Author: Daniel Williams

According to a new data analysis of National Australia Bank (NAB), Australian residents have spent а significant part of their time and money on gambling during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. The economics team of NAB has analysed internal bank data covering customer spending and payments carried out to merchants during the Covid-19 lockdown shows that Australians’ expenditure on gambling is 50.7% higher since the one registered at the beginning of 2020. No other sub-groups spending tracked by the NAB has shown such a massive rise in consumer spending like the…

On June 10th, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) issued guidance on its recent credit card ban for gambling payments carried out through any money service business (MSB). The major gambling regulatory body in the UK has implemented a new licence condition for gambling companies. Under licence condition 6.1.2, gambling operators are prevented from accepting credit card payments either directly or through any money service business, such as electronic money institutions, e-wallets or other financial technology that allows credit card deposits. As the UKGC itself explained, one of its key objectives…

Anti-gambling advocate and independent MP Andrew Wilkie called for the Government to ban social casinos in Australia, saying they are a dangerous form of gambling. In an interview with Tom Elliott, Mr Wilkie, who has been fighting against gambling-related harm for quite some time now, has highlighted that online gambling websites were getting a bigger problem literally every day, especially considering they have managed to escape legislation. At a time when the coronavirus outbreak has forced the retail gambling sector to cease operation, with no sports events available to bet…

British Ministers have called for evidence on video games that encourage customers to pay with real money for rewards – a move that could lead to loot boxes being reclassified as a form of gambling following concerns they were targetting children. The last few years have seen loot boxes become a controversial issue associated with video games. This week, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is set to roll out a call for evidence on the feature that has increasingly become more and more common in video games…

The withdrawal of the UK from the European Union (EU) is already a reality but the Brexit and its potential effect on the country’s gambling sector has remained a topic greatly discussed. For the time being, the UK gambling industry is estimated at about £15 billion on an annual basis. More than 100,000 people are employed in the sector and gambling operators generate tax revenue of about £700 million to the country’s coffers. According to estimates, gambling accounts for 0.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the UK. Following…

New major research has been released to study the impact that the Covid-19 lockdown has had on the UK gamblers’ behaviour, including the behaviour of individuals who are part of so-called “high risk” groups. The project is carried out in collaboration between the Universities of Stirling and Glasgow. It is set to study and analyse the effect that the restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic had on young adults and sports punters. In addition, the research is to also focus on the marketing and advertising of gambling companies’ products during…

The Alderney Gambling Commission revealed in its 2019 annual report that the number of gambling businesses that were granted with operating licences declined from 53 in 2018 to 33 in 2019. As revealed by the gambling regulatory body itself, the Alderney Gambling Commission issued a total of six new licences, down from eight licences issued in the previous year. Also, a further 27 gambling operating permits were renewed. The gambling watchdog said Cashbet and Genting were among the companies that saw their licences expire in the period. The same applies…

The government of New South Wales (NSW) has started providing local citizens with the chance to pay for some online government services through the New Payment Platform (NPP). Last week, the new near real-time payment method was released by the Department of Customer Service on the Liquor and Gaming portal by the state’s governmental authorities. The New Payment Platform is available and could be used alongside the payment options, such as BPAY, which already exist for local customers. It can be used by entities to pay their gambling and liquor…

Clubs in New South Wales (NSW) could soon welcome crowds of more than 500 people in some venues. According to an internal industry document, large clubs that have multiple dining areas will be permitted to accommodate hundreds of people in case they meet certain conditions. Josh Landis, the CEO of ClubsNSW, sent a memo to member clubs across the state boasting that the industry heavily influenced the state government’s decision to ease the restrictions on the hospitality sector in New South Wales. Mr Landis explained that before making the decision…

A multimillionaire Saudi businessman has remained clenched in a lengthy dispute with a Mayfair casino over an alleged gambling debt amounting to £2 million. Sheikh Salah Hamdan Al Balawi, who is known for having assets exceeding £100 million, has been charged with a failure to settle a debt with the Les Ambassadeurs Club. The global assets of the Sheikh were halted in February 2020 after the London-based casino claimed that it had been unable to reach the Sheikh. According to reports, the 52-year-old Sheikh become inaccessible when cheques issued in…