The research, carried out by Ipsos MORI, found a three per cent decline in gambling participation among young persons compared to 2018. The report analysed the forms of gambling and gambling style games that young people legally take part in along with gambling on age restricted products.

The most popular form of gambling among 11-16 year olds was private bets for money (usually with friends), with 5 per cent of those taking part in the survey taking part in the activity. Meanwhile a further 3 per cent wager money on card games.

Tim Miller, Executive Director of the Gambling Commission, commented on the report: “This report demonstrates that children and young people’s interaction with gambling or gambling behaviours comes from three sources – gambling that they are legally allowed to participate in, gambling on age restricted products and gambling style games.  

“Any child or young person that experiences harm from these areas is a concern to us and we are absolutely committed to doing everything we can to protect them from gambling harms.

“Most of the gambling covered by this report takes place in ways which the law permits, but we must keep working to prevent children and young people from having access to age restricted products.  

“There operators have failed to protect children and young people we have and will continue to take firm action. This year alone, we have tightened rules and requirements around age verification to prevent children and young people from accessing age restricted products, put free-to-play games behind paywalls, and clamped down on irresponsible products.”

Four per cent of respondents reported playing on fruit or slot machines in the past seven days, while three per cent say they have played National Lottery scratchcards.

69 per cent of respondents had seen or heard gambling adverts or sponsorship deals while 83 per cent emphasised that such deals had not prompted them to gamble. 

Miller continued: ““We have been raising awareness about where risks may arise from gambling-style games such as loot boxes and social casino games for some time.  Even though we don’t have regulatory control in this area we are actively engaging with the games industry and social media platforms to look at ways to protect children and young people.

“Protecting children and young people from gambling harms is a collective responsibility and requires us, other regulators, the government, gambling operators, charities, teachers and parents to work together to make progress.”

The post UKGC reports 3% drop in gambling participation among young people appeared first on CasinoBeats.

This failing was disclosed upon the publication of an annual report and accounts for the office of the Regulator of the National Lottery and the National Lottery Fund for the year ending December 31, 2022.

IT incident impacted 126 accounts

It was said that this stemmed from an IT incident concerning a number of permanently self-excluded player accounts being deleted in error, following which an investigation was launched.

Subsequently, it was uncovered that 126 accounts had been deleted in error during 2021. These, the report noted, should have been maintained in a status of permanent closure and prevented the owners from creating new accounts.

Sixteen of those affected players had succeeded in opening a new account, with ten purchasing tickets that came to a total of €3,292 in sales. Four also received direct marketing emails.

“The operator was not required under the licence to offer permanent self-exclusion to players but had introduced this new self-exclusion option in 2019 as a responsible gaming practice to prevent problem gaming,” it was noted in the report.

Boate noted that it was determined that a breach had occurred following careful consideration of the investigator’s report, with the €150,000 sum transferred to the Exchequer for use for good causes in 2023.

“Having offered a permanent self-exclusion facility as a responsible gaming measure, the operator was obliged to put in place the operational means to determine that persons seeking to purchase tickets had not previously opted for permanent self-exclusion,” she said.

As a result, the regulator also stressed hope that protocols put in place prevent any future failings, however, it was warned that further financial sanctions could follow should that not be the case.

“The effect of this statutory direction is (a) that the controls in place to detect and prevent any self-excluded player from opening another account have been enhanced and (b) the regulator is empowered to seek a financial sanction by the High Court on the operator for any future non-compliance with this direction which effectively creates a new sanction for future failures in self-exclusion controls.”

Performance of Irish Lottery 

The report also elaborated that this past year represented “a step change in the National Lottery’s online channel controls” via the introduction of age and identity verification, as well as “new and improved information for players to prevent problem gaming”.

Boate commented: “Mandatory verification of an account holder’s age and identity provides increased protection against underage play and players attempting to circumvent the spend limits or a self-exclusion period. 

“However, it also adds friction to setting up a new account or payment card and consequently contributed to lost sales in the year.”

