The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has launched a new campaign designed to promote safer gambling and encourage gamers to use the safer gambling tools offered by operators in the UK.
As announced by the BGC, the new campaign is titled Take Time To Think and will replace the regulated industry’s current safer gambling message of When The Fun Stops, Stop. The launch of the new campaign comes after extensive customer research and engagement with academics, operators, and Government stakeholders.
The BGC notes that while When The Fun Stops, Stop was successful in promoting the issues regarding problem gambling, the BGC hopes that the new campaign will be more effective by encouraging gamers to pause and consider the safer gambling tools available to help them regulate their play and stay in control.
The new campaign has been funded by BGC members, including William Hill, PlayOJO Casino, Gamesys, Entain, BetVictor, the Kindred Group, Betfred, Playtech, Microgaming, Betsson, Flutter, and numerous other groups, and the BGC will be working with broadcasters and online platforms to deliver the multi-million-pound campaign.
The Take Time To Think campaign will launch as a series of television advertisements that show customers pausing mid-play to consider the tools available to them. Alongside that, operators will display campaign messaging across their retail and online businesses.
Michael Dugher, the Chief Executive of the BGC, said in a statement: “I am absolutely delighted that our members have signed up to this fantastic campaign. Millions of people enjoy a flutter and the overwhelming majority do so perfectly safely and responsibly.
“But that doesn’t prevent the regulated industry from continuing to do more to promote ever higher standards in safer gambling. Our research has shown that the Take Time To Think message will encourage even more customers to pause and consider whether to make use of the wide range of safer gambling tools that are available. That will enable them to stay in control of their betting.”
He ended the statement: “The efforts BGC members are making to promote safer gambling are in stark contrast to the all too easily available unsafe, unregulated black market online.”
Mark Pearson, the Director of Corporate Affairs at Betfred, added: “It is essential that the industry present a consistent message and everyone works together to promote safer gambling.”
Conor Grant, the Chief Executive of Flutter UK and Ireland, commented: “Our brands have been at the forefront of innovative campaigns to raise awareness and promote customer usage of safer gambling tools for a number of years. Together with the wider industry, we are pleased to support the BGC’s Take Time To Think campaign, which aims to positively impact awareness and usage of the range of safer gambling tools available to customers.”
Grainne Hurst, the Director of Corporate Affairs at Entain, added: “Ensuring our customers have an enjoyable experience when playing with us is our highest priority and we are pleased to support the Take Time To Think campaign as an important initiative, which encourages customers to take full advantage of the safer gambling tools that are available to manage their gaming.”
Over the weekend, the UK Gambling Commission suspended the operator license of BGO Entertainment Limited with immediate effect.
In a news piece, the Commission explained that it has chosen to suspend BGO’s license over concerns that it may have been carrying out activities contrary to the Gambling Act 2005 and failed to operate in accordance with the conditions of its license. The Commission believes BGO Entertainment Limited failed to protect customers and may be unsuitable to continue providing licensed activities.
BGO websites can no longer operate in the United Kingdom, including websites BGO Casino, 7 Casino, Chilli Casino, Power Spins Casino, and Vegas Luck Casino. However, the Gambling Commission has stated that registered users can still access their accounts at the suspended websites to withdraw funds.
The Gambling Commission has confirmed that it will be carrying out a review into BGO Entertainment Limited under section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005 and explained that during the course of the suspension, the regulatory body expects the operator to focus on treating customers fairly and keeping them informed of any developments that may impact them.
BGO Entertainment Limited shared a response statement to the suspension that can be found on each of its casino websites. The statement reads: “Following a notification from the Gambling Commission of Great Britain that BGO Entertainment Limited’s operating license has been suspended, it is with regret that we have to inform you that UK players are not currently permitted to access any of our services.”
The statement then explained that the operator is “working with the Gambling Commission to resolve this situation quickly” and has urged customers to withdraw any funds from their account.
Earlier this month, the UK Gambling Commission issued a warning to players in the United Kingdom over the launch of Sorare.com, an unlicensed gambling operator and website that allows registered users to collect digital cards of professional footballers with blockchain tokens and compete them in tournaments for prizes.
What’s more, the Parliamentary All Party Betting and Gaming Group (APBGG) launched an inquiry into the effectiveness and competence of the UK Gambling Commission back in September after receiving criticisms of the regulator in reports published in 2020.
Meanwhile, game developer Wazdan has expanded its presence in Romania after striking an agreement with operator MaxBet.ro, building on its previous partnership with Crowd Entertainment.
The MaxBet.ro website, which was founded by a group of casino enthusiasts, received a gambling license from Romanian’s ONJN gambling authority in 2016 and is now one of the biggest operators within the Romanian gambling market.
Under the brand new agreement, 20 of Wazdan’s casino games have launched with MaxBet.ro, including Power Of Gods: Egypt, Sizzling 777 Deluxe, and Larry The Leprechaun. What’s more, MaxBet.ro gains access to Wazdan’s Unique Features, which include customisable Volatility Levels™, and numerous other mechanics to make playing more accessible and fun.
Radka Bacheva, the Head of Sales and Busines Development for Balkan and SE Europe At Wazdan, said in a statement: “Thanks to MaxBet.ro’s impressive reputation and reach in the Romanian market, the agreement is beneficial for both parties, significantly raising awareness of our profile among players in the country. Our products provide both variety and excitement to suit different player preferences, and we are excited to see how they resonate with the operator’s audiences.”
Victor Rusinov, the CEO at MaxBet.ro added: “Offering our players a fresh and innovative gambling experience has always been a top priority for us and this is another exciting opportunity to do this by partnering with Wazdan, which combine new mechanics and features for a fantastic gaming adventure. We’re very enthusiastic about the potential of this partnership and can’t wait for our players to discover their video slots portfolio.”
Wazdan’s expansion in Romania comes after the studio launched its content in Switzerland via Swiss Casinos and after Wazdan gained certification to launch in Belarus for the first time.
Also this week, game developer Push Gaming extended its partnership with operator Hero Gaming as part of a move to boost its reach worldwide.
Under the extended partnership, Push Gaming has launched its entire selection of casino games with the operator, including titles like Jammin’ Jars 2, Booty Bay, and its latest release Fat Drac. The mentioned games and all other titles by the developer have launched on Hero Gaming’s Boom Casino, Simple Casino, and Casino Heroes websites.
Fiona Hickey, the Head of Sales at Push Gaming, said in a statement: “Hero Gaming has provided a leading shop window for our games for some time, but this move is going to be a boost to the streamlined delivery of our content to its players. The team at Hero have been a pleasure to work with over the years and all at Push are delighted to see this continue via our own platform.”
Sven de Waard, the Casino Manager at Hero Gaming, added: “We take great pride in having created an environment where innovation and creativity are fostered and our partnership with Push Gaming is an extension of that. The titles it supplies us with exemplify the culture we work hard to nurture and having that provision come directly from Push’s platform will hone that further.”
The news comes as Push Gaming continues to strike agreements with various operators to bolster its worldwide presence. Recent partnerships have been struck with White Hat Gaming, SkillOnNet, and dozens of others.
