News
Gambling Advertisements Come Under Fire in the United Kingdom
A lot has been developing with the UK gambling industry as of late, including the banning of credit cards for deposits and new guidelines that operators must adhere to from the Gambling Commission. Yet, something else has fallen under the scope of the government – sports betting advertisements. In fact, MPs are looking to bring a total ban of such into effect, with a proposal that is similar to the one proposed back in 2005.
However, some have questioned whether this will actually become a law, due to the fact that the gambling industry in the UK brings in around £11 billion every year. Much of that can be attributed to sports betting options as well, so even if a ban does come into effect, the likelihood is that it won’t be a complete one.
Yet, it is being requested as a potential course of action due to research that has been undertaken by MPs regarding the detrimental effects of gambling on people within the UK over the years. Advertisements can only enhance those effects according to these parliamentary members, so something needs to change. There are many recommended bookmakers in UK that already have a large following of bettors, so one would automatically question why advertisements are really necessary for them anyway. And the likelihood is that sports aren’t particularly going anywhere, so as long as they remain, sports betting likely will do, too.
Advertisements Cause More Harm Than Good
The issue isn’t specifically surrounding the advertisements themselves though, but the fact that they could have a serious negative effect on those people who are trying to distance themselves from the industry. So, those who have had problems with addiction before and, to some degree, minors who may be enticed by the possibility of sports and the potential to win money.
The MPs who are looking to bring in the ban on such advertisements belong to the Gambling Related Harm All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). In total, there are 50 members of this party, and having looked into research on how harmful gambling advertisements are to UK gamblers, they have collectively brought forward their argument for banning them.
A similar ban was introduced in Spain recently, which also has a legal sports betting industry. Yet, it wasn’t a total ban there. The ads are only allowed to be aired between the hours of 1am and 5am, and to coincide with that, all teams playing within La Liga cannot display sportsbooks on their kits during games.
The proposal brought forward by the APPG though isn’t about to shy away from requesting a total ban on betting advertisements in the UK. This relates to ads aired on television and displayed on computers. Not only that, but the proposal asks for businesses creating such advertisements to stop using algorithms that allow them to locate their target audience of high roller players. This means that they can’t offer promotions to them through email communication in a bid to get them to gamble even more.
Finally, the APPG is looking for a maximum bet limit of £2 to be imposed on gaming machines, in a style similar to that undertaken on fixed odds betting machines. Whether or not these will be passed through into law remains to be seen.
News
The UK online casino market is at a crossroads
Martyn Hannah, Managing Director of Comparasino, says the direction the government and regulator take with updates to gambling law will determine the long-term success of the market
Great Britain is approaching a crossroads when it comes to online casino and the direction it takes will ultimately determine the viability of the market for all stakeholders over the next few years, including comparison sites such as Comparasino.
This remains a market with plenty of potential. The latest participation figures from the Gambling Commission show high demand for online casino, sports betting and bingo, with around 10 million people (16% of the population) engaging in these activities.
But the regulatory requirements being put on operators are now impacting the experiences they can offer to players while squeezing margins to the point where the UK – once the benchmark for regulated online gambling markets – is no longer sustainable for some.
In the last three years or so, we have seen an exodus of brands with only a small number of new online casinos taking their place.
This should be cause for concern, especially as the consultations from the White Paper rumble on and the changes that will result come into focus – we’ve already had the £2/£5 slot stake limits confirmed with more updates to follow.
Of course, players must be protected so that those at risk of developing problem play receive the support they need long before they reach the point of crisis. But at the same time, we have to remember that just 0.3% of UK players are considered to have a gambling problem.
The real risk for me is that if regulations and requirements continue to tighten, the UK market will no longer be viable for most brands – only the tier ones will be able to manage the slim margins.
This is bad for player choice and ultimately has the potential to push consumers towards unlicensed brands that can offer the experiences they are seeking and this is the opposite of what the changes to regulations are aiming to achieve.
It’s important to remember what players are looking for when deciding where to play – they want generous bonuses, a seamless sign-up process and a great selection of games to explore. They want to do this with reputable brands they can trust, and that’s why licencing is so important.
But the requirements operators must now meet – and any new requirements set to come into force – are at risk of damaging the player experience to the point where many will turn to unlicensed brands. Remember, these sites usually offer a great customer experience, they just don’t hold a licence.
The other day I was sitting with a friend when they signed up for an online casino for the first time. They were genuinely shocked by the sign-up process, especially the amount of information they had to provide and the length of time it took to register and deposit.
They were especially irked by the need to provide their occupation and monthly income. When I said there were unlicensed sites that offered a more streamlined onboarding process – and bigger bonuses – the friend said they’d play at those brands over the licensed site.
Of course, this is just one example but for me, it should raise concerns about how far we go when it comes to limiting bonuses and imposing stringent affordability checks on operators.
The Gambling Commission has indicated that affordability will be “light touch” for most players, but any additional friction really does risk pushing players to unlicensed sites where the sign-up process is quicker and the bonuses bigger.
The challenge is striking the right balance between consumer experience and protecting the most vulnerable, and I have some ideas for how we can do this.
