Author: Daniel Williams

The acting boss of the UK gambling regulatory body is set to be given the position on a permanent basis. The appointment is to show the approval of the Government for his pledge to impose stricter measures on what he described as “recidivist behaviours’ of gambling operators before the announcement of the authorities’ landmark industry review. Andrew Rhodes occupied the position of acting Chief Executive Officer of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) in June 2021, after the unexpected resignation of Neil McArthur from the job. Since then, Mr Rhodes has…

According to the latest reports, up to 42,000 Northern Ireland-based people could be categorised as gambling addicts, with their problem gambling behaviour often resulting in huge debts. Furthermore, reports have revealed that for every gambler, six more people are affected in a negative way. The UK constituent country of Northern Ireland has registered the highest problem gambling rate in the UK. Currently, the rate of problem gambling here is four times bigger than the one in England, while at the same time the levels of poverty and poor mental health…

Only about a month ago, the Deputy Chief Executive of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) Sarah Gardner highlighted that the country’s major gambling regulatory body and the local gambling industry must share an understanding of the main principles and tasks that would help them improve the sector for the public benefit. At the time she delivered her keynote address at the Annual Convention for BACTA members, Ms Gardner described 2021 as a year of wholesale changes for the UKGC, which welcomed its new CEO and Chairman duo. Sarah Gardner explained…

According to some gambling industry sources, the Independent Member of Parliament Andrew Wilkie had turned from a soldier to spy over the years. He had monitored the Australian gambling sector in his sights for more than a decade now, but the industry had also observed him. Mr Wilkie first entered his direct confrontation with the Australian Government in 2003 at the time when he raised a red flag in the flawed intelligence case for the Iraq War. Although he has not been new to such confrontations, he admitted that he…

Following the increased reports of British politicians receiving a great variety of incentives to lobby in favour of the country’s gambling sector, long-time anti-gambling campaigner Matt Zarb-Cousin criticised the Members of Parliament who have preferred to take care of their own comfort and accepted the gifts of the gambling companies in return for becoming their voice in Parliament. After the decision of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Government to liberalise the UK gambling laws in 2005, things in the local gambling sector inevitably changed. At the time when a more relaxed…

The planned reforms regarding controversial poker machines, also known as “pokies”, have been turned into law in the state of Tasmania, but anti-gambling campaigners claim that the local authorities had missed a once-in-a-generation opportunity to impose stricter measures to reduce gambling-related harm. Tasmania was the first state in Australia that opened a casino venue back in 1973, and since then it has turned into a place where the political influence of the gambling lobby is huge. In November, Tasmania’s upper house passed a bill regarding poker machines but anti-gambling advocates…

Recently, it has been confirmed that a large number of Northern Ireland customers who have been affected by the collapse of Football Index will not get any money back from the country’s gambling regulatory body. As Casino Guardian reported, customers of the gambling company lost millions of pounds after Football Index – an operator offering a football stock market service – went into administration in March 2021. The online gambling platform provided its users with the chance to buy and trade “shares” in real football players and get dividends according…

British psychiatrists have warned of a surprising increase in the problem gambling rates among players over the age of 65 that has started after the biggest increase registered in the online gambling industry since before the coronavirus pandemic outbreak. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) analysis of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) data, a further 620,000 people over the age of 65 are gambling online at least once a month in comparison to the ones in 2019. This is a larger increase than any other age group gambling…

After a survey showed high levels of opposition to stricter checks on the amounts that British customers are allowed to spend, the Chief Executive Officer of the UK gambling industry’s trade body, Michael Dugher, has called on the Government to pay attention to local gamblers over the rising concerns that these checks could push gamblers towards the black market. Mr Dugher issued a warning to local policymakers following a survey from the horse racing broadcaster Racing TV, which showed that so-called affordability checks are facing strong opposition. As Casino Guardian…