Author: Olivia Cole

The billionaire owners of BetFred – brothers Fred and Peter Done – have faced criticism for making millions on the back of gambling addicts and problem gambling services paid by local taxpayers. The owners of the gambling company also own a company that offers professional counselling and treatment to problem gamblers. The company, called Health Assured, currently holds contracts estimated to no less than £2.5 million with multiple NHS Trusts and councils. The company provides help and counselling for various problems, including compulsive gambling and depression. Reportedly, the owners of…

The first one of three inquiries into Crown Resorts and the operations of its casino business is set to start on January 21st in Sydney. No witnesses are expected to be called at that date, as they are set to join the New South Wales inquiry at a later stage when the inquiry action will start in full swing. Apart from the inquiry that was initiated by the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority, there are two others – the public hearings that are set to be held at a…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has released some data to illustrate how British people gambled in the period from March 2018 and April 2019. According to the details unveiled, local citizens gambled away the overall amount of £14.4 billion in the aforementioned period, with their spending being divided into seven major types of gambling. The data provided by the UKGC shows that online gambling has become more popular among British residents. Their spending on remote gambling websites and applications amounted to 37.1% of the overall spending in the period between…

The UK gambling regulatory body is probing the recently-announced scandalous deal under which a number of gambling companies were given exclusive media rights to broadcast FA Cup matches on their websites. Following a massive wave of criticism, Ministers from the UK Government have also made a commitment to review the 2005 Gambling Act as part of a move that could significantly affect revenues derived from sponsorship agreements in British football. Last week, both Members of Parliament and anti-gambling campaigners strongly criticised the Football Association (FA) and some of the largest…

The last couple of years have been challenging for the UK gambling market and the companies that offer their services there. Regulatory and political turmoil has shaken the sector and has made some operators lose interest to further expansion there, with some of them even leaving the UK for more prominent markets. The UK gambling sector has always been earmarked as a safe and well-regulated destination for gambling companies to offer their services. These qualities have been considered major advantages by the operators to invest their efforts into bolstering their…

Today, the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) issued an order to make local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) suspend another nine online gambling sites that it has found illegal. The nine gambling websites that are set to be blocked under the latest order of ACMA are XBet, AU Slots, Roo Casino, Top Bet, Wager Beat, Casino Dingo, GW Casino, Ignition Casino, and Joe Fortune. As revealed by the nation’s communications and media watchdog, over 79 complaints regarding the aforementioned operators’ services had been submitted. The ACMA further explained that the…

Several online gambling operators have taken a serious hit on their reputations after an exclusive media rights deal granting them the chance to broadcast FA Cup matches online was revealed. Yesterday, Members of Parliament shared their outrage regarding what they called a “shameful” agreement in the House of Commons and raised a red flag that the deal could be devastating for individuals who suffer from problem gambling. According to them, the media rights agreement could lure gambling addicts back into gambling by using their love for the game of football.…

Crown Resorts’ founder James Packer revealed that the Australia-based gambling company plans to open its new VIP gaming venue in Sydney ahead of the initial schedule. Yesterday, Mr Packer visited the location of the Crown Sydney project that is currently under construction. As previously shared, the company has planned to see the venue up and running sometime in the first six months of 2021. It seems that plans have changed, as the single largest shareholder in Crown Resorts now shared with a local media that the venue that is to…

Yesterday night, it became clear that a total of seven UK online gambling sites would be given live-streaming rights for FA Cup matches under the TV and media rights deal Casino Guardian already reported about. The agreement that runs until 2024 was inked by the Football Association surprisingly, after several years ago the football governing body of the UK announced a decision to end all of its gambling operator sponsorships. The deal fuelled the harsh criticism, as campaigners who are against the massive growth of the gambling companies’ popularity and…

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint against an ad that was uploaded on the Betway account on YouTube and seen on October 19th, 2019. According to the watchdog, the video, which involved the West Ham football player Declan Rice and was described as a YouTube prank, was still an ad promoting the licensed UK gambling operator. As the complainant noted, the video started with an image including a parking fine image stating “DECLAN RICE CAR CLAMP PRANK”. Also, several of the individuals who participated in the video wore…