Author: Olivia Cole

Weeks before the official release of a proposed responsible gambling legislation, Ladbrokes now clashes with other bookmakers in Australia over the content of the program. The betting giant blasted over the delay of the scheme, which is intended as a nationally consistent, multi-operator program including a self-exclusion model for gamblers. Last year, the Australian division of the UK-based bookmaker joined rivals bet365, Betfair, CrownBet (now BetEasy), Sportsbet, Unibet into the industry group Responsible Wagering Australia. The independent body has worked closely with the federal, state and territory governments in the…

The economy of the West Midlands has received a massive contribution from the creative industry, gambling and sport in one year only. According to figures released by the Government earlier in August, the aforementioned industries, which are known collectively as “DCMS sectors” accounted for 6.8% of the overall economy in the region in 2016. The industries, which include the cultural sector, the digital sector, the creative industries, gambling, sport and telecommunications, contributed a total of £8.6 billion to the West Midlands economy. The civil society and tourism sectors are excluded…

Today, the Department of Internal Affairs of New Zealand (Te Tari Taiwhenua) released a number of documents providing the latest gambling statistics for the quarter which ended in June 2018. According to the detailed information about the Gaming Machine Proceeds (GMP) generated by the country’s venues, more funds produced by so-called poker machines were available for the community from April to June 2018. According to the quarterly stats released by the Department of Internal Affairs, the GMP rose in comparison to the result generated over the same quarter a year…

At the time when it published its financial results this morning, the gaming and entertainment group Crown Resorts revealed that it has started legal proceedings against an agency of the New South Wales Government. The case has been filed in the NSW Supreme Court against the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA) over the local Government’s plans which will obstruct views from its six-star casino at Barangaroo, Sydney. Currently, it is the BDA which is responsible for the building of Central Barangaroo, a large gambling, food and entertainment hub situated on 5.2…

Football clubs in the UK have been warned that gambling is excessively “normalised” for children thanks to the prevalence of bookmakers as shirt sponsors at a time when gambling addiction rates are constantly increasing. The Chief Executive Officer of the British charity organisation GambleAware, Marc Etches, explained that the amount and nature of advertising related to gambling services and such sponsorship deals make gambling look normal to people, and especially to under-aged individuals. According to Mr. Etches, the relationship between gambling services and football has already reached a point when…

UK gambling operator William Hill could face potential store closures in Burton, Uttoxeter and Swadlincote following the Government’s decision to impose stricter regulation on controversial fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). The decision of the country’s authorities to roll out a clampdown on the machines could be a threat for the gambling company’s betting outlets in the above-mentioned towns amid potential plans to shutter up to 900 across the country – a step that could lead to possible loss of 4,500 jobs. The British gambling and sports betting operator recently reported a…

The allegations that the Australian supermarket and grocery store chain Woolworths has collected personal information on high-stake pokies players in 22 of its pubs in three states have been confirmed by an internal investigation. Furthermore, the investigation showed that the collected personal data was shared among the pubs of the brand in order to help staff find the most appropriate incentives to encourage VIP players to increase their losses. In addition, Woolworths’ staff members in 22 pubs were found to have given free drinks to high-roller customers to encourage them…

Today, one of the largest British Bookmakers, William Hill, published its results for the first half of 2018, revealing that it had a “good” performance over a period of “substantial change”. The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Philip Bowcock, said that William Hill had performed well over the six months which ended on June 26th, especially considering the major regulatory changes faced by the company both in its domestic market and the US. The bookmaker’s boss revealed that the Online arm of the company continued to deliver a double-digit…

UK gambling regulator would make the local gambling industry more secure for customers, by ensuring better protection from misleading advertising. Under the new regulatory crackdown, British gamblers would also be able to make money withdrawals more easily. Moreover, an 8-week deadline for gambling operators to resolve customer complaints would be rolled out. The major regulatory body engaged in monitoring and control of the UK gambling industry, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), is to roll out a package of new rules set to come in force on October 31st. The new…