- United States  -
Researchers say 'jackpot fever' hides cruel truth about lotteries

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Data from the Wisconsin Lottery shows they took in more than $894 million last fiscal year. According to US Census data, there are just under four million adults in the state. On average, every Wisconsin adult spent $223 on the lottery last fiscal year. Bernal says many people lose thousands of dollars a year on the lottery, hoping a big win will end their financial problems -- while spending in a way that will make them worse.

"Ten percent of the people that play the lottery, contribute between 70-80% of lottery profits," Bernal said.

The Wisconsin Lottery says since 1988, they've funded more than $5 billion in property tax credits, but critics argue that by fueling gambling addiction and discouraging savings, more people stay in poverty. That continued poverty ends up costing taxpayers.

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cbs58.com, July 26, 2022

 

- United Kingdom -
UK Gambling Commission Survey Reveals Problem Gambling Most Prevalent in 16-24 Year Olds

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The Commission surveyed 4,018 participants through phone interviews and based its findings on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). This index asks three questions of participants who have gambled in the last 12 months and is used to determine the rate of problem gambling per head of the population.

The latest figure of 0.2% is considered stable as it has dropped from the 0.4% reported in the same period in 2021. The survey found that problem gambling among males dropped to 0.3% from 0.6% in the same period in 2021. Problem gambling among females remained stagnant at 0.1%.

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Gambling Industry News, July 27 2022

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- United Kingdom-

BGC welcomes low problem gambling rates in UK

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The Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) has welcomed new figures from the Gambling Commission that confirm the rates of problem gambling have remained historically low at 0.2% in the year to June 2022.

The 0.2% figure is down from 0.4% the year previous, and remains the same as the last published annualised figures in April 2022. The rate of problem gambling among women has stayed at 0.1%, which the BGC noted is low by international standards.

The figures come amid the impending UK Government review of the Gambling Act 2005, with a White Paper expected to be published soon after several delays.

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Gambling Insider, July 29 2022

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-Belgium  -
Belgium’s Gambling Commission confirms €200 playing limit issued by Government

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Belgium has steamed ahead with added restrictions on its online gambling industry with a recent Royal Decree on playing limits launched by Government.

Changes have officially been confirmed by the Belgian Gaming Commission (BGC), most notable of which are player deposit limits being reduced from €500 to €200 on ‘games of chance’ per operator site.

An added layer of bureaucracy, the new rules allow players to request operators to return their limits back to €500, so long as their ‘player token’ is presented by the operators to the BGC for this to be processed.

On its part, the BGC says that increase in stake limit requests will be assessed on replies received from the National Bank of Belgium. Based on discussion with the National Bank, the BGC will then inform the operator on whether the player in question’s deposit limits can be lifted within three days.

The Royal Decree was published in Belgium’s Government Gazette on 20th July and comes into effect in three months’ time and all regulated Belgian betting and gaming operators are legally required to comply.

 

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iGaming Capital. August 3 2022

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- United Kingdom  -
Kindred harmful revenue steady at 3.3% as firm seeks to hit net zero goal

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Kindred Group’s target of generating 0% of its revenue from problem gambling has somewhat stalled according to the firm’s latest report. 

The firm issued an update this morning revealing that total group share from problem gambling during Q2 2022 currently stands at 3.3%, the same as during Q1 2022 and in Q3 2021. 

On the other hand, the fact that the figure has remained steady for the past two quarters still shows a marked improvement on Q4 2021, when harmful gambling share stood at 4%, showing a positive effect since Kindred first announced its ‘Journey to Zero’ commitment last year. 

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SBC News, July 20 2022

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- United Kingdom-
UKGC UPDATES POLICY GUIDANCE ON HANDLING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS 

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UKGC updates policy guidance on handling customer complaints 

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has updated its guidance on how to handle customer complaints as part of its ongoing policy review of operating standards. 

The new guidance on complaints was formed by undertaking a review of 34 complaints policies taken from a diverse range of sectors.

The review prioritised the accessibility and the ease of use for customers to submit complaints – in which the commission’s research found that 8% of gamblers had submitted a complaint.

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i-conseils,  June 22 2022