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UK Government launches review to ensure gambling laws are fit for digital age


The Culture Secretary has launched a major and wide-ranging review of gambling laws to ensure they are fit for the digital age as committed to in the manifesto.
Online restrictions, marketing and the powers of the Gambling Commission will be looked at as part of a call for evidence, to examine in detail how gambling has changed over the past 15 years.
Protections for online gamblers like stake and spend limits, advertising and promotional offers and whether extra protections for young adults are needed will all be explored.
The findings will be used to inform any changes to the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure customer protection is at the heart of the regulations, while giving those that gamble safely the freedom to do so.
The review will also look at evidence on the action customers can take where they feel operators have breached social responsibility requirements, such as intervening to protect customers showing clear signs of problematic play, and how to ensure children and young people are kept safe from gambling-related harm.
The Government recognises the need to balance the enjoyment people get from gambling with the right regulatory framework and protections.
It has also been announced today that the minimum age for playing the National Lottery will be raised from 16 to 18 from October 2021.
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden, said:
“Whilst millions gamble responsibly, the Gambling Act is an analogue law in a digital age. From an era of having a flutter in a high street bookmaker, casino, racecourse or seaside pier, the industry has evolved at breakneck speed.
“This comprehensive review will ensure we are tackling problem gambling in all its forms to protect children and vulnerable people. It will also help those who enjoy placing a bet to do so safely.
“This builds upon our clear track record of introducing tough measures to protect people from the risk of gambling harm – banning the use of credit cards, launching tighter age verification checks and cutting the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals.”
Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage Nigel Huddleston said:
“We’re committed to protecting young people from gambling related harm which is why we are raising the minimum age for the National Lottery. Patterns of play have changed since its inception, with a shift towards online games, and this change will help make sure the National Lottery, although already low-risk, is not a gateway to problem gambling.”
It follows a range of measures recently introduced by the Government to protect consumers from the risk of gambling-related harm. These include cutting the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals, bringing in tighter age and identity checks for online gambling, banning gambling using credit cards and expanding national specialist support through the NHS Long Term Plan.
In September the Government launched a call for evidence to explore young people’s experiences of loot boxes in video games. This will provide a clearer picture of the size of the loot box market in the UK and fully examine any evidence of harms or links to problem gambling.
The review of the Gambling Act 2005 will also consider the Gambling Commission’s powers and resources to ensure it can keep pace with the licensed sector and tackle the black market.
In October the Gambling Commission introduced new rules on VIP schemes, and has called for evidence around how to ensure operators identify and intervene where people are at risk of harm, including through carrying out affordability checks. The Commission will also soon set out new rules on safer game design for online slots and withdrawing winnings.
Alongside the launch of the review, the Government is announcing its decision to raise the minimum age to play the National Lottery from 16 to 18, to protect young people from gambling related harm.
Since it began in 1994 the National Lottery’s games portfolio has changed significantly and there has been a growing trend towards online play and instant win games like scratchcards. Following a consultation, from October 2021 it will be illegal to sell all National Lottery products to under 18s.
The Government is working with the Gambling Commission and Camelot to roll out the new age limit across the National Lottery products as quickly as possible and to ensure that it is in place by October. Under current plans, online sales to 16 and 17 year olds will stop in April 2021.
Source: gov.uk
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 Government launches review to ensure gambling laws are fit for digital age

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Week 10/2025 slot games releases
Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by European Gaming
Spinomenal has unveiled Irish Treasures 2 – the follow up to the hugely successful original Irish Treasures – Leprechaun’s Fortune. Players return to an enchanted forest that shimmers with green embers under a darkened canopy. The game is set within a 5×3 format, framed in a wooden frame to give the feeling of being inside an old Irish drinking tavern. A red-haired pixie, pot of gold, beer tankard and wooden pipe complete the rustic feel.
BGaming is thrilled to announce the launch of Alice WonderLuck. Inspired by the whimsical world of Lewis Caroll’s iconic novel, Alice Wonderluck invites players to conjure up some magic on the reels. Alice WonderLuck plunges players into a vibrant reimagining of Wonderland, where a series of familiar characters are given a fresh, digital makeover. The classic tale’s creative and slightly off-kilter atmosphere has been brought to life perfectly with an enchanting soundtrack.
Push Gaming reinvigorates classic entertainment with its homage to retro fruit machines in its latest release, Power Vault. This slot is the debut game from Reel Hot Games, a new sub-brand of Push Gaming, blending nostalgic slot themes with innovative mechanics for players seeking lower and medium volatility. Blending modern mechanics with classic aesthetics, Power Vault is played across 3×3 reels and five paylines. Players must match iconic symbols like sevens, bars and bells across these pay lines to be awarded a win.
Prepare to face the legendary Gorgon in Medusa’s Madness, a mythology-infused slot where every cascade brings players closer to her petrifying power. Step into the depths of Medusa’s lair, where a 5×5 cascading grid slot awaits those daring enough to confront the serpent-haired queen. Clusters of four or more symbols trigger wins, charging the mysterious Portal to unlock powerful effects. With Special Wilds, symbol removals, and the chance to summon Medusa’s Mega Wild form, players must tread carefully if they hope to escape unscathed.
Hölle Games has released Jolly Wild Deluxe slot game, a 6×3 return of the Jolly character who some might say is more suited to a horror franchise than a slot. This time the Jolly brings a companion, a gold-faced twin who acts as a multiplier and awards 2x in the base game for any active payline. However subsequent Jollies also multiply, meaning that a payline reward could be multiplied by up to 32x.
Introducing Steamworks – Gears of Fortune, the newest offering from the acclaimed game studio Peter & Sons. This medium volatility video slot boasts unique game mechanics and immerses players in a dystopian, steam-powered universe nestled within the ruins of an industrial city, where the gears of fortune determine your destiny!
