Author: Daniel Williams

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,…

Only days ago, the biggest gambling firms in the UK have agreed for a “whistle-to-whistle” TV advertising ban after facing increased criticism for their aggressive user-targeting strategies. As Casino Guardian already reported, the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) made an announcement about the agreement, saying that the decision has been made after local gambling companies faced an increased pressure in regards to their adverts aired during live sports events. According to some experts, the advertising ban should only be the start of more major changes in sports betting, and especially in…

The prevalence of problem gambling among international students in Tasmania is several times higher than the rates estimated for the entire adult population in Australia, figures from a recent study have revealed. Male international students, in particular, are much more likely to be problem gamblers, researchers explain, adding that nearly 15 per cent of them struggle with some form of compulsive or problem gambling. The survey, conducted by researchers at the Centre for Rural Health, University of Tasmania (UTAS), polled 1,395 students of the university and found that 56.3 per…

Following a recent report by the UK Gambling Commission on children and gambling trends, multiple news outlets have concluded that children’s exposure to loot boxes in video games could pave the way to underage gambling. The annual statistics released in late November show an alarming trend – roughly 450,000 children aged 11 to 16 gamble regularly and 1.7 per cent of youngsters could be classified as problem gamblers. Gambling participation in children aged 11 to 16 in the United Kingdom has risen in the past year, according to the Gambling…

Christchurch Casino is now seeking to renew its license that, if granted, would allow it to operate for another 15 years. This was the first casino in New Zealand when it opened in 1994 and now, it is the first one to apply for a licence renewal before the Gambling Commission. The current gaming license of Christchurch Casino expires on November 4, 2019, and in order to continue operating at the same location, the venue is required to renew the licensing documents. Earlier this year, its operator Skyline Enterprises filed…

Today, Paul Fletcher, the Social Services Minister of Australia, has officially announced a new national register scheme for Australian people who are trying to exclude themselves from gambling. The register is to be established to provide local residents with the chance to stop gambling by voluntarily excluding themselves from the entire available range of gambling platforms and applications as part of a wider range of stricter industry standards that the Government is to introduce over an 18-month period. Australian state governments have welcomed the long-expected reforms aimed at tacking the…

According to media reports, the Football Association (FA) has found the Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge guilty of violating gambling rules for placing bets on football after the winter transfer window in January 2018 opened. Despite the fact that the professional football player has denied the charges, the governing body of association football in England still found him guilty of misconduct and violation of the above-mentioned rules. As information previously emerged, the 29-year-old football player has been hit with the charge for placing bets of players and managers transfers by using…

Lately, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has taken widespread regulatory action against online casino operators in an attempt to battle problem gambling and money laundering in the sector. As part of an ongoing investigation into the local gambling industry, the major gambling regulatory body in the country has imposed almost £14 million in financial penalties on three online casino companies for failures to comply with the requirements for effective customer protection and anti-money laundering policies. As Casino Guardian previously reported, Daub Alderney faced a £7.1-million monetary penalty earlier in November.…

Concerns about under-age gambling are spreading in the UK. The last meeting of the Telford & Wrekin Council saw some questions being raised in terms of possible measures that could be taken by the borough to reduce the number of children who participate in gambling activities. The concerns have been shared after the council unanimously gave the green light to the licensing policy following a three-year review. Chris Turley, who heads the licensing committee of the Telford & Wrekin Council, revealed that there was a statutory requirement that the council’s…

Clubs in Canberra will have to surrender their electronic gaming machines licenses from April 2019 – a step which comes as part of the Government’s gambling reforms and is aimed at cutting the number of machines on gaming floors to a total of 4,000 by 2020. Yesterday, the Government finally passed the long-awaited changes in the existing gambling legislation, with an overhaul of the contribution system of the clubs community in Canberra also being involved in the changes, under which the contributions are raised to 8.8% of net gaming revenue,…