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UK Gambling Commission and industry collaboration makes progress on safer gambling
Reading Time: 5 minutes
- Under 25s to be restricted from joining VIP schemes
- Tightened controls to be introduced for other VIP customers
- Online advertising rules strengthened to better protect vulnerable groups
- Progress made on safer product design but industry must go further
Collaborative work with the industry has led to progress following three challenges laid down by the Gambling Commission to make gambling safer and reduce harm across the sector.
The work will lead to restrictions and prevention of under 25s being recruited to VIP schemes, a reduction on intensity of play such as the speed of spin and removing turbo buttons, and a joint effort to shield children and young people from online gambling advertising.
The Gambling Commission welcomes the recommendations made by the industry on safer products but challenges the industry to go further.
This new approach to accelerate progress to protect consumers from gambling harm was set by the Commission’s chief executive, Neil McArthur, in October 2019. Working groups made up of senior leaders from the industry were formed in January 2020 – concentrating on use of VIP incentives, safer advertising online and the use of safer product design.
The Industry working groups featured over 30 operators, co-ordinated by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC). As part of this work, the Commission ran workshops with people with first-hand experience of gambling harm, as well as collaborating with GamCare to ensure that its service users’ experience would also help inform any outcomes.
Those involved in the work will continue to develop and rapidly implement the proposals, with some measures around VIP customers being implemented as soon as April 14.
The Commission will now launch formal consultations on these areas to ensure that the new measures are incorporated into its regulatory framework – which means that all operators will have to abide by the new consumer protection rules.
Neil McArthur, Gambling Commission chief executive said: “We have been encouraged by the progress on VIP incentives, safer advertising and safer products. We set these challenges in order to deliver real and rapid change for consumers in key areas of risk. However, it is important these commitments are implemented as soon as possible. It should not take months to implement safeguards many would expect to be in place already.
“By working together with operators and seeking the views of people with lived experience of gambling harm we have been able to make significant progress, although there is always more to do. We will now consult on the necessary changes to our rule book to ensure all operators have to meet the new standards.
“Whilst we are encouraged by industry proposals for making gambling products safer we now call on operators to implement those proposals rapidly; but the proposals do not go far enough and we will now consider what additional measures we should impose on operators.
“I recognise that the Covid-19 outbreak will impact on next steps and actions, in particular land-based operators. I welcome the fact that the operators involved and the BGC have remained committed to progressing this work during these difficult times. That is a positive sign of their commitment to make the industry safer.”
“Ultimately actions speak louder than words and any operator that does not put consumer safety first will find itself a target for enforcement action.”
Industry progress so far in these areas, and the Gambling Commission’s response and next steps:
Use of VIP incentives
This group was established to develop an industry code which addressed poor practices around the treatment and incentivisation of high value and high spending customers also known as ‘VIPs’. The industry has agreed to:
- Restrict and prevent customers under 25 years of age from being recruited to high value customer schemes.
- All customers must first pass thorough checks relating to spend, safer gambling and enhanced due diligence before becoming eligible for high value customer incentives.
- Reward programmes will also be required to have full audit trails detailing decision making with specified senior oversight and accountability.
The Gambling Commissions response:
- The Commission will now consult on permanent changes to the Licence conditions and codes of practice (LCCP).
- The Commission expects the industry to implement its code as soon as possible and considers most measures should be implemented within 3 months.
- The Commission will monitor and support implementation of the industry’s code as an interim measure.
Safer advertising online
This Advertising Technology challenge was aimed at reducing the amount of online advertising seen by children, young people and vulnerable adults. Actions taken immediately by the industry and to be in place by July 2020 include:
- A common list of negative search terms (e.g. how do I self-exclude from gambling?) and suppression websites, which will help shield vulnerable groups from online gambling ads.
- Better and more consistent use of customer data to ensure paid-for-ads are targeting away from vulnerable groups across social media platforms, instead of targeting for business
- Implement an approach which means that advertising is only targeted at +25 age in social media and “Pay Per Click” advertising where platform facilities permit. This will protect young people and increase confidence in the social media platforms’ own age-gating
- Age-gating YouTube channels and content
- Adopting and rolling out to all affiliates a code of conduct which will be amended and updated on a regular basis to ensure all measures undertaken by the industry will be implemented equally by affiliates.