Strike gold with Dynamite Trio from Booming Games, the explosive slot featuring a thrilling 3-pot feature! Join the prospector on a deep mining adventure, where golden nuggets of fun and features are waiting to be uncovered. Put on your hard hat and brace yourself for some of the most exciting bonuses and rewards yet! Dynamite Trio is a 3×5, 20-line slot packed with exciting features. At the core of the game is the 3-pot system, with three powerful dynamite Scatters: Boost, Expand, and Collect.
Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, is sending players on a mission they’ll never fur-get as they clean up the streets of pesky pooches in Purrrminator. This 6×4 Connected Ways slot can see players net up to 5,000x their stake, Free Spins and an innovative Reverse Avalanche mechanic. The Reverse Avalanche feature sees all winning symbols locked in place and retained whilst new symbols drop A round only ends when no more matching symbols land on the reels.
Evoplay has launched Young Buffalo Song, a nature-inspired slot that takes players on a journey through the vast North American plains. Set on a 5×4 reel layout with 20 pay lines, the game introduces Wild multipliers that appear on reels 2, 3, and 4, boosting wins by x2 or x3 in both the base game and Free Spins. Landing three or more Scatter symbols awards up to 20 Free Spins, with Wild multipliers remaining active throughout.
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European Esports Championship 2025 to Take Place from July 9-13
The International Esports Federation (IESF) is thrilled to announce that the European Esports Championship 2025 will be hosted in Pristina, Kosovo, from 9-13 July. This tournament will bring together 180 esports athletes from across Europe, competing in some of the world’s most popular game titles.
The championship will feature:
Counter Strike 2 – Top 16 teams
Counter Strike 2 Women – Top 8 teams
Dota 2 – Top 12 teams
The road to Pristina begins with an intense online qualification stage, taking place from 16 May to 1 June. The top-performing teams from this stage will earn their spot at the European Esports Championship, where they will battle for national glory in front of a passionate esports audience.
“We are excited to bring the European Esports Championship to Pristina, a city with an emerging esports scene and a strong community of gamers. This event will showcase the incredible talent of European players and reinforce the growing significance of esports in the region,” said Igor Nedeski, Esports Manager at IESF.
The European Esports Championship 2025 promises high-level competition,live broadcasts, and a thrilling esports experience for both players and fans. More details regarding match schedules, venue information, and streaming platforms will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The post European Esports Championship 2025 to Take Place from July 9-13 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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RaceiQ metrics now available for free on Racing TV platforms – in time for Cheltenham Festival
RaceiQ metrics – the revolutionary data which offers exciting new tools and insights into how we assess horse racing – are now available for free to view on www.racingtv.com and Racing TV Apps.
The metrics – available for all British and Irish races – will prove a valuable tool for all race-fans and punters, especially ahead of the sport’s biggest betting week, next week’s Cheltenham Festival.
Since its launch last year, RaceiQ has become integral to Racing TV and ITV Racing’s pre- and post-race analysis – and is now available for everyone to access (no login required) via Racing TV’s newly enhanced results pages.
Racing TV users can see how horses fared across the full suite of RaceiQ metrics only minutes after every race in Britain and Ireland. This underlying tracking data is provided by Coursetrack, the award-winning live, in-race timing information system, for RMG and Irish racecourses, and also from TPD in respect of other UK racecourses.
The metrics are available in the “expanded view” of the standard Result tab, and in a new RaceiQ Comparison tab, which enables a quick comparison of all the horses in a race.
Metrics include: Finishing speed percentage (FSP), Time Index, Par Time, Par Sectionals, Par FSP, 0-20mph, Lengths Gained Jumping (LGJ) and Jump Index. For more on these, please visit www.racingtv.com/raceiq.
The revamped results pages also feature a fully integrated Sectionals tab – the only place to view both British and Irish race sectionals. The tab shows the below data for every horse in every furlong:
- Sectional time
- Race position and cumulative time from leader
- A line graph visualisation
RaceiQ is the result of an innovative partnership between Ellipse, the leading sports data and analytics company, and Racecourse Media Group (RMG), which represents media interests of 37 racecourses.
Ed Gretton, Director of Racing at RMG, said: “We couldn’t be more pleased with the reaction to RaceiQ, which has really captured the imagination and quickly gained the trust and full confidence of industry professionals. Racing TV’s website and mobile and tablet Apps are the only place to see all British and Irish sectionals, as well as the full suite of RaceiQ metrics. It’s all free to access and will revolutionise how we approach the sport.”
Roderick Grafton, MD – Horse Racing at Ellipse, added: “We have been delighted with the way in which both pundits and punters have adopted RaceiQ. The Ellipse Data Scientists and Engineers have used their expertise and learnings from other sports to generate compelling cutting-edge metrics, providing new angles and narratives in every race. We are very excited that, via RacingTV.com and its Apps, all horse racing fans will now have access to the full suite of RaceiQ metrics.”
Data is available for all British races back to March 2023, and for all Irish races back to January 1, 2024. Historic sectionals are still accessible via links to PDFs.
RaceiQ specialises in using complex modelled metrics to turn detailed GPS tracking data, provided by Coursetrack, into easily digestible content for broadcasters, participants and racing fans alike. The suite of metrics has been developed by Ellipse’s data science and engineering specialists, combined with AI and machine learning.
For businesses looking to learn more about RaceiQ, a B2B website has also been launched – www.raceiq.com. The site houses in-depth detail about RaceiQ metrics, insights, testimonials and the list of products and services on offer.
The post RaceiQ metrics now available for free on Racing TV platforms – in time for Cheltenham Festival appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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