Author: Daniel Williams

For a few years now, UK legislators are targeting the local online gambling industry as a part of a larger nationwide crackdown aimed at setting stricter gambling regulations. So, in 2018 a new set of regulations was imposed on the British iGaming sector, and more specifically on online gambling advertising so that underage individuals are better protected against possible gambling-related harm. Some of the regulations have suspended certain online casino games from being associated with subjects from pop culture and animation which are mostly associated with younger audiences. According to…

A care home worker misappropriated over £7,600 from the bank account of an elderly woman to fuel her online gambling addiction. During the hearing at the Teesside Crown Court, it became clear that the 36-year-old Yvette Thomas was hooked on online gambling. She was caught stealing money from an 87-year old woman after the victim’s son noticed that large amounts of money had been withdrawn. There were also entries for SkyBet and PayPal on the elderly woman’s bank statement. The elderly woman’s son also spotted that the money transactions were…

An Armagh councillor emotionally urged planners to fully strike down an application which has been filed as part of an attempt for a new casino-style adult gaming centre to be established in the city. As the Armagh I reported, Garath Keating, a former Sinn Fein Lord Mayor, has opposed to the proposal and expressed his concern with the project. A few days ago, planning officials were recommended to approve the proposed adult gaming centre venue, which is planned to be situated at a place which has previously operated as the…

From Tuesday, more than 6,700 recipients of Newstart, Youth Allowance and parenting payments residing in the towns of Harvey Bay and Bundaberg, Queensland, will be receiving 80% of these payments on a special cashless welfare card which cannot be used for gambling and alcohol. The remaining 20% of the payments will be put in the recipients’ nominated bank accounts. This is the fourth and so far biggest launch of the federal government’s trial of the Centrelink cashless welfare card, which has already been launched with mixed results in Kimberley and…

National Lottery scratch cards were illegally sold to underage individuals in almost four out of ten retail stores in Ireland, research has found. The middle of the week saw the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL) publish a report following a secret investigation into the responsible gambling measures taken by the National Lottery. As part of the research, teams of mystery shoppers visited 510 retail shops, supermarkets and post offices across Ireland to try and buy a scratch card worth €1. The teams comprised of youngsters who…

According to the Tasmania Liquor and Gaming Commission, Australian regulators should consider new threats which occurred as a result of online gambling activities in the country. The Commission shared in its 2017/18 annual report that the national gambling conference had raised certain questions in related to video games played by local children. According to the regulatory body, there is gambling “embedded” in video games in the form of so-called “loot boxes”. As Casino Guardian has previously written, loot boxes are special randomised items in video games which could be purchased…

A charity organisation has revealed that Walsall gamblers are worried about generating massive debts while playing on fixed-odds betting machines (FOBTs). The licensing committee of Walsall Council has a scheduled meeting for January 23rd, at which it is expected to give the green light to a revised statement of principles related to the Gambling Act. Apart from the adoption of the statement of principle’s changes, the council members are also expected to agree to work in collaboration with some partners in order to raise the profiles of local charities which…

A Fianna Fáil TD has shared that the fact that the Irish Government has not managed to guarantee proper gambling regulation in the country makes it responsible for the constantly increasing number of young people becoming hooked on gambling. The Times has started an inquiry into the number of young men from the age of 18 to 25, whose remain uncategorised as problem gamblers. During the investigation, Jack Chambers, a Fianna Fáil TD, commented that the Government through its lack of action is the one to blame for the increasing…

The House of Lords meeting on January 16th saw the question regarding further regulatory actions on gambling adverts raised once again. According to Lord Timothy Kirkhope of Harrogate, a complete ban on gambling advertising may be the only efficient way to make sure that the most vulnerable members of society are well protected. Lord Kirkhope urged the UK Government to bring more clarity about its plans to tackle some gambling operators’ aggressive marketing campaigns targeting minors or individuals who can be easily hooked on gambling. Plans to ban gambling advertising…

A man known as a serial burglar of elderly people was sent to jail for six years. Terence Joseph Oakes from Macclesfield stole cash and bank cards from his victims to fund a gambling addiction and was described by a prosecutor as a man who made dishonesty a way of life. The man previously pleaded guilty to two burglaries and five counts of theft. He got arrested by the police who saw him withdrawing some cash from one of his victims’ bank cards. Apart from a 96-year-old woman, the rest…