A post on Stuart Broad’s X (formerly Twitter) page portrayed an image of Broad playing cricket for England. It advertised Fitzdares, stating “They’re an independent operator, build genuine personal relationships with their members & play the game the right way.” 

It continued: “They’ve given me a £500 free bet pot every month to raise cash for Motor Neurone Disease. Let me know if you’ve got any tips for the upcoming PL season!? #Ad.” 

The ASA investigated the advert after complaints that the advert included an individual who was likely to be of strong appeal to those under 18, and therefore in breach of regulations. 

Fitzdares Carried Out a Thorough Risk Assessment

In response, Fitzdares insisted they had carried out a thorough risk assessment of Broad against the guidance on gambling advertising, and were “satisfied to a high degree” that he was not of strong appeal to minors. 

The company pointed out that Broad appeared infrequently on talk shows and cricket documentaries, and does not feature in any ongoing podcasts or YouTube shows. In addition, Broad’s other partnerships were in sectors such as finance, insurance, automotive, and the alcohol industry, all of which are not of appeal to children.

Sample social media data for the Ashes-winning cricketer showed that approximately 7,500 followers across all his accounts were registered as under 18 and in the United Kingdom. This was from over 2.1 million combined followers on X and Instagram. Further, Fitzdares pointed out he does not use TikTok or Snapchat, and his Facebook and YouTube accounts have been dormant for a prolonged period. 

ASA Says Fitzdares Did Not Breach CAP Code 

The ASA found the Fitzdares advert did not breach the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Direct and Promotional Marketing (CAP Code). The Code states that “marketing communications for gambling products must not be likely to be of strong appeal to children or young persons, especially by reflecting or being associated with youth culture.” 

Despite prominent sportspeople involved at the highest level being considered “high risk” of appealing to under-18s by the ASA, sportspeople involved in cricket who no longer have a significant role in the sport were of lower risk. 

Broad’s role in cricket since retirement has been limited to commentating and analysis, which the ASA deemed “less likely to be of appeal to under-18s than current England cricket star players.” 

When considering social media, the authority agreed that Broad’s limited media profile and the low absolute number of children from the UK who followed him were not particularly appealing to under-18s. 

Lastly, the ASA stated: “There was nothing in the way Stuard Broad was presented in the ad that would have strongly attracted the attention of under-18s or was likely to render him of strong appeal.” 

The statement concluded that under CAP Code (Edition 12), rules 16.1, 16.3, and 16.3.12 (Gambling), “the ad was not of strong appeal to people aged under 18” and was therefore not in breach. No further action will be taken. 

Last year, the ASA banned five adverts for social casinos for misleading players and implying they could win real-world money or tangible prizes.

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Each of the adverts appeared as paid-for TikTok ads for the following five companies: 

• Dataverse Co. Limited t/a Gamehaus
• Huuuge Global Limited t/a Billionaire Casino
• Mobee Co Ltd t/a Ignite Classic Slots
• SpinX Games Ltd
• Zeroo Gravity Games LLC t/a Cash Tornado.

The ASA noted that each company’s advert implied that their games were gambling products where real-world money or tangible prizes could be won and withdrawn and therefore were misleading.

Slot gameplay imagery within the adverts was spotlighted by the ASA, such as a casino slot machine and graphics being visible within Huuuge Global’s Billionaire Casino adverts, a roulette-style wheel and slot machine in SpinX Games’ adverts, as well as gameplay footage similar to that of casino-based slot games in Dataverse Co Gamehaus’ adverts.

Verbiage within the adverts themselves was also highlighted by the authority, such as the terms “hitting the jackpot” and “payout” within Zeroo Gravity Games’ Cash Tornado advert and “super-high odds” and “jackpot” in Mobee’s Ignite Classic Slots advert, as associated with gambling and therefore could be misinterpreted as such by players.

