Spain’s national gambling regulator, The General Directorate of Gambling Regulation (DGOJ), announces a comprehensive governmental action aimed at prevention and mitigation of problem gambling in the country. The regulator also announces that the government has allocated a total of EUR 1.3 million to fund 26 projects to research into gambling harm in Spain.

Research Into Gambling Harm

The announcement follows the initiative of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs that launched the nation-wide application process in April 2023. The call for applications for 37 gambling-related research projects was distributed to universities, R&D centers, health care institutions, and non-profit organizations.

EUR 1.3 Million Available for 26 Projects

The authorities reportedly requested that submission be focused on gambling harm, as well as other adverse conditions related to gambling activities. The government reportedly allocated a total of EUR 1.3 million for 37 research projects but the Evaluation Commission reduced the number to 26 following the evaluation report of State Research Agency.

Spanish gambling regulator has also confirmed that the implementation of the approved projects will be extended until 30 June 2024.

DGOJ reportedly said:“These grants are aimed at carrying out research studies on disorders derived from gambling activity, with the prevention of the effects derived from said disorders or the risks associated with gambling.”

55.1% Increased Gaming Revenue in Q2 2023

The regulator’s confirmation of the number of research projects approved for funding by the government comes after this entity reported in September that the Spanish gambling market had generated EUR 312.6 million in gross gaming revenues in the second quarter of 2023. As reported by DGOJ on the occasion, the Q2 2023 revenue level represented a 55.1 percent higher figure than in 2022.

The increase was strongly supported by the casino segment that generated EUR 149.9 million, or around 48% of the total gambling market’s Q2 2023 revenues. The figure simultaneously represented a 27.9% increase when compared to the same period last year and a 4.5% growth over the Q1 2023.

Slot and roulette segments also recorded the increased revenue levels in comparison to the Q2 2022 to see 29.9% and, respectively, 8.9% higher levels in the given quarter of 2023.

However, the growth of the sports betting segment during the Q2 2023 saw the largest percentage. Spain’s sports wagering industry generated EUR €133.3 million in gross gaming revenues to stand for the 118.9% increase when compared to the same period of 2022.

The regulator also reported in September 2023 that the total handle was19.6% higher on the year-on-year basis but still 2.0% lower than in the Q1 2023. The increased handle resulted in 3.0% higher withdrawals than in the same period of 2022 and 2.3% lower than in the first quarter of 2023 that saw a respectively reduced handle.

Raising Awareness

The growth of the Spanish gambling industry raises the country’s economic benefits. In return, the government raises awareness of the gambling-related adverse consequences and allocates significant funds to alleviate their impact.

Source:

‘’Spain finalizes projects for €1.3m gambling harm research grant’’, igamingbusiness.com, November 3, 2023.

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The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has announced the recipients of its Fall 2023 Agility Grants. As a result, a total of $176,000 will be distributed among five non-profit organizations that deal with problem gambling.

Under the NCPG Agility Grants program, the council will provide over a million dollars to problem gambling charities between 2022 and 2024, helping them prevent gambling harm in the country.

According to the announcement, the recipients include the Alabama Council on Compulsive Gambling Prevention (ACCG), the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado, the AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, The LCADA Way and the Maryland Council on Problem Gambling. For reference, the first two parties will develop prevention innovation programs, while the remaining three will work on prevention amplification programs.

Two Organization Will Develop Prevention Innovation Initiatives

ACCG’s program “It’s More Than Just a Game” seeks to leverage education to teach middle school students in Alabama about the dangers of gambling. The program will see the students presented with a series of gambling and video gaming scenarios that will test their knowledge. The correct answers will be discussed with the whole class. Students will also be provided with educational pamphlets on the matter.

The Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado, meanwhile, is working with the Denver Justice High School and the Denver Art Society to deliver the so-called Stacked Deck problem gambling prevention curriculum to high schoolers. This project will leverage art-based activities to teach students about responsible gambling.

Three Parties Will Work on Prevention Amplification Programs

AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, on the other hand, will join forces with The New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center to develop a graphic novel about youth gambling prevention. The novel, which will be distributed across New England and available in three languages, is a part of the Youth Gambling Prevention Graphic Medicine project.

Additionally, the LCADA Way will launch the Lorain County Problem Gambling Prevention Initiative in hopes of raising awareness about the risks of gambling harm and teaching the players to make responsible decisions. Campaign material creation will be led by teenagers in hopes of appealing to younger demographics.

