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Betting and gaming operators in the UK are already seeing the negative impacts from the recently introduced cut to the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals. Gambling group GVC Holdings PLC has just published its financial update for the first quarter of the year, reporting a 17 per cent rise in its online net gaming revenue, whereas earnings from its retail business in the UK for the same period are flat. GVC, which is one of the world’s largest gambling groups and owns brands like Coral and Ladbrokes, posted growth…

A new specialist clinic for treatment of gambling addiction and other gambling-related issues is set to open in Leeds this summer. The new centre, which will be the first one to open outside London, will serve Northern England and will operate with an annual grant of £1.2 million from the independent gambling support charity GambleAware. The NHS Northern Gambling Clinic will be the second gambling treatment facility in the country and is expected to serve hundreds of people in the north who are struggling with gambling disorder and other issues.…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) revealed that the two high-street bookmakers Paddy Power Betfair and Betfred have withdrawn the products they have recently launched following a warning issued by the major gambling regulator. In addition, the watchdog further explained that the gambling operators could face regulatory action, as the investigation held by the Gambling Commission is still ongoing. The third operator that was reported to be preparing a launch of a similar new roulette-style product, William Hill, has also been warned by the regulator. It also became clear that key…

Gambling regulators are investigating the introduction of new virtual roulette-style games which are allegedly used by British bookmakers to circumvent the newly-imposed restrictions on fixed-odds betting machines (FOBTs). Now, bookmakers have been accused of deliberately trying to cheat the stricter regime on the machines after they reportedly launched the high-stakes roulette-style games on the same day when the crackdown restrictions on the FOBTs came into force. Yesterday, UK gambling operators saw the reduction in the machines’ maximum stakes from £100 to £2 finally take place, after a long-running campaign against…

Ross Stanley, a gambling addict, was sentenced to jail for stealing over £4,100 from his employer and spending it at the local bookmakers’ shops. The 30-year-old man, who used to be a deputy manager at the American Golf store in Stoke-on-Trent, faced allegations of misappropriation of funds from his former employer and using it to fuel his problem gambling. The man, who has previously been convicted for stealing money from his employer, and now the Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court sent him to jail for a period of eight months. As revealed…

The Whakatāne District has seen a new draft Gambling Policy unveiled, aimed to control the gambling growth in the region. In order to do that, the Policy recommends that the number of existing gaming terminals, also known as “pokies” or “poker machines”, must be capped at 141. The Gambling Policy needs to be reviewed every three years. With the latest Policy unveiled back in 2016, it was now time for public consultation on the proposed new policy in correspondence to the 2019/20 Annual Plan process of the Whakatāne District Council.…

Last week, a plan for the establishment of a new gambling regulatory authority was approved by the Irish Government, as such a step was recommended in the Gambling Control Bill 2018. However, it is yet unknown when the new gambling regulator is going to start operation, with some experts saying that it would probably not be around any time soon. Gambling legislation and regulation does not seem to be a top priority for local lawmakers, especially considering the fact that the updated Gambling Control Bill has still not been officially…

A 70-year-old man from Western Australia lost an amount of about AU$300,000 after becoming victim to fraudsters in the Philippines in what turned out to be a complex card game gambling scam. The man lost the cash a 15-month period, with the fraud starting after the victim was approached and befriended by another man, at a Manila-based shopping centre. The victim revealed at the time that he was looking for an apartment and a partner there. As further revealed by Consumer Protection Western Australia, the Filipino man invited the elderly…

As Casino Guardian wrote a few days ago, a new House of Lords committee is expected to soon be established. As explained at the time, the body is to be created to review and analyse the impact which poor gambling regulation of the Labour Government in 2005 had inflicted on the country’s gambling sector. The new House of Lords committee is set to begin investigating into the above-mentioned issues later in 2019 and is expected to provide its official report from the investigation by March 2020. The announcement for the…

The Irish Government has revealed that gambling operators are to be obliged to fund a regulatory body which will be entitled with the power to fine on companies in case they violate the proposed stricter gambling legislation. As Casino Guardian already reported, some serious changes were recommended to be made in the sector, especially in regards to stricter gambling regulation and monitoring of bookmakers’ customer policies. The junior justice minister David Stanton revealed yesterday that a special gambling watchdog is set to be established in order to oversee the upcoming…