These measures will be adopted across the industry as soon as possible and in any event enshrined in the IGRG’s Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising (subject to consultation with Bingo Association and BACTA) and effective by July 2020.
Further, the Working Group will:
- Establish a permanent cross-industry Adtech Forum to ensure an on-going focus on making further progress in this area, including conducting and evaluating trials of advertising technology.
- Continue the proactive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders (including platforms) on agreed areas of work, with the aim of continually setting the highest standards in responsible digital advertising and marketing and ensuring that all relevant technology is utilised to achieve that.
- Work with the Gambling Commission to publish and promote consumer advice, and work with online platforms and broadcasters to identify a more effective, simple and consistent approach, with regard to blocking gambling advertising.
- Commit to monitoring and evaluating all actions to ensure only effective solutions are pursued.
The Gambling Commission’s response:
- The Gambling Commission’s view is that the industry has developed an appropriate set of commitments which should help further limit exposure to online gambling adverts by vulnerable groups.
- The Commission recognises that the online advertising ecosystem is complex, and some progress will be dependent on third parties, such as the social media platforms. In these instances, we expect industry to work collaboratively with the platforms to identify and implement further solutions.
- By virtue of their inclusion in the Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising, The Commission will now hold operators to account for these commitments from July.
Safer products
These groups were tasked with developing an industry code for responsible product and game design. Industry commitment from this work so far includes:
- A minimum spin speed of 2.5 seconds on all slots.
- Removal of game features which may encourage intensive play such as slam stops and turbo buttons.
- Removal of split-screen slots which have been associated with potential loss of control.
- A more detailed work plan which will include in-game messaging and the creation of a Betting and Gaming Council Testing Lab to look into other game features.
- Publication of the final code in September 2020.
The Gambling Commission’s response:
- The Gambling Commission’s view is that while some progress has been made, this work must now go further and faster, in particular around using demographics and behaviours to indicate risk.
- The Gambling Commission will now consult on the priority areas for immediate action as soon as possible.
Brigid Simmonds, Chairman of the new standards body the Betting and Gaming Council said: “I am pleased with our members’ hard work and continued commitment to delivering substantial progress on the three safer gambling challenges set by the Gambling Commission on high value customers, advertising and game design. The progress reported today including restricting under 25’s from qualifying for high value customer accounts; strengthened advertising rules and games with slower speeds and the removal of some functionality comes despite difficult operating circumstances during the COVID-19 crisis. These measures, along with our recently announced 10 pledge action plan for COVID-19 safer gambling and our 22 industry safer gambling commitments will significantly transform and improve the environment for our customers and the wider public. We agree with the Gambling Commission that there is still more work to do and we will rise to the ongoing challenge.”
This update coincides with the publication of the Gambling Commission’s 2020/21 business plan which includes commitment to driving forward these areas of work in regulatory requirements for the whole industry.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: UK Gambling Commission and industry collaboration makes progress on safer gambling
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POKERSTARS GALACTIC SERIES PAYS OUT MORE THAN €8 MILLION TO FRENCH, SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE PLAYERS
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Series and Main Event both exceed their guarantees
PokerStars’ has once again smashed expectations in Southern Europe, with the Galactic Series, one of its most popular series for players in France, Spain and Portugal, generating an €8 million prize pool, over €1 million above the guarantee. The prize pool was shared out across 261 events and more than 343,000 entries. The highlight of the series was the Main Event that paid out €365,025 to players across the three weeks.
GALACTIC STAR BATTLES FOR SILVER AND GOLD PRIZES
Throughout the series, players had the chance to get their hands on additional Silver and Gold Passes by opting-in to the Galactic Stars Battle. Players opted in for a PokerStars Ambassador, and all those who chose to support the leading Ambassador each week being entered into a freeroll to win a Silver Power Pass.
