South Australia’s Malinauskas Labour Government is planning to introduce amendments to the jurisdiction’s laws regarding the financial penalties companies can face for not adhering to the state’s gambling regulations. At present, the maximum fine that operators are forced to pay should their transgressions be severe enough stands at AU$100,000. If the amendments are passed, however, the potential penalty limit will increase to up to AU$75 million. In addition, the changes are planned to be retroactive, that is, they will also affect past disciplinary action. The update is tied to casino…
Read MoreAuthor: Daniel Williams
BGC Denies Gambling Ads Are Linked to Problem Gambling Following Publication of GambleAware-Commissioned Study Into Gambling Ad Exposure’s Impact on Youth
Last week, the independent charity GambleAware published the results of a comprehensive study centred around children and their exposure to both gambling-like content like loot boxes as well as adverts promoting real-money gambling. As the risk of being impacted by pathological gambling is 2.3 times higher when one has been exposed to gambling at a young age, according to previous GambleAware-led research, the results provide valuable insight into what needs to be done to protect UK youth from gambling harm. However, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) told daily newspaper…
Read MoreACMA Blocks 15 Illegal Gambling Websites From Operating in Australia
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has published a report summarising the results of an investigation into unlicensed offshore gambling websites. The probe focused on the timeframe of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and ACMA investigated a total of 200 gambling operators. According to the findings, 21 services were selected on suspicion of illegally targeting Australian bettors. In total, 18 of them were found to have, indeed, offered their services to Australians despite lacking a licence and thus failed to adhere to Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001. ACMA…
Read MoreEntain Reports 7% Revenue Decline in the UK and Ireland in Q1
The UKs’ changing regulatory landscape has had a negative effect on Ladbrokes owner Entain, with the gambling giant’s report for 2024’s first quarter highlighting a 7% decline in terms of net gaming revenue (NGR) when it comes to its British and Irish operations. Online wagering was hit particularly hard, with Entain generating 9% less than last year. As for retail gambling, the reported NGR decline stood at 6%. However, the company is optimistic that things will turn around by 2025 as it is working toward improving its operations. Moreover, the…
Read MoreIndustry Source Criticises Preferential Treatment of Political Fundraising Lotteries in Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Bill 2022
John Drennan, a political columnist for Extra.ie and other Irish news websites, wrote on Tuesday that fundraising lotteries organised by political parties will not need to adhere to the Gambling Regulation Bill’s €10 stake limit. This exemption presents a problem of “favourable treatment,” according to an industry source. As specified in the new bill, lotteries and other prize competitions like the Cash Machine will need to implement a €10 cap on bets, and a win limit of €3,000 is also included in the rules. This piece of legislation has become…
Read MoreIllegal Billboard Ads Land BlueBet in Hot Water With the VGCCC
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) announced yesterday that it has handed BlueBet an AU$50,000 fine after finding the operator guilty on 43 counts of illegally promoting gambling. BlueBet’s transgressions are centred around the operator’s decision to advertise betting on a number of digital billboards in Laverton, Point Cook, Rockbank, Ravenhall, and Werribee in August and September 2022. In all cases, the billboards were located on or above a public road. As the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 explicitly prohibits this form of advertising when it comes to gambling,…
Read MoreGambling Harm Reduction Expert Outlines How the Australian Government Can Address Gambling-Related Suicides
In an article published in the Medical Journal of Australia’s InSight+ website, Angela Rintoul, Associate Professor at Federation University whose expertise lies in gambling harm reduction, health inequities, and the commercial determinants of health, outlined a series of strategies and measures that can be undertaken to prevent suicides tied to gambling in Australia. Her publication was released amidst the Australian government’s continued discussions on whether a nationwide ban on gambling ads should be implemented, and such a prohibition is among the many measures that could prevent gambling-related suicide, according to…
Read MoreReport Reveals Impact of Cashless Gaming Trial in Wests New Lambton Was Limited
New South Wales’ gambling regulator has published the results of a cashless gaming trial that ran from October 2022 until June 2023 and involved a total of 144 machines in Newcastle’s Wests New Lambton. In order to participate, players had to install a digital wallet application courtesy of gambling machine manufacturer Aristocrat on their smartphones, undergo identity verification, and utilise the app to transfer money from their bank accounts to their gaming machines of choice. The technology provided clients with a range of responsible gambling tools, the most notable of…
Read MoreFormer Stoke City Footballer Raises Awareness Among Young Players About the Risks of Gambling
Tony Kelly, founder of the Red Card Gambling Support project and former footballer, warned young football players at Warwickshire’s Bedworth United Football Club about how harmful gambling can be. The said warning was a part of his campaign’s awareness workshop, which aims to mitigate and prevent gambling addiction among aspiring footballers. He was accompanied by the BBC’s James Bovill and his crew. As reported by Mr Bovill, Mr Kelly told the students about his football career and how it was cut short once his addiction spiralled out of control. As…
Read MoreLottoland Raises Concerns Over Lack of Correspondence Regarding New Gambling Regulation Bill
Mike Kirwan, who currently serves as Lottoland’s vice-president, said that he was unable to secure a meeting with the Minister of State at the Department of Justice James Browne with regard to Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Bill 2022, which Mr Browne is a proponent of. As reported by The Irish Times, Lottoland has a range of concerns surrounding the upcoming law. However, it has been around a month since Mr Browne sent a letter in which he sought to meet with the Minister to discuss the said concerns, and in contrast…
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