Finally, the Maryland Council on Problem Gambling will launch Culturally Infused Problem Gambling Prevention for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumers. This brand new program will see the council use the Agility Grant funding to design “culturally specific prevention public awareness materials” that appeal to people with hearing impairments.

About the Agility Grants

The Agility Grants are backed by the NFL through the NFL Foundation, in line with the league’s commitment to promote responsible gambling.

FanDuel, one of the biggest gambling operators in the country, is also a sponsor of the program.

Keith Whyte, executive director at the NCPG, commented on the matter, highlighting his team’s desire to “foster dynamic and responsive problem gambling prevention programs” across the country.  

Each recipient receiving support this round displayed exemplary commitment to cultural competence, tailoring their approaches with sensitivity to the diverse needs of the populations they serve.

Keith Whyte, executive director, NCPG

The grants have an emphasis on prevention innovation, collaboration, amplification and community impact and represent the council’s desire to make a change. They are awarded through funding rounds two times a year.

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The Netherlands opened its online gambling market in October 2021. This enabled licensed operators in the country to offer their services legally to Dutch customers while adhering to the established regulations. Now, the gambling regulator in the Netherlands, the Dutch Gaming Authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), revealed that a new operator secured a license to offer its services.

On Monday, the regulator revealed that it awarded Hommerson Amusement BV with a Dutch gambling license. This in other words means that the operator can now legally offer games of chance via the internet to customers in the country.

Although Hommerson Amusement secured a license, it is yet to be confirmed which domain name would be used by the new operator. The KSA revealed that once the operator confirms its domain name, it will be added to its Gambling Guide, an online register that lists all providers that are allowed to offer legal games of chance in the Netherlands. For the convenience of the users, the gambling regulator has listed all licenses, including their trading name and domain or domains.

The latest license complements the growth of the regulated gambling market in the Netherlands. Securing the approval designated Hommerson Amusement as the 27th legal Dutch online gambling services provider.

“The Gaming Authority (Ksa) has granted a license to Hommerson Amusement BV to offer games of chance via the internet. This is the 27th permit for an online provider that the KSA has granted,“

reads a statement released by Kansspelautoriteit

The Gambling Regulator Continues to Monitor the Market

Besides licensing, the Dutch gambling regulator oversees compliance. It also actively monitors the market, proposing best practices that can reduce gambling harm and excessive gambling from customers in the country.

Last month, the KSA urged gambling operators in the Netherlands to do more to protect their clients. The call came from the regulator’s chairman, René Jansen, who unveiled details regarding a new probe into the gambling sector. At the time, he encouraged licensed gambling operators to implement more measures to protect their customers from excessive gambling and harm.

Additionally, Jansen warned about the dangers of the illegal gambling markets. He reiterated that illegal gambling operators do not adhere to any player protection rules and have no duty of care to protect the consumers.

Late last month, Prof. Dr. Arnt F.A. Schellekens, the National Rapporteur on Addictions, pitched 22 points to reform gambling. The recommendations included mandatory playing limits and ramped-up player protection, among other important changes.

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Since the $150-million, first-class gaming and entertainment destination Live! Casino Pittsburgh opened its gates in November 2020 under the reputable The Cordish Companies’ brand, the two have set up a $21-million Local Share Account (LSA). The LSA money was used to generate grants that have since reached a number of municipalities and non-profit organizations in Westmoreland County. 

Now, the duo has made all the details of the grants known to the public, giving grant recipients, leaders in the local communities, state legislators, county commissioners, and Hempfield Township representatives many reasons to celebrate. 

Proving their goal to play “an important role in supporting and enhancing the communities” in Philadelphia’s Westmoreland County, the Cordish Companies, the family-owned business with global reach that develops urban revitalization projects and entertainment districts, has announced the destinations of the funds. 

The money reached a series of important projects, including the reconstruction of old bridges, the resurfacing of roads, bringing improvement to local parks and playgrounds, upgrading stormwater and equipment used by local emergency services including the fire department and the police, and more. 

The LSA grant proceeds have three different sources for funding: the Local Share Account Statewide with $12,928,220, the Local Share Account Category 4 Facilities Program for Westmoreland County with $4,021,881, and the Hempfield Township which received an extra $4,021,881. 

The LSA proceeds generated by Live! Casino for fiscal years 2021 and 2022 reached 38 local municipalities and organizations and were used as an important investment for 77 projects in the county while individual grants ranged from $2,850 to $1 million.

