Author: Daniel Williams

Racecourse Media Group, which currently manages the media rights of 35 racecourses across the UK, reported that a recent Racing TV survey found a “material decline” in sports betting turnover in 2022 as affordability checks pushed British punters away from the sport. A major survey conducted by the group unveiled that 15% of the research respondents either wager or know someone who wagers with a bookmaker operating on the black market. The chief executive officer of Racecourse Media Group, Martin Stevenson, revealed the revenues decline at the time he announced…

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing calls to dismiss the country’s Communications Minister Michelle Rowland after she was found to have received political contributions from one of the largest bookmakers in the country right before the election. Now, both Minister Rowland and Prime Minister Albanese are under pressure over recently unveiled allegations that the Communications Minister received political donations from Sportsbet. Long-time anti-gambling advocate and independent Member of Parliament Andrew Wilkie has criticised the Minister and called for Mr Albanese to make sure Ms Rowland will face immediate consequences…

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is making reorganisations to his Cabinet at probably the worst time for the country’s gambling industry. Currently, the department that bears the responsibility for overseeing the White Paper on gambling is undergoing some reforms, with one of the strongest supporters of the local gambling sector moving further away. According to Mr Sunak, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) needs a new direction, which is why it is set to experience some changes. The former boss of the Department, Secretary Michelle Donelan, is set…

A new report by the Centre of Western Sydney has revealed that gambling has turned into a “silent epidemic” for local residents. Tom Nance, manager of the Centre, cited some of the data, according to which 63% of Sydney’s gambling losses through electronic gaming machines have been registered in the western part of the city. In comparison, only 52% of Sydney’s population is concentrated there. He explained that an alarmingly high percentage of gambling losses is sustained in a small number of locations, such as Cumberland, Canterbury-Bankstown, and Fairfield Local…

The most significant gambling reforms in Australia are about to be rolled out by one state as part of the local Government’s efforts to tackle money laundering and help people who struggle with gambling addiction. Earlier today, New South Wales (NSW) Premier Dominic Perrottet unveiled his Cabinet’s new plans to regulate the gambling sector in the state, with poker machines set to become cashless by 2028. At the time when he made the Government’s announcement, Mr Perrottet explained that the new changes were planned after extensive consultations with market experts…

Irish horse trainer Ronan McNally has faced an extremely heavy penalty, involving a 12-year disqualification from racing, an order to return more than €13,000 in prize money and to pay €50,000 in costs after the referrals committee of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board published found him guilty of a range of integrity violations in December 2022. McNally’s ban is the longest-issued suspension that has ever been issued to a holder of an Irish horse trainer licence. His disqualification exceeds the four-year licence suspension (which was then reduced by six months…

The Waimate District Council members have voted in favour of the introduction of the so-called “sinking lid policy” as part of some changes being brought to the district’s gambling policy. Local gambling venues, however, will be given the opportunity to relocate under the provisions of the new rules. At a meeting that took place earlier this week, the council officially adopted the new policy that has come as a replacement to the TAB Board Venue Policy 2018 and the Gambling Venue Policy 2018. As of November 2022, there have been…

Peter Malinauskas, the Premier of South Australia, has not ruled out making considerable changes to the way the Adelaide casino is operated, at the time when there were mere hours until a review of the suitability of SkyCity to hold a casino operating permit was unveiled. As the team of Casino Guardian previously reported, the casino operator has been subject to investigation from the Former Supreme Court judge Brian Martin KC, who is set to report to Dimi Soulio as soon as February 1st. At the end of January, Mr…

New South Wales (NSW) Premier Dominic Perrottet has been supported by some of his political rivals as he criticised Josh Landis, the boss of ClubsNSW, who claimed that the recently announced gambling reforms were informed by Perrottet’s “catholic gut” rather than evidence. The explosive claims made by Mr Landis fuelled even bigger controversy in the state, with the Premier attacking the ClubsNSW boss for what he said. The leader of the Opposition, Chris Minns, and other NSW politicians also supported Mr. Perrottet’s efforts to make the local gambling sector better…

At a time when gambling is becoming quite a controversial issue in the New South Wales (NSW) upcoming election, the local gambling industry has released a code of conduct seeking to suspend suspected criminals from accessing its services in the state. For the time being, the organisation representing the regulated clubs and pubs offering poker machines in the state – ClubsNSW – is opposing the move for the implementation of so-called mandatory cashless gaming cards, saying that the evidence presented so far does not prove that the proposed measure will…