Author: Daniel Williams

A local addiction treatment service has shared that the number of gambling addicts in Ireland is a lot larger than the official estimate. The Times has reported that according to the Rutland Centre’s Chief Executive Officer Maebh Leahy the number of problem gamblers in the country is almost three times higher than the estimate provided by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland. As explained by Ms. Leahy, the Institute had used the 2010 statistics when announcing that there were approximately 40,000 gambling addicts in the country. Ms. Leahy claimed…

Yesterday, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) published a response of its Executive Director Tim Miller to the findings of the progress report launched by the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB). As revealed by the major gambling regulatory body of the UK, the above-mentioned report has once again proved that there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of customer protection and tackling gambling-related harm. The Commission explained that some progress was marked in delivering the National Responsible Gambling Strategy, but also shared its concern with the…

The organisation focused on keeping the integrity of sports betting, ESSA, revealed an increased number of suspicious betting alerts over the first quarter of 2018. According to report released by the global betting integrity body, a total of 50 cases of such betting alerts were made over the first three months of the year to the relevant authorities. Nine sports were involved in the cases over 2018 Q1, including football, tennis and table tennis, volleyball and beach volleyball, basketball, badminton, ice hockey and eSports. As revealed by ESSA, most cases…

The beginning of the week saw the main gambling regulatory authority unveil its business plan, outlining its focus and major goals for the period 2018-2019. This is the first of the three plans expected to be published over the three-year strategy of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). The business plan published by the Gambling Commission reveals how the regulatory authority intends to keep the consumers’ interests protected over the next year. In addition, the Commission has unveiled plans to prevent gambling-related harm inflicted on customers and the wider public, optimise…

In April 2018, The Lotteries Council held its Annual Conference and Networking Event, which was aimed to provide a better perspective of the UK lottery sector, with a number of exhibitors and industry officials taking part in the event. The major gambling regulatory body of the UK – the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) – also took part in the Conference, with its Executive Director Tim Miller participating in the second speaker session on April 18th. Mr. Miller spoke of the relationship that UK lotteries and good causes always shared and…

Heads of top UK betting operators have sent a letter to Matthew Hancock, the Culture Secretary, in an attempt to prevent the expected crackdown on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) which would end up with a massive stake reduction to £2. Currently, players are still allowed to place a maximum bet of £100 on the electronic machines every twenty seconds. However, large betting companies fear of the pending possibility that the FOBTs maximum stake is to be cut to £2. A number of gambling companies, including William Hill, GVC Holdings, Betfred,…

Today, the Government of Japan approved a bill that is to officially make casinos legal in the country, despite increased public concerns that such a step could end up with a significant boost of problem gambling behaviour among local citizens. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Government are trying to see the bill pass the Diet over the current session which is set to close on June 20th hoping that the opening of the Japanese casino market would end up with more foreign visitors being attracted to the country. They…

Florida legislators decided to leave the matter whether to expand gambling in the state to local voters to decide upon in November. After spending weeks in trying to find out a solution to the ongoing difficulties with the state’s deal with the local Seminole Tribe, Florida legislative leaders revealed that they were unable to agree on possible gambling expansion. That is why they chose not to have a special legislative session in May. This decision means that it is the state voters who are to decide who exactly (they or…

A Queensland problem gambler, who served as a charity manager and siphoned over AU$1 million from a non-profit organisation to gamble, has been jailed for eight years for stealing the afore-mentioned amount and using it fuel her gambling habit, as well as other entertainment activities. At a hearing which took place at the District Court in Brisbane, it became clear that the former charity manager Donna Healey carried out 866 bank transfers amounting to more than AU$1 million from the bank account of the Horizons Respite and Recreation Association to…

The Chief Executive Office of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Issam Kazim, revealed that currently there is no move to make gambling legal in the emirate regardless of the fact that three of the most popular hotel casino brands on a global scale are to set foot in the country. The statement of the most senior Dubai Tourism official comes following last week’s announcement that Caesars Entertainment Corp. is to operate two hotels as well as a beach club in the emirate, with the company planning to…