Each of the five listed companies was deemed to have breached rules 3.1 and 3.3 of the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing with their advertisements. CAP Code 3.1 states: “Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so”. 

Meanwhile, CAP Code 3.3 reads: “Marketing communications must not mislead the consumer by omitting material information. They must not mislead by hiding material information or presenting it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely manner.

“Material information is information that the consumer needs to make informed decisions in relation to a product. Whether the omission or presentation of material information is likely to mislead the consumer depends on the context, the medium and, if the medium of the marketing communication is constrained by time or space, the measures that the marketer takes to make that information available to the consumer by other means”.

In addition, Mobee Co’s “lack of response and apparent disregard for the Code” was deemed a breach of CAP Code 1.7, which states that: “any unreasonable delay in responding to the ASA’s enquiries will normally be considered a breach of the Code”.

The ASA told each of the five companies in question that the adverts must not appear again and that they must ensure that they did not imply consumers could win real-world money or tangible prizes.

The rulings against the five social casinos are part of a wider work by the ASA on paid-for gambling-like ads.

An ASA spokesperson said: “We understood that social casino apps emulate slot machines or other casino-based games, but that people couldn’t win or withdraw any real-world money. But all of these ads failed to make clear that this was the case, giving people a misleading impression.

“These rulings form part of a wider piece of work on paid-for gambling-like ads, identified for investigation following intelligence we’ve gathered. The rules are clear, these ads shouldn’t mislead consumers by creating the impression that they can win real-world prizes if this isn’t the case.”

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The advert was seen on search engine Bing and featured a promotion advertising a ‘Bet £10 get £60’ welcome bonus from the online casino and sports betting operator. 

Raising the issue with the ASA, a complainant noted that, when clicking on the link included in the advertisement, some small print stated that Apple Pay could not be used as a payment method.

This was considered as a significant term of the promotion, and omitting this information from the advertisement has been considered as misleading customers. 

The ASA’s assessment sided with the complainant, referring to the Committee on Advertising Practice Code that governs UK advertising and marketing standards and practice.

Under the CAP Code, all marketing communications and promotions must state applicable significant conditions where omission is likely to mislead. Significant information can include participation and technology restrictions, including payments options.

William Hill responded to the complaint by asserting that the criteria on a second advert, showcased on its website, was “clear, prominent and included the qualification ‘Payment methods & country restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply’.”

The Evoke-owned operator added that it understood that Google Pay and Apple Pay have limitations in matching ownership of the payment method with registered gambling accounts.

As a result, there is a higher risk of people using these payment methods to take up an offer intended for new customers only on multiple occasions. The firm stated that it understands “such restrictions were common across the industry”.

Despite the response, the ASA concluded that the initial advert, found on the search engine, not including the information around Apple Pay’s exclusion meant that new customers using this payment method would not receive the £60 welcome bonus. 

This is significant information likely to affect how a customer interacts with the promotion and product, the ASA states. 

The ASA ordered that the ad must not appear again in the same format and William Hill has been told to ensure future marketing includes all significant conditions in communications.

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Seen on December 23, 2023, MrQ had a paid-for Facebook ad which featured text stating “[Santa emoji] Deposit £20 and get 75 Free Spins [Present emoji]”, as well as an image below the text of a cartoon Santa driving a snow plough underneath the “BIG BASS Christmas BASH” game logo.

The same Santa was seen in a secondary image, driving a vehicle next to an elf holding a colourful Bazooka.

The ASA noted that the complainant challenged whether the ad breached the code as they “believed the cartoon imagery of Santa and the elf was likely to appeal strongly to children”.

MrQ noted that while the advert’s image could be deemed as “likely to appeal strongly to children”, they specifically targeted people aged over 25 and did not believe that anyone under 25 had seen the ad.

As a result, the operator believes the targeted ad was kept away from children and young people and that they had acted in a socially responsible way.

