Author: Olivia Cole

The city of Nelson is moving closer to the implementation of stricter rules in terms of poker machines. The gambling policy of the city is reviewed every three years, with local councillors’ opinions being divided over the best way to make an amendment to the current rules. However, the two-hour-long debates yesterday took councillors to a dead end. As a result of the discussions, which were primarily focused on the balance between gambling-related harm inflicted on society, and the benefits brought to local communities by gambling companies, the planning and…

The largest gambling operators in the UK have voluntarily agreed to stop advertising their services on television during live sports events. An agreement for a “whistle-to-whistle” TV advertising ban has been reached by the Remote Gambling Association (RGA), which includes bet365, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes. The decision has come after increased pressure on gambling companies due to the massive amount of adverts aired during sports broadcasts. There was clear public support for these restrictions and I'm glad that for once the industry, led by the Remote Gambling Association, has taken…

A suburban Australian football club which derives revenue from poker machines would be suspended from accessing its own playground due to a council decision to eliminate support given to local groups which depend on funding from gaming revenue. The beginning of the week saw Darebin Council come up with a new gambling action policy which is related to fully slashing or reducing the support given to the community or sporting groups in case they receive money from local pokies venues. Under the council’s decision, groups which associated with operation of…

Gambling operators in the UK intent to review the number of sports betting ads aired on TV due to major public concerns. The Remote Gambling Association (RGA), which has members among the largest gambling operators in the country such as William Hill, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power, said it has taken into account the criticism aimed at gambling companies. That is the reason why it has decided to discuss various options in order to limit the number of gambling adverts broadcast on UK television, especially during live sports events, and especially…

Steven Girling, a finance director, was left near suicide by gambling operators after being targeted to spend a massive amount of money in one day only. The 35-year-old man misappropriated a total of £1 million from his employer to fund his gambling after companies wooed him into betting more and more money by offering him various enticements such as VIP tickets and holidays bonuses. Mr. Girling confessed that he was in a difficult emotional situation after losing £50,000 in one day and revealed that British gambling operators targeted him aggressively.…

Shayne Elliott, the head of the Australian and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ), revealed that the bank is to set a maximum limit on the credit amount that can be drawn down to fund online gambling activities. The decision has come as part of the bank’s efforts to take active measures for helping problem gamblers in the country. Yesterday, at the time he gave evidence at the banking royal commission, Mr. Elliott revealed that the bank has decided to take part in the authorities’ efforts to tackle problem gambling. In…

A new study has revealed that major political parties in Australia have been taking donations of more than $14 million from gambling, alcohol and tobacco companies, with the contributions’ amounts sharply rising during debates regarding taxes on alco-pop drinks and gambling reforms. The research was published in the latest Drug and Alcohol Review. According to the data revealed in the study results, alcohol companies were the largest contributors to major political parties with donations amounting to AU$7.7 million. Gambling businesses were second, with donations worth AU$2.8 million, while supermarket chains…

GambleAware, the leading charity organisation battling gambling-related harm, has unveiled a new financial analysis focused on gambling companies’ marketing spending. The report has been issued by Regulus Partners, a popular gambling industry specialists. According to the data provided by the financial analysts, marketing spending of gambling operators has increased by 56% since 2014, reaching £1.5 billion. The revelations come at a time when gambling and betting companies have been under fire over their extensive advertising which, according to their opponents, often targets under-aged and vulnerable individuals. The financial report revealed…

The founder and joint chief executive of British online gambling group bet365 Denise Coates is the highest-paid director in the United Kingdom and probably the highest-paid female chief executive in the world. In an annual report, the company revealed that Coates had received £265 million in salary and dividends in 2017 following a pay rise of £48 million from the previous year. The 51-years-old gambling mogul started the online business in 2001 as sports betting platform that transformed her father Peter Coates’ chain of betting shops. Today, she continues to…

ITV has faced fierce criticism for giving permission to a gambling operator to sponsor the I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here application, with thousands of under-aged fans of the show accessing encouragements to bet. All this happens at a time when gambling operators in the UK have been put under fire for their advertising campaigns which, according to some gambling opponents, have been targeting children by making gambling look normal to them with ads and incentives for placing a bet. As The Guardian revealed, Tom Watson, the deputy…