Latest News
Ygam CEO outlines vision for new levy at Conservative Party Conference
It is essential that any new levy system provides a stronger focus on upstream education and prevention of gambling harms, the Chief Executive Officer of Ygam has said.
Speaking on a panel at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester earlier this week, Dr Jane Rigbye said preventative education must not be disregarded in the new system. She called for universal education to be adequately funded over the long term as an essential part of the public health response to gambling harms.
Dr Rigbye said “All too often we see preventative education being overlooked in the debate, or in some cases and more worryingly, work to increase awareness of treatment availability being used to demonstrate investment in prevention. Ygam argues that investment would be better off made upstream, so that less people need those treatment services in the first place.”
The panel included DCMS Minister Rt Hon. Stuart Andrew MP, Matthew Hickey, Chief Executive of Gordon Moody, Graham England, Chief Executive of ARA and Sarah Forshaw, Head of Service Development at Gordon Moody.
The panel agreed that the new levy must present equal opportunities for funding to avoid losing an experienced, knowledgeable, and skilled workforce in the third sector. On this, Dr Rigbye said: “There appears to be a perception from some that organisations working in the current system are not independent from industry funders. This misguided narrative must not influence the new infrastructure and processes. All organisations seeking funding should be measured on the quality, scalability, and impact of their services.”
In addition to this, Dr Rigbye said the levy should be ‘smart’, based on product risk. She insisted the new levy must recognise the distinction between research, education and treatment programmes and services, and therefore the distinct types of expertise and stakeholder networks required to deliver them.
Dr Rigbye also raised concerns about the instability that the ongoing consultation process is causing for charities in this sector. She said ‘Charities are discovering that the publication of the white paper has stemmed uncertainty. The lack of clarity around the levy means many donors are now reluctant to commit to funding until the consultation period is clearer, and the new system is established. During this period, there is a risk that services provided by organisations who rely on the current system could be disrupted or discontinued.”
Dr Rigbye will be participating in the next panel in the series organised by Gordon Moody at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool next week.
Compliance Updates
ClearStake awarded ISO 27001 certification cementing its position as a trusted financial risk check provider
Real-time risk profiling tool provider ClearStake has been awarded ISO 27001 certification, the globally recognised standard for data protection and system security, cementing its position as a trusted provider to the gambling industry.
To qualify for the ISO 27001, ClearStake was required to actively demonstrate the successful deployment and adherence to a robust Information Security Management System (ISMS), as part of a rigorous two-stage accreditation process with an independent auditor.
A key endorsement when expanding across global markets, the certification proves ClearStake’s team is fully compliant with international data protection and security standards, which were most recently updated by the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission in 2022.
Martin Burt, CEO at ClearStake, said: “At the heart of what we do at ClearStake is building a secure environment for operators to handle and process data. As such, we are delighted to receive the ISO 27001 certification, which reaffirms our position as a reliable and compliant technology provider.
“This is a vital step in our growth as a company and will give clients further assurance that we operate to the highest standards.”
Once again, casino and sports platform provider ProgressPlay are ahead of their time with a new wave of technology innovation that has helped the company to attend major shows during 2023 with soaring confidence based on pioneering proprietary technological advances that have featured strongly in annual awards shows.
The company’s future-centred thinking and ambitious AI product development attracted a raft of operators and partners attending last week’s SiGMA Europe in Malta. A raft of casino operators during the show had the opportunity to see firsthand ProgressPlay’s new tech which offers a comprehensive gaming management solution across multiple channels and products.
ProgressPlay’s enhanced iGaming platform provides operators with a powerful real-time AI-driven proprietary flow tool for optimising the performance of an online casino in a dynamic data ecosystem. Real-time player interaction provides compliance teams with the information to manage and interact with players.
Last year, ProgressPlay undertook an ambitious reframe of their technology with new proprietary Responsible Gambling automation and tools at its heart. ProgressPlay’s new platform manages player accounts, payments, bonuses, loyalty programs, fraud prevention and games, using robust tools and analytics.
ProgressPlay Sales Manager Marina Nahhas said: “ProgressPlay’s innovative Responsible Gambling software covers topics like KYC, player activity, affordability levels, and a transparent audit trail. These topics resonate heavily with operators and we were delighted with the level of engagement around this revenue-critical activity during the week we spent in Malta.”
ProgressPlay’s combo sportsbook and comprehensive turnkey solution, including casino platform, player management, payments module, and affiliate software are designed to boost operators seeking to effectively drive both revenue and efficiency with the latest cutting-edge technology.
Over 150 online casino brands have partnered with ProgressPlay covering a unique combination of casino games and sports-betting. ProgressPlay’s sportsbook offers up to 40,000 live betting markets and services across 20 languages while the latest platform offers a slick AI-driven UI/UX, and extensive value-added services alongside thousands of casino games, including slots, online casino, live casino, poker, table games, and sportsbook, across all devices and currencies.
ProgressPlay CEO Itai Loewenstein said: “Commercial agreements are being driven by our breakthrough technology that enables deployment of our AI tools for greater efficiency and revenue-generation. SiGMA Europe has been the last stop in a busy year and we believe that since we first launched our new technology in London at the beginning of the year our sophisticated Responsible Gambling tool has quickly moved beyond the early-adopter stage.”
Leading iGaming publisher Yggdrasil has dialled up the Christmas cheer with a hellraising new hit, Rock Star Santa MultiMax™.
A 6×6 grid awaits players, with the cluster pays mechanic requiring five or more matching symbols to be conjoined for a winning spin. Every wining cluster is then removed from the reels, with more icons cascading down from above, and a wild also joins the party.
The multiplier at the top of the reelset will then increase, with the popular MultiMax Game Engagement Mechanic (GEM) swiftly seeing cascades cranked up in volume into massive wins. These can also combine if the cluster straddles reels, for supersonic rewards.
In addition, the Present symbol can land on any spin, awarding up to 100x, 11 free spins, or four extra wilds. This can also include an extra spin or an increased multiplier if it falls during the free spins.
Three or more Golden Ticket Free Spins icons will trigger the bonus round, giving players at least seven spins. During this, the multiplier at the top of each reel does not reset, allowing it to quickly pile up with every winning combination. Free Spins may also be gambled for the chance to win more.
The game also features two separate Buy Bonus options, depending on the jurisdiction, and a Golden Bet option, which increases the chances of a player hitting the bonus for an increased stake.
Rock Star Santa MultiMax is the latest core game developed by Yggdrasil, following recent vibrant releases Defenders of Mystica and Wild Stack Frenzy.
Mark McGinley, Chief Gaming Officer at Yggdrasil, said: “We’ve taken a different approach when it comes to festive hits and introduced the world to our showstopping Santa in our rocking new release, Rock Star Santa MultiMax.
“Incorporating a cluster-pays mechanic is an exciting addition to our portfolio, where we strive to deliver incredible experiences for our players.”
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