In addition, MrQ referred to CAP guidance on “Gambling and lotteries: Protecting under-18s” regarding targeted ads to effectively remove under-18s from the audience to feature content otherwise prohibited. Guidance from the IGRG (Industry Group for Responsible Gambling) Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising was also taken into consideration.

The operator stated that it has since amended its Facebook marketing approach, in particular regarding imagery that could have a strong appeal to children. The advert in question had been withdrawn and Facebook did not have any comments in relation to the complaint.

In response, the ASA has stated that “Christmas and the traditions surrounding it were likely to have strong appeal to children”, and mentioned that CAP guidance considered Santa to be a “high risk” in the character’s appeal to under-18s, in addition to the Christmas elf and colourful cartoons.

For those reasons, the authority considered the ad was likely to be of strong appeal to children. 

“We considered that it would have been acceptable for the ad to appear in a medium where under-18s, for all intents and purposes, could be entirely excluded from the audience,” the ASA stated.

“That would apply in circumstances where those who saw the ad had been robustly age-verified as being 18 or older, such as through marketing lists that had been validated by payment data or credit checking. 

“However, because Facebook was a media environment where users self-verified on customer sign-up and did not use robust age-verification, we considered MrQ.com had not excluded under-18s from the audience with the highest level of accuracy required for gambling ads where their content was likely to appeal strongly to under-18s.”

The ASA added that it acknowledged MrQ had taken steps in response to the complaint, but has “nevertheless concluded that the ad was irresponsible and breached the code”, specifically CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 16.1 and 16.3.12 (Gambling).

In conclusion, the authority has stated that the advert “must not appear again in the form complained of” and that Lindar Media/MrQ have been told “not to include themes or imagery that were likely to have strong appeal to those under 18” in future ads.

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Seen on October 4, 2023, the advert in question was part of BetMGM’s launch in the UK market, featuring Rock on a golden speed boat with a lion, travelling from the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas to the River Thames in London, ushering in a “golden era” for sports betting and online casino.

The ASA noted that three complainants challenged whether the ad included an individual who was likely to be of strong appeal to those under 18 years of age, and therefore breached the code.

In response, BetMGM’s UK operating partner LeoVegas noted that an extensive assessment was carried out to select a campaign ambassador who wouldn’t appeal to anyone under 18, including a full risk assessment of Rock’s suitability.

BetMGM believed that because he was 58 years of age and was not a UK-based personality, he was not likely to be known to under-18s in the UK. In addition, the operator noted that Rock is “a well-known adult-orientated stand-up comedian and actor who, when appearing visually as himself, was associated with adult themes”, to which the ASA agreed.

The operator claimed that Rock, when appearing visually as himself, met the criteria despite his past work with child-focused animated productions such as the Madagascar franchise, as “those characters did not visually depict Mr Rock as himself”.

Also, BetMGM stated that those audiences who were impacted by the franchise’s movie releases predominately between 2005-2008 would now be over 18, while he had a significantly reduced role in the final film aired in 2014.

The operator commented on Rock’s work as a narrator in the 2020 film The Witches, noting that since his character was “not a starring role or aspirational to children, he would not be considered appealing to those under 18”, while also spotlighting that the film was a dark fantasy horror with a UK release on certain paid-for streaming platforms.

The operator highlighted that Rock’s appearance in a 2023 Paw Patrol film lasted for five seconds and 15 words and was “insignificant and therefore the risk of his character having strong appeal to under-18s was extremely low”.

The ASA agreed with BetMGM’s assessment and stated: “Because all of the characters he portrayed in the films that we considered would strongly appeal to children were limited to voice-over roles, and there were no visual or physical similarities between the characters he portrayed and his appearance in the ad, we considered that, within the context of his overall career profile, he would likely not be of strong appeal to under-18s in the UK.”

BetMGM also remarked that Rock appeared in the 2010 and 2013 family-orientated films Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2, stating that since the 12-rating films weren’t heavily marketed despite being available on streaming platforms, they weren’t available to children.

