Author: Olivia Cole

An Australian sports betting operator has faced an AU$13,770 fine after using a promotional offer to reach out to hundreds of gamblers who had previously asked to be suspended from betting and advertising associated with such services. Amused Group, which operates the popular BetNation brand, send a promotional email to a total of 7,713 people as part of a campaign called “Who wants to be a millionaire?” and informed the targetted users that it would accept wagers worth up to AU$1,000 on any horse participating in the Melbourne Cup. However,…

One of the largest gambling operators in Australia – Star Entertainment Group – is facing two more class-action lawsuits following the previous similar legal actions filed against the operator in March 2022 by Slater & Gordon and in November 2022 by Maurice Blackburn. The shareholders of the casino and gambling company have now launched a class action over Star Entertainment’s alleged failure to disclose money laundering links to criminal organisations at its venues in Sydney and Queensland. The legal action, filed by Shine Lawyers, alleges that the revelations of claimed…

A statewide probe into the fitness of SkyCity Adelaide to hold an operating permit has been put on hold as the gambling operator faces legal action in Federal Court over an alleged serious and systemic lack of compliance with the anti-money laundering legislation of Australia. For the last seven months, former SA Supreme Court Judge Brian Martin KC has been investigating whether the Adelaide casino of SkyCity Group is suitable to keep its South Australian casino licence and if not, what changes would be required for the company to make…

The Czech Republic-based lottery operator Allwyn officially announced that it has finalised the takeover of Camelot UK Lotteries from its mother company, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (OTPP). The transaction’s completion brought together two major lottery operators right before the next National Lottery licence comes into force at the beginning of 2024. As previously announced by the new licence holder of the UK National Lottery’s operating permit, Camelot UK will continue to run the lottery until its current licence expires in January next year. Allwyn, which for the time…

According to recent reports, the Maltese directors of Genesis Global had abandoned the company about two months prior to the massive lay-offs that saw approximately 130 employees of the operator suddenly dismissed from their jobs just before Christmas 2022. It seems that the local workers of the London-based online gambling company received only termination letters by email but they did not receive their salaries for December 2022. All of that happened at a time when the company was being announced as insolvent due to facing “serious financial difficulties”. As confirmed…

Australian authorities revealed they managed to knock down a Chinese-Australian money-laundering organisation and confiscated assets estimated at more than AU$150 million as part of one of the biggest operations of its kind that have ever taken part in the country. As a result of the operation, nine members of the aforementioned money-laundering syndicate, including its Sydney-based leader, were charged by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), which confirmed that in a statement issued on February 2nd. According to the AFP, the Chinese-Australian organisation was engaged in moving unlawful funds around the…

The Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner confirmed that, despite recently revealed compliance breaches, it is highly unlikely for 888 Holdings to have its licence seized by local competent authorities. The Commissioner, which is currently the official gambling regulatory body in Gibraltar, is taking enforcement action against the online gambling company that violated local regulations. The watchdog confirmed that the investigation found serious failures on 888 Holdings’ part but the company is still likely to keep its operating permit. The Gibraltar gambling regulator shared that it is set to start reviewing and considering…

The implementation of strict affordability checks on punters in the regulated gambling market of the UK has sparked discussions regarding the measure not only within the country’s borders but in other countries, too. The measure, under which British punters could be suspended from placing wagers with local retail betting agencies in case they fail to present required financial proof they could actually afford to lose some money, has triggered controversial reactions not only on the territory of the UK but also in Australia, where there have been questions whether local…

The shares of Gibraltar-based online gambling operator 888 Holdings dropped by more than 28% during January 30th trading after announcing the departure of its chief executive officer and executive director Itai Pazner following the launch of an internal probe into suspected money laundering that has been taking place on the company’s VIP customer accounts. The beginning of the week saw the gambling group confirm that it had suspended a number of VIP customer accounts in the Middle East after it became known that 888 Holdings had failed to follow the…

The UK national self-exclusion scheme for online gambling GAMSTOP revealed that a record number of people registered with the service in 2022 since the official launch of the service back in 2018, with a 6% increase in new registrations during the previous year. According to the scheme, 84,000 gamblers registered with GAMSTOP last year, bringing the total number of people who are now self-excluding from participation in online gambling services in the country to 341,365. Back in July 2022, the national self-exclusion scheme revealed that the service had reached 300,000…