Soterios Scholarios

If you're interested in the current situation of gambling regulation around the world please watch this webinar! I was one of the presenters and talked about the history and future of the Finnish regulation and a bit about the situation in some other Nordic countries as well. #gambling #gamblingharm #gamblingregulation

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Casino Surveillance: A Specialised Craft Casino Surveillance is a highly specialised field, considered a trade, requiring extensive training, diverse operational experience, and access to comprehensive learning materials, industry peers and mentors. In the past, surveillance personnel would sit on catwalks, peering through one-way glass with binoculars. Today, they monitor high-definition CCTV feeds on LED screens. Despite these technological advancements, one constant remains: people watching people. The Role of Technology Technology plays an increasingly important role in the journey of a surveillance professional. Modern tools and systems enhance the ability to monitor and analyse activities within the casino. However, technology cannot replace the human elements of intuition and instinct. The gut feelings and subtle cues that experienced surveillance personnel rely on are irreplaceable. These human attributes are critical for detecting anomalies and potential threats that technology alone might miss. Path to Leadership in Casino Surveillance. Casino Surveillance Management personnel typically rise through the ranks, progressing from trainees to managers in a manner similar to an apprenticeship. This progression ensures that leaders possess the necessary knowledge, experience, and expertise specific to casino surveillance. However, the debate still exists: can a leader from another field successfully manage a surveillance team? Leadership in Specialised Roles While some management and leadership skills are transferable across different fields, specialised roles like casino surveillance require intimate knowledge and specific experience. Leadership in this context is not just about managing people; it’s about understanding the intricacies of surveillance operations, the nuances of human behaviour, and the specific challenges unique to the casino environment. A leader in casino surveillance must be passionate about the role, possessing an instinct that is honed through years of dedicated service and hands-on experience. This level of expertise is what distinguishes effective leaders in this specialised field from those who might have general leadership skills but lack the specific insights required for casino surveillance. Conclusion Casino Surveillance is more than just a job; it’s a craft that requires a blend of technological proficiency and human intuition. While technology continues to evolve, the fundamental aspect of a persons ability to read subtle behaviours “Tells” and understand the human behaviour 'people watching people' remains unchanged. Effective leadership in this field demands not only general management skills such as business acumen and human centric leadership but also specialised knowledge and a deep-seated passion for the Casino industry and Casino Surveillance. This unique combination is what ensures the security and integrity of the casino environment.

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🚨 Attention Game Suppliers! 🚨 From September 1, 2024, you can apply for a supplier license to supply games to operators with a Danish license. This is a crucial step towards ensuring compliance with the Danish Gambling Authority’s regulations, effective January 1, 2025. CompliancePlay is here to guide you through every step of the license application process. #GameSuppliers #Compliance #DanishGamblingAuthority #CompliancePlay

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Really interesting article from Paul Sculpher around mass resourcing challenges for international land based casinos. Its common knowledge that the U.K. casino sector is still awaiting long promised regulatory reform to help bolster its performance, but the rest of the world isn’t standing still! U.A.E, Japan and Thailand are all super interesting markets to watch.. #casinos #resourcing #gamblingindustry

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How do you ensure dispute management in the gambling sector remains fair? Gambling naturally results in a higher volume of disputes than other industries. There are few industries where the business can deliver exactly the product that the consumer is looking for and still have the consumer end-up unhappy with the service. Whilst consumers buy the chance of winning, or indeed the risk, they often judge whether the service was satisfactory on the outcome of the event. If they lose, many players will question the fairness of the transaction. This dynamic ensures that no matter how well-regulated the sector is, there will always be a high volume of player complaints that need managed. Who should be responsible for managing these disputes? Regulators? Statutory bodies? Courts? ADRs? There are pros and cons to each potential system. And this is what I’ll be joining Mex Emini, Marianna Tavella, Oliver De Bono and Tânia Pinho to discuss at SiGMA World Europe next week on Tuesday the 12th. If your role includes the management of player complaints, and you’re going to be at SiGMA next week, reach out to me for a chat. CasinoReviews.com offers a unique product in the industry – MGA and UKGC ADR services that are free to licensees. And I just love to talk about it 😉

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So then, what's on your technical reading list at the moment? I'm currently working through the Blue Fox edition of Arm64 and Arm32 reverse engineering by Maria Markstedter. Looking forward the Red Fox edition of this two-part book when it comes out in May. Also on the go is The Mixing Engineer's Handbook - 5th edition - by Bobby Owsinski. Two seemingly unrelated technical topics... 🙂 Network, hit me up with interesting things to read!

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Here we have a review of the Trade on Sports Service over a 2 year timeline conducted by Honest Betting Reviews https://lnkd.in/eDACuhg #SportsTrading

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🚨 AK BETS - COMMENT 🚨 Great to see the Labour government recognising the UK gambling industry is highly regulated and highly taxed and the 22.5 million customers who play safely and responsibly aren’t further shunted towards illegal markets by operators absorbing yet more tax. Problem Gambling rates will never be 0 but legislators working with legal operators to help reduce harm is the way forward. Our own view is that services such as GamStop shouldn’t just be a blocker for customers. The data captured should be used to help pinpoint those experiencing problems and the industry tax revenue generated directed at their treatment. Don’t penalise the 22.5 million with one-size-fits-all policy. Derek Webb’s ROI from Lobbying against the legalised gambling industry isn’t looking great. A good day for the legalised industry. A bad day for useful idiots with agendas. #PleaseLobbyResponsibly #Budget2024 #Budget24

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Perhaps it would be sensible if this Labour Government reviewed existing Government spending first before making any potential drastic remote gaming duty/RGD increases. This will impact safer gambling initiatives as operators naturally will look at reducing compliance solution spend and I am sure we will see some of the largest operators moving their HQ overseas. It also appears the land based sector will also be impacted as well. https://lnkd.in/eW9TA4-d

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🎰🎰 Aggregators are fast becoming key elements for successful online casino business, both from the operator and slot developer side. But how do you know you are asking the right questions to make sure you have the right partner? 🎰🎰 The good news is Tuesday 3 September at 3PM UK (10am ET), we're hosting a webinar in partnership with Hub88.io focusing on what operators look for, or should be looking for, when they identify and choose an aggregation partner. How does a studio differentiate itself? How can they ensure the relationship runs smoothly? What do the discussions look like between an operator and a game studio? How can the right partner help an operator when entering a new market? This looks like a really interesting discussion, and we've got a fantastic expert panel of Andrew Jurgielan, Natasha Giorgio, Mikael Forslund and Aleksandr Lilik, along with CasinoBeats Editor Joe Streeter to deliver insight. Register here to guarantee your place https://lnkd.in/eSwq_U7d

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The future of our industry has to be about creating Sustainable Player Value!! Compliance can add value it isn’t just a cost. Here our CEO & Founder Paul Foster talks with our client Sam McKnight about how the use of class leading technology provided by us Crucial Compliance Limited solves the issues every operator faces and enables the creation of Sustainable Player Value. Let me know what you think and if you would like to meet up at ICE Barcelona to discuss further we would be happy to ablige. #sustainableplayervalue #compliance #itscrucial

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Stateside once again next week for #SBCSummitNorthAmerica, on the agenda: 🏆 Lottery sized FTP jackpots 🏇 Pricing and profiling services 💰 Your prize indemnity needs 👀 A new Colossus product in the pipeline

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The rise of the SBC events has been a true pleasure to experience. I was at the first ever Sports Betting Community gathering at a lowly pub in Hoxton - I believe back in 2010 (maybe Ras can confirm the exact date!). This week, I have regaled how that first gathering resembled, somewhat aptly, an AA meeting - about 10 of us sat a bit awkwardly in a circle of chairs in a typical east end boozer talking sports betting shop. It definitely pre-dated the notion of memorialising pub visits in camera phone libraries, so here is a stock image to give you an idea, minus bad fashion. The scale that the events have now reached since that first gathering of industry mates is staggering. The Lisbon show this week has been enormous with a reported 25,000+ attendees and a colossal exhibition floorplan. Apparently this is amongst the most number of visitors this city has ever had. I remember when Rasmus Sojmark and I first discussed how great it would be for there to be a community for those involved in sports betting - at the time, conferences were - and to a great extent remain - casino focused. Of course, the SBC Summit is very much inclusive of gaming, but Ras… you’ve bloody well delivered on that mission buddy. Now trying to recall who else was at that very first pub session… the depths of my mind say George Voyatzis, Pierluigi Buccioli, Sam Williams and Ted Menmuir were there. Who else? #SBCSummit

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Looks like .io TLD is going to disappear!? The UK is about to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. As per the rules .io has to go. It seems like there is a concensus that an exception is going to be made in this case, considering how popular .io is. For instance, this would affect around 3-5% of iGaming focused corporate B2B websites, as well as plenty of operators and affiliates. For instance, a quick search on Top 10 crypto casinos (as listed on the website with SERP#1 on the keyword 'crypto casinos') shows that 3 out of 10 use .io. In any case, if you plan for new brand/affiliate website names, it's best to check out some of my domain names at igaming.domains, rather than betting on an .io domain name. Or DM me to get a full list. #igaming #casino #gambling #onlinecasino

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The Myth of the Crystal Ball in Gambling: How Rituals and Strategies Hinder Recovery In gambling, there’s a persistent myth that gamblers possess a magical crystal ball – an ability to predict outcomes, spot patterns, or control the uncontrollable. As someone with lived experience and working in addiction recovery, I’ve seen and experienced how powerful and damaging these beliefs can be. Many gamblers rely on rituals and strategies, believing these actions can influence their luck. Whether it’s a lucky charm, a specific seat, or a sequence of numbers, these rituals offer a false sense of security. Some gamblers might blow on dice, tap on the slot machine, or wear “lucky” clothing. Others develop elaborate strategies, convinced they can find a winning formula. However, the reality is that gambling outcomes are entirely random, and no amount of belief or strategy can alter that fact. The Trap These beliefs and rituals are psychological traps. They distort logical thought processes, fostering illogical thinking patterns. Gamblers begin to see patterns where none exist and make decisions based on emotions rather than facts. Each near-miss or occasional win reinforces the belief, while losses are rationalized away as temporary setbacks. This makes it hard for gamblers to recognize the true nature of their problem. Rituals can also be used to rationalize loss. When a gambler experiences a loss, they might attribute it to not following their ritual correctly, rather than accepting the randomness of gambling. For example, a poker player who loses might believe it happened because they forgot to wear their “lucky” hat. This rationalization helps them maintain the illusion of control and continue believing they can influence future outcomes by adhering to their rituals. This mindset prevents them from recognizing the true nature of their gambling behavior and hinders their recovery. Impact on Recovery For those of us working in recovery, it’s crucial to understand how these ritual constructions can hinder progress. But we must remember that these are deeply ingrained illogical thought processes. Holding on to them means holding on to the gambling mindset, which is a significant barrier to long-term recovery. This mindset can lead gamblers to believe they are just one step away from a big win, preventing them from accepting the reality of their situation. True recovery requires acceptance of reality – that gambling is unpredictable and uncontrollable, and that chasing losses or trying to “beat the system” is a losing battle. By addressing these beliefs head-on, we can help clients dismantle the illusions that keep them trapped and pave the way for genuine, sustainable recovery. Let’s continue to share insights and strategies to support those struggling with gambling addiction. Together, we can break free from the myths that bind them and help them embrace a life of clarity and control. #GamblingAddiction #SupportSystems #AddictionRecovery

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Poker scam talk of the industry, according to game-protection expert: https://lnkd.in/ezRxhKSN When it comes to casino scams in 2024, the use of concealed cameras in poker games is the number-one...

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