In addition, the operator noted that time had passed since the film’s respective releases, they were predominantly adult-themed with his role as a father not of strong appeal to children, and that his appearance had changed since the film’s releases and his presentation in the ad was not similar to his character in the films, to which the ASA agreed.

BetMGM highlighted that the advert targeted adults with its components such as an orchestra, gambling references, Las Vegas and the background song itself by Public Enemy, and it didn’t reference animated characters Rock has portrayed.

The ASA noted that most of the components from the advert’s presentation wouldn’t have been of strong appeal to children, apart from the speedboat and lion which may have been of interest to children.

Details were also provided on Rock’s social media accounts, where he was active only on a small number of platforms. The operator stated that Rock had 22 million followers globally across social media with 11.7 million across the two platforms where he was active – X and Instagram. Of these accounts, 99.78 per cent of his followers were over 18 in July 2023.

A mathematical approximation based on available data was used to estimate the total number of UK-based followers that were under 18 since it was “only possible to view an age demographic breakdown of a user’s followers as a percentage of the total number of their followers globally”. 

Rock’s total number of followers based in the UK was used and then applied to the percentage of under-18 followers globally to get the estimated number of UK followers under 18 on each active social media platform. 

On Instagram, of his 113,400 UK-based followers, they estimated that 567 would have been under 18. On X, of his 507,6000 UK-based followers, they estimated that 508 would have been under 18. 

These platforms also focused on marketing his adult comedy shows, political matters and adult humour. As a result, BetMGM believed both the demographic data and the content demonstrated Rock was not of strong appeal to under-18s, an assessment which the ASA agreed with.

In determining Rock’s suitability for the ad, the operator also reviewed the actor’s significance in popular culture, including an incident involving Rock and Will Smith at the March 2022 Academy Awards which resulted in the circulation of memes involving the two actors.

BetMGM claimed that since the memes were static images, didn’t include his voice and were “aggressive in nature”, BetMGM stated that they “would not have inherently appealed to children,” in addition to the assertion that the Academy Awards was not known for its appeal to children.

The ASA partially disagreed and noted that the high-profile incident had an impact on Rock’s appeal to children since the memes would have been shared across social media popular with under-18s.

However, since 18 months had passed since the incident by the time the advert aired in October 2023, they determined that “the event and memes did not make him of strong appeal to under-18s in the UK”.

BetMGM also noted that they had contacted the CAP Copy Advice team before publishing a poster that formed part of the same campaign as the ad in question that featured a static image of Rock, who did not raise any concerns. Reasons as to why Rock was the appropriate spokesperson for the brand were also given to Clearcast.

As a result, the ASA “concluded that the ad was not of strong appeal to children or young persons” and that the ad was investigated “under BCAP Code rules 17.4 and 17.4.5 (Gambling), but did not find it in breach”, so no further action will be taken.

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This comes after the ASA received a complaint about one of the operator’s adverts from October and November last year which featured a testimonial by a person who was described as a ‘postgraduate student’ via on-screen text.

The advertising authority noted that the person featured in the advert said the following: 

“The most fun game on Happy Tiger for me has to be the bingo games. Just because of the bingo flash feature, like it’s exciting, obviously, trying to get one line, two lines, three lines, but when the Bingo flash appears, and you see that £2,500 it’s like, yeah I wanna [sic] get that. So yeah, it’s really fun because you’re more involved with it, but it’s not overly complicated or anything like that.”

The complainant challenged whether the ad breached the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising under rule 17.4.6, which states that gambling ads must not “feature anyone who is, or seems to be, under 25 years old gambling or playing a significant role. No-one may behave in an adolescent, juvenile or loutish way”.

In response, Happy Tiger provided proof that the person in the advert was 25 years old at the time of filming.