In addition, it was also revealed that €257.9m was transferred from the National Lottery Fund to the Exchequer to support good causes, however, this represents a drop of 11 percentage points year-on-year. 

It was also reported that online sales had not grown relative to retail sales for the first time, with it said that consumers returned to retail and that the COVID-19 influenced boost had come to an end.

Sales dropped 16 per cent to €884.1m YoY, which was aligned to an unprecedented Lotto jackpot rollover that drove higher than normal sales, as well as the impact on all Irish household budgets of the rise in inflation in 2022. Sales did return to pre-pandemic levels of €884.5m.

The post Irish National Lottery penalised €150,000 for self-exclusion breach appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Led by an address by the leadership of Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes and Chair Marcus Boyle, the pair stressed delight at what was hailed as an “immensely demanding but successful year”.

Unsurprisingly, it is white paper progress that was the first port of call for Rhodes and Boyle, following a series of consultations launching in June alongside the UK government that are tasked with advancing ambitions of the Gambling Act review.

“Much work has gone into our advice to the government as its statutory advisors on the gambling industry,” they wrote. 

“This advice, underpinned by a wealth of research and insight, reflects our own ambitions for a well-regulated industry. 

“To bring these proposals to life, work has already begun on planning for the next steps for engagement with the industry and interested stakeholders to deliver against the government’s ambitions collectively and transparently.”

“Whilst the popularity of gambling in person has declined over time, retail remains a significant part of the sector”

Headline figures saw total GGY gained from over 2,400 operators during April 2021 to March 2022 come in at £14.1bn, up 10.9 per cent year-on-year. 

However, the online sector dropped 6.2 per cent from this time frame to £6.4m, but this figure does represent a 12.4 per cent uptick when compared to the comparative period through 2019/20.

It is estimated that two-fifths, or approximately 23.6 million, of the UK adult population gamble on a regular basis, with the figure declining to 15.5m when excluding those that exclusively play National Lottery draws.

On an online basis this comes in at 14.3 million, or 9.9 million without the lottery, while 14.6 million frequently participate on in-person activities. This latter figure declines to 10.4 million minus the impact of the NL.

Online participation continues a spate of yearly increases, with participation up from 25.3 per cent to 26.9 per cent, however, the UKGC highlights that “levels of participation remain somewhat lower than pre-pandemic levels”.

The retail sector continues to recover from the severe impacts of the pandemic by reaching a percentage of 27.5 (2021/22: 24.5 per cent).

“The biggest change in the gambling landscape over recent years is a shift to online play, reflecting our lifestyles in general,” the report noted.

Adding: “Whilst the popularity of gambling in person has declined over time, retail remains a significant part of the sector and is showing signs of recovery following the pandemic.”

During the reporting period, enforcement action was taken against a total of 24 operators, which saw £60.1m issued in fines (£20.9m) or regulatory settlements (£39.2m) in a year that represented “a high-profile one for the Commission”.

“We made clear in 2021 that we would take escalating measures against recidivist behaviour”

Among these was a record £19.2m penalty issued to William Hill, while Entain was ordered to pay £17m, with each representing social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures. 

“We made clear in 2021 that we would take escalating measures against recidivist behaviour and that is exactly what we have done,” Rhodes and Boyle stressed.

Furthermore, the regulator once again stressed that the overall headline problem gambling rate is statistically stable at 0.3 per cent, with the debate surrounding such issues having been, and remaining, intense across recent times.

According to the 2018 Public Health Survey for England, between 160,000 and 340,000 adults in England are classified as problem gamblers according to the Problem Gambling Severity Index.

In addition, around 270,000 and 480,000 adults in the country are classified as moderate risk gamblers according to the PGSI.

“Against this backdrop of changing trends, our data shows that although the vast majority do not experience gambling-related harms, there are still significant numbers of people who do encounter issues with their gambling,” the UKGC report continued.

“The precise measurement of problem gambling and harms is complex and needs continual development, however, we do know that hundreds of thousands of gamblers are suffering negative consequences from their gambling.”

