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Lee Willows: ‘We should be humbled that addiction levels are coming down: do we really think that big state programmes, funded by a statutory levy and controlled by the NHS could do any better?’
Lee Willows, the long-standing lived-experience leader who came into the gambling space following an addiction that almost drove him to suicide, has warned that the UK risks losing its status as a world-class leader in Social Responsibility. Commenting after the Westminster Media Forum – Next steps for UK gambling regulation and Labour Party MP Carolyn Harris’s Westminster Hall debate on the statutory gambling levy, Willows said: “I firmly believe the UK is a global leader in Social Responsibility, but I worry that flame might be dimming as the funding debate becomes more about a desire to break-up the very eco-system that supported me and today supports many others. It is this Third Sector-led eco-system that to my mind, makes us world-class.”
Addressing the nature of the debate he questioned: “Why have we allowed it to come down to narrow choices between the NHS or the Third Sector to deliver a national programme of treatment – why can’t both co-exist? I have often said we need a choir of voices and organisations in this space. Why is it so difficult for start-up organisations – often led by individuals with Lived Experience – to access funding? Why is the funding debate consistently tarnished by some who feel there is a lack of independence as opposed to recognising the impact of that funding, which in my experience is completely independent. Finally, why are we not humbled that addiction levels are coming down and education and awareness is now at an all-time high, being led by superb charities in a considered, well-thought and evidenced manner?
“These divisions and the potential introduction of a statutory levy carry significant risks to my mind and in many ways undermines a lot of the good work that’s been undertaken. We have built an eco-system to deliver treatment, support and prevention that has impressive reach across the United Kingdom. This didn’t happen overnight, it took time, and a huge collective effort on behalf of many very decent people. A statutory levy risks being seen by operators as another tax and as a result dilute their level of involvement in reducing harms.
“Whilst there is much more to be achieved, we should be humbled by this progress. Do we really think that big state (NHS only) programmes, funded by a statutory levy can do any better? Will big state programmes enable agility and innovation? Will big state programmes deliver better value for money? Will big state programmes really provide the funding for very local services or take a risk on start-up organisations or ideas, particularly from those with Lived-Experience, often starting out as sole-traders? Will big state, one size fits all programmes, be able to deal with the complexities around gambling addictions?
“Several years ago, I led the work of a national reducing re-offending charity at the time when the Probation Services were being privatised. A slightly different scenario, but a similar outcome in that the PLC companies and the state won many of the contracts, forcing many charities to close. Wind the clock forward and re-offending rates today remain broadly where they were prior to privatisation. The tragedy is that re-offending rates were beginning to drop, prior to privatisation. Beneficiaries of services often would say that they had a personal connection with the staff member supporting them from charities, whereas they were more like a number when being supported by the larger companies. It has also been proven consistently that charity-run services almost always deliver better value for money.”
“It will not surprise you that I do not support a statutory levy. There is much comfort to take from the current eco-system and the many charities and non-profit organisations working hard in this space and it would be a big mistake to risk this. Additionally, I believe our prime commissioner of services in this space might want to ask themselves what they can do better to support start-up organisations and foster agility, spending their income in a timely manner, with a percentage aimed at small start-up organisations. I also believe they might consider their ballooning establishment chart, which for many seems excessive.”
Looking to the short/medium-term Lee Willows has identified an action plan in order to facilitate innovation, encourage agility and maintain the UK’s world-class status. He explained: “Firstly the new strategy to reduce gambling-harms should be fully costed (so we actually know how much funding we need as opposed to a blanket 1%); secondly some mandated guidance should be given to operators when making donations, based on percentages for treatment, prevention and research; finally larger businesses should in my opinion, be mandated to commit 50 percent of their LCCP RET donations to fund three-year funding commitments in order to ensure sustainability. Operators need certainty, so they can budget donations; charities and non-profit organisations need certainly so they can plan services”.
“The notion of a Gambling Commission held RET list is something I continue to support, but I would also question if it is appropriate that the Gambling Commission administer Regulatory Settlements. Perhaps having another body or organisation to oversee these would bring about some of the reflections I am proposing, particularly where prevention is concerned. This would enable the Commission to focus on its regulatory responsibilities.”
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– Steer Studios joins Bandai Namco, Square Enix, and 2K in supporting Make-A-Wish International’s mission to unite the global games industry for good. –
Make-A-Wish® International, the world’s leading wish-granting organization, has today announced that Riyadh-based Steer Studios, part of Savvy Games Group, has joined the organization’s Infinite Wishes Initiative, offering valuable support to help make a difference.