The ASA added that the operator believes the person “did not have any features which made him appear younger than his actual age, and the on-screen text, which identified him as a “postgraduate student”, was unlikely to suggest to the audience that he was under 25 years old”.

Clearcast, a non-governmental organisation which pre-approves advertising, confirmed that they had verified the individual’s age before approving the ad. 

In addition, Clearcast acknowledged that the “postgraduate student” on-screen text may have caused viewers to believe he was younger than 25 since he was still in education, but since only one complaint was received by the ASA, they believed it was “not a widespread interpretation”.

However, while acknowledging that the individual in Happy Tiger’s advert was 25 at the time of filming, the ASA considered the person to have a “youth appearance”, “appeared self-conscious” and used filler words such as “obviously”, “like” and “so yeah” often.

The advertising authority noted that it believes “viewers would associate his speaking style and body language with youth and immaturity, and along with his youthful appearance, that was likely to give the impression that he was under the age of 25”.

The ASA added that the “postgraduate student” on-screen text meant that viewers were likely to interpret the person as in their “early twenties” since UK students typically begin “a bachelor’s degree between the ages of 17 and 19 and that qualification was usually completed in three or four years”.

Therefore, the ASA deemed that the text “reinforced the impression that he was under the age of 25”, concluding that the ad breached the BCAP code for featuring someone who seemed to be under 25 years old.

The authority has told Happy Tiger that the ad must not be broadcasted again in its current form and that they must not feature “anyone in their ads who was, or seemed to be under 25 years old, for example, through their physical appearance, behaviour or occupational status”.

Earlier this month, Buzz Bingo was warned by the ASA to not include themes and imagery within its adverts that could appeal to those under 18 years old after receiving a complaint about a cartoon Halloween ad.

The post ASA warns Happy Tiger Bingo over TV advert breaching BCAP code appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The advert in question was published on Buzz Bingo’s Facebook page on October 20, 2023, promoting Halloween offers on the operator’s platform in a cartoon manner, which has been labelled by the ASA as “irresponsible” and breaching advertising code.

Buzz Bingo’s post featured “animated footage of a large full moon above a scene which featured grinning pumpkin heads, a lit church with towers whose roofs resembled pointed witches’ hats, bats flying around, a spider in a web and a graveyard with a tombstone and a cross. Text in a font which resembled slime stated “MONSTER MONDAYS – £50,000 MUST BE WON EVERY MONDAY IN OCTOBER”.

The ASA added that the logos for Buzz Bingo and “18+ – BeGambleAware.org” appeared at the bottom of the screen as well.

A complainant has challenged the ad as they believe it has breached the advertising code, noting that “the cartoon Halloween imagery was likely to appeal to children”.

In response, Buzz Bingo’s parent company Buzz Group stated that the ad was featured on their social media page that is restricted to Facebook users aged 18 or older and was part of a focused campaign targeting users aged 25 who had confirmed bingo interest.

In addition, Buzz noted that the advert being on Facebook was “evidence for the accuracy of their targeting” and therefore “had acted and had taken precautions to prevent children and young people being exposed to the ad”.

However, the operator did acknowledge that the Halloween imagery within the ad could appeal to children, resulting in them removing the ad after receiving notification of the complaint. They also said they were “making changes to their internal marketing approval procedures”.

Assessing the advert, the ASA ruled that “Halloween and the traditions surrounding it were likely to have strong appeal for children”. The style of cartoon imagery used and the term “monster” were determined to likely appeal to children.

The authority noted that the advert would have been acceptable if the advert only appeared on a medium where under-18s could be excluded entirely from its audience. 

However, Facebook wasn’t deemed by the ASA as such an environment as it does not use “robust age-verification”, as users self-verify on sign-up rather than through “marketing lists which had been validated by payment data or credit checking”.

The advertising authority added that it had acknowledged the actions taken by Buzz in response to the complaint, but concluded that the ad was “irresponsible and breached the code” and therefore must not appear on its channels again.