Furthermore, the UKGC disclosed that total income from licensing fees and other sources stood at £26.09m (2021/22: £20.18m), which primarily comprised the former via a figure of £22.89m (2021/22: £18.02m). 

“We face one of the busiest milestone years in the Commission’s history”

Total expenditure on operating costs through the year stood at £40.91m, down nine per cent from the previous year’s £45.11m. Of this, £19.33m (2021/22: £18.85m) was set aside for monitoring purposes, while National Lottery functions accounted for 21.55m (2021/22: £26.26m). This includes £19.15m for the fourth licence competition.

“One of the Commission’s core aims is to be the trusted and authoritative voice on gambling, which is particularly challenging in an arena where there are many strong and often opposing views.” Rhodes and Boyle continued.

Concluding: “We face one of the busiest milestone years in the Commission’s history as we push to consult on, and implement, the key actions from the government’s Gambling Act review white paper. 

“That will need everyone in the industry working closely and to one common goal – to make Great Britain’s hugely innovative gambling sector the safest and fairest it can be.”

The post UKGC: in a strong position ahead of one of the busiest milestone years appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Funds raised from the sale of National Lottery games and supplements by items, such as unclaimed prizes, in the fiscal year’s Q2 (July to September) came in at £501.8m, 18.7 per cent (£78.9m) above the preceding quarter.

In addition, its period’s total also came in higher than its Q2 showing one year earlier, which stood at £418.4m, representing a 19.9 per cent (£83.4m) increase.

In the UKGC’s publication, the increase against Q1 was attributed to the total National Lottery sales increasing by £266.7m (14.1 per cent) compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year. 

Furthermore, all games witnessed an increase in sales – most noticeably, EuroMillion sales increased by £140.7m (31.1 per cent). This, the UKGC stated, was partly driven by the volume of rollovers associated with high jackpots. 

Alongside the aforementioned increases, sales from interactive instant win games and scratchcards also experienced growth by around £40m each (15.6 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively) compared to the previous quarter.

Total unclaimed prizes added as returns to good causes were around £13.6m more than the previous quarter. This was primarily due to scratchcard game closures.  

Over the last five quarters, the National Lottery has generated approximately £2.3bn in total funds to good causes. 

Since its launch in November 1994, the Lottery has raised over £46bn for good causes that include sports (such as Olympic athletes), arts and heritage, as well as health, education and the environment.

The funds for good causes are held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund. The Gambling Commission ensures that payments from the Lottery operator to good causes are accurate and on time.

Management of the Lottery is due to change hands soon, after Camelot – the company which has operated the products since inception in 1994 – was beaten in the last licence contest by pan-European company Allwyn.

Good causes funding was a key topic of discussion throughout the contest, which was conducted by the UKGC, with Allwyn enhancing the contribution and scope of the funding as a cornerstone of its bid.

The post National Lottery Good Causes up 19% quarterly ahead of Allwyn transition appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Under the terms of the agreement, EveryMatrix will make all of the National Lottery’s draw-based games available online, on both desktops and mobile devices, by integrating the IGT retail transaction engine into its CasinoEngine solution via IGT’s Aurora Anywhere.

“We are very proud to be able to support National Lottery in this way,” noted Ebbe Groes, Group CEO of EveryMatrix. “We believe the benefits delivered by our system will enable the national lottery to safely channel Maltese players away from illegal or abusive secondary lotteries. 

“The integration of the world’s number one lottery system provider speaks volumes about the performance of our platform.”

Having selected IGT as its lottery technology provider, and EveryMatrix to supply its suite of online products, these partnerships follow National Lottery having recently won the concession to manage and operate the National Lottery of Malta.

Franco DeGabriele, CCO of National Lottery, added: “After 18 years since the privatisation of the national lottery of Malta in 2004, the lottery will be operated for the first time by a wholly-owned Maltese company, whose mission is to provide the market with a service that is local, innovative and of the highest levels of quality.

