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The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled on January 3rd that a Halloween-themed ad posted by Buzz Bingo on Facebook last October was in breach of the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code). The advert in question was scrutinised for its potential to appeal to children on a platform frequented by individuals who are no older than 17, and it has since been removed. The cartoon artwork of the post was deemed to be particularly problematic, seeing as it included animated pumpkin heads, bats, and…

In a recent interview with the BBC, Andy May, who spent two years in prison for theft, talked about his struggles with gambling and how they ultimately drove him to steal more than £1.3 million to fund his addiction. May is currently volunteering with the independent charity GambleAware, which this November revealed that, according to survey data, 64% of UK adults who suffer from gambling addiction are afraid of opening up about their struggles due to stigma. This led to the launch of a campaign that aims to address the…

In December 2023, pensioner Anthony Whelan from Dalkey, Dublin, accused Paddy Power of withholding over €13,800 in winnings from him, but lost the case after the Circuit Civil Court ruled in favour of Paddy Power. As reported by the Sunday World, Mr Whelan has decided to take the case to Ireland’s High Court with the hopes of invoking Irish and EU consumer protection law. Mr Whelan’s lawyer, John W Carroll of Crowley Millar, stated that his clients’ arguments centre around how the terms and conditions of the promotion were unfair…

In a statement issued this Wednesday, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) put an emphasis on how crucial it is for the Government to deliver its planned gambling reforms in the first half of 2024. The council focused specifically on how, despite the lack of clarity on exactly when the White Paper’s policies will officially come to pass, there are outside factors and changes that will definitely have a profound effect on the gambling industry in the upcoming months. The first major change is that of the national living wage.…

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Anne Marie Caulfield, CEO of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), revealed the watchdog’s plans to carry out further recruitment of experts in an effort to address the close ties the sports industry has with gambling and the issue of problem gambling as a whole. This interview follows an Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) study published earlier this year, which outlined a range of findings on how Irish residents are affected by gambling and found that over 130,000 people in Ireland…

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the United Kingdom’s primary gambling industry lobby group, responded to the recommendations and findings of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report, published yesterday. As CasinoGuardian already reported, the CMS Committee’s suggestions focused on various improvements to the Gambling White Paper, with particular attention paid to reducing the volume of betting adverts seen in stadiums during sports events. Instead of completely prohibiting gambling advertising, the committee’s report suggested multiple areas for improvement, which the Government has two months to address. Following the publication of…

In a report, published today, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee calls for stricter measures aimed at reducing the volume of betting adverts seen during sports events. The Government has two months to respond to the recommendations of the report, which besides advertising, focuses on further improvements to the Gambling White Paper. According to MPs, the Premier League, along with other sports governing entities, should minimise the ads seen in stadiums to protect vulnerable groups, especially children. The report highlights that the industry has changed and evolved dramatically following the…

A long list of gambling industry participants have requested or secured meetings with Australia’s communications minister, Michelle Rowland. Gaming and betting operators, associations, and broadcasters have queued up to address a proposed nationwide ban on gambling ads. According to the recommendations of a parliament inquiry, introduced six months ago, ads for online gambling should be completely banned in Australia within three years. The late Peta Murphy, Labor MP at the time, said the phased ban on gambling ads would “give major sports and broadcasters time to find alternative advertisers and…

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has prompted healthcare professionals to stay alert when prescribing Aripiprazole (sold under the brand name Abilify®, among others). This comes as a result of an increase in the number of Yellow Card reports, associated with the medication received in 2023. Aripiprazole is an antipsychotic drug prescribed for the treatment of certain health conditions including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It works by balancing the levels of dopamine and serotonin in a patient’s brain to regulate their mood and behaviour. The medication’s side effects,…

Tabcorp, Australia’s largest gambling company, has secured a 20-year extension of its exclusive Victorian license for providing retail wagering services in pubs and clubs across the state. The renewed agreement with the government will take effect as of August 2024 with an upfront fee of $600 million, in addition to fixed annual payments of $30 million from 2025 to 2043. The total payments equate to $1.1 billion, but as they were not linked to inflation, their total value stood at approximately $864 million. Following the news that the gambling giant…