New Zealand Government Justifies Ongoing Racing Sports and Racing Industry Reforms

New Zealand Government Justifies Ongoing Racing Sports and Racing Industry