Author: Daniel Williams

The last few years have been a long and turbulent period for the UK gambling industry, as far as fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) are concerned. The saga has had its ups and downs, with some unexpected turns, fierce verbal battles between FOBT proponents and opponents, and even a ministerial resignation filed in the process. In November 2018, the UK Government finally announced a U-turn over the previously revealed delay to the FOBT crackdown, saying that the long-expected change in the machine’s maximum stakes would be brought forward as initially expected,…

The long-awaited crackdown on illegal gambling operations in Ireland has been one of the most-discussed topics in the local gaming industry in 2018. With much more said than done, local authorities have decided to expand the clampdown on unlawful casinos in Dublin, at a time when a gambling control bill has hardly seen any progress for more than five years now. As Casino Guardian reported in October, the Revenue Commissioners revealed that it made a decision to expand its clampdown on Dublin-based illegal casinos. The process of the notorious gambling…

A number of betting shops in Birmingham are expected to see a tighter regulatory regime, as council licensing chiefs have decided to impose a further crackdown on them. Birmingham City Council has made a proposal for some alterations in its gambling policy to be made, with a requirement for risk assessment to be made locally when it comes to the applications for new bookmakers also included. The middle of the week saw the Licensing and Public Protection Committee being told that such a step would provide officers with more powers…

In its final report, the Independent Review of Integrity in Tennis has recommended a ban on betting sponsorship in the sport. At the beginning of 2016, the governing bodies in tennis appointed a special panel to review the connection between tennis and sports betting following some concerns released in the media. Now, the panel led by the barrister Adam Lewis QC has finally published its opinion. As mentioned above, the recommendations include a ban on sponsorship agreements between sports betting operators in tennis, a restructuring of the Tennis Integrity Unit,…

Norwich City Council is set to take proactive measures and make an update to its gambling policy for the first time in ten years. At a meeting, held on December 18th, local councillors discussed a new gambling statement of principles in order to help the Council deal with gambling in the city. The City Council revealed that it plans to bring some changes to its gambling policy in order to better control gambling within the borders of Norwich. As explained by councillors, a “heat map” of vulnerable areas is aimed…

The number of New Zealand video game addicts who turn to the Problem Gambling Foundation for help is increasing, because most district health boards do not offer treatment for the problem. Earlier this year, in June, gaming disorder was officially classified as a mental health condition by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO described gaming disorder as a condition when gaming takes precedence over other activities and a player no longer can control their gaming habits in spite of the fact that they experience negative side effects because of…

The Irish National Lottery has raised concerns related to the growth of so-called “bet-on-lottery” services. Such services allow players to place a bet on a lottery draw without purchasing a lottery ticket. According to an independent research which has been carried out by the leading independent economic research organisation Indecon, has found that National Lottery games have suffered a decline of approximately 13% of the annual gambling and gaming expenditures generated in Ireland. Apart from that, the survey has also found that the country has one of the highest awareness…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) once again reminded that the ongoing National Responsible Gambling Strategy is to come to an end in March 2019. This is why the gambling regulatory body has started developing a new national strategy aimed at reducing gambling-related harm in order to ensure better protection for local players. The UKGC explained that its business plan remains committed to the new strategy development and remains aimed at driving and encouraging process within its area of operation. The watchdog, however, reminded that it is only one of the…

In an attempt to tackle gambling addiction, the small borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth is now looking into legal measures for restricting the local gambling industry. Councillors in the Central English district have decided to set up a working party, which would review the sector and its impact on people’s lives. Following a report by communities manager Rachel Jackson, the Council of Nuneaton and Bedworth, a borough in Warwickshire, West Midlands, has agreed to look into the gambling industry. In the paper, Jackson cited figures from a recent nation-wide research,…

Members of Parliament from the House of Commons have revealed that a special committee is to set to investigate the rapid growth of what they called “immersive and addictive technologies” in video games. In addition, the committee is to provide the UK Government with advice on the policy and regulatory standards that it needs to follow in order to make sure the wider public is protected from the possible negative effects of “gamification”. A new inquiry into addictive new technologies is being launched by Members of Parliament from the Digital,…