I think operators should be able to offer the bonuses they wish, but they should not be able to impose high wagering requirements – or any wagering requirements, ideally.
Again, I tried explaining how the wagering requirement works to my friend and they simply couldn’t get their head around it.
“So, I have to wager £975 through the casino to unlock £15 in bonus winnings? That’s ridiculous.”
This is also what leads players to ultimately gamble more than they can afford as they make additional deposits in an attempt to complete the playthrough requirement, only to run out of funds or give up having deposited more than they intended.
This is when players can become frustrated. Many find it hard to understand how wagering requirements work, and then when they can’t withdraw their bonus winnings, it leads to a negative experience with the brand but worse, can put them in a state of mind that’s not ideal for gambling.
Player onboarding needs to be faster and more seamless, too. It’s so clunky right now that operators shouldn’t be surprised that a large percentage of players drop-off between landing at a casino for the first time and spinning the reels.
For context, it took around seven minutes for my friend to find a brand, sign up, deposit and play.
There are technologies available now – I’m talking about open banking here – that would mitigate sign-up friction, but would most likely require regulatory approval for operators to be able to use them to improve the sign-up process.
I absolutely believe that operators should be mandated to monitor each and every player in real time, and benchmark their gambling activity against markers of harm. This is the best way to spot problem play early and then make the necessary interventions.
I also think education is vital, and this is where affiliates must do more. Players are often unaware of the licensing process in the UK, and why it’s important to play at licensed brands. Nor are they aware of the tools in place to help them stay in control of their play.
This is something that we have committed significant resources to, with a dedicated safe gaming hub, responsible play messaging on all of our pages and the Comparasino Blog, where we publish articles and interviews with responsible gambling thought leaders.
The UK has always set the standard for regulated online gambling and I hope that this will continue to be the case once the consultations have closed and the final updates to the law are made.
The market might be at a crossroads, but if it goes in the right direction, it has a long and successful future ahead.
News
Golden Boomerang Awards 2024 Sees Overwhelming Response in First Month with Over 220 Teams Competing — Enter Today!
Boomerang Partners’ inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards 2024 traffic tournament has captured the attention of the global affiliate marketing community. With over 226 teams already registered, representing top webmasters from across the world, the competition to drive high-quality traffic is intensifying
Boomerang Partners reported a 12% increase in month-over-month traffic for its sportsbook products within just one week, attributed to the Golden Boomerang Awards tournament, launched on February 14th. Two weeks later, it’s time to assess the impact of the Golden Boomerang Awards on Boomerang’s casino products.
Following the three-week report, new first-time casino deposits have spiked by 14% compared to the previous month, and there’s been a significant rise in repeat deposits. This indicates enhanced player engagement with Boomerang Partner’s products, thanks to the quality traffic driven by participating affiliates. Among the casino offerings, the slots that have drawn the most attention are Book of Dead, Legacy of Dead, and Book of the Fallen. Notably, the period’s largest win was a staggering €314,000.
In Week 3 of the tournament, the total across all participating teams has already surpassed 12,000 new depositing players acquired for Boomerang’s platforms, with intense competition for the top prizes. While some teams have taken an early lead, with two more months until the contest concludes, it remains wide open for other contenders to make a surge and challenge the frontrunners on the leaderboard.
The Golden Boomerang Awards offers rewards every two weeks, with the most lucrative prizes coming in later rounds. Affiliates who missed the initial weeks still have a chance at the biggest rewards by joining now. Registrations remain open until May 14th, allowing participation for the top rewards.
The tournament will culminate in a grand ceremony in Cyprus on June 1st, where the top 30 teams will enjoy an exclusive high-profile event that features awards night, networking opportunities, entertainment from leading artists, and the iconic Golden Boomerang statuettes for the winners.
Boomerang Partners invites all skilled affiliates to join the action at GoldenBoomerangAwards.com and contend for a spot among the industry’s elite traffic drivers. Register now and showcase your expertise in driving premium traffic — prestigious prizes and industry recognition start here!
Affiliate Announcements
Catena Media readies for online sports betting launch in North Carolina
Catena Media is well positioned to record a solid launch of online sports betting affiliation in North Carolina when the state opens for licensed sports wagering.
The group’s national brands, led by LegalSportsreport.com, are attracting North Carolina bettors with dedicated content, as is Catena Media’s state-focused NCSharp.com website. Alongside Catena Media’s own brands, the group has also published content in collaboration with media partners including Advance Local, owner of NJ.com and other news websites.
In the countdown to launch day, Catena Media held several top rankings for key organic search terms used by potential bettors to find relevant sports-betting-related content and offers.
Prior to the official go-live, the group has deals in place with five major operators offering sports betting platform access to North Carolinians. The customer agreements in North Carolina consist of a mix of revenue share and cost-per-acquisition (CPA) agreements.
North Carolina, with an adult population of 8.5 million, allows anyone aged 21 and over to place sports bets online.
Ryan Harper, Catena Media Vice President North America, said: “We have had a solid run-up to the launch date and are pleased with our efforts so far. We also expect the March Madness NCAA college basketball tournament later this month to be a big driver of new depositing customers in North Carolina.”
North Carolina expands Catena Media’s operational footprint in North America to 29 state and regional markets.
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