“We will invest in the systems to ensure the service offered meets the highest standards and is built on the most rigorous compliance frameworks. Our digital innovation will put Malta on the global map, and we will work closely with the authorities to eradicate all forms of lottery abuse.”

The post National Lottery of Malta selects EveryMatrix as online provider appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The Commission’s National Lottery Commission is said to have concluded that in each case “the information presented in the App was incorrect, inappropriate, or harmful at the point of delivery to the player”.

In the first of the deficiencies, the licensee, on September 23, 2000, informed the regulator that it had disabled the QR scanner after the identification of a functionality issue within the iOS version only.

This saw some customer scans incorrectly display a non-winning message, with it estimated that a potential of up to 20,000 scans may have been affected between November 2016 to September 2020. 

Camelot estimated the detriment to players is between £48,000 – £68,000, however it is added that the group was unable to ratify this figure.

Furthermore, it was also discovered that 22,210 players who purchased a single draw-based ticket through the app were charged for and received two tickets.

All of those players have been identified were either refunded for the duplicated wager, or if identified as winners honoured as such on a duplicate basis.

A third failure, which occurred between February 2018 and January 2021, related to the app sending out marketing messages to users who had either self-excluded through Gamstop or had been identified by Camelot as showing signs of gambling harm. 

However, it is noted that “while marketing messages were sent out, none of the 65,400 players were subsequently permitted by the app to purchase a National Lottery product”.

In considering the appropriate sanction in respect of the breaches, a UKGC committee is said to have considered outcomes for the National Lottery, players involved, and good causes, in addition to the operator’s financial gain from non-compliance and governance and controls.

All £3.15m to be paid by Camelot, which earlier this month saw Allwyn Entertainment named as the UKGC’s ‘preferred applicant’ to operate the fourth National Lottery licence beginning 2024, will be paid to good causes.

Andrew Rhodes, Gambling Commission Chief Executive, commented: “We are reassured that Camelot has taken steps to make sure that their National Lottery app is fit for purpose.

“However we must caution Camelot that any failings on their duties will be met with consequences. Today’s announcement reinforces that any operator failing to comply with their licence requirements will be investigated by the Commission and we will not hesitate to issue fines if requirements are breached.”

The post Camelot to pay £3.15m UKGC sanction for three mobile app failures appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The regulator says that its decision follows a “fair, open and robust competition,” with Camelot UK Lotteries subsequently being named as reserve applicant ahead of Sisal Spa and The New Lottery Company.

Elaborating on its decision, the UKGC states that Allwyn has committed to investment that is expected to deliver growth and innovation across the National Lottery’s products and channels, which will result in increased contributions to good causes, subject to the protection of participants and propriety.

Furthermore, it is added that “all applicants are fit and proper to operate,” with the UKGC “satisfied that no application is impacted by sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine”.

This milestone marks the first day of a legal standstill period, lasting at least 10 days, that will be followed by a 22-month transition towards the fourth licence.

An update issued by Allwyn read: “We welcome today’s statement by the Gambling Commission that we have been selected as the preferred applicant for the Fourth National Lottery Licence.

“Our proposal was judged to be the best way of growing returns to good causes by revitalising The National Lottery in a safe and sustainable way.

“The appointment of Allwyn will breathe fresh life into The National Lottery. In Allwyn, the Gambling Commission has selected a strong team with an impressive track record of improving lotteries. 

“We will immediately work to deliver our comprehensive transition plan and look forward to transforming The National Lottery, making it better for everyone.”

Camelot UK has operated the lottery since it was established in 1994, after winning new contracts in 2001, via an overturned high court decision disqualifying the group from the running, and 2007. The group’s third, and current, ten-year licence commenced in 2009 and was subsequently extended by four years in March 2012.

Andrew Rhodes, Gambling Commission Chief Executive Officer, said: “In its lifetime, the National Lottery has raised more than £45bn for good causes and is rightly seen as a great national asset.

