The study sheds light on the gambling activity that unfolds during such high-profile events and their aftermath. Its findings will help the British regulator make better-informed decisions and remain in touch with the ever-changing global gaming landscape. Analyzing these interactions will help the commission enhance its regulatory measures and promote responsible gambling practices.

Impressive Participation Yielded Reliable Results

The UKGC commissioned fieldwork and data collection company Yonder Data Solutions to examine the gambling activity during and after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Yonder’s approach involved contacting individuals who engaged in betting during the tournament. Respondents answered questions about their gambling behaviors and attitudes over the preceding four weeks.

The study yielded valuable insights by re-contacting the same people in March to uncover any changes in their gambling behavior. 811 individuals participated in both surveys, forming a solid foundation for the research’s conclusions. Such data will be invaluable in the UKGC’s efforts to promote safe gambling during similar high-profile events.

The World Cup Had a Significant Impact on Bettors

According to the UK regulator, the data revealed several notable trends. Compared to the 12 months used for previous surveys, respondents reflected on the period since the world cup. However, average gambling participation increased. Although wager amounts dropped significantly, the higher-than-average engagement signifies that high-profile sports events can efficiently onboard and retain gambling customers.

The UKGC also examined the results according to its Path to Play framework, determining that most World Cup bettors engaged with gambling to add excitement to the game, often choosing to participate due to influence from friends. These findings mean participants are less likely to wager “For the Money,” making them less at risk of problem gambling.

This reinforces the view that betting on the World Cup was more of a social experience than normal football betting.

UKGC report

Despite the prevailing social aspect of World Cup gambling, it led to continued betting engagement for a third of participants, demonstrating its potential status as a “gateway” event. Gambling harm data was inconclusive, prompting the UKGC to consider additional research as the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final is just around the corner.

By engaging in such investigations, the UKGC continues to equip itself with actionable insights to protect bettors and address potential challenges in the gambling landscape. The regulator’s efforts reflect its commitment to maintaining a balanced and transparent gambling sector that prioritizes consumer well-being and responsible gambling practices.

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Owing to a new partnership with The Sporting News, Catena is bringing home two important achievements – one the opportunity to further expand across North America as a whole, and two – a deeper reach into Latin American online betting and casino markets, owing to the new partner’s well-established footprint in both regions. This new opportunity comes as Catena Media has recently completed a share buyback program strengthening its financial standing along the way.

Creating Value Added Editorial and Digital Content

The partnership will see The Sporting News and Catena Media create dedicated digital content produced by Catena Media’s seasoned team of experts who will comment on a range of topics, including fantasy sports, traditional sports, and online casinos. This content will be distributed throughout The Sporting News’ assets, such as websites, digital and social channels.

Catena Media will focus on both advertorial and editorial content that elevates the two partners’ respective brands and boosts awareness, delivering value to customers.

Although the primary focus of the partnership is on the United States, with the duo working on reaching sports fans across hockey, golf, tennis, college sports, basketball, football, and others, there will also be a significant focus put on Latin American countries – including Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. Commenting on this opportunity, Catena Media VP North America Ryan Harper outlined the good that this alliance will bring for both brands:

The Sporting News is one of the oldest names in sports publishing in the US and we’re delighted to have them as a core media partner. Their close to 45 million unique users per month give us access to a large audience that will enable us to compete directly with some of the top sports publishing companies in the world.

Catena Media VP North America Ryan Harper

Both Companies Share Some Passion for Sports Internationally

The Sporting News COO Shaun Koiner has welcomed the partnership with a similar upbeat message. Koiner said that The Sporting News is a passionate publication about sports and that this tie-up with Catena Media made a lot of sense as both companies undertake to expand significantly in the regulated sports betting, fantasy, and gaming markets across the region.

“From day one, our objectives have been aligned and we’re incredibly excited to see where this can take us, not only in the US but also as we look to expand internationally,” Koiner concluded. Catena is all systems go in North America after the company divested its units in Australia and the United Kingdom, vowing to focus further on the dynamic market in the region instead.

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The Swedish gambling regulator, the Spelinspektionen, announced that its board will continue to be comprised of seven members. The authority’s decision was greenlit by the current government, led by the Centre-Right Alliance coalition.

The Spelinspektionen provided a peek into its new board, showing that it will remain more or less the same as it has been until now. As announced by the regulator, from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, its board will encompass the following members:

• Per Håkansson – senior advisor
• Håkan Wall – psychologist
• Madelaine Tunudd – councilor
• Andreas Prochazka – lawyer
• Fredrik Holmberg – advisor
• Doris Högne Rydheim – advisor and ex-chancellor
• Camilla Rosenberg – general director of the Swedish Gaming Authority

Wall will continue serving as the board’s lead psychologist. Meanwhile, Tunudd will be the Spelinspektionen’s councilor. Prochazka will continue serving as the authority’s lawyer, while Holmberg and Rydheim help the regulator as advisors.

The Spelinspektionen also noted that Håkansson will be chairing the board. This is notably the only change to the regulator’s board.

The authority also noted that Rosenberg will maintain her seat and will continue to lead the body for another year. She has headed the Spelinspektionen since 2017 when gambling was still illegal and the regulatory body was known as Lotteriinspektionen.

The seven members will report to Niklas Wykman, Sweden’s minister of financial markets.

The Legal Swedish Market Grows

Sweden continues to be an attractive market for gambling providers. A few days ago, two new B2B companies secured licenses in the Nordic country. First, Relax Gaming secured a business-to-business license, making a foray into the Northern country. As a result, the company can now legally offer its products in the local market.

A few days later, Play’n GO managed to successfully renew its supplier license in the country. The company has been operating in the local market for a while and will be able to continue doing business there. This was furthermore a very important development for Play’n GO, which was originally founded in Sweden.

Last year, the Spelinspektionen announced that only a few gamblers prefer to play with offshore companies. According to a study, only 8% of Swedes pick unlicensed companies. Six percent, the Spelinspektionen said, did so voluntarily while two percent failed to identify an illegal operator as such. Meanwhile, 55% of respondents said that they would always prefer playing with legal companies because of the safer gambling tools they provide to players.

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