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Australia’s banking sector has urged the Federal Government to suspend the use of credit cards to fund online sports betting transactions under the claims that the multi-billion-dollar industry lacks some fundamental regulation that was implemented in licensed venues across the country many years ago. Anna Blight, the chief executive officer of the Australian Banking Association, was one of the cabinet ministers in the Queensland Government in the early 2000s. At the time, local states and territories suspended the use of credit cards for gambling transactions. However, online gambling was still…

Over 50% of Australian adult residents believe gambling adverts on TV, radio, and on-demand platforms should be suspended before 10:30 PM. Most people have shared concerns that gambling advertising has managed to quickly spread across the nation and is normalising gambling among underage individuals. Last week, the Australian Gambling Research Centre published some research results, according to which almost 80% of Australian adults confirm that they are being exposed to gambling ads on a weekly basis. About 41% of the survey participants noted that they hear or see betting ads…

The UK gambling regulator has faced accusations of not having the necessary expertise, resources and appetite to initiate and pretty much deal with criminal investigations into sports betting corruption cases across the country. The comments regarding the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) have been made by the Sports Betting Group (SBG) and Sports and Recreation Alliance (SRA), along with other bodies, such as the Football Association (FA), the Rugby Football Union, and the England and Wales Cricket Board, at part of a submission to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)…

The select committee of the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has released the written evidence provided by industry stakeholders as part of the UK Government’s review of the country’s gambling regulation. As Casino Guardian reported, in December 2022, the Committee announced that it intended to examine the Government’s approach to gambling following some calls that more has to be done to protect Brits from gambling-related harm. Previously, several government bodies, including a House of Lords committee, the National Audit Office, and the Public Accounts Committee, have called…

The largest gambling charity organisation in the UK – GambleAware – has announced the results of a new report that highlights the rates of gambling-related harm suffered by minority groups in the country. The survey, which has been held by ClearView Research and Ipsos UK and supported by the University of Manchester, found that despite lower rates of participation in gambling, members of minority groups across the country are more likely to face some form of gambling-related harm in comparison to members of white British majority groups. According to the…

It seems that an online casino based in the Caribbean is unlawfully targeting Australian residents by using ads on Facebook, but the social media platform now claims that the advertiser is an authorised gambling partner. Media reports have revealed that the ads promoting a Curaçao-registered online casino were displayed even after the casino operator received a formal warning to stop operating in Australia. After the controversy occurred, Facebook noted that the advertiser was authorised under its policy which requires gambling advertisers to prove that they are legally operating in the…

The Government of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has shared plans to impose significant restrictions and a possible outright suspension on sports betting adverts, with senior members of the Cabinet warning that the gambling ads have had a detrimental impact on the local community. The confirmation of the ACT Government’s plans comes at a time when Rebekha Sharkie and Monique Ryan, federal crossbench Members of Parliament, have noted they were uncomfortable with the increasing volume of gambling adverts. They, along with some other Members of Parliament, have already urged the…

The independent body representing the legal gambling and betting operators in the UK has released details of a new study, reaffirming that local punters like gambling promotions and special bonus offers. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has made the announcement right ahead of the much-awaited release of the UK Government’s review of the Gambling Act. The study was conducted by YouGov on the gambling industry’s trade body’s behalf to probe into whether or not British gamblers approve of gambling and betting companies’ strategy to offer special promotions and bonus…

New research claims that individuals suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and problem gambling tend to learn through distinct reinforcement mechanisms. Scientists from the University of Melbourne have reported there are distinct patterns of reward-seeking behaviour of people suffering from gambling addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In a study published in PLOS Biology, the main author of the study, Shinsuke Suzuki, states that problem gamblers demonstrate boosted and blunter learning from rewards higher and lower than expected, respectively, while individuals who suffer OCD usually have lower-than-normal learning rates when receiving smaller-than-expected rewards.…

A Labour Party senator called for the Irish Government to consider imposing tougher restrictions on gambling advertising as local customers are literally bombarded by adverts, with the 2023 Cheltenham horse racing festival just getting underway. Mark Wall, a member of the Labour Party, commented on the issue while the iconic racing event was just about to start. Only a week ago, the Belgium Government took some steps on the matter, announcing a blanket ban on gambling advertising in the country as part of an effort to cut the exposure of…