“Our priority was to run a competition that would attract a strong field of candidates. Having received the most applications since 1994, it is clear that we’ve achieved just that.

“I am confident that the success of the competition will lead to a highly successful fourth licence – one that maximises returns to good causes, promotes innovation, delivers against our statutory duties, and which ultimately protects the unique status of the National Lottery. We look forward to working with all parties to ensure a smooth handover.”

Since launching in 1994, National Lottery players have collectively raised more than £45bn for 660,000 good causes across the UK, transforming lives and contributing to the arts, sport, heritage and communities.

John Tanner, Gambling Commission Executive Director and Senior Responsible Owner for the competition, said: “The Commission is grateful to all four applicants for their engagement in the competition.

“We were impressed by the overall standard of applications, including the range and quality of innovation proposed, and the high level of confidence and ambition demonstrated for the prospects of the National Lottery under the fourth licence.”

The post UK Gambling Commission opts for Allwyn in National Lottery race appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Within its H1 report, the National Lottery operator revealed ticket sales of £3.96bn for the period of April 1 to September 24, 2021, a 2.7 per cent increase on the same period last year of £107.3m. 

Driven mainly by a “strong draw-based games performance,” its lotto product is now in its third year of growth while retail operations also experienced a “steady” recovery. 

“I’m delighted to announce another record sales performance for The National Lottery,” noted Camelot chair, Sir Hugh Robertson.

“Crucially, this meant that we were able to deliver growth in returns to good causes, prizes paid to players, and lottery duty to the Treasury. 

“Our profit was once again aligned with returns to good causes at the half-year stage and will be around one per cent of sales for the full year in accordance with our licence.

“An incredible £45bn has now been raised for National Lottery good causes – 65 per cent more than the most optimistic Treasury forecasts at the time of launch.”

Furthermore, Camelot detailed that £2.27bn was awarded to players in prize money, an increase of £30.6m, with 95 per cent of all sales revenue returned to ‘winners and society’, as one per cent of sales was retained as profit and four per cent was spent on operating costs.

In addition, the group recorded a 6.5 per cent increase in money generated for good causes from ticket sales, offsetting a 59.1 year-on-year decrease in unclaimed prizes contributions, the proceeds of which are handed over to good causes.

In total, £884.m was generated for charitable contributions during the first six months of the financial year, a 2.4 per cent increase on the 2019/20 figure of £864.7m, with total returns to good causes since the lottery’s foundation in 1994 now standing at £45bn.

Nigel Railton, Camelot CEO, remarked: “With National Lottery sales up across the board and very high levels of public participation, we’ve once again proved that our strategy of offering great consumer choice in a safe and convenient way continues to deliver vital contributions to good causes across the UK. 

“The National Lottery’s continued strong performance is testament to the resilient, responsive business model that we have put in place since our 2017 strategic review.

“Lotto is a great barometer for the overall health of The National Lottery so I’m really proud that, as a result of the series of lotto enhancements we’ve made, we continue to be one of the only major operators in the world to be growing sales of our flagship game. 

“That – paired with a steady retail recovery and our summer-long campaign celebrating the contribution of National Lottery players in helping propel our Olympians and Paralympians to success – all added up to a record first-half performance.”

Moreover, the majority of the first-half National Lottery sales increase was driven by growth in sales of draw-based games to £2.22bn – a 3.6 per cent of £78.7m . This saw year-on-year growth across all draw games.

Elsewhere, sales of National Lottery scratchcards and online instant win games grew over the period by £28.6m, a 1.6 per cent growth to £1,.73bn.

Furthermore, a strong retail recovery as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted meant that in-store scratchcard sales were up 6.7 per cent year-on-year while sales of online instant win games were down 8.8 per cent – although scratchcard sales still remain down on pre-pandemic levels.

Camelot’s retail recovery saw the operator increase total in-store sales to £2.33bn, up 4.5 per cent. As a result, the first-half retailer commission increased to £133m, a 5.1 per cent increase of £6.5m, the equivalent of around £3,000 per store. 

