Author: Daniel Williams

The unfortunate story of an Australian gambling addict, Gary Van Duinen, who committed suicide, has once again raised some questions about the actual costs of poker machines. The highly addictive nature of pokies has been among the most discussed topics in terms of constantly increasing rates of problem gambling in the country, and more specifically, in New South Wales (NSW). The state of NSW has registered a record-high in annual losses estimated to AU$7 billion on the currently existing 95,000 poker machines. Moreover, the recent budget of the state projects…

The UK Gambling Commission unveiled that Ladbrokes misled it at the time when the investigation into the Black Dave case was taking place. The case in question was brought to an end yesterday, with a statement issued to warn bookmakers that need to be more careful when handling Rule 4 deductions in horse racing. Back in 2017, the trainer David Evans faced a monetary penalty under the ruling body of the local racing industry for delaying notifications of a non-runner, Tango Sky. According to investigation findings, this provided him with…

The Ministry of Health of New Zealand published the results of a new research aimed at bringing more light on the gambling habits of Pacific children and their mothers. The research, which the Ministry funded, is part of the long-term Pacific Islands Families (PIF) Study and has provided some useful knowledge about the changes in gambling behaviours and risk factors over a prolonged period of time. The research is also aimed at providing a better perspective of the environmental, family and social factors which are associated with gambling. The PIF…

Recently, the reports of professional athletes being seriously addicted to gambling have become quite common. In fact, it turns out that Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) players are no exception at a time when problem gambling on the territory of Ireland is spreading unchecked to an unimaginable extent. Currently, the gambling industry is one of the largest sectors in Ireland’s economy, with sports betting being referred to as the most popular gambling activity among local players, followed by lotteries and casino slot games. Land-based casino sector currently generates only a small…

A helpline that has been specially designed for problem gamblers in Ireland and funded by the gambling industry has been lacking staff for almost a month. GambleAware was also promoted by local bookmakers as part of their responsible gambling policies. The service is currently one of the largest and most prominent services for players who are dealing with problem gambling behaviour. The failure of the gambling addicts helpline has raised concerns that the local Government is not making enough progress in establishing an independent regulator. The Times reported that it…

After the Government of New South Wales (NSW) rolled out stricter regulation of advertising incentives to push local customers to gamble, betting service providers, publishers, as well as third-party affiliates, are to face heftier monetary fines. The new penalties are to amount to up to AU$55,000. The new legislation on the matter which has already come into effect is set to see gambling operators and their affiliates, as well as publishers of gambling advertisements, face monetary penalties, while directors of gambling operators can potentially be brought to jail for violation…

A new study has revealed that more than 400,000 British teenagers have been addicted to casino-style gambling through the video games they play. According to results of the investigation, the children aged 13 to 18, have been able to gamble their winnings generated from online video games for cash on various games of chance. Currently, under-aged individuals in the UK are not allowed to gamble. However, some gambling options are actually been available thanks to so-called virtual in-game items called “skins”, or some character costumes or weapons that can be…

Today, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) published a report into the enforcement action which was taken against local gambling operators over the past year. The Enforcement report of the major UK gambling regulatory body emphasised on the lessons it wants to teach to gambling companies, following investigations of alleged breaches of the country’s gambling legislation. Apart from carrying out an investigation on the matter the Commission also provided some guidance to local gambling operators related to anti-money laundering, customer protection and interaction, unfair terms and practices, gambling marketing and advertising,…

The Australian Senate has revealed its decision to support a campaign that will end up in a vote on a controversial issue related to loot boxes and in-game items. The vote on the matter, which should be placed as a matter of investigation by a committee enquiry today, seeks to decide on whether loot boxes in video games could be considered a form of gambling, and whether they are appropriate for children and younger audiences. Senator Jordon Steele-John revealed in a press release that he had long been calling for…

The Responsible Gambling Advisory Board (RGAB) have shared their concerns that local children who watch Match of the Day could be targeted by gambling adverts, as they are exposed to such commercials over most of the programme. The advisers of the UK Government warned that country’s responsible authorities are involved in something which the Board called an “uncontrolled social experiment” to children at a time when more minors get exposed to gambling and such behaviour could end up having a long-term negative effect on them. According to the Responsible Gambling…