The Nationale Postcode Loterij (NPL), the postcode lottery of the Netherlands, was issued a warning by the Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) for violating the country’s advertising rules. From 30 June 2022, gambling operators were banned from using celebrities and sporting personalities popular among the youth in promoting their services.

KSA Broke KOA Advertising Rules

KSA issued the warning to NPL after its recent advertising campaign promoting a “Deal or No Deal” themed lottery game featured a popular celebrity. While lottery operators, which fall under the soft gambling category, can use celebrity endorsements, they are still required to investigate the reach of the person among underage audiences. The NPL failed in this aspect, as the KSA established that the celebrity used in the campaign has a “substantial reach among young people”. 

The KSA did not fine the NPL for the said breach as the campaign had been pre-scheduled before the ban on celebrity endorsements was implemented. The NPL accepted the decision without objection. 

Addiction Prevention Decree to be Published In6 Autumn

More advertising restrictions are on the way for Dutch gambling operators, some of which are contained in the “Addiction Prevention Decree” due to be released this autumn by Legal Protections Minister Franc Weerwind. Upcoming regulatory changes are aimed at minimizing gambling addiction and improving advertising standards. 

A new gambling therapy could soon be launched in Australia to curb addiction to iGaming. The “graded exposure cue therapy”, developed by researchers in South Australia, works by minimizing sensitivity to signals and triggers that keep players hooked on betting. 

Therapy Helps Customers to “De-Condition” Themselves

The new gaming addiction therapy specifically targets the addiction risks posed by mobile phone betting. According to Flinders University behavioral therapist Ben Riley, who also serves as a clinician at the Statewide Gambling Therapy Service, the therapy will teach people to “de-condition themselves” to all gambling cues. 

Gambling operators make use of advertising and phone notifications to entice customers to gamble and keep them playing. The triggers make it difficult for players to resist temptation and make rational decisions, putting them at an increased risk of developing a gambling addiction. The cue-based therapy addresses that by educating consumers about the negative impact of being constantly exposed to such triggers.

The therapy will guide people on monitoring and controlling the amounts of stimulus they allow themselves to see and receive, thereby helping them to resist the urge to gamble. 

Trial Ongoing

The therapy’s first phase of trial involved six problem gamblers and it was successful. The trial has now been expanded to 40 participants. Riley said they plan to make the therapy initially available via online or telehealth before launching it nationally to reach as many people as possible.  

The number of Brits contacting GamCare’s National Gambling Helpline increased to 42,070 for the 2021/22 period, according to the charity’s latest annual report. This is the highest figure that the charity has reported since the service was launched more than 20 years ago. 

Increase in Calls Mainly Due to Continuing Uncertainty

According to GamCare, the increase in helpline calls was mainly brought about by rising costs of living, post-pandemic challenges, economic instability, and the current political uncertainty in the UK. 

The latest report from the independent charity shows that 62% of those who called the helpline encountered financial difficulties due to gambling, with 57% stating their debts were piling up. Most of the helpline users (64%) stated chasing losses as their primary reason for gambling. 

GamCare Highlights Rising Demand for Gambling Support Services

Meanwhile, GamCare saw a slight decline in the number of people accessing treatment, with the figure dropping to 9,728. 

But overall, demand for the charity’s support services is increasing, as highlighted by GamCare CEO Anna Hemmings. In response, the organization launched additional programs to offer a more diverse range of support for those struggling with gambling harm. 

Among them is the “Way Forward” program announced this year which specifically caters to women gamblers. The charity is also offering online gambling companies a package that will enable them to directly transfer at-risk customers to the National Gambling Helpline. 

Kindred Group is donating two football shirt sponsorships to Safer Gambling Week which runs from October 17 to October 23. Safer Gambling Week is an annual event spearheaded by the Betting and Gaming Council. The initiative, which was launched in 2017, aims to encourage conversation around safer gambling.

Kindred Highlights “Zero % Mission” on Safer Gambling Week

Middlesbrough and Rangers FC will wear shirts with the “Zero % Mission” logo at the front during their matches that fall on Safer Gambling Week. Normally, the shirt bears the logos of Kindred’s flagship brands Unibet and 32Red. Starting today until the 23rd, it will instead highlight Kindred’s commitment to eliminating harmful gambling as part of Safer Gambling Week.

Middlesbrough players will be wearing the personalized shirts during their scheduled match with Wigan Athletic (October 19) and Huddersfield Town (October 22). The Rangers will wear the shirts when they take on Dundee United during their final game at the Scottish League Cup on October 19.

What is Zero % Mission?

Kindred’s “Zero % Mission” is a campaign that aims to achieve zero revenue from harmful gambling by the end of 2023. Kindred began the campaign in 2020 and took things up a notch a year later when it became the first operator to publicize the percentage of revenue it obtains from players with gambling issues. 

In April 2022, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) introduced new requirements under its Social Responsibility Code to make sure online gambling operators provide stronger protection to customers at risk of gambling harm. 

While most of the new rules came into effect on September 12, 2022 as planned, the UKGC decided to delay the implementation of a few other requirements, such as the need for online gambling businesses to provide a “hot” transfer into support services whenever they encounter customers showing signs of gambling harm. 

GamCare Offering “Hot” Transfer Service to Remote Operators

Remote operators may now begin setting up that new resource by signing up for GamCare’s new Helpline Transfer Service. The independent charity is offering operators a package that will allow them to transfer customers found at risk of gambling harm directly to the GamCare-operated National Gambling Helpline through a dedicated line. 

On top of that, the charity will also train customer service teams on how to conduct seamless call transfers to the helpline. The charity will also provide operators with regular updates on the outcome of call transfers. Online gambling companies will be charged an annual license fee to avail of the service.

Outstanding Requirements to be Implemented by Feb. 2023

GamCare said the service will make sure that customers receive the right amount of help and support at the right time. The UKGC is set to implement the remaining requirements of its updated Social Responsibility Code by February 2023.