significantly enhancing its ability to detect and respond to potential match-fixing across its members’ markets.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The post 63 suspicious betting alerts reported by IBIA in Q1 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Latest News

HÖLLE GAMES STRIKE IT RICH WITH SIERRA NUGGETS

Published

on

holle-games-strike-it-rich-with-sierra-nuggets
Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

“Sierra Nuggets” goes live today, a new 243-ways slot from Hölle Games. Evoking the spirit of the Californian gold rush in the 1800s, it features the kind of symbols you’d expect – Pickaxes, Dynamite, Gold Nuggets, and of course, a roguish Miner.

Players can get a real gold rush in the game via the Free Spins which come loaded with special Golden Nuggets. Just one Nugget will pay anywhere on the reels in free spins and award players from 1x up to an astounding 1000x EACH! Now that’s the motherlode!

Impatient players can buy the feature immediately via 10, 15 or 20 Free Spins, or else opt to double their stake with the Stake Booster feature which increases the chances to enter the free rounds.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The game is now available in MGA regions with Sweden, Romanian, Netherlands, Switzerland and others coming soon.

The post HÖLLE GAMES STRIKE IT RICH WITH SIERRA NUGGETS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

LatAm

Neosurf celebrate first LatAm entry with Mexico launch

Published

on

neosurf-celebrate-first-latam-entry-with-mexico-launch

Neosurf, the progressive online payments company known for bridging the gap between cash and digital transactions and helping iGaming operators meet their AML and compliance requirements, has now launched in the regulated Mexican market.

With Mexico’s sports betting industry experiencing rapid growth and a strong player preference for alternative and cash-based payment solutions, Neosurf sees a significant opportunity to provide an enhanced range of market-tailored payment services to operators and players alike.

Neosurf’s cash-to-digital wallet solutions will enable Mexican players to fund their accounts securely while also giving operators access to robust compliance tools. With its pioneering Compliance Handshake feature, Neosurf provides an opportunity for seamless and secure KYC data sharing, improving the player journey and providing additional data and reporting for the operator

“In talking with operators, we’ve learnt that they’re not being serviced as well as they could be – there are gaps in customer support, compliance processes and overall payment efficiency,” explained Sue Page, CEO Americas at Neosurf.

“We believe our solution fills these gaps by offering a more reliable, secure and compliant way for players to transact, while also helping operators improve the all-round customer experience. We’re already live with first regional partners, such as Fun88, in the country and will quickly be adding more SEGOB licensed operators over the coming months.”

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

“With many Mexican players favouring cash, partnering with Neosurf allows us to offer a payment method that aligns with customer preferences while reinforcing our commitment to security and compliance,” added Christian Ramos, legal representative at Fun88 Mexico. “Their ability to provide frictionless transactions while enhancing AML and KYC processes makes them a key partner in the market.”

Neosurf’s launch in Mexico is just the beginning of its expansion into the regulated Latin American market, with the company already exploring further opportunities across the region. Through delivering its fast, secure and customer-centric payment solutions, Neosurf remains committed to reshaping the payments experience for players and operators, both within Mexico and beyond.

 

 

 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

 

 

 

The post Neosurf celebrate first LatAm entry with Mexico launch appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania