(AsiaGameHub) –   One of the most contentious issues is how licensed online casino operators can effectively compete against the black market.

The black market holds an advantage over regulated platforms not only due to its unethical advertising practices and lack of restrictions, allowing it to employ any strategy to attract players, but also through gameplay that increases volatility and offers players a quicker path to high-stakes gaming.

A significant point of contention is the availability of BonusBuys on the unlicensed market. These were prohibited in the UK in 2019 by the Gambling Commission, which decreed that the mechanism encourages chasing losses and promotes riskier, unsafe gameplay.

While the regulated market may choose to ignore BonusBuys and TurboSpins by keeping them off licensed platforms, these features serve as a crucial tool for the black market to entice slot players who are most in need of safer gambling frameworks and tools, which are often neglected in the unregulated space.

The rise of high-volatility crash games, which have successfully infiltrated social media algorithms, demonstrates the black market’s strategy of using intensified gameplay to boost engagement.

Simon Vincze from CasinoGuru believes that while BonusBuys may not be the black market’s strongest unique selling proposition, they undeniably offer an “extra experience.”

“It’s difficult to determine what proportion of players are particularly drawn to that, but many streamers schedule ‘bonus rounds’ sessions where they play one bonus round after another. They would not be doing that if they weren’t popular,” Vincze added.

The Gambling Commission adopted a stringent stance on BonusBuys and TurboSpins, identifying them as a significant threat to the most vulnerable players by bypassing normal game structures and disrupting the balance in how players engage with slots and the pace of their play.

Vincze emphasized his view that “there are always better approaches than blanket banning, as it might not be relevant for everyone, and those who desire will often find a way.”

It remains to be seen whether this perspective will lead to BonusBuys being reintroduced into the regulated market in some form. The question is whether the regulated market can find a safe method for their introduction, or if doing so would blur the lines between regulated and unregulated markets to a degree that increases harm.

Conversely, defeating the black market should not be an objective pursued at any cost; diluting the safety of the regulated market to combat the black market would be counterproductive.

Regarding the possibility of alternative approaches, Vincze stated: “There is no simple answer to these questions, but for me, it lies in personalization and design. Current behavioral analyses can offer a fairly accurate estimate of whether someone is at risk.

“We could make these features clearly visible to those who score lower, then restrict access to them, or even make them completely inaccessible to those in higher-risk groups.”

Speaking at the Illegal Gambling Prevention Summit, DealMeOut Founder Jordan Lea cautioned that while he doesn’t consider the ban on BonusBuys to be a flawed regulation, consumers still wish to use them and will find ways to circumvent existing frameworks to engage with the mechanic.

Lea clarified that he does not endorse the regulation of BonusBuys but warned that their prohibition serves as an example of the careful consideration needed for regulatory decisions.

Duncan Garvie, CEO of BetBlocker, also pointed out that when restrictions are placed on bonuses or BonusBuys, we must acknowledge that “a certain proportion of consumers will migrate to the black market because this is a priority for them, because we feel that this piece of regulation will better protect the larger body of consumers who won’t migrate to the black market over that.”

Unlicensed operators, crypto crash games, and BonusBuys share a common element: their visibility is significantly amplified by influencers and streamers on platforms like Kick.

Lea also highlighted the influence of streamers in promoting BonusBuys, noting that those with genuine audience connections and effective reach are actively promoting the most volatile aspects of games – mechanics that are not even legal in the UK market.

Addressing the challenge of bringing streamers under regulatory oversight, Vincze acknowledged: “It’s difficult to make them obey something that cannot be enforced.

“If it were another company besides Kick, I would suggest trying to regulate it through them, but they already have a reputation for not caring. Nonetheless, many streamers may not be fully aware that these features could be harmful, and proper education might steer their moral compass.”

This raises the complex question of whether the promotion and availability of bonus buys can ever be truly thwarted, and if it’s time they are reintegrated into the regulated sector under controlled conditions.

In my view, embracing the most volatile forms of gambling, even if theoretically capable of being engaged with safely, promotes the most dangerous playing styles and would lower the standards of the regulated market to match that of the black market it frequently criticizes.

Furthermore, the issue of education is critical. At a conference in Manchester focused on the black market, a significant concern was that in today’s digital landscape, players can inadvertently end up in the unlicensed sector. Blurring the distinctions between regulated and unlicensed market gameplay further complicates matters and sets a dangerous precedent in the ongoing effort to combat the black market.