Author: Olivia Cole

The British gambling operator William Hill has asked the landlords of its premises to cut the company’s rents value by half in order to help it offset the negative impact of the upcoming crackdown on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). As first revealed by Property Week, William Hill sent an open letter addressed to about 2,000 landlords, asking them to reduce their rents with immediate effect, in order to help the gambling giant avoid the closure of up to 900 of its betting shops. For the time being, the betting operator…

The Australian Greens have criticised the Coalition’s decision to make the cashless welfare card available to everyone on income management in the country’s Northern Territory. Today, Paul Fletcher, the family and social services minister revealed that 22,500 people who are currently on income management will start using the cashless debit card instead of the BasicsCard from January 2020. The BasicsCard, which is currently available, allows the recipients to use 50% of the received welfare at certain stores only. In comparison, the new cashless debit card will allow 80% of the…

The executive team of William Hill US has confirmed that the gambling giant’s local unit has made a $50,000 donation to the Council of Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) to fund a campaign which is set to support problem gamblers. The CCGNJ has been seeking to expand its capacities related to problem gambling awareness and treatment, especially at a time when it introduces its first sports betting parlours. The initiative is now related to the production of an educational video about gambling addiction and its harmful effect on affected…

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has inked a partnership agreement with a gambling operator in spite of previously saying that it was to review its sponsorship deals with bookmakers following growing concerns regarding the constantly increasing problem gambling among local residents. Last August, a spokesman for the FAI said in an interview for The Times that the Association is reviewing all aspects of its links to gambling operators’ sponsorship deals. The review was initiated after Ireland’s president Michael D Higgins had urged local gambling regulators to ban gambling advertising…

The last few years have seen a massive increase in popularity of gambling in Ireland – a trend which has made various charity organisations and anti-gambling campaigners try to raise the awareness of people about the possible gambling-related harm which could be inflicted. Data released by Ireland’s Revenue Commissioners show that 32 licences were handed for local gaming machines every day in 2018. Such gaming machines, which are pretty much like regular slot machines, have become extremely popular among Irish residents over the past year but have been claimed dangerous…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has lifted the curtain on the closure BetBright and its controversial decision to void outstanding bets with an estimated payout which could have amounted to £1 million. The major gambling regulatory body in the UK explained that the decision to void large bets was not a bad one actually, because the online gambling operator’s customers would have received no money back in case that the company had gone into liquidation. The UKGC made another disclosure regarding the proceeds of £15 million received as a result…

A TV advert of the global gambling operator Sky Bet was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for being socially irresponsible. Two individuals have filed complaints against the ad seen on August 30th, 2018, which was promoting the company’s “Request a Bet” service. The TV advert featured Jeff Stelling, a popular football presenter, who encouraged viewers to bet with Sky Bet by challenging them to “spark” their sports brains. According to complainants, the advert was irresponsible because it implied that a person could become a successful gambler if they…

Today, LSE-listed gambling giant 888 Holdings revealed double-digit profit growth after a year of strong expansion. The company also announced a new gambling license in Malta that is expected to help it offset the possible negative impact of Brexit and stricter regulatory conditions in the UK. The online gambling operator further revealed that it has established a server in Ireland so that it would be able to provide European customers with its services and reduce the harm it will suffer from the disruption caused by the upcoming exit of the…

Councillors have called Northern Ireland’s authorities to make sure that local gambling addicts are provided with a specially dedicated service. A motion urging the Department of Health to review the current support provided to individuals suffering from problem gambling by members of Ards and North Down Borough Council. The Councillors also called for a dedicated service to be created in order to address problem gambling rates in the region and also urged local bookmakers to reduce the maximum stake at fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) themselves. It was the DUP councillor…

The Australian professional soccer club Melbourne Victory has disposed of its deals with its would-be shirt sponsor Kaishi Entertainment because of its links with online gambling. Kaishi Entertainment would have been the kit sponsor of Melbourne Victory during the football club’s Asian Champions League campaign. However, the club’s bosses revealed that they have preferred to remove all existing arrangements with the Hong Kong-based company. According to an official statement, released by the football club, its concerns are primarily related with the Asian company’s links to online gambling, which contradicts to…