In Spain, captains ‘WilloelPillo’ and ‘and1ero’ saw a similar pattern. Willo was victorious in weeks one and three with 327,805 and 250,763 points respectively while Álex ‘and1ero’ Romero took the advantage in week two with 318,631 points and Esteban ‘estiwinho’ Pascual couldn’t reach the top spot in any week.
Silver and Gold Passes can be redeemed as entries to a range of PokerStars Live events throughout the year, including marquee stops at the European Poker Tour (EPT) and the PokerStars Open, which debuted this year and have provided players across Europe with world class poker at accessible price points with lively, grassroots-style atmosphere and entertainment. Closing out the season, EPT Prague starts December 3 and runs until December 14, and will be followed by PokerStars Open Cannes on December 16. Players with Gold or Silver Passes can redeem them for entries at both of these events.
“Once again, we’ve seen players from all over France, Spain and Portugal come together to enjoy the Galactic Series”, said Sandro Forleo, Head of Poker Operations for Southern Europe and Italy at PokerStars. “Our Mega Mystery events, where bounties can be won as soon as late reg closes, proved especially popular and continued to offer something new and enjoyable to players at all experience levels.”
The post POKERSTARS GALACTIC SERIES PAYS OUT MORE THAN €8 MILLION TO FRENCH, SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE PLAYERS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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The eSports World Tournament FIFAe World Cup 2025™ Kicks-Off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 10!
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Commemorating the start of the tournament, a new in-game update arrives and fans can take part in a campaign launching today in eFootball
Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. (Konami) announces the FIFAe World Cup 2025 featuring eFootball. Kicking off on December 10th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the official eSports tournament is hosted by FIFA® for a live audience and live streamed worldwide. This year marks the second edition of the tournament where a record of 90 countries and regions participated in the preliminaries totalling 16.51 million participants.
eFootball official website: konami.com/efootball…
FIFAe World Cup 2025 is an official eSports world championship co-hosted by Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA®). This year 12 national representatives emerged victorious from regional qualifiers and will now compete in the console and mobile divisions for the tournament’s highest honours and be crowned champions.
For the console division, it will be held in a 2v2 format with players participating in teams of three whereas the mobile division will be a 1v1 format. Both divisions will feature players from 12 different countries where they compete through a group stage and knockout stage before battling it out in the finals.
To celebrate the start of the tournament, users can participate in an eFootball campaign and can obtain free special items. Logging in during the campaign period rewards users with different items.
Additionally, users also receive one player item each day from a curated special player list. Users can also take on a Squad Challenge Event where clearing challenges with specific rules will reward them with various items. The campaign period is from December 4th – December 18th.
Coinciding with this campaign, a new game update has been implemented to adjust game balance and adds various features and gameplay elements to enhance the experience. A new particular feature analyses in-game player tendencies and adds an “Advice” feature where players and coaches provide feedback in real-time that could serve as a catalyst for improvements in tactics.
Another feature is the “Analysis” which aggregates and analyses the results of each user’s last 10 PvP matches and visualises their playstyle via comparison graphs and data against opposition from Division 1 – Division 4 users.
Also being introduced to this update is Ronald Koeman receiving the “Link-up Play” feature. Ronald Koeman possesses the “Aggressive Centring A” Link-Up where the “Centrepiece” is in possession of the ball, the “Key Man” will actively make runs towards goal from crosses. Activating this Link-Up increases the accuracy for high and low crosses as well as direct shots from those passes from the “Centrepiece” to the “Key Man”. Legendary player items such as “Epic: David Beckham” and “Epic: Jan Koller” meet the activation conditions and are now available in-game from December 4th – December 11th.
Other features and improvements include:
- “Auto Control” which allows the AI to take control when the user is not actively playing. • Adjustments in speed and acceleration for defenders by reducing the extreme disparities against speedy players.
- Acceleration during latter periods of a match with decreased stamina has also been fine tuned to allow players with decreased stamina to maintain their reaction speed even with a reduced stamina.
