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PRIZE DEBT: CALLS TO REVIEW GAMBLING REGULATIONS AS CONSUMERS RACK UP MILLIONS ON CREDIT CARDS

Published

4 years ago

November 24, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

^·Consumers spent £117m on credit cards entering prize draws and competitions, which are not currently regulated by the Government, in a bid to win dream prizes⁽¹⁾

^·Promise of a charitable donation makes nearly half of participants more likely to enter

· Jumbo Interactive calls on the UK Government to regulate the growing prize draw and competition market and for a clampdown on credit cards use

The UK Government is being urged to review current gambling regulations, as new research reveals consumers are racking up millions on credit cards entering popular prize draws and competitions.

The research from Jumbo Interactive found consumers spent £117m on credit cards entering prize draws and competitions in the last year, which due to a loophole, are not currently regulated in the same way as lotteries and raffles.

The study found nearly one in 10 people who entered ‘big ticket’ prize draws, offering the chance to win multi-million pound houses or luxury cars, or prize competitions, have ended up in debt as a result^.

Using credit cards to gamble was banned in April 2020, but a loophole in regulation means there are currently no restrictions on commercial prize draw or prize competition companies. For prize draws, this is because they offer “free” entry methods, where it’s possible to play by post for the cost of a postage stamp. Yet, despite this ‘free to enter’ route, an estimated £860m was spent on entries into prize draws in the last year^[iii].

Prize draws and competitions that promise a donation to charity also makes 45% of participants more likely to enter, yet over half of players (57%) admit to not checking how much actually goes to good causes.

Jumbo Interactive is now calling for greater regulation of the growing prize draw and competition market, highlighting significant consumer protection concerns over credit card debt, as well as a lack of transparency around prizes and charity donations from entry fees.

It is also urging consumers to check the T&Cs as there is little enforcement of minimum donation percentage for prize draws and competitions. This compares to regulated society lotteries, which give a minimum of 20% of gross ticket sales and often over 50% to good causes.

Nigel Atkinson, UK General Manager, Jumbo Interactive comments: “A huge amount is being spent on credit cards on prize draws, pushing people into debt – despite the free entry option being the reason they are exempt from oversight. With so much money changing hands, the government needs to look at the proper regulation of prize draws and competitions to better protect consumers.

“For many, the fact that some of the cost of entering prize draws and competitions goes to charity is a big part of why they enter. But it remains easy for companies to bury information in the terms and conditions about how much actually goes to charity. Society lotteries on the other hand have minimum donation rates and help raise funds for a wide range of important causes, large and small. Public trust is crucial for society lotteries to operate successfully, and increased regulation of the prize draw and competition market will offer that consistency and transparency.”

Tony Vick, Chair of The Lotteries Council, adds: “The Lotteries Council is increasingly concerned about the use of prize draws operated by commercial gambling companies which are marketing themselves in a similar way to charity lotteries. Lotteries face a series of legislative hurdles that restrict our ability to grow and raise funds for good causes while prize draws face no limits on how many tickets they can sell, what prizes they can offer, and choose whether and how much to give to any charity. We hope the Government looks at this to ensure a fairer playing field.”

Falling foul of scams has also been an issue for 15% of entrants, including paying money for postage on a prize that never arrives, paying a significant amount of money on phone calls or texts to enter a competition without it being clear that it would cost that much, or winning a prize that turned out to be of less value than advertised.

Notably, 72% of those who enter lotteries, draws or competitions think prize competitions and prize draws should be regulated in the same way as gambling.

Latest News

Week 38/2025 slot games releases

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by European Gaming

“Fruitferno 40” went live, a new 5×4 slot from Hölle Games. It comes just a few weeks after the Dragon’s Diamonds launch, a cluster-style title with an equally hot theme! Following up to that 6×5 scatter-pays smasher, the Hölle team have taken a short detour to drop a 40-payline sequel to Fruitferno 20, for all those slot purists out there.

GAMOMAT is raising the stakes again with the release of its horror-themed Dead Legion. Set on a war-torn battlefield that’s shrouded in mist, Dead Legion unfolds within a macabre world where the dead legions have risen. An epic, dark live orchestral soundtrack intensifies the atmosphere across the 5×3 reels.

Reflex Gaming is heading deep into ancient ruins with the launch of The Cursed Idol of Montezuma Treasure Hunt, a visually stunning, Aztec-themed slot that introduces the company’s exclusive Treasure Hunt game mechanic. This 6×4, 20-payline title combines mystery, tension and progressive gameplay in a setting inspired by the legends of Montezuma.

Precision meets power in Crown Supreme Hold & Win from ICONIC21, the in-demand iGaming content provider. To take the throne, players must navigate a compact 3×3 grid and the regal Hold & Win mechanic in a slotting experience that pulses with anticipation and big win potential.

Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, has launched Net Gains Dream Drop, a high-energy sequel where players can reel in massive rewards beneath the waves. Packed with coastal chaos and big catch potential, Net Gains Dream Drop offers 4,096 ways to win, three types of Mystery Symbols, Coin Collection mechanics, stacked Wilds, and more.

SlotMatrix, the world’s largest casino content aggregator, proudly announces the launch of 20 Armadillos, a thrilling new slot adventure set deep in a jungle where fortunes roll wild. 20 Armadillos is a 5-reel, 4-row slot with 20 lines, medium-high volatility and RTP options of 94.16% and 96.96%. With a maximum multiplier of 30,000x and a responsive, mobile-first design, the game blends rich visuals with high win potential.

