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Federal Communications Minister of Australia – Michelle Rowland – has pledged that she will no longer accept monetary contributions from gambling companies after facing a strong wave of criticism for doing so in the past. As Casino Guardian reported earlier in February, Ms Rowland has been urged to quit her role following local media revelations that the local betting giant Sportsbet had provided her with contributions and gifts while supporting her election campaign in March 2022. According to reports, the gambling company had not only paid more than AU$8,900 for…

Businessmen and members of their families and lawyers, as well as some celebrities, have allegedly lost a massive amount of money to a betting scheme that recruited the elite residents of the eastern suburbs as investors. Reportedly, the 31-year-old Michael Pryde used his old acquaintances from private St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill to establish the scheme recruiting affluent customers to make investments in a “guaranteed” system called Simply the Bets. The individuals who got recruited were not aware that the man operating the service whom they trusted with their money…

Recently, court documents revealed that Crown Resorts had asked the Australian Government’s financial intelligence agency to give it some more time to develop its defence. Earlier this week, a federal judge severely criticised the organisation over its continued procrastination in the ongoing lawsuit against one of the largest casino operators in the country. Several days ago, federal judge Michael Lee publicly slammed the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) over the prosecution of Crown Resorts. According to him, the regulatory body should have not given the gambling company until…

According to reports, Tabcorp is currently in an advantageous position to retain its exclusive betting licence in Victoria, potentially at a company-friendly price, as more doubts regarding the bidding process have emerged because of some uncertainty in terms of customer data ownership. At the same time, the racing industry in Victoria is getting increasingly concerned that a low Tabcorp offer would cast a shadow on the joint venture with the licence holder. The state government of Victoria has received preliminary interest from a number of potential bidders for the operating…

It seems there is no problem for gambling brands to use sports personalities in order to advertise their services. In some of its last rulings, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of the UK has determined that two gambling ads featuring a couple of former England international football players were unlikely to be found particularly appealing to individuals under the age of 18. The rulings were announced only a month after the advertising regulatory body upheld a complaint linked to a Twitter post published by the UK gambling and sports betting…

As part of a speech at the World Regulatory Briefing that was held within the ICE London Expo’s framework last week, the chief executive officer of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), Andrew Rhodes, has rejected an alleged explosion in online gambling since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying gambling participation rates of local residents have not soared in recent years. Mr Rhodes addressed the audience at the Consumer Protection Zone at the ICE London Expo with a speech named “Latest research shaping regulatory decision in safer gambling in the…

Racecourse Media Group, which currently manages the media rights of 35 racecourses across the UK, reported that a recent Racing TV survey found a “material decline” in sports betting turnover in 2022 as affordability checks pushed British punters away from the sport. A major survey conducted by the group unveiled that 15% of the research respondents either wager or know someone who wagers with a bookmaker operating on the black market. The chief executive officer of Racecourse Media Group, Martin Stevenson, revealed the revenues decline at the time he announced…

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing calls to dismiss the country’s Communications Minister Michelle Rowland after she was found to have received political contributions from one of the largest bookmakers in the country right before the election. Now, both Minister Rowland and Prime Minister Albanese are under pressure over recently unveiled allegations that the Communications Minister received political donations from Sportsbet. Long-time anti-gambling advocate and independent Member of Parliament Andrew Wilkie has criticised the Minister and called for Mr Albanese to make sure Ms Rowland will face immediate consequences…

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is making reorganisations to his Cabinet at probably the worst time for the country’s gambling industry. Currently, the department that bears the responsibility for overseeing the White Paper on gambling is undergoing some reforms, with one of the strongest supporters of the local gambling sector moving further away. According to Mr Sunak, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) needs a new direction, which is why it is set to experience some changes. The former boss of the Department, Secretary Michelle Donelan, is set…

A new report by the Centre of Western Sydney has revealed that gambling has turned into a “silent epidemic” for local residents. Tom Nance, manager of the Centre, cited some of the data, according to which 63% of Sydney’s gambling losses through electronic gaming machines have been registered in the western part of the city. In comparison, only 52% of Sydney’s population is concentrated there. He explained that an alarmingly high percentage of gambling losses is sustained in a small number of locations, such as Cumberland, Canterbury-Bankstown, and Fairfield Local…