Author: Olivia Cole

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) slapped Australian online gambling company PointsBet with a monetary fine worth $150,000 over alleged failure to comply with the province’s responsible gambling rules. The Canadian unit of PointsBet was accused of failing to appropriately intervene and provide adequate assistance to a player who was potentially harming themselves as a result of their gambling. As a result, the gambling watchdog of the province of Ontario announced the charges against the company on November 9th. The regulator revealed that a player had lost more…

Troubled casino and gambling giant Star Entertainment has managed to avoid a second strike following an annual meeting at which stakeholders shared their frustration at the massive decline in the company’s share price amid a regulatory action initiated by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC). Star Entertainment’s shareholders raised concerns about the significant disruption of shareholder value that has seen the company’s share price drop to 57 cents, in comparison to levels of AU$6 in the last few years, and over AU$2.50 only a year earlier. That is…

A crucial study into the expected long-term effects of the new casino development in Brisbane has collapsed amid the ongoing procedure delays and secrecy of the Queensland Government. The research, which was carried out by the Queensland University of Technology, would have permitted the detailed tracking of the economic and social impact of Queen’s Wharf Brisbane over time. Unfortunately, for some reasons that have not been revealed, the project has been prematurely ended and no findings have been released. The Queensland University of Technology shared that some PhD students would…

The beginning of the week saw the Star Entertainment Group confirm that it had finally reached a deal for the sale of its Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Gold Coast. As revealed by the company, the agreement was estimated at a total of AU$192 million. The agreed sale price was lower than the AU$200 million that the company was originally seeking. Star Entertainment Group has shared that it is looking to make at least AU$60 million in net proceeds from the sale. The money generated as a result of the sale…

Betting company Betfair Australia, which operates as a subsidiary of Crown Resorts Group, faced several complaints for advertising the promise of winning in gambling through an on-demand TV advert. The advert, called “On Your Side” features a voice-over claiming that the gambling company loved winning punters and was on its customers’ side during the spring racing carnival by providing them with tips, responsible gambling tools and unique ways to bet. The complaint that was submitted to Ad Standards, the country’s advertising watchdog, is linked to the AANA Wagering Code section…

Thousands of Crown Melbourne employees have threatened to go on strike during the busiest part of the country’s spring racing calendar unless they are offered higher wages and better working conditions. This week, unionised employees of the gambling giant’s Melbourne resort and casino voted overwhelmingly to give a start to a protected strike action after four months of fruitless negotiations. Workers have been insisting on the company agreeing to give them a fair pay raise for every year of the new agreement, as well as increased wages for the weekend…

The UK advertising regulator has suspended three tweets of Betfred that featured British professional boxer Anthony Joshua for breaching the country’s gambling advertising rules. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) shared that the adverts were identified for investigation after the body received intelligence from its Active Ad Monitoring system. It looked into the three tweets, which promoted an Anthony Joshua fight, seen in March and April 2023. The regulator challenged whether the three adverts featured a person who was likely to be of strong appeal to individuals under the age of…

SkyCity has warned the residents of New Zealand about the dangers of fraudulent online gambling platforms that are trying to lure consumers by imitating the company’s name, logo, and look. In a statement that was issued by the gambling operator earlier this week, SkyCity’s Chief Executive Officer Michael Ahearne explained that in the last few months, there had been a massive increase in the number of online gambling adverts fraudulently using the company’s brand and logos to target customers in New Zealand. Those adverts could have been found on Facebook…

The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is set to allow users of its On Demand streaming service to block fast food and gambling companies’ adverts. The move, which some analysts believe may be soon replicated by other major broadcasting service providers, comes ahead of a potential Government crackdown in 2024. Earlier today, the SBS officially revealed that its On Demand streaming service viewers will be given the chance to “opt-out” of certain kinds of advertising as part of a broader set of customisation options. A beta functionality is set to be…

The UK and Ireland chief executive officer of Flutter Entertainment has warned that horse racing in Ireland may face a catastrophic decline in case the proposed draft of the Gambling Regulation Bill is brought into effect. The Government’s bill is slowly making progress and, according to most analysts, it could be expected to be signed into law in 2024. As previously reported by Casino Guardian, the piece of legislation proposes a major overhaul of the current gambling law in Ireland. Under the new legislative rules a new industry regulator –…