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The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) which represents the legal gambling sector in the UK urged British lawmakers to encourage social media companies to collaborate with licensed gambling operators in a move aimed at providing better protection to young adults and self-excluded people against gambling ads. The organisation, which currently operates as the trade body for the country’s gambling sector, has noted that the popularity of online gambling services rapidly increased over the last few years, especially after the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the temporary closures of all…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has announced further data on how local customers’ gambling behaviour is reacting to the current environmental factors in the UK. As always, the data is provided by local gambling operators. It covers both brick-and-mortar and online gambling offered by Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) in the country and reflects the period from March 2020 to March 2023, inclusive. At the time when it published the data, the UKGC warned that comparison should not be made with the industry statistics dataset, as it may include bonuses and…

The Government of New South Wales (NSW) has urged gambling operators in the state to make sure their adverts carry the right messages about responsible gambling. The move comes after Liquor and Gaming NSW handed out show cause notices to two gambling companies regarding some irregularities in their TV adverts, saying they have undermined some responsible gambling messages they have previously agreed upon. The Executive Director of Regulatory Operations and Enforcement at the Liquor and Gaming NSW, Jane Lin, noted that betting operators in the state should make sure their…

A group of lawmakers has urged the UK Government to introduce suitable regulation of crypto financial services as soon as possible and to appoint a dedicated watchdog to oversee the process. The Crypto and Digital Assets All Parliamentary Group (APPG) published a report on June 5th, claiming that cryptocurrency is a growing trend, which is here to stay, and hence needs to be regulated immediately. The cross-party group of lawmakers made a total of 53 recommendations concerning the proposed regulation of cryptocurrency in the UK. The Government of Prime Minister…

The late afternoon discussions at this year’s London Blockchain Conference (LBC 2023) saw the Systems Auditor at Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), Odhran Griffin, explain the way the regulatory body is monitoring and controlling the use of so-called distributed ledger technologies (DLT) and the way licensed gambling companies have implemented the technology in line with the latest innovations in the market. Mr Griffin outlined the different approaches to gambling regulation as part of the talk before sharing more details on the application of blockchain technology in the gambling sector, as well…

The New Zealand Government has announced new changes to the establishments hosting so-called poker machines in an effort to address and reduce the potential harm inflicted on customers. As revealed by the authorities, the latest overhaul in the sector is set to come into effect as of June 15th, 2023. Barbara Edmonds, the Internal Affairs Minister of the country, recently described electronic gaming machines, or pokies, as one of the most harmful forms of gambling that currently exist in New Zealand. As she further noted, poker machines could have a…

For years, so-called “VIP lounges” in Australian clubs and pubs have been proliferating, even though they have hardly ever been associated with luxury or any special customer services. In fact, the aforementioned lounges have been used as a well-known code for the offering of so-called pokies, especially considering the fact that advertising the presence of poker machines is not allowed in the country. Various scientists, lawmakers and campaigners have been insisting on the implementation of further restrictions in terms of poker machines, saying that the very existence of VIP lounges…

Researchers have been discussing the potential impact of the UK Government’s White Paper and the ongoing changes in Britain’s regulated gambling sector on the planned overhaul of Australia’s gambling regulation. As Casino Guardian previously reported, UK Government published its White Paper of the Gambling Act review late in April 2023, following much delay and anticipation. The White Paper features proposals for some considerable changes to the country’s gambling market to make sure that the British gambling laws are suitable to regulate the sector in the digital age. The Government has…

The beginning of the week saw some Palmerston North officials announce that the number of poker machines in the city could be gradually reduced in case the local residents support the City Council’s proposal to introduce a measure called a sinking lid policy. The Community Committee of the Council has approved putting the plan out for public consultation. However, councillors and staff are both sceptical about the efficiency of the proposed sinking lid policy when it comes to the minimisation of gambling-related harm and risks associated with problem gambling. As…

An independent regulatory commission has found that English striker Ivan Toney placed wagers on matches that involved his own team on a regular basis, including 13 occasions when he bet against his club to win. The commission has also found that the player gave “clearly false” answers to the investigators into his breaches of gambling rules. The football player has faced an eight-month suspension from the game after pleading guilty to a count of 232 violations of the Football Association’s rule E8, under which players are not allowed to bet…