Latest News
BGC: Two Thirds of Punters Believe Nanny State Spending Limits on Betting Would Spark a Rise in Gambling Black Market
A new YouGov survey for the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) revealed the concerns of regular punters as the Government considers a review of Gambling laws.
As well as 67% saying compulsory limits risked pushing punters to the growing gambling black market, 64% of the public fear the increased use of illegal sites would trigger a rise in problem gambling rates.
Nearly 70% of people who place a bet said they would not be willing to allow regulated betting and gaming firms to carry out compulsory affordability checks to prove they can afford to wager, which have been called for by anti-gambling campaigners to tackle problem gambling.
The number of people gambling on unsafe black market sites in the UK has doubled from 220,000 to 460,000 in recent years and the amount staked is in the billions.
The latest figures from the Gambling Commission show the rate of problem gambling among adults in the UK remains low by international standards at 0.3%, down from 0.4 the year previous.
BGC Chief Executive Michael Dugher said that the YouGov polling was important for ministers to consider as they prepare to publish the gambling white paper in the coming weeks.
He urged the Government to adopt a “carefully targeted approach” to ensure they strike the right balance between protecting the vulnerable, whilst not driving the overwhelming majority who bet safely and responsibly towards the unsafe unregulated black market online.
Mr Dugher said: “We strongly support the Gambling Review as a further opportunity to raise standards and promote safer gambling.
“Ministers have rightly always said it will be an evidence-led process, these poll findings are an important reminder of the risks of getting this wrong by introducing arbitrary blanket spending checks on anyone who likes a flutter.
“Any changes introduced by the Government must be carefully targeted so that we protect the vulnerable and intervene on those showing signs of harm, whilst not driving the vast majority of millions of punters who bet safely towards the growing unsafe black market online, where there are none of the safer gambling protections used by BGC members.”

Latest News
Soft2Bet’s Quickcasino Wins at EGR Europe Awards 2025
Soft2Bet’s Quickcasino has been awarded “The Nordics and Baltics – Rising Star” at the prestigious EGR Europe Awards, reinforcing its status as one of the region’s most innovative and fast-growing online gaming brands.
This recognition is a testament to Soft2Bet’s commitment to market-leading technology, data-driven gamification, and player-first experiences. By combining cutting-edge mechanics with a highly localised approach, Quickcasino has established itself as a force in Sweden’s competitive iGaming landscape.
A Market Leader in Innovation and Gamification
Quickcasino.se has redefined the Nordic and Baltic iGaming experience, blending seamless UX, high-speed transactions, and a unique gamification ecosystem to keep players engaged. Powered by Soft2Bet’s proprietary MEGA (Motivational Engineering Gamification Application) solution, the platform delivers dynamic challenges, real-time progression, and personalised incentives, creating an experience that is both immersive and rewarding.
Beyond gamification, Quickcasino’s commitment to top-tier security, lightning-fast payments, and market-driven customisation has resonated strongly with Swedish players. Its ability to merge high-performance technology with a player-centric approach, via MEGA, has driven remarkable growth, reinforcing its status as a market leader.
Uri Poliavich, Founder and CEO of Soft2Bet, commented: “Receiving European recognition from one of the leading industry awards is a proud moment for Quickcasino and Soft2Bet. This achievement not only recognises Quickcasino’s rapid success but also highlights how our B2C experience acts as a proof of concept for B2B partners. As we investigate new ways to enhance our offerings, the results we achieve with our brands showcase the power of our technology and help operators elevate player engagement, retention, and performance in highly competitive markets. This award reinforces our ability to drive success for our brands and partners.”
A Future Focused on Growth and Innovation
Quickcasino’s latest accolade adds to Soft2Bet’s growing list of industry recognitions. Looking ahead to 2025, the company is preparing for major market expansions, new strategic partnerships, and continuous advancements in gamification technology. With innovation at its core, Soft2Bet remains committed to pushing boundaries and delivering industry-leading solutions that shape the future of iGaming.
The post Soft2Bet’s Quickcasino Wins at EGR Europe Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
The Lithuanian Gaming Control Authority (LPT) has completed its inspection: Olympic Casino has been fined almost 8.4 million euros
The company Olympic Casino Group Baltija (OCGB) did not take sufficient steps to identify the origin of Šarūnas Stepukonis’ losing funds, and the monitoring of his financial transactions was only formal and ineffective. Such violations were identified by the Gaming Supervisory Authority, which conducted an inspection of OCGB’s activities in Lithuania. The company was fined almost 8.4 million euros.
