Author: Daniel Williams

Pacific people in New Zealand have been experiencing a disproportionate level of gambling-related harm in comparison to the ones living in the rest of the country, which is why there have been calls for regional authorities to bring in stricter rules in order to protect these people. According to reports, Pacific people account for about 21% of all New Zealanders who are seeking treatment for problem gambling. Furthermore, local experts, such as the Canterbury-based counsellor Phil Siataga, have noted that gambling was still a pretty much hidden problem in the…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is about to go through an investigation launched by the Parliamentary All-Party Betting & Gaming Group (APBGG). One of the reasons that inspired the APBGG inquiry was a handful of operators claiming to be “too scared” to share their concerns about the regulator. The UKGC has also been criticised by numerous members of the industry for quite a few years. According to Scott Benton MP, co-chair of the APBGG, despite the high number of complaints, many operators were feeling too scared to be public about…

The Stratford District Council is expected to complete a review of its Class 4 gambling venue policy by the end of 2021. As confirmed by Stratford Mayor Neil Volzke, the review has been initiated as part of the efforts of New Zealand’s District Council to make sure its gambling venues policy favours local people. During the probe, councillors will have the right to personal views, but they will also have to turn to their social conscience in order to find the golden mean between fun and entertainment and the negative…

This week, the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Bill made a step further towards the long-awaited overhaul of the gambling and betting sector in Northern Ireland, with the proposed piece of legislation entering the country’s Assembly. The regulatory amendment, which is primarily focused on brick-and-mortar gambling services has successfully passed the first stage of the legislative process. If the bill manages to pass through the Stormont, the piece of legislation is set to make the most significant changes brought to the regulation of Northern Ireland’s gambling industry in about…

The UK major gambling regulatory body has published more data regarding the connection between customers’ online gambling behaviour and the relaxation of lockdown measures across the country. The UK Gambling Commission has used operator data reflecting the months from March 2020 to July 2021 and covers data gathered from digital gambling operators. The latest update published on the UK gambling watchdog’s website contains operator data from July 2021. As revealed by the UKGC, the overall activity in the online market remained relatively stable in July, with the number of active…

Former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton has joined the calls for further changes to be brought to gambling sponsorship laws in football, saying that football shirts have become a “backdoor way” for gambling companies to target younger audiences. 71-year-old Shilton, who has been suffering from gambling addiction for 45 years himself, was joined by other anti-gambling campaigners when he went to Downing Street to hand a petition in, seeking stricter measures to be imposed on the sector. The petition has been unveiled at a time when the UK Government is still…

The Chair and Vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary group against gambling-related harm – Carolyn Harris and Sir Iain Duncan Smith, respectively – have said British people’s lives and well-being are more important than the good financial prospects for the local gambling industry. The two of them commented on the critical opportunity for the UK Government to present stricter regulation for the local gambling sector 16 years after the last Gambling Act was unveiled, saying that the White Paper framing of the country’s gambling legislation was long overdue. According to both…

The largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, Christchurch, is set to remain one of the cities featuring the most restrictive poker machine policies in the country after a number of anti-gambling campaigners and gambling addiction groups have asked local authorities to retain the crackdown on pokies. The City Council has decided not to bring changes in its existing policy that regulates gambling and TAB venues, including the number and location of non-casino gambling facilities. The current Christchurch gambling policy has been in place since 2004 but, under…

Earlier today, gambling reform groups and financial counsellors have appeared before Australian senators to make their pleas for the authorities to ban the use of credit cards for gambling transactions online. A Senate committee heard the submissions of the aforementioned groups as it prepares to announce its recommendations regarding the use of credit cards for online gambling transactions. Under the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Prohibition on Credit Card Use) Bill 2020, Australia could follow the UK and impose a ban on credit card use for all forms of online gambling platforms.…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has revealed that it remains committed to establishing a safe, transparent and strictly regulated gambling sector. The British gambling watchdog also shared that it will roll out a new consultation regarding the financial risk threshold. During the Know Now Conference 2021, which has been particularly focused on social responsibility measures for gambling companies, the UKGC explained that, unfortunately, some gambling companies are still not as committed to promoting responsible gambling as they are supposed to. This is exactly why Tim Miller, the Executive Director of…