Buzz Group have also been told by the ASA “not to include themes or imagery that were likely to have strong appeal to those under 18 years of age in their ads in future”.

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This displayed contrasting images of the celebrity drag queen, with one in plain, dark clothes and no make-up contrasted to its opposite that comprised a happy expression, champagne and glamorous appearance. 

A caption read “a good game can transform you! Don’t you just love that post-bingo glow. Over 18s only. BeGambleAware.org. DrinkAware.co.uk. Ts&Cs apply. #letaplaymeccabingo #meccabingo #winning #bingo #winningfeeling #feelinggood #bagachipz”.

This brought a pair of complaints to the ASA’s attention, with it believed that the ad in question suggested that gambling could enhance a person’s self-image or self-esteem. It was questioned whether the ad was irresponsible and breached the code.

In response, the Rank Group brand stressed that the purpose of the ad was to “convey that their services were fun and entertaining”, rather than suggest that gambling could improve personal qualities or enhance self-image or self-esteem.

The usage of a before and after metaphor was intended to be a reference to “a post bingo glow”, with the word “transform” included as a nod to the drag entertainment industry and Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK, where Baga Chipz, who Mecca noted that it “regularly works with”, rose to fame.

Mecca affirmed a belief that the contrasting images would be perceived as highly exaggerated, with any reference to winning at bingo having been deliberately omitted.

“They said the reference to having a ‘good game’ was intended to refer to the positive experience and atmosphere of Mecca Bingo venues and the benefits brought by the social interaction people had when attending,” the ASA noted on Mecca’s response to the matter. 

“They said there was nothing in the ad which suggested winning at bingo would give someone a sense of positive recognition, admiration or superiority.

“They acknowledged that the ad could have been misinterpreted if viewed without understanding it in its full context. 

“They said they recognised the importance and requirements of the CAP code and would ensure that future marketing, including social media posts, conveyed their messaging more clearly. They confirmed they had permanently removed the post.”

Upholding the complaints, the ASA noted that the contrasted images presented an individual that possessed “a higher level of confidence and an enhanced self-image in comparison”. In addition, the accompanying text was also judged to have implied a higher self-image could be attained by playing bingo.

“We also considered that the caption on the post, ‘A good game can transform you! Don’t you just love that post-bingo glow’ and the hashtags, ‘winning’, “‘winningfeeling’ and ‘feelingood’ created an impression that an individual could improve their self-esteem, as well as their self-image, by not just playing bingo related games, but also by winning them,” the ASA said of its judgement.

“We acknowledged that the ad featured well-known drag queen Baga Chipz and that the two images, combined with a reference to being transformed, would have been interpreted by some viewers to be a reference about drag queens. 

“We still considered the overall impression of the ad, particularly through the contrasting images, suggested gambling could improve an individual’s self-image or self-esteem.”

It was concluded that the ad suggested gambling could enhance a person’s self-image or self-esteem, which was deemed irresponsible by the ASA.

Mecca Bingo were told that the ad must not appear again in the form complained of, and reminded to ensure their future marketing communications contained nothing that suggested gambling could enhance a person’s self-image or self-esteem.

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These are the words of Felix Faulkner, Solicitor at Poppleston Allen, which has a specialist betting and gaming division, following a spate of action being taken against a number of operators.

Sky Bet became the latest to fall foul of the ASA, with a promoted Tweet that heavily featured Gary Neville and The Overlap football podcast having been deemed likely to have a strong appeal to under-18s.

“The ruling that Gary Neville’s use in a Sky Bet tweet was irresponsible and not in line with the relevant CAP code is perhaps a little surprising as the ASA has taken a more lenient stance on the use of other long-retired footballers in gambling advertising,” Faulkner said.

“However, it appears to have been his social media presence that tipped the scales in this investigation. The way the investigation came to the ASA’s attention is also worth noting.”