Alternatively, its digital presence recorded online sales of £1.62bn, a slight increase of 0.2 per cent – £4.6m – compared to last year’s 39.1 per cent uplift.

As part of this, mobile sales grew by £21.3m, up 1.8 per cent, to an all-time high of £1,150m. This growth was also accompanied by over 795,000 new online registrations.

The post Camelot cites Olympic & Paralympic Games for ‘highest-ever’ H1 sales appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The grants form part of a ten-year £100m National Lottery-funded Climate Action Fund that aims to reduce the carbon footprint of communities, and support community-led movements that demonstrate what is possible when people take the lead in tackling climate change.

Nine further projects have joined August’s 14-strong list, with projects including large scale schemes delivered by local partnerships, as well as smaller development grants which will see the funding be used for emerging ideas to engage communities and test new approaches.

December’s funding round sees full grants awarded to Nottingham Energy Partnership (£1.51m), Repowering (£1.33m) and Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (£307,277).

Developmental grants have been gains by Glasgow Community Food Network (£629,582), Datblygiadau Egni Gwledig (562,315), Edventure Frome, Frome Medical Practice, Frome Town Council (£299,677), Todmorden Learning Centre and Community Hub (£269,750), Manchester Climate Change Agency (£205,660), and South Downs National Park Trust (£151,005).

Nick Gardner, head of climate action at The National Lottery Community Fund, explained: “From 25 years of funding environmental projects, we know that local community action can deliver positive environmental impacts alongside additional benefits for people to reap. This year we have been reminded that communities are best placed to understand their places and spaces, and so often play a vital role in responding in a crisis.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, communities across the UK will be able to demonstrate what is possible when people take the lead in tackling climate change. This funding will bring people together so they can learn from each other and have an impact within and beyond their communities.”

August’s first round of funding saw Cumbria Action for Sustainability top the list with £2.5m, ahead of the Wildlife Trusts of Wales and Voluntary Action Leeds’ £2.49m and The Women’s Environmental Network Trust who received £2.12m.

The post National Lottery fund unveils further donations in climate change pledge appeared first on CasinoBeats.

This is to allow the successor to current chairman Bill Moyes, whose term of office ends later this year, to appoint a permanent chief executive in due course. 

Whilst the recruitment process is ongoing, deputy chief executive Sarah Gardner and chief operating officer Sally Jones will jointly become acting chief executive.

“On behalf of the board I would like to thank Neil for his many years of commitment and service to the Gambling Commission,” Moyes stated. “A lot has been achieved during his time here and Neil can rightly feel proud of the organisation’s progress during his tenure as chief executive.”

During McArthur’s time in the role, the UKGC says that it has gone through “a significant period of change as it equips itself to meet the challenges of regulating a rapidly changing and increasingly digital gambling market”. 

Confirming the departure, the UKGC added on McArthur’s time at the helm: “Neil has overseen strengthening of protections against gambling harms- through the banning of gambling on credit cards; through enhanced age verification checks; and, most recently, through new requirements to build in protections to the design of online products. 

“He has led moves to ensure that those impacted by gambling harms have their voices heard in the Commission’s decision making, culminating in the recent establishment of the lived experience advisory panel. Over the last 12 months Neil has also successfully navigated the organisation through the challenges that the global pandemic has brought.”

The departure comes at a busy time for the UKGC, amid the ongoing review of the 2005 Gambling Act, under the stewardship of John Whittingdale, as well as the fourth licence process for the National Lottery. The regulator had previously said that it is aiming to name the preferred applicant in September 2021. 

McArthur stated of the decision to step aside: “I am proud of everything the Gambling Commission has achieved during my 15 years with the organisation. We have taken significant steps forward to make gambling fairer and safer and I know that I leave the organisation in a strong position to meet its future challenges.

“With a review of the Gambling Act underway, now feels the right time to step away and allow a new chief executive to lead the Commission on the next stage in its journey.”

The post Neil McArthur to depart UKGC chief executive role appeared first on CasinoBeats.