Author: Olivia Cole

Gambling-harm reduction campaigners have insisted on the implementation of a special tax on gambling companies aimed at the provision of some extra funding for rehabilitation centres, legal services, and new consumer rights groups in Australia. The introduction of the levy has been recommended as a result of a federal parliamentary inquiry. For the time being, no specific recommendation for the rate has been made. However, the suggested change has already faced some criticism, as some public health experts have noted that the levy may not be as effective as it…

Young people are being overwhelmed with gambling adverts, and social casino and sports betting adverts in particular, in their everyday lives, a new report has revealed. At the same time, at-risk young people’s exposure to gambling advertising has been unprecedented. Children between the age of 12 and 17, who are considered at risk of developing gambling addiction, have confirmed there was a wide range of sources promoting gambling, including at school, in their homes, as well as in digital and media environments. Two new reports commissioned by the Government of…

A coroner condemned a British gambling operator for its failure to intervene over a large number of wagers placed by a gambling addict before he committed suicide, making it the first “verdict” of its kind in the country. According to campaigners, the verdict was unprecedented in its harsh criticism of a gambling company and in identifying a gambling disorder as a major contributing factor in a person’s untimely death. Apart from criticising the betting operator, the coroner shared that he also intended to publish a report about the case that…

This time in 2022, the entire gambling, betting, and racing sector of the UK was anxiously waiting to see the results of the overview of the country’s gambling market and then for the Government to unveil its plans for the implementation of the new gambling regulation aimed at putting the country’s gambling industry into the “digital age”. Now, 12 months later, the wait continues. This time, the sector is waiting for the competent authorities to roll out the first consultations on the reforms that were proposed as part of the…

Australian gambling companies are facing just another setback as a local parliamentary inquiry recommended the suspension of all online gambling advertising as part of the measures aimed at reducing financial harm inflicted on users. In the report released earlier today, the chair of a committee that investigated the country’s online gambling sector and its impact on local customers – Peta Murphy – noted that the industry was manipulating the most vulnerable audiences that are usually more susceptible to gambling-related harm. Ms Murphy, who is part of the ruling Labour Party,…

The Laundy and Karedis families have emerged victorious in the AU$192-million competition to purchase the popular Gold Coast-based Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort from Star Entertainment and Far East Consortium. The two Rich List families formed a consortium, which already owns several popular beachfront hotels, including Crown Plaza and Manly Pacific in Terrigal, New South Wales, and agreed to acquire the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort for a price that is AU$52 million superior to the AU$140 million paid by the Australian casino giant in 2017. In an official statement issued at…

Various football leagues across Europe, including the English Premier League (EPL), are taking a stricter stance on gambling advertising, with many of them disposing of gambling ads. However, for the time being, it remains unknown whether or not Scotland will decide to follow suit. The thing is that football clubs in Scotland are unable to survive on TV money alone. Unfortunately for them, two major areas of income – gambling and alcohol – have been closely scrutinised over the last few years, and Scottish football clubs are known for being…

The Ten network has decided to drop its bids for the Melbourne Cup, after saying that it would become more focused on gambling, and more specifically, on a potential Tabcorp deal. The Ten network has been the broadcaster of the Melbourne Cup Carnival since 2019, after inking a 5-year deal valued at approximately $100 million. At the time, the company took over the broadcasting rights for the competition from Seven, which had been the Melbourne Cup Carnival since 2002. On the other hand, the brick-and-mortar gambling giant Tabcorp managed to…

Anti-gambling campaigners have condemned Taylor Swift for her decision to partner with Crown Resorts for her upcoming tour in Australia, with one of the most avid anti-gambling advocates – Tim Costello – arguing that the partnership agreement could trigger gambling among the popular singer’s fans in the country. At the time when the popular pop signer announced the Australian leg of her international Eras tour earlier this week, the promoter Frontier Touring described the tour as being presented by Crown Resorts. So far, the Australian gambling giant did not unveil…

PointsBet Holdings Limited caused some turbulence in the sports betting industry following an announcement that it would successfully close a takeover deal with the US sports betting and daily fantasy sports giant DraftKings regarding the latter’s acquisition proposal. Although the company’s board called for PointsBet shareholders to vote in favour of the previously proposed takeover deal by Fanatics, recent media reports claim that DraftKings may emerge as the one winning the competition for the Australian sportsbook assets. The company described its previous deal with Fanatics as an inferior one, providing…