Following previous action against the likes of Ladbrokes, bet365 and WIlliam Hill, which was of a similar nature to the latest ruling, the ASA raised the complaint in question following intelligence gathered by its Active Ad Monitoring system. This utilises AI to search for online ads that might break the rules.

“This suggests there will be no letup in the ASA’s tough approach to ensuring gambling operators are compliant with the rules that came into place restricting the use of celebrities in gambling advertising late last year,” Faulkner continued.

“Indeed, it was the ASA itself that brought the first complaint related to the CAP Code when it flagged a promoted tweet used by Ladbrokes in the very first month the rules were in force. 

“There have since been a number of related rulings, with a couple investigated after the regulator received complaints but with most investigations initiated by the ASA itself.”

Following an array of aforementioned upheld self reported complaints, and question marks remaining on how many, if any at all, are to follow, Poppleston Allen warns that industry must heighten compliance to new levels. 

“It now appears that it is being even more proactive in making sure gambling operators are compliant by using its selectively deployed AI-based system to tackle gambling advertising,” he concluded. 

“Operators would be wise to take note of the fact that gambling would appear to be a high-priority area for the ASA and they should ensure that all of their ads are in line with the regulations.”

The post Poppleston Allen: operators take note, gambling a high ASA priority  appeared first on CasinoBeats.

141

Flutter Entertainment is aiming to “replicate the success” achieved across numerous jurisdictions after dipping its toes into the M&A well once again to purchase 51 per cent of MaxBet for €141m (£123m).

Peter Jackson, Group Chief Executive, noted that this presented  a “compelling opportunity” to deepen its Balkans presence. The operator will be aiming to build on past moves made across Georgia, India and Italy via the acquisition of Adjarabet, Jungle and Sisal.

Flutter will gain the opportunity to acquire the remaining 49 per cent in 2029, with this initial transaction expected to close, subject to customary regulatory clearances, in Q1 2024.

MaxBet, branded a “local hero”, spans omni-channel operations in Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro, in addition to a retail only footprint in North Macedonia.

1,800

The UK Gambling Commission’s Executive Director, Tim Miller, last week highlighted the topics that will be covered in the next batch of consultations for the UK gambling white paper.

Speaking at the Regulating the Game Conference, he noted that the UKGC was pleased with the response it had received from gambling stakeholders regarding its first tranche of consultations.

Remaining open until October 18, the commission has received over 1,800 responses so far for its consultations on age verification on premises; removing features which increase the intensity of play on non-slots casino games online; cross-selling, specifically giving the consumer more direct marketing power; and financial risk and vulnerability checks.

Looking ahead, Miller noted that the next round of consultations, set to begin in early winter, will focus on socially responsible incentives and gambling management tools.

9

Lotteritilsynet, the Norwegian gambling authority, will conduct compliance surveillance on nine banks to monitor if they authorise payments to and from illegal operators.

Section five of Norway’s gambling act prohibits payment transactions with gambling operators that do not hold a licence in the country. The authority noted that it has the right to order banks to reject transactions to and from specific accounts and companies.

The nine banks being observed by Lotteritilsynet were not specified, but the monitoring is part of the authority’s enforcement of the ban to help reduce problem gambling in the country.

3

Entain stated that Q3 trading has been “softer than anticipated”, as the gambling group reaffirmed FY2023 EBITDA guidance of £1bn-to-£1.05bn.

Citing mixed results across operations, the group laid out its action plan to “accelerate operational strategy and performance”, including a comprehensive market review and simplifying group structures and operations, as well as the migration of acquired businesses onto its tech platform.

Leadership noted that online net gaming revenue had been “mixed across the group, but in aggregate, softer than anticipated”, with online NGR growth expected to be up a high single-digit per cent, but down high single-digit per cent on a proforma basis.

25

The Advertising Standards Authority reminded XLMedia of its responsibilities regarding advertising rules after the group’s Freebets.com portal featured Manchester United footballer Mason Mount.

