Author: Daniel Williams

HM Treasury has shared concerns about the expected reduction of maximum stakes allowed at fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) in the country. According to the Treasury, the upcoming crackdown on the machines is to end up with a sharp decline in the funds or financial reserves of public organisations aimed at helping local residents who suffer from gambling addictions. This week, the discussions of the possible clampdown on fixed-odds betting terminals are becoming more and more heated, considering the recently-appointed Culture Secretary Matthew Hancock has backed the smallest possible new maximum…

The South Australian Centre for Economic Studies has carried out a research for the Independent Gambling Authority, the South Australian gambling regulator responsible for monitoring and control on casinos, gaming machines, sports betting and commercial lotteries. The study was especially aimed to check on the automatic alerts which are activated after players had spent several hours gaming. As reported by The Advertiser, the study was especially focused on the timing and response rate of such alerts in the period from 2015 to the first three months of 2017. According to…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has been pleased to see a new report posted by the independent charities network Citizens Advice, which is aimed to raise the awareness of the causes and impacts of problem gambling in the UK. In its report, released yesterday, the charity network has called the local Government to take advantage of its powers to raise the mandatory levy on betting operators, which would require from them to make larger payments to deal with gambling-related harm. Citizens Advice insists that betting companies must not be left…

It seems that the Tasmanian gambling landscape is turning into a heated arena of discussions and struggle for power advantage. The two casinos of the state have seen many employees trying to win a pay rise at a time when Federal Group, the local gambling giant, has put Labor Party’s poker machines policy under fire. Reportedly, the two casinos in the Tasmania – Hobart-located Wrest Point Casino and the Launceston Country Club have seen some of their staff members decide against the operator’s latest offer to boost their salaries with…

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has warned the UK Government about the effects that crackdown on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) could inflict to UK racing industry and wider economy. The Authority made a submission to the consultation on betting-shop gaming machines started by the Government several months ago. Yesterday, a spokesman for the regulatory authority for horse racing in the UK commented on the possibility of the maximum stake allowed at fixed-odds betting machines to be slashed from £100 to £2 under the new Culture Secretary Matthew Hancock. Making a…

The 2018 regular Diet session in Japan was finally scheduled to start today, following several months of difficulties related to snap election, delayed legislative process and opposition changeovers. The process, which is to take place over the following five month, is to see local lawmakers have discussions on a number of bills with great national importance for the first time since the previous ordinary session closed in June 2017. There was supposed to be a fall session of the Japanese legislature in September, but Shinzo Abe, the country’s Prime Minister…

The UK Government is set to slash the maximum stake allowed on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) from £100 to £2 in order to protect local gambling addicts by tackling possible gambling-related harm. The Sunday Times reported that according to an official close to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport despite the fact that no official decision has been made, a maximum stake of £2 was very likely to be announced. In addition, such an amendment to the current status quo is believed to be backed by the newly-appointed Culture…

Tasmania’s gaming behemoth Federal Group has pledged to deliver a campaign against the Labor Party’s attempts to remove pokies from local clubs and pubs. Recently, the Tasmanian Labor Party revealed its gaming policy aimed at removing the so-called poker machines from the suburbs and restrict the offering of such electronic gaming machines to the state’s two casinos from 2023. The gambling company, which has been holding the state’s monopoly on gaming license for years, announced its intention to make everything possible to prevent such a measure to be imposed. Federal…

Despite authorities’ and operators’ promises to keep gambling companies’ logos away from merchandise for young people, thousands of children still purchase and wear replica football shirts featuring gambling adverts. For the time being, the junior teams of nine Premier League teams that have been sponsored by gambling operators do not have their shirts displaying the betting firms’ logos as part of an agreement reached by the gambling sector and the clubs. However, as The Daily Mail revealed, for three of these clubs, the maximum size of the junior kits go…

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has shared its position in the heated debate about the increased sports betting adverts in Australia, saying it was much concerned with the number of teenagers who gamble on the territory of the country. As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, UNICEF commented on the pledge of the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s Government to impose a ban on gambling advertising at the time of sports events held between 5:00 AM and 8:30 PM. The international organisation demanded more serious measures to be taken and…