Author: Daniel Williams

After the UK Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) consultation into affordability closed last week, it became clear that around 13,000 individuals have taken part, providing evidence and submissions. The submissions received by the UK gambling regulatory body also include the assertion from one major think tank, which shared that affordability checks should be carried out in a way that would make them barely detectable from customers. Apart from that, the organisation explained that, wherever possible, these checks should be based on data which is already held by gambling operators. Yesterday, the UKGC…

A representative of some of the largest companies in the Australian online gambling sector shared that local punters should not be prevented from going into debt to bet. The remark made by Brent Jackson, CEO of Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA), follows Andrew Wallace MP’s call for stricter measures to be taken when it comes to online gambling transactions with credit cards. Mr Wallace has urged Australian banks to establish a voluntary code of conduct that would guarantee that players would not be able to bet with money they practically do…

The UK-based online bank Monzo has urged the country’s Government to impose stricter measures on all banks, in order to make them implement gambling blocks on all local bank accounts. In an open letter, supported by leading clinicians of the National Health Service (NHS), some academics and organisations battling gambling harm, Monzo called for new rules that would ensure that every bank customer in the UK is given access to a tool to block gambling on their accounts, no matter which bank they are customers of. The proposal comes at…

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has announced stricter new rules seeking to prevent football clubs from promoting gambling services through their official accounts on social media. The new rules unveiled by the trade body representing the UK gambling industry have been unveiled following concerns that the social media posts could be used to circumvent the ban preventing minors from seeing gambling advertising materials online. Previously, some gambling adverts published by football clubs on their official accounts on Twitter raised some questions on whether this strategy is not used to…

Justin King, the former boss of Sainsbury’s, has shared that the Czech company that is competing to get the licence for the National Lottery could be the best one to run it, as it has great chances to revive the suffering high-street gambling industry in the UK. Sazka Group was established in 2012 and currently operates lotteries in the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy and Greece. Mr King, who left Sainsbury’s seven years ago, has been appointed by Sazka Group as one of the advisors to help it on the way…

Only a few days after Commissioner Bergin’s report on Crown Resorts’ suitability to hold an operating licence for its Barangaroo casino resort was made public, the Australian advisory group on gambling legislation, regulation and compliance Senet has unveiled a new accreditation tool. As Casino Guardian already revealed, the casino giant is currently facing serious issues in Australia and has been suspended from operating its newest casino in the state of New South Wales (NSW) because of multiple issues associated with poor management, money laundering, etc. In light of the recent…

Earlier this week, the Rother District Council revealed its decision to back plans for the establishment of a local lottery scheme. If created, the lottery would is set to be operated by an outside party. It is also expected to bring fresh money to the community grants scheme of the District Council on one hand, and directly to local community groups, on the other hand. At the time when the plans were officially introduced, Kevin Dixon, the cabinet member for finance, explained that currently, reserves are used to fund community…

The Premier of Western Australia, Mark McGowan, said that Crown Resorts’ election donations should no longer be accepted in the light of the latest report into the gambling giant that found it unsuitable to hold its Barangaroo casino licence. The Premier did not call for a suspension of the company’s casino operating licence in Perth while the state’s independent gambling regulator reviewed the New South Wales (NSW) probe and added that he did not know if the gambling company made any donations to the Labor Party recently. This, in his…

A problem gambling expert has raised a red flag, saying that underage individuals are gambling online while playing computer games, often without the knowledge of their parents. The gambling addiction counsellor at Extern Problem Gambling, Tony O’Reilly, warned that the practice, known as “skin betting”, involves children gambling by encouraging minors to purchase virtual in-game items that help them make faster progress while playing. According to anti-gambling campaigners, the element of gambling involved in such “skin betting” is the fact that the player does not know the content of the…

An important new study analysing data gathered from millions of bank customers’ accounts showed that people who bet even small amounts are more likely to face financial difficulties and unemployment. According to the results of the study, people who spend more on gambling die easier. The study, which provided a report considered the largest of its kind that has been so far carried out in the UK, was aimed at tracking the links between gambling spending and problems experienced by British customers. It involved 6.5 million customers of the Lloyds…