The funds were raised through Steer Studios first mobile title, Grunt Rush. By collecting stars during gameplay, the player community unlocked the donation, helping to grant life-changing wishes to children living with critical illnesses.
Launched in August 2025, Infinite Wishes is a global programme built to unite the video games industry. It was created in response to a growing number of gaming-related wishes from children around the world.
Steer Studios joins a growing list of partners and advisors including Bandai Namco, Square Enix, and 2K, helping shape how the games industry can make a tangible, positive impact for children who need it most.
In 2024, the Make-A-Wish International network granted more than 16,000 wishes for children living with critical illnesses.
The post Steer Studios Joins Make-A-Wish® International’s Infinite Wishes Initiative appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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New GoldenRace game, RaceDay, allows players to simultaneously place bets in several races
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GoldenRace, leading provider of award-winning Virtual Sports and betting solutions, is always reinventing its products so operators can increase their winnings and players can obtain a better betting experience.
Set to transform the way your players engage with Virtual Sports, GoldenRace’s brand-new multi-race product for Retail and Mobile, RaceDay, allows them to bet on up to six races of your choice, simultaneously, offering higher odds and increased betting volume.
Operators can select their favourites from GoldenRace’s top-quality races: Horses (in different formats with 6, 8, 10 or 12 competitors) and Greyhounds – two of GoldenRace’s more successful products- Motorbikes, Karts and Trotting. They decide which ones and how many, giving players the power to bet across all those races at once.
RaceDay highlights
- More bets: Players can now bet on up to six races concurrently, maximising their opportunities and increasing betting volume on your platform.
- New RaceDay market: With combination bets across different competitions in one view. This innovative market helps boost the odds and leads to more significant wins for players.
- Stronger player growth: Higher payouts and an exhilarating experience attract more players, driving sustained growth.
- Increased appeal: RaceDay delivers premium user experience with live video, real-time scores, upcoming events and a unique, customisable design.
- Anywhere reliability: Thanks to low-bandwidth optimisation, RaceDay offers seamless performance and reliability on both Mobile and Retail platforms, ensuring players can “Race it all!” wherever they are.
With real-time video, live scores, upcoming events, customisable design and low-bandwidth optimisation, RaceDay blends pure adrenaline with the best user experience to unlock higher odds, bigger wins and more bets on worldwide operators platforms.
The post New GoldenRace game, RaceDay, allows players to simultaneously place bets in several races appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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QTech Games, the leading game aggregator across all emerging markets, has continued to maintain the momentum in its premium pipeline, as evidenced by its latest deal with BEON, an emerging force in the slots space, whose first raft of games is crash games-focussed.
Integrating a progressive portfolio from one of the most productive and innovative developers in the sector adds more muscle to QTech Games’ proprietary platform, which is leading the way across growth markets like LatAm and Africa. In a progressive production line that will span different slots genres, BEON is also committed to launching games tailored to specific partner requests, while simultaneously growing its portfolio with a new wave of titles in development.
As a result BEON is building a reputation for creating high-quality, immersive games with standout features that set them apart in any igaming domain, thanks to a smooth performance running off agile mechanics which are dedicated to gameplay precision and optimal retention. Its first five games to be released comprise Skydot, Fury Flight, Redy, Nomad and Orizon, while BEON’s unique Crash Game Generator tool allows operator partners to launch customised content inside 24 hours.
This collaboration delivers a targeted range of localized content, enabling QTech Games to continue to meet the varied preferences of players across emerging markets, while supporting both companies’ ambitions for global growth.
Philip Doftvik, QTech Games’ CEO, said: “BEON’s initial rollout of eye-catching crash games is premised on clever mechanics, easily intelligible gameplay, high payouts and colourful graphics, which are breaking up an often-copycat environment. This kind of content is well-suited to LatAm and African markets, which directly tracks our ongoing expansion throughout these territories. These games are robust, scalable, and future-ready – so, we look forward to seeing what’s next. ”
Saba Chkheidze, Managing Partner at BEON, added: “Partnering with QTech Games constitutes the perfect opportunity for us to bolster our product distribution across emerging markets and deliver our fantastic crash games to more and more top-tier operators.
“It’s a collaboration which marks a step-change in BEON’s growth strategy across untapped markets like Latin America and Africa, where we hope our games will connect with many new players. Aside from crash games, our roadmap is packed with fresh concepts and slots titles that aim to combine engaging gameplay with solid technical performance, ensuring that our partners and players always have something new to look forward to.”
The post QTech Games adds more creative content from BEON appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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