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The Church of England has once again warned that addictive computer games could have serious consequences on children. Dr Alan Smith, the Bishop of St Albans, has explained that gambling operators were offering games with a harmful product that could be dangerous for children’s lives. That is exactly why he has been urging the British Government to ban the sale of content which includes the sale of so-called loot boxes and other in-game features, describing them as a “gateway to gambling”. The warning of Dr Alan Smith comes after the…

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) has appointed a new minister to oversee the British gambling industry. It is Helen Whately, Member of Parliament for Faversham and Mid Kent, who is to occupy the role. This has been the third ministerial appointment in less than twelve months after the former Sports Minister Tracey Crouch resigned from her position to protest against the UK Treasury attempts to postpone the implementation of the stricter regulation of controversial fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). The resignation of Ms Crouch led to the…

Some Members of Parliament have once again called for the UK gambling industry’s trade body to address in-game spending and fully suspend children from accessing so-called loot boxes. According to MPs, British gambling legislation should regulate in-game spending. The trade body which regulates the industry has responded to the calls, saying that it takes them very seriously and would review the MPs’ recommendations. According to some campaigners, free video games often encourage customers to purchase so-called loot boxes, which they claim are a type of gambling. Moreover, some online games…

A former senior judge has commented on the recent allegations of connections with crime organisations which have been recently faced by Crown Resorts, saying that the integrity watchdog which oversees the home affairs department is not the right one to deal with the case. This opinion is putting the government’s model for a federal anti-corruption body under question. Recently, the Federal Government of Australia has been facing pressure to unveil stricter regulation after the beginning of the week saw the Senate pass the Greens’ bill seeking to establish a body…

A young player of Leeds United who managed to place multiple bets on football was banned from the game for six weeks by an independent Football Association (FA) commission. The 19-year-old player Jordan Stevens confessed that he placed 59 bets which combined value was £510.12 on football in the period from August 2018 to May 2019. Five of these bets involved games in which Leeds United played. As a result, the independent FA commission imposed a sanction under which he is fully banned from football, meaning that he is not…

Community organisations in Western Australia have recently shared their disappointment with the fact that the ban on virtual gaming machines was lifted in the state to allow local punters to place bets on virtual racing machines. On September 4th, the Legislative Council of the state’s Parliament voted to pass a legislation reform package for the racing industry in Western Australia. Its implementation is also expected to make the WA TAB possible. Apart from that, the piece of legislation also included a provision under which TAB outlets would be allowed to…

A few days ago, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson lost a significant vote in parliament, which resulted in some Members of Parliament taking control of the parliamentary timetable. They revealed plans for introducing a bill which is aimed at blocking a no-deal Brexit by making Johnson ask the European Union for an extension. The Prime Minister has shared that he will seek permission from the parliament for a quick general election on October 15th. So, according to experts, nothing has been decided yet, and there is a 50/50 chance for…

Labour Member of Parliament Carolyn Harris has revealed that bosses from four leading gambling operators have recognised the harm inflicted to people by their industry. As confirmed by Ms Harris, executives from William Hill, bet365, Paddy Power Betfair and SkyBet confirmed that hundreds of thousands of people show signs of problem gambling every year. At the meeting, Ms Harris, who currently heads the all-party parliamentary group on gambling-related harm, asked some questions to the gambling companies’ executives in front of people whose family members have committed suicides linked to gambling.…

According to recent reports, the UK Government and charity organisations are turning directly to the public for consultations on a possible ban on certain products and services. Lately, anti-gambling campaigners have been calling for both the public and the competent authorities to consider fully banning gambling advertising, or at least putting warning labels on gambling ads. Currently, there is a large variety of advertising materials for gambling services which are being offered on the territory of New Zealand. According to anti-gambling campaigners, the main problem with these adverts is that…

The chief executives of UK’s largest betting and gambling firms have withdrawn from a scheduled parliamentary session dedicated to discussing online betting and the dangers of it. During the official hearing, the gambling chiefs were due to be questioned on the measures taken by their businesses for reducing the gambling problem in the country. The heads of the three biggest gambling companies in the United Kingdom, namely of William Hill, Ladbrokes, and Flutter Entertainment (known until recently as Paddy Power Betfair), had initially confirmed their participation in a parliamentary session…