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A sinking lid policy on pokie machines could be adopted in New Zealand’s Tasman District as gambling-related harm is believed to be affecting hundreds of individuals within the district. The restriction is part of the District Council’s draft Gambling Venues Policy, which is scheduled to go for public consultation next week. The proposal was made in October 2018 by a committee, which told council members to introduce a sinking lid policy instead of a cap on the number of electronic gaming machines. This approach, although supported by local authorities across…

Victorian residents are spending more money on electronic gaming machines, reporting the second-highest losses since these games were first introduced. Gamblers across the state have lost nearly AU$2.7 billion in the 2018-19 financial year, new statistics reveal. This is a 0.13 per cent increase on losses recorded for 2017-18, which seems insignificant, yet it translates to approximately $3.5 million. The data was released this week by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation and according to the numbers, residents of Greater Dandenong have lost the most – $907 on…

Researchers in Australia have launched a new study into the wider impact of gambling and problem gambling, in particular. They will be looking into the families of gamblers in the state of New South Wales, which is home to around half of all Australian electronic gaming machines, commonly known as pokies. In a press release on Thursday, the Centre for Gaming Research at the Australian National University (ANU) announced the launch of a new study that would look at the harmful effects of gambling on gamblers’ families and partners. The…

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) announced on Wednesday it would be holding a consultation with the public and industry stakeholders on the use of credit cards for online gambling. The regulator is considering an outright ban on credit card gambling but said it would be taking input from the gambling industry under advisement before taking further action. In a statement, Paul Hope, Executive Director at the UKGC, explained that the consultation process, which starts in mid-August, would help the Commission decide on the measures needed to eliminate the risks…

The application of SkyCity to boost the number of poker machines available at its casino in Hamilton is to be brought to a public hearing in spite of concerns associated with the mayor’s conduct. The decision that SkyCity will see its pokie addition application considered at a public hearing was confirmed by Graeme Reeves, the Chief Gambling Commissioner, who has been allowed to be present at the hearing along with five other agencies. The hearing is set to take place later in 2019. Earlier in July, SkyCity addressed the Gambling…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has specially recruited investment bankers from the multinational investment bank Rothschild & Co to choose the new operator of the British National Lottery, as revealed by the Telegraph. Currently, the country’s National Lottery has been run by the Camelot Group, a company owned an managed by a pension fund based in Canada, since 1994 when it was first rolled out. Camelot has been holding a monopoly on the National Lottery’s services for two decades and a half, but its operating licence is set to expire…

According to correspondence seen by the Sunday Independent, Irish gambling regulators are worried that a possible increase brought to the maximum wager permitted on electronic betting machines could lead to increased money laundering. TDs have heard that the considered addition of bigger gambling machine stakes to the new Gaming and lotteries Bill would pave the way for people to place larger bets and make should they look to conceal money which they have generated through criminal activity. The concern has been raised after some representatives of the public have met…

Former striker of Liverpool FC Daniel Sturridge has received a two-week ban from football and is to pay £75,000 after being found guilty of violating the Football Association’s betting rules. The 29-year-old football player was given a six-week suspension from playing, but four weeks of the ban were suspended, so the forward would be free to play again on July 31st. The Football Association, however, has not been satisfied with the penalty suffered by Sturridge and shared that it intends to appeal against the dismissal by an independent regulatory commission…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) once again confirmed its continued commitment to tackling increasing gambling harm at a time when analysts of existing market data have warned that there is a link between problem gambling and suicide. The reports regarding problem gambling in the country have been unveiled as part of the research programme of the UKGC’s National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms. They were commission by the largest charity organisation which helps gambling addicts in the country, GambleAware. According to the published findings, there is a connection between gambling…

Northern Ireland’s gambling rules could be adjusted to stricter regulatory standards which have been unveiled across of the UK after the Church of England interfered. The Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith, addressed the House of Lords by tabling an amendment which is to make way for possible unification between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland, which has been in the Government’s plans for years. Under the proposed amendment, gambling legislation is to be added to several areas on which the UK Government would have to issue a report by…