Gambling blocker Gamban has revealed its added cryptocurrency exchanges and foreign exchange trading platforms to its service, allowing users to block themselves from said sites and gambling websites too.
As reported by iGamingBusiness, Gamban decided to extend its blocking service after conducting research last month into whether different forms of trading could be considered gambling, where an overwhelming proportion viewed cryptocurrency investment as a form of gambling.
Gamban has acknowledged the popularity of the above websites, but stresses that some products are “inappropriately regulated” and has so blocked them to protect its customers.
A statement issued by Gamban reads: “We recognise to some of our users, this approach will appear quite blunt. However, we feel that where inappropriately regulated products emerge, which exist at the intersection between gambling and investing, but are more akin to speculating, Gamban must block these if it is to remain the safety net our users rely on.”
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has said it received over 30,000 responses in its call for evidence consultation on the regulation of video game loot boxes.
Although the DCMS has already said it would introduce new legislation to regulate loot boxes as part of the ongoing Gamble Act 2005 review, the DCMS launched the consultation last September for evidence to support regulatory action.
Caroline Dinenage, the Minister for Digital and Culture, said in a statement to FocusGN: “The government takes concerns about potential harms relating to loot boxes in video games seriously.
“That is why we are continuing to thoroughly evaluate the evidence received to determine solutions that are both robust and proportionate in response to the issues identified from the evidence received. This will be set out in the government response which will be published in the coming months.”
Loot boxes in video games are boxes or chests of rewards that players can purchase with real money. However, the contents of a loot box are unknown until after you’ve purchased and opened it, which is why so many people and charities have likened them to gambling.
Last year, the House of Lords called on the UK government to reclassify loot boxes as “games of chance” and regulate them under the Gambling Act 2005.
Game developer and aggregator Relax Gaming has announced a partnership with fellow game creator RubyPlay.
Under the partnership, RubyPlay’s entire catalogue of casino games has been made available with Relax Gaming’s aggregator platform and launched with Relax Gaming’s partnered casino websites.
Some of the games to launch with Relax Gaming and its partnered operators include Vegas No Limit Wins, Prosperity Journey, Adventures Of Lil Red, Book Of 8 Riches, Quest Of Gods, Vegas Hotties, Sheerluck, and numerous others too.
Ittal Zur, the COO at RubyPlay, said in a statement: “We couldn’t be more thrilled about this partnership with Relax Gaming. Our passion for creating the best land-based experience that online gaming can enjoy is the driving force behind what we do.
“Relax is an esteemed hub with a strong reputation for flexibility, fairness and speed-to-market, making them the ideal partner to power our growth. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship.”
Simon Hammon, the CPO at Relax Gaming, added: “RubyPlay has firmly established a name for creating original player-centric content that’s recognised and loved by a wide range of demographics, and we’re sure they will prove a welcome addition to the Relax family.
“This latest deal continues to highlight the value we offer by bringing studios onto our platform – not only for our excellent distribution and reach, but also in what we can do to help further boost their profile with our top tier operator partners, who value top quality games.”
The news comes after Relax Gaming partnered with Big Time Gaming for the launch of their joint new Megapays slot mechanic, which offers a linked and tiered progressive jackpot service on select video slots.
RubyPlay is also the latest game developer to partner with Relax Gaming, following Synot Games, Storm Gaming, Spadegaming, Leap Gaming, Print Studios, and numerous others too.
Meanwhile, developer Skywind Group has released its new Sticky Sevens MegaWays video slot.
The game, which is based on Big Time Gaming’s famous MegaWays engine, uses a 6×7 layout with 117,649 paylines, and it has an RTP of 96.5% with high variance, which means you’re more likely to make infrequent big wins when playing.
According to the Skywind Group website, sevens play an important role in the video slot, acting as wild symbols with multipliers of 2x and 3x to help create more wins and boost them too.
The slot also has two Free Spins modes where players can choose their preferred gameplay for the mode with Wild Seven symbols. After selecting the feature, players are presented with a prize wheel that determines how many spins are awarded or levels up to another wheel with improved prizes.
Sticky Sevens MegaWays’ Free Spins features include the Sticky Wilds Free Spins, where Wild Multipliers lock on the reels for up to 20 free spins, and the Random Wilds Free Spins randomly triggers up to six Wild Multipliers on the reels for up to 30 free spins.
Since the slot is based on the traditional slot machine, symbols in the game include jewels, bar symbols, oranges, sevens, watermelons, bells, cherries, lemons, and plenty more.
Sticky Sevens MegaWays is available at all Skywind Group partnered casino operators in the UK.
