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Amid the ongoing review of the 2005 Gambling Act, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of the UK published an updated version of in-game purchases guidance. According to the new regulations, game developers and publishers will have to follow new guidelines on advertising microtransactions and in-game loot box purchases. Stress-inducing in-game elements like “Best Value” signs or in-game timers are also among the features that the ASA is currently tackling. The new guidance that ASA published includes regulations on in-game ads as well as common advertisements players can often see on…

The UK government could scrap a legislative loophole that enables offshore betting companies to promote themselves on the shirt fronts of Scottish and English football teams. The proposal might come as part of the authorities’ efforts to overhaul the country’s current gambling laws. As ministers are preparing to soon present their proposals for reforms, a full ban on betting firms’ logos on footballers’ shirts seems highly probable. The British government could go beyond the front-of-shirt sponsorship ban by targeting the white-label model many foreign gambling companies rely on to secure…

EU Lotto, which is the owner of Lottoland, is obligated to pay a £760,000 fine imposed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). The company will also need to go through independent auditing as the regulatory body discovered several failings in the social responsibility and money laundering policy of the company. In addition to the fine, EU Lotto also received an official warning from the UKGC due to its failures for the period between October 2019 and November 2020. Since the company failed to comply with the formal customer interaction guidance…

A nationwide survey conducted by Swansea University revealed 43% of military veterans in the UK have experienced the harmful effects of problem gambling. The research linked problem betting among British veterans to poor mental health and post-traumatic stress disorders. It established that ex-service members of the military are seven times more likely to become problem gamblers, compared to the other residents of the country. The research, which is the first of its kind, involved 1,037 former military members and 1,148 non-veterans sharing a similar gender profile and age group. It…

For years, gambling has been among the biggest branches of entertainment on a global scale. Over the last decade, playing traditional gambling games, such as roulette, blackjack, poker or slots machines has marked a significant increase thanks to new trends in technology and pop culture that have been adopted by gambling operators. Furthermore, the latest advance of technology has brought the traditional practice of people just going to a land-based casino gambling establishment to a whole new level, taking the experience online with a massive variety of online gambling services.…

Pacific people in New Zealand have been experiencing a disproportionate level of gambling-related harm in comparison to the ones living in the rest of the country, which is why there have been calls for regional authorities to bring in stricter rules in order to protect these people. According to reports, Pacific people account for about 21% of all New Zealanders who are seeking treatment for problem gambling. Furthermore, local experts, such as the Canterbury-based counsellor Phil Siataga, have noted that gambling was still a pretty much hidden problem in the…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is about to go through an investigation launched by the Parliamentary All-Party Betting & Gaming Group (APBGG). One of the reasons that inspired the APBGG inquiry was a handful of operators claiming to be “too scared” to share their concerns about the regulator. The UKGC has also been criticised by numerous members of the industry for quite a few years. According to Scott Benton MP, co-chair of the APBGG, despite the high number of complaints, many operators were feeling too scared to be public about…

The Stratford District Council is expected to complete a review of its Class 4 gambling venue policy by the end of 2021. As confirmed by Stratford Mayor Neil Volzke, the review has been initiated as part of the efforts of New Zealand’s District Council to make sure its gambling venues policy favours local people. During the probe, councillors will have the right to personal views, but they will also have to turn to their social conscience in order to find the golden mean between fun and entertainment and the negative…

This week, the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Bill made a step further towards the long-awaited overhaul of the gambling and betting sector in Northern Ireland, with the proposed piece of legislation entering the country’s Assembly. The regulatory amendment, which is primarily focused on brick-and-mortar gambling services has successfully passed the first stage of the legislative process. If the bill manages to pass through the Stormont, the piece of legislation is set to make the most significant changes brought to the regulation of Northern Ireland’s gambling industry in about…

The UK major gambling regulatory body has published more data regarding the connection between customers’ online gambling behaviour and the relaxation of lockdown measures across the country. The UK Gambling Commission has used operator data reflecting the months from March 2020 to July 2021 and covers data gathered from digital gambling operators. The latest update published on the UK gambling watchdog’s website contains operator data from July 2021. As revealed by the UKGC, the overall activity in the online market remained relatively stable in July, with the number of active…