The Hempfield Township Casino, “a True Blessing”

According to Douglas Weimer, the vice chair of the Hempfield Township Board of Supervisors, the opening of the Hempfield Township casino has enabled them to “reverse and improve the economy around the mall” while enhancing the resources and services in the local community.

Since its opening three years ago, the Live! Casino facility has generated close to $519 million in investments to the local economy, including $40 million paid in licensing fees, $100 million in construction jobs and expenses, $5.1 million paid as local taxes to the Hempfield Township, $123 million that reached the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue in the form of taxes from gaming, and close to $55 million in employee compensations among others. 

The Cordish Companies’ managing partner, Joe Weinberg, praised the work put in by their team members, along with elected officials and local organizations toward building a “stronger Westmoreland County through our continued partnership.”

Joining in on the celebrations, the general manager for Live Casino, Sean Sullivan, explained that making a positive impact on the local community has always represented a top priority for them. He added they will continue to support local families with more employment opportunities and local charities with the help of donations and volunteering work.

In April, The Cordish Companies introduced their plans for a $250 million casino resort project in Louisiana. In November 2022, The Cordish Companies’ gaming division, Cordish Gaming Group, announced it would share ownership of its mobile sports betting license in Maryland with its employees.

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Moving forward, FSB will be able to demonstrate that it’s a highly-trusted supplier following the company’s certification from Gaming Laboratories International (GLI). The certification applies to the regulated market in South Africa and provides FSB with the means to expand more aggressively.

The accreditation unlocks the potential of the regulated gambling market in South Africa. This allows FSB to move forward with its selection of products. FSB is already a highly-trusted and respected brand on the African continent but this new certification further establishes it as a go-to and trusted partner locally.

Welcome News for Further Expansion and Growth

FSB CRO Ian Freeman has welcomed the opportunity to be recognized and welcomed in another relevant target market for the company. Freeman added:

We have a very clear strategy of aligning our market-leading sportsbook, platform and casino portfolio of products and services with markets that offer FSB and its partners the best chance to succeed.

FSB CRO Ian Freeman

The executive further hailed this certification as a continuation of the company’s strategy to work with Tier 1 partners and deliver trustworthy and dependable markets in any market it operates in.

FSB’s platform has already been able to see some excellent results across its partners not just in Africa. The company saw partner operators rake in record numbers during the Royal Ascot horse racing competition, one of the biggest events on the calendar.

The company’s infrastructure provided uninterrupted experience from start to finish. Meanwhile, FSB has also been pivoting towards even bigger markets. The company made a successful first foray in Ontario, Canada earlier this year as well.

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The National Council on Problem Gambling has announced the recipients of its Spring Agility Grants. As noted by the company, it will provide $193,000 in funding to five gambling harm relief organizations.

Agility Grants is a strategic initiative that seeks to back nonprofits, providing them with much-needed funding to prevent problem gambling. The grants help organizations provide services in areas where there are none and reach more people struggling with harm.

The initiative will see the NCPG provide charities with more than $1 million over 3 years, bolstering sager gambling efforts across the United States. The program is backed by major names such as the NFL Foundation and FanDuel which seek to spread awareness of the dangers of irresponsible betting.

This year, the program received a record-breaking number of applications, leading to what the NCPG called a “highly competitive selection progress.” Finally, the council decided to award grants to the following organizations:

• Hispanic Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program
• The National Alliance on Mental Illness – Maryland Chapter
• The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling
• Nicasa Behavioral Health Services
• Student Assistance Services of Tarrytown, NY

Each of these will use the funding to support a new or existing initiative, adding to the effort in the war on gambling harm.

It Is Critical to Tackle Harm Early On

Keith Whyte, NCPG’s executive director, commented on the importance of prevention, saying that it is not only cheaper but also more effective and sensible. He noted that this spring’s grants will fund programs that provide innovative models designed to reach priority groups. He said that his team is proud to be able to support these initiatives and hopes that they will encourage and inspire future efforts.

Clare Graff, NFL’s VP of social responsibility, also commented on the grounds, lauding the NCPG’s hard and innovative work. She said that the NFL is glad to sponsor these grants and help the council curb the problem gambling rates in the country.

The funding for these Agility Grants through the NFL Foundation will provide critical resources to nonprofit organizations across the country who are on the front lines of problem gambling prevention.

Clare Graff, VP of social responsibility, NFL

Grants are awarded twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The Fall 2023 funding round will accept applicants from July 11 to August 22.

A few weeks ago, the NCPG welcomed several new members, strengthening its advisory board.

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