Two complainants challenged whether the ad breached the CAP code after an Instagram post that was witnessed on July 11 and 12, 2023, featured the former Chelsea midfielder, who is under 25 years of age.

Following a lack of response to the complaint, the ASA slammed an “apparent disregard for the code”, as well as issuing a reminder of the necessity of replying promptly to enquiries and urging the company to do so in future.

400

888 has encountered a series of headwinds concerning the group’s online output through the third quarter of the year, with Executive Chair Lord Mendelsohn labelling the period as being “below our expectations”.

Despite stressing confidence in the group’s long-term strategy, spearheaded by inbound CEO Per Widerström, a knock-on effect of Q3’s performance will be that full-year earnings will also fail to meet past predictions.

The operator noted that “significant and ongoing improvements” to its sustainability and overall quality mix are weighing heavily on short-term performance. This, however, is also said to have driven double digit active customer growth.

As a result, the company’s performance through the third quarter of the year is now anticipated to fall approximately 10 percentage points to £400m.

2

Better Collective stated that a dual listing on the Nasdaq Copenhagen represents a logical and natural next step for the company in promoting further brand visibility and awareness.

The company, which was founded and incorporated in Denmark and listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm on June 8, 2018, is expecting its listing to take place during the final quarter of the year.

No offer of shares will occur in connection with the proposed dual listing, with it also noted that it will not have any impact on the total number of shares outstanding in the company. 

5.3

France’s gambling authority Autorité Nationale des Jeux announced that overall gambling turnover during the first half of 2023 increased by four per cent in comparison to the previous year.

Excluding casinos, gambling turnover for H1 2023 came in at €5.3bn, mainly driven by growth across online poker and sports betting.

La Française Des Jeux and Pari Mutuel Urbain operations represented 78 per cent of the French market’s total revenue for the first half of the year at €4.2bn, with the remaining 22 per cent coming from other licensed operators.

405.3

Holland Casino stressed delight at a continued recovery from the well known struggles of the past few years, however, additional competition, inflation and high energy prices continue to put pressure on the company.

Despite turnover increasing to €405.3m (2022: €353.4m) and revenue before corporation tax up to €17.2m (2022: €8.2m) during the first half of 2023, the operator was quick to acknowledge that it is “far from out of the woods”.

During the six month period in question, the group welcomed approximately 2.5 million (2022: 1.8 million) visitors, however, average spent per visit was down to €138 (2022: €148). However, this is above the €117 recorded before the coronavirus pandemic, and related restrictions, took hold.

As alluded to, Holland Casino cited higher energy prices and inflation as “significantly” affecting its results through the reporting period. An “additional burden” also arises from COVID-19 tax debt that must be repaid and deferred investments that have to be made.

3

New South Wales invited tech providers and land-based venues to apply for cashless gaming trials to help inform a future regulatory framework.

Each is expected to run for at least three months to ensure there is sufficient data to address key areas, with the impact of these technologies to be identified, monitored, and assessed by an independent researcher.

Issuing its latest update regarding the state’s cashless gaming ambitions, Liquor and Gaming NSW also revealed three key areas that each solution should look to address.

750

Australia’s Star Entertainment confirmed a comprehensive refinancing and capital restructure initiative, in addition to dismissing the possibility of further asset sales.

The embattled casino operator, one of three that has faced an array of regulatory hurdles, is raising A$750m. This will comprise A$589m via a 1 for 1.65 pro rata accelerated non-renounceable share offer and a A$161m institutional placement.

In addition, the company has also confirmed A$450m of new debt facilities provided by Barclays and Westpac, which is made up of a A$150m four-year revolving credit facility and A$300m four-year underwritten term loan.

As a result, Star will have all existing debt repaid and cancelled, no debt maturities until the second half of 2027, a “more flexible covenant package” to support ongoing operations and funding requirements and retain its current operations.

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