The Gaming Supervisory Authority (LPT) investigated the actions taken by OCGB in response to Š. Stepukonis’ transactions on the company’s gaming website from December 2016 to the end of June 2021. The law obliges gaming operators to ensure that customer funds are not obtained from criminal activities or through participation in such activities. It is also mandatory to verify the origin of the funds. LPT found that the measures applied by OCGB were poor and insufficient, and the monitoring of Š. Stepukonis’ transactions was formal.
Gambling organizers must report suspicious transactions to the FNTT. Š. Stepukonis’ transactions had obvious signs that should have raised suspicions for the gambling organizer. However, the FNTT was not informed about this.
During the inspection, evidence was also collected that Š. Stepukonis’ gambling was irresponsible. The gambling company should have noticed this, especially since the client was assigned a personal manager who saw all of his transactions.
“Instead of finding out whether Š. Stepukonis had a gambling problem or informing the supervisory authority, Olympic Casino encouraged him to gamble even more. An individual incentive package was prepared for him. A total of 1.3 million euros was allocated for this. This “bonus” could only be spent on gambling. Other incentives were also allocated,” – comments on the results of the inspection by LPT Director Virginijus Daukšys.
Since mid-2021, gambling companies in Lithuania have no longer been allowed to offer incentives to their customers that they would later lose. Just before this tightening came into effect, Š. Stepukonis’ virtual gambling was moved from Lithuania to Estonia, where it was still allowed to encourage gamblers.
In this way, it was possible not only to maintain incentives for gambling, but also to avoid supervision by the LPT. If an ordinary gambler from Lithuania tried to go and register on the Estonian Olympic Casino website, he would be redirected to the Lithuanian website. However, in the case of Š. Stepukonis, the redirection was not carried out. These circumstances are part of the pre-trial investigation.
During the inspection, a total of five violations of the provisions of the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism and the Law on Gambling were identified.
The law allows for a fine of up to twice the amount of damage caused. The damage was determined to be 6.4 million euros – the amount Š. Stepukonis lost at the Olympic Casino in Lithuania. When calculating the fine, an aggravating circumstance was taken into account – the company did not cooperate during the inspection.
According to V. Daukšys, after this story came to light, steps were taken to prevent similar cases from recurring. The most important change is the law, proposed by the LPT, which obliges gambling companies to take action upon noticing irresponsible gambling and to provide information about it to the LPT.
“Until now, there was no such obligation. Therefore, the LPT did not have information that would allow it to take preventive actions in advance,” says V. Daukšys.
The new Gambling Law will come into force in November this year. Its aim is to reduce the accessibility, attractiveness and potential harm to personal health of gambling.
LPT also reviewed its procedures, adjusted internal procedures, allowing for more frequent scheduled inspections of the activities of gambling companies. In addition, the Ministry of Finance conducted an audit of LPT’s activities. No significant operational deficiencies were identified during the audit. LPT took into account the audit recommendations and allocated more human resources to money laundering prevention functions.
Source: Gambling Supervisory Authority under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania
The post The Lithuanian Gaming Control Authority (LPT) has completed its inspection: Olympic Casino has been fined almost 8.4 million euros appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
iQOO partners with India’s leading gamers Mortal, Payal and Scout; will co-create products for nation’s mobile gaming community
The post iQOO partners with India’s leading gamers Mortal, Payal and Scout; will co-create products for nation’s mobile gaming community appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Latest News3 months ago
GamCare releases Annual Report following record breaking year of support on the National Gambling Helpline
-
Latest News3 months ago
Abios powers upcoming gaming media platform Apollo with in-play statistics for League of Legends
-
Latest News3 months ago
Government support, medals, and global recognition define a landmark year for Indian esports and video gaming in 2024
-
Latest News3 months ago
Kambi Group plc repurchase of shares during 18 December – 23 December 2024
-
Latest News3 months ago
India Levels Up: Emerging as a Global Gaming Powerhouse in 2024
-
Latest News2 months ago
Imagine Live Partners with King.rs
-
Latest News3 months ago
Gambling.com Group Enters into Definitive Agreement to Acquire Odds Holdings, Parent Company of OddsJam, a Fast-Growing Technology Platform for Real-time Odds Data, in Accretive Transaction
-
Latest News1 month ago
Sportradar’s Alpha Odds Receives Dual Honors at European iGaming Awards 2025
You must be logged in to post a comment Login