1xCare advisory board outlines player protection aims at SBC Summit 2026

1xCare, which presented itself to the industry in June 2026, used SBC Summit 2026 to share early findings and explain its wider objectives. The body says it wants to become an international hub for responsible gambling excellence and best practice, built on research, education, technology and player well-being. It stressed that it intends to contribute to the debate on player protection rather than close it.

Chair Simon Westbury said the idea emerged from meetings at 1xBet's offices in Cyprus, but that 1xCare is registered as a separate company and has full operational independence. He said the advisory board, not the operator, makes decisions on funding. In his words, the rationale is "to make a positive impact in a verifiable way across the industry."

The board also includes Chris Bird, a former COO of Manchester City FC and CEO of the Raheem Sterling Foundation, Quirino Mancini, a co-founder and former president of International Masters of Gaming Law with more than 20 years as an iGaming legal adviser, and Sissel Weitzhandler, a former Allwyn compliance director and co-founder of EGARA. Bird said he was drawn by the emphasis on education, which is central to his consultancy work with young people and people in sport.

A core aim is to foster dialogue among operators, regulators, suppliers, players and governments, and to encourage more consistent regulatory requirements on player protection so that operators compete on a level playing field. Mancini said that big international operators have come to accept that obtaining a local licence and following the rules is the sensible way forward, and argued that a clear, consistent rulebook best protects consumers, minors and vulnerable people.

Weitzhandler warned that rapid regulatory change and sudden advertising bans can push players towards the black market if licensed operators cannot compete. She said regulation only protects the players it can reach, and called for open licensing regimes and an adaptable, evidence-led and pragmatic approach.

Both speakers pointed to Brazil, where President Lula signed an order to ban online gambling entirely two years after the regulated market opened. Mancini called the move ill-judged and driven by polls, and compared it with Italy's abrupt advertising ban in 2018. He argued that outright prohibition is always wrong, particularly when it is not backed by independent research, objective data and a fair consultation process with all stakeholders.