Amusnet has released its latest video slot, Roman Coins – a game that captures the magnificence of the Roman Empire and brings it to life on the reels. It is Amusnet’s first-ever 3-pot video slot. With a 5-reel layout and 25 fixed paylines, Roman Coins strikes a perfect balance between classic slot structure and innovative mechanics.

Play’n GO throws the switch on Lab of Madness It’s a Wild!, a gothic comic-inspired slot that surges with strange science and surprise. Players join the unconventional Dr Frankenstein as she attempts to jolt her patchwork Monster to life in a lab where every pull of the lever sparks new possibilities.

Playson, the accomplished digital entertainment supplier, ups the ante in its latest Irish folklore release, Golden Penny x1000, with a rare 6×5 reelset, x20,000 max win and a bountiful Free Spins Bonus. In an enchanted twist to base play, the colourful game field comes alive with collapsing symbols. Eight matching symbols form a winning combination, with the total of the symbols forming the win value.

Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has launched Lunar Wilds, an atmospheric slot that combines mystical forest visuals with powerful features and big win potential. Set beneath a silver moon, the game transports players deep into an enchanted wilderness, where packs of wolves roam under the night sky.

The God of the Sea unleashes lavish gameplay in Blueprint Gaming’s latest offering, Rise of Atlantis Legacy, with the highly anticipated title introducing a new Gates of Atlantis bonus game, boosting the chance of significant cascading returns. Boasting the ability to appear on any of the six reels, Rising Multipliers offer enriched payouts if featured in a winning combination, which are added at the end of a successful cascade.

Stakelogic is setting sail into uncharted waters with its latest slot release, Kraken’s Catch, a feature-packed, high-volatility slot where monstrous multipliers and a mysterious sea creature lie beneath the surface. This 5×3 slot with 15 win lines invites players on a nautical adventure where every spin can uncover treasures from the deep.

The post Week 38/2025 slot games releases appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

KSA Issues New Duty of Care Guidance for Gaming Arcades and Casinos

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has issued new guidance for gaming arcades and casinos to improve the implementation of their duty of care. The KSA previously visited gaming arcades across the country. These visits revealed that while most arcades are paying attention to their duty of care, implementation could be improved in some areas. The guidance the KSA is now sharing with license holders contains practical tools and explanations, but no new rules.

Duty of care of arcades

With the implementation of the Gambling Act (Wet Koa), the duty of care for gaming arcades has been further expanded. This means they are obligated to prevent and mitigate gambling addiction as much as possible. Since then, gaming arcades have taken steps to comply with this requirement. However, in practice, the stated good intentions and the relevant policy are not always sufficiently aligned. The KSA has discussed this with various parties within the sector. Based on the input from these discussions, the new guidance has been developed.

Guidance

The guidance for arcades includes resources that providers can use to properly fulfill their duty of care and better inform their employees. The guide provides explanations and examples of what arcades must do and what the KSA expects of them. It also includes an overview of frequently asked questions. In addition to the guidance, a poster and an animation have been developed to raise awareness among arcade employees about the duty of care.

Along with the duty of care guidance, arcades also received a Guideline for Identity and Cruks Verification. The KSA regularly receives questions from the sector about the Cruks exclusion register. This guideline addresses the operation of Cruks and the most common questions and problems.

KSA chairman Michel Groothuizen said: “Certain key factors of the duty of care are easier to monitor for online providers than in brick-and-mortar casinos. In our conversations with arcade owners, we’ve noticed that they want to do more with the duty of care, but sometimes still struggle with its proper implementation. With this new guidance, supplemented with informational materials for employees, we’re giving them new tools to do so. In this way, we’re working together to ensure that players are optimally protected even at brick-and-mortar providers.”

The post KSA Issues New Duty of Care Guidance for Gaming Arcades and Casinos appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

QuinnBet Expand Ospreys Partnership

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Ospreys announced that official betting partner, QuinnBet, had expanded their partnership with the Ospreys. The partnership will see QuinnBet take a place on the Ospreys shorts of all three of the team’s kits this season.

The new, multi-year partnership will see the QuinnBet logo take a prominent placement on the back of all three playing shorts.

With the Ospreys competing in front of multi-continental audiences in both the BKT URC and EPCR Challenge Cup this season, QuinnBet’s brand is set to reap the benefits.

Launched in 2017, QuinnBet, regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, and in Ireland by The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, has firmly established themselves in the iGaming industry by providing a socially responsible service. With an emphasis on giving more back through unique promotions and excellent customer care, QuinnBet has become a trusted name in the industry.

Head of Commercial for the Ospreys, Richard Lancaster, said: “We’re delighted that QuinnBet have decided to expand their partnership with the Ospreys. We have already built a successful relationship, and we’re looking forward to building on that even further in the coming seasons.

“Working with QuinnBet has already been hugely beneficial for us in education around Safer Gambling awareness, and we’re already planning on how to improve on this even further as we look ahead to the future.”

Niall McPartland, Head of Commercial and Sponsorship at QuinnBet, added: “We are delighted to enter this significant three-year partnership with Ospreys Rugby.

“The partnership builds on our inaugural 24/25 season sponsorship of The Ospreys, and the extension until 2028 demonstrates the success of the partnership to date and the huge regard we have for the club.

“Ospreys are one of the dominant forces in Welsh rugby, producing numerous players who have gone on to represent Wales and The Lions internationally. We are therefore privileged that our association with the club, will showcase QuinnBet at the highest level to Rugby supporters across the UK, Ireland and internationally.

“We commit to utilising the partnership to promote our brand in conjunction with Safer Gambling, which is integral to our business and which Ospreys Rugby is fully supportive of. We would like to wish everyone at the club the very best for the season ahead.”

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