Author: Olivia Cole

An All-Party Parliamentary Group of 50 Members of Parliament has insisted on a ban to be imposed on all gambling advertising. The campaigners have called for the Government to unveil a £2 maximum stake online after a lengthy inquiry into problem gambling in the UK. The Group, which is focused on proposing measures for gambling-related harm, said in a report that gambling regulation in the country needs to be fully overhauled. The MPs further shared that the coronavirus crisis had only highlighted the urgent need for better protection of the…

The reduction of the maximum stakes British gamblers can place on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), which the Government had authorised, has led to an almost 40% reduction in police callouts to bookmakers to deal with customers who are becoming violent after losing some money on the machines. According to The Guardian, the 2019 legislation under which the maximum stake of FOBT bets was slashed from £100 to £2, with the step also leading to a 38% decline in the number of police callouts to local betting shops. In comparison to…

Gamblers have returned to poker machines in New South Wales (NSW), with data stating that the turnover in the first week of operation after the clubs and pubs shutdown has been at pre-coronavirus pandemic levels despite the social distancing policies and the lower number of operational machines. According to data provided by the gaming machine monitoring service MAX, the first week of June saw NSW Clubs’ pokie turnover slightly increase in comparison to an average week in June 2019. Moreover, hotels turnover increased by 31% in comparison to 2019. Online…

Genting Casino has revealed that it is considering the closure of three of its gambling venues in the UK. As explained by the union bosses, the measure was taken into consideration after the gambling firm had suffered a strong financial blow due to the coronavirus lockdown. The operator has written to staff members to inform them about the plans for job losses ahead of casino reopening. According to reports, three casinos of the brand’s 29 sites across the UK – the venues in Bristol, Torquay and possibly in Margate –…

Today, Isle of Man-based gambling giant GVC Holdings revealed pans to resume operation in all of its 2,445 Ladbrokes- and Coral-branded betting outlets in England as of June 15th. The move comes after the UK Government announced it is set to relax the restrictions associated with the coronavirus crisis. As the authorities said, so-called non-essential shops will be allowed to restart operations following a lengthy closure since March 2020, when the country’s Government imposed nationwide lockdown measures as part of its efforts to tackle the spread of the coronavirus infection.…

English Premier League football club Liverpool FC is being taken to court for a commission of more than £1 million over a £15-million deal with an online gambling operator to sponsor the training kit of the team. According to claims made by sports sponsorship firm Winlink, the club, which is currently the leader in the EPL ranking, owes a total of £1.125 million as club officials were introduced to their contacts at BetVictor back in 2013 by one of its senior executive officers. Winlink now claims that, for several years,…

UK gambling companies have made a promise to devote 20% of their advertising on TV and radio channels to responsible gambling messaging. A few days ago, the local trading body – the Betting & Gaming Council (BCG) – reminded that the voluntary suspension of their advertising on TV and radio channels during the coronavirus lockdown was to soon come to an end. Adverts that had already been booked for this period that could not be fully cancelled, were donated to charity organisations or replaced by messages associated with responsible gambling.…

New Zealand Gambling Commission has rejected the controversial bid of SkyCity, which has been seeking to boost the number of poker machines in Hamilton. A six-day hearing was held in Hamilton by the gambling regulatory body in November 2019, after SkyCity made an unprecedented attempt to get the Commission’s blessing to swap three blackjack tables for additional 60 gaming terminals. Under the lead of Andrew King, the former mayor of Hamilton, the council decided to spend NZ$150,000 to hire Tompkins Wake to legally represent it in court when opposing the…

As Casino Guardian reported, the implementation of the coronavirus restrictions in Australia forced local pubs and clubs shut their poker machines for the period of the lockdown. Now, so-called pokies are gradually making a return across the country. The beginning of the week saw New South Wales (NSW) became the first Australian state that allowed come gaming venues to resume operations, with certain distancing rules requiring from operators to make sure they keep their patrons 1.5 metres apart. What anti-gambling campaigners fear, is that the risks of gambling harm inflicted…

Earlier today, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) published two rulings regarding online gambling operations. The first ruling involves Ladbrokes and a TV ad for the gambling company seen on February 29th, 2020. The advert displayed several individuals in everyday situations making allusions with gambling activities by mentioning words and phrases that are usually associated with gambling. Five complainants, who believed the ad in question depicted people suffering from problem gambling and was aimed at showing gambling as a normal part of these people’s everyday lives. The complainants challenged whether the…