Latest News

Casino Guru teams up with City, University of London to research and recommend best practice for self-exclusion standards

Published

3 years ago

April 19, 2023

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Casino Guru, a global gambling authority with the most extensive database of online casinos, has recently engaged City, University of London, one of Britain’s top universities providing outstanding education to its students for over 125 years, to identify best practice in online gambling self-exclusion and to recommend a set of standards for adoption across different jurisdictions.

The origins of the project can be traced back to Casino Guru’s Global Self-Exclusion Initiative, launched back in 2020, whose aim is to establish an online self-exclusion scheme on a global scale that would provide a much-needed additional layer of protection for players grappling with problem gambling.

“Upon identifying the rules for self-exclusion in a proposed global system, we came to a conclusion that no general standards are currently in existence. Each jurisdiction creates their own set of rules for self-exclusion, and very few of them actually follow the same level of standards, not to mention the details of implementation. This creates a considerable gap in terms of the general effectiveness of self-exclusion within the industry, and the goal of this project is to close this gap,” stated Šimon Vincze, Casino Guru’s Sustainable and Safer Gambling Lead and the mastermind behind the Global Self-Exclusion Initiative.

The project is led by City, University of London’s Associate Professor Dr Margaret Carran, who possesses extensive research experience in the field of gambling and has in the recent past devoted herself to the analysis of player protection and monitoring of problem gambling in the EU states. The project is set to last around 18 months and involves three phases: research and fact finding, workgroup meetings with representatives of all stakeholders’ groups, and broader consultations.

The workgroup meetings will consist of experts with various backgrounds, whose task will be to find a consensus based on the research and fact finding exercises of existing self-exclusion rules’ impact, their professional experience, expertise and lived-in experience. This is set to be the main pillar of the project, which plans to deliver a recommended set of rules for online self-exclusion.

The final phase of the project will see the findings of the workgroup be open for broader consultation for other stakeholders in the industry. Gambling operators, regulators, non-profit organizations and trade associations will be invited to give their feedback. Criticism will be evaluated and incorporated, and the project will culminate in a series of freely available self-exclusion guidelines for effective implementation and greater protection of players who use self-exclusion to limit their access to gambling.

“Research represents a reliable basis for decision-making of regulators and the creation of standards, especially in the field of player protection. This project is exciting as no such work on self-exclusion has ever been done on an international level before. I have high hopes for the real impact of the project and wish for it to significantly improve player protection across jurisdictions,” Carran commented.

The first phase of the project has already started, and the second phase is scheduled to begin in September when the workgroup holds its initial meeting.

bet365

Octoplay launches with bet365 in the UK

Published

53 minutes ago

May 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

Octoplay has gone live with bet365 in the United Kingdom, adding the operator to its roster of tier-one partners in the regulated UK market.

The supplier said the bet365 rollout follows recent UK launches with Virgin Bet and BetVictor as it expands distribution with major local brands.

Outside the UK, Octoplay pointed to recent go-lives with Paf in Finland, PokerStars in Spain and Italy, and Superbet in Brazil.

“Our partnership with bet365 represents another step in our accelerating UK expansion,” says Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay. “Working with one of the industry’s most recognized operators validates our approach and builds on the momentum we’ve established through successful integrations with leading UK brands throughout 2025.”

“We are pleased to partner with Octoplay and introduce their game portfolio to our UK players,” says Clement Le Scanff, Head of Gaming at bet365. “Their focus on quality content and player engagement aligns with our commitment to providing the best entertainment to our customers.”

Octoplay said it holds active licenses in 17 jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, Malta, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Finland, Brazil, New Jersey, Michigan, Ontario, and Georgia.

The post Octoplay launches with bet365 in the UK appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Barcelona Technology Campus

Zitro Achieves ISO 27001 Recertification at its Barcelona Technology Campus

Published

54 minutes ago

May 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

zitro-achieves-iso-27001-recertification-at-its-barcelona-technology-campus

Zitro has successfully renewed its ISO 27001 certification for the Information Security Management System (ISMS) at its Barcelona Technology Campus. This achievement, framed within the company’s ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) commitments, reinforces its ongoing commitment to cybersecurity and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of sensitive customer and employee data.

ISO 27001 is part of the ISO 27000 family of international standards for information security. This framework enables organisations to identify risks, implement effective controls and ensure information protection in line with global best practices, while also ensuring compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

For Zitro, this recertification confirms the rigorous and continuous work the company carries out in the field of information security. The Barcelona Technology Campus—dedicated to the development of software and hardware for the gaming industry—maintains the highest standards, and this recognition reflects the level of commitment embedded across all its processes.

The post Zitro Achieves ISO 27001 Recertification at its Barcelona Technology Campus appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Asia

Kazakhstan Orders Telecom Providers to Block Illegal Online Casino Payments via Mobile Balances

Published

54 minutes ago

May 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

kazakhstan-orders-telecom-providers-to-block-illegal-online-casino-payments-via-mobile-balances

Kazakhstan authorities have moved to tighten controls on illegal online gambling payments after uncovering schemes that use mobile phone balances to fund unlicensed casino activity.

The Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) issued instructions to telecom providers to strengthen monitoring and introduce systems to detect and block suspicious transactions.

According to the FMA, mobile operators including Tele2, Altel, Beeline, Kcell and Activ were called to a working meeting where regulators demonstrated how illicit payment flows to online casinos are being processed.

To verify the issue, the FMA carried out test purchases across 10 illegal online casino websites using services from all major mobile operators. The tests confirmed that payments via mobile balances were possible.

The agency stated that the goal is to cut off financial access to illegal operators and reduce public exposure to unregulated platforms. Further enforcement actions are expected as monitoring continues.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is preparing to significantly tighten rules on the promotion of illegal gambling. A group of senators is advancing an initiative to introduce criminal penalties for influencers who advertise online casinos and organise “giveaways.”

In related developments, a Kazakhstani influencer has recently been arrested in Vietnam on suspicion of running an illegal gambling operation.

Furthermore, the country is also restricting citizens’ access to legal gambling options, indicating a broader anti-gambling stance towards locals while still pursuing gambling tourism.

Lawmakers introduced rules restricting access to casinos, slot machine halls and betting venues in several regions to foreign nationals only. The changes will take effect on 17 May.

In March, President Tokayev signed a law establishing four new gambling zones for foreigners in the country.

The post Kazakhstan Orders Telecom Providers to Block Illegal Online Casino Payments via Mobile Balances appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.