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NatWest, one of the major British retail and commercial banks, is set to provide local problem gamblers with access to special counselling sessions in its branches across the country. The move comes as part of an innovative scheme aimed at helping gambling addicts that could be rolled out across the UK. As part of the scheme, people who think they suffer from compulsive gambling behaviour will be given the chance to set appointments with GamCare experts in 13 NatWest branches. The consultation with the gambling charity experts will be available…

A new report issued by accountancy firm PwC claims that overregulation of the online gambling market and the potential risks could push British gamblers towards the so-called “black” market. The report, which has been commissioned by GVC Holdings and William Hill, has estimated the active unregulated gambling sector in the UK to about 1.2% of the turnover, or £1.4 billion. The research, however, unveiled that some regulatory changes set to ensure tougher rules for the gambling industry, such as stricter due diligence checks or credit card restrictions, could boost the…

Australians have been found as one of the biggest gambling nations worldwide, with poker machines, lotteries and sports betting being among the most popular forms of gambling among local people. As found by recent research, almost 80% of the country’s population has participated in some form of gambling, a fact that makes Australia the largest gambling on a global scale. Currently, there are almost 7,000 clubs, pubs, hotels and various other establishments in the country where gambling is offered. There are also about 5,000 lottery establishments, not to mention the…

Gambling adverts have long been commonly spread in Australia and considering the fact that gambling has also been problematic across the country, a connection between these two issues is not surprising. Unfortunately, Australians are increasingly affected by the possible gambling-related harm and the rise in gambling addiction. According to a recent study, more than one in ten residents of Canberra were affected by gambling addiction over the past 12 months. It is the Australian National University’s Centre for Gambling Research that commissioned the 2019 ACT Gambling Survey, the first major…

The ban on gambling advertising has not been good for the British media and telecommunications company Sky Limited. The company has revealed that it lost almost 100,000 customers over the third quarter of the fiscal year. Furthermore, the conglomerate announced that the recently announced ban on gambling advertising during sports matches which are aired on TV had a negative effect on its performance. Yesterday, the Comcast-owned British satellite broadcaster unveiled that its revenue fell by 4.2%, while its underlying profitability increased. The American cable group which currently owns Sky Limited…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) published its latest Young People & Gambling research to reveal the current gambling trends of children between 11 and 16 years of age in the country. As the UKGC shared, the 2019 survey looks at the forms of gambling and gambling-style games which young Brits participate in both legally and illegally. The survey was carried out by Ipsos MORI among 2,943 pupils from 11 to 16 years of age. The research took place from February 12th to June 19th, 2019. The Gambling Commission has today…

Some Australian Border Force’ and Department of Home Affairs’ senior officials have been called as witnesses to the federal law enforcement regulator’s public hearings against local gambling and casino behemoth Casino Resorts. The public hearings are set to be held by the end of the week by the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI) for the first time as part of its probe into the Department of Home Affairs and Crown Resorts’ staff members over allegations of corruption raised by the agency. The watchdog launched an inquiry after several…

The children’s commissioner for England has urged the authorities to unveil stricter measures to protect young online gamers, reminding that some of them spend hundreds of pounds on so-called loot boxes offered in video games. Anne Longfield has called for the ministers to make amendments to the existing law so that loot boxes offered in games such as Fifa and Fortnite are categorised as gambling. Apart from that, she has also urged them to roll out a maximum daily spending limit for children as part of the Government’s efforts to…

Most people consider gambling merely as a form of entertainment. Others fall prey to the illusion of easy winnings and slip into the dangerous grip of addiction. This vicious cycle leads to devastating consequences like debt, theft, ruined families, and suicide in the worst of cases. A variety of factors may contribute to the development of pathological gambling behaviour, including genetic predisposition. The extended use of certain medications that act as dopamine agonists is also a risk factor for this form of compulsive behaviour. It all starts with a simple…

Due to increasing concern about the harms associated with gambling in the UK, Public Health England has been addressed by the Government, which asked the organisation to carry out an evidence-based probe into the specific health aspects which gambling-related harm has. The move is aimed at raising the awareness of the possible negative consequences from gambling and providing British people with more information about prevention and treatment. Back in May 2018, the Department of Culture, Media and Sports published a response to a consultation on proposals for changes to fixed-odds…