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A recent encounter the Australian casino tycoon James Packer had in the French Caribbean fuelled rumours for a possible upcoming sale of struggling Crown Resorts. Mr Packer reportedly celebrated New Year’s Eve with a lavish party on his IJE boat, with another super boat, Queen Miri, owned by the Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, docked right next to his. The encounter of the two businessmen sparked speculations that Mr Packer may be considering to dispose of his share in Crown Resorts to Mr Adelson, with Crown’s Barangaroo casino in…

The year 2020 has not been an easy one for countries all over the world, as many of them experienced forced closures on large economy sectors as part of their efforts to prevent the further spreading of the coronavirus infection. October’s announcement that Ireland would enter lockdown measures again came as a serious blow to all businesses that had started adjusting to the new reality after the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. One of the sectors that have felt the negative effect of the unprecedented lockdown and social distancing measures in the…

Back in late January, Google reported that the search interest in online casinos has reached an all-time high in the UK. And that happened a few months before the coronavirus pandemic outbreak when, although the revenue of the land-based gambling sector suffered a massive decline, online casino, slots, poker and virtual sports betting marked a considerable increase. According to some data collected by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), there was a 53% increase in online poker activity in March 2020 in comparison to the figures registered in the same month…

With the UK Government having promised review of the country’s Gambling Act at the time of the 2019 general election, such a step seems not only imminent but also necessary, as the country’s gambling legislation needs to get up to date with the current market realities. Many changes have occurred across the sector since December 2019, including stricter regulatory rules regarding gambling advertising, underage individuals’ exposure to gambling ads and a ban imposed on credit cards’ use for gambling transactions, as well as restricting gambling sponsorship deals in football. The…

The UK has officially left the European Union (EU), with the transition period after Brexit set to come to an end on December 31st, 2020. Along with all changes it brings for the country, Brexit will also affect all businesses and organisations operating in the local gambling sector. After the referendum in 2016 saw the citizens of the UK vote to leave the European Union, many gambling companies have been worried about what will happen to them and how they will be able to offer their services in the country…

A psychiatrist organisation from Ireland demanded from the country’s government to impose a total ban on the advertising of gambling products during sporting events from the beginning of next year. The Irish College of Psychiatrists insists the ban on gambling ads is a necessary step towards curbing problem gambling in the country, which the organisation referred to as a “hidden epidemic”. In its latest position paper, the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland describes problem gambling as a form of behavioral addiction that can lead to serious distress for those affected…

The Australian Banking Association (ABA) finally unveiled the results of its consultation on the public opinions about the use of credit cards for gambling purposes and the role of financial institutions in addressing gambling-related harm. The findings were published in a report entitled Every Customer Counts and were based on the written submissions of forty gambling operators, governmental agencies, and problem gambling counsellors. Also considered were the results of a web-based survey that involved 813 locals who were asked about their opinions on the use of credit cards for betting…

The UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matthew Hancock, warned that non-essential businesses, sports betting shops included, may be forced to remain closed until a vaccine for Covid-19 becomes widely available to the public. Recent changes to the coronavirus measures during the holiday period will cause betting shops to cease operations across a significant part of the country. Bookmakers located in the London area, as well as those in England’s south-east and east parts, will have to close their doors to customers again. This applies to areas…

The Betting and Gaming Council issued a warning about the increasing risks of online black market operators in the UK. This followed a concerning discovery, showing that British bettors resorted to the services of unlicensed operators about 27 million times in a single year. The results of a report carried out by PWC showed that more than 200,000 UK punters reported using the services of unlicensed operators in the 12 months between 2018 and 2019. The amount they have spent betting at black market websites was nearly £1.4 billion. According…

A report reflecting a massive increase in problem gambling in Australia’s Northern Territory has been made public following a change in the local Government’s previous refusals to publish it. Menzies School of Health Research was entitled to conduct the Gambling Prevalence and Wellbeing Survey after receiving $695,000 from the Community Benefit Fund in late 2018. A total of 5,000 adult NT residents participated in the survey by answering to more than 100 questions, with the final report saying the proportion of adults facing problem gambling behaviour increased by 50% from…