Author: Daniel Williams

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) unveiled the new industry regulations for BetStop, the soon-to-be-launched registry for self-exclusion from gambling. The communications watchdog said yesterday it hopes the nationwide self-exclusion programme would serve as a powerful support mechanism for residents looking to change their betting habits. The BetStop initiative will enable Aussie gamblers to restrict themselves from wagering on all locally licensed online and mobile betting platforms, including those for sports and horse race wagering. Residents who feel their gambling has started to become problematic will be able to…

The representative body of clubs in the state of New South Wales (NSW) – ClubsNSW – has released a draft Gaming Code of Practice aimed at establishing an independent panel to determine if a certain exclusion was appropriate or not. The suggested panel would determine the actual length of the suspension. Under the proposed measure, a designated responsible gambling officer would be appointed to every club across the state. Employees of NSW clubs would also be given advanced training that would help them recognise signs of gambling addiction. Such indicators…

The largest gambling charity organisation in the UK – GambleAware – has recently published a new study regarding gambling harm and stigmatising language. According to data included in the study, discrimination against players who find it hard to control their gambling discourages them from looking for professional help. The results of the study called “Building Knowledge of Stigma Related to Gambling and Gambling Harms in Great Britain” were published a few days ago, after the research process was completed by Dr Anne Stangl, Mariana Siapka, and Triantafyllos Pliakas, who analysed…

It has been more than 2 years and a half since the Government won the last general election in the UK. At this time, the politicians made a commitment to update local gambling legislation in order to bring the country’s laws into the digital age. So far, a massive amount of work has been done not only by the Government but also by campaigners, academics, clinicians, parliamentarians, and even the gambling industry in order for a new, evidence-based gambling policy aimed at improving the UK gambling regulatory framework and tackling…

The top-flight clubs in the English Premier League (EPL) have delayed a vote on the proposed voluntary suspension of gambling sponsorship agreements after the minister responsible for the country’s gambling industry filed his resignation. According to media reports, on July 7th, the Premier League sent emails to the 20 top-flight clubs to inform them that a deadline to provide their support for the proposed reform had been scrapped. Club executives have revealed that instead, the proposals are set to be discussed at a shareholder meeting scheduled for July 26th. As…

A recently held meeting saw the boss of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee violently confront the CEO of the UK regulatory body over claims of insufficient transparency and effectiveness of the watchdog. The meetings took place late last week and involved a debate between Andrew Rhodes, the CEO of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), and Julian Knight, the chair of the DCMS. At the time, the executive director of the UK gambling regulator, John Tanner, also took part in the discussion, which was held after the country’s…

Chris Philp, the UK gambling minister, has shared that the White Paper, which is expected to be published any moment now as a result of the Government’s gambling laws review, will focus on online casinos and slots. He explained that those were the games he found most concerning as he addressed the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee. When asked about the assessment that had been made of gambling-related harm caused by lotteries and so-called instant-win games, the country’s gambling minister cited the 2018 health survey for England, which…

The English Premier League (EPL) has addressed its clubs, asking them to support discontinuing the gambling sponsorship deal practices in a last-minute move to avert legislation. Reportedly, EPL chiefs have made the request as part of an effort to avoid the threat of a Government-enforced ban. According to reports, the Premier League bosses contacted clubs at the beginning of the week, proposing plans for the clubs to voluntarily end shirt sponsorship agreements with gambling operators within 3 years. The interested parties have been asked to respond quickly at a time…

New regulations that have provided greater enforcement powers to the gambling regulatory body of Victoria, allowing it to further investigate the operations, policies and services of Crown Melbourne and take action against it in case it violates the state’s code of conduct, have been enforced. At the beginning of July, the Victorian Government officially confirmed that the new regulatory powers came into force. Under the new legislative rules, inspectors have been provided with greater access to the casino’s surveillance equipment and books. Apart from that, the core business of the…

Recent reports that the long-awaited restrictions on the UK gambling sectors are set to be altered so that they are practically weaker in force enraged anti-gambling campaigners. Over the last couple of days, there have been rumours that the British Government could drop the mandatory levy on the local gambling sector, which has been supposed to pay for extremely important treatment of problem gambling, from the package of updated regulatory measures that are expected to be officially unveiled in the next few weeks. Gambling operators would be allowed to continue…