- Alterations to the “Defensive Awareness” parameter where defenders with high “Defensive Awareness” can now keep up with opponents more effectively even if their acceleration stat is lower.
Access the viewing page from ‘eFootball’ and watch the broadcasts for the Console Division and Mobile Division to earn up to 2,500eFootball points.
Day 1-3
- Console / Mobile
- Viewing Reward: 500 eFootball Points
Day 4 Final
- Console:
- Viewing Reward: 1,000 eFootball Points
- Mobile:
- Viewing Reward: 1,000 eFootball Points
The post The eSports World Tournament FIFAe World Cup 2025™ Kicks-Off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 10! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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S8UL launches India’s first-ever FGC Talent Hunt Program to discover the next stars in Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6
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A total of six players will be selected for the six-month program, running from January to June 2026, following the finals of the talent hunt
Selected athletes will receive professional coaching, fully funded participation in Tier-1 international tournaments, complete travel support, a monthly stipend, and integration into S8UL’s content ecosystem
Mumbai, December 4, 2025: S8UL, a global powerhouse in esports and gaming content, has announced a landmark initiative for India’s fighting game community (FGC) with the launch of a first-of-its-kind Talent Hunt Program for Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6. Running from January to June 2026, the six-month program aims to identify and develop India’s next breakthrough fighting-game athletes through a structured, high-performance ecosystem and position the country prominently on the global FGC map.
Unlike traditional talent hunts, S8UL’s initiative is designed as a development pipeline, focusing on long-term athlete growth rather than one-off competition. From a wide pool of participants across the nation, a total of six players, including two for Tekken 8 and four for Street Fighter 6, will be scouted and selected solely based on their performance in the nationwide qualifiers and finals.
Selected players will receive one of the most comprehensive support structures ever provided in India’s competitive FGC space, including:
- A dedicated professional coach for each game throughout the six-month program
- Fully-funded participation in a minimum of three international Tier-1 tournaments
- Comprehensive travel support covering flights, accommodation, meals, local transport, and tournament registration
- A monthly stipend to ensure athletes can focus entirely on training and performance
- Integration into S8UL’s industry-leading content ecosystem, offering visibility, narrative-building, and community reach to both the players and the fighting game titles
Speaking about the program, Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO, S8UL Esports, said, “India’s fighting game community has shown tremendous potential but players have rarely had access to a structured environment that supports long-term growth. Through this Talent Hunt Program, we want to change that by giving selected athletes professional coaching, international tournament experience, and the day-to-day support they need to improve. This is not just a short-term project for us—it’s the beginning of a sustained effort to help build a strong foundation for fighting games in India and give our players a fair chance to compete on the world stage”
S8UL today stands as the only Indian esports organization competing across nine leading titles, and it has begun establishing a strong foothold in fighting games as well. After becoming the first Indian team selected for the Esports World Cup’s Club Partner Program, S8UL competed in qualifiers for titles such as Fatal Fury and Tekken 8, underscoring its long-term commitment to the FGC ecosystem.
S8UL’s state-of-the-art gaming house is one of India’s most advanced training and content facilities built to global esports standards. The setup includes structured training schedules, dedicated practice zones, content studios, analytics support, and a high-performance environment that drives discipline and growth. For the FGC Talent Hunt athletes, this access will be transformative. They will train like professional competitors while also learning to build their personal brands through content, storytelling, and community engagement, preparing them to become both top-tier players and future esports personalities.
With fighting games gaining momentum worldwide through major events such as EVO, the Esports World Cup, and the Asian Games, S8UL’s initiative arrives at a crucial moment for the Indian esports ecosystem. The Talent Hunt Program is poised to play an important role in positioning India as a rising force in the global FGC landscape.
Players interested in participating can register here – start.gg/tournament/s8ul-gauntlet/details?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAOeRm5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacpQXYhiJrLqlKmzwd17yHb8kmDHaXK8HAYTh5ltYtSyZqF5OSnaP6oHxgrtw_aem_ps-_uz-8aMSR5Nqa3IgPjA
The post S8UL launches India’s first-ever FGC Talent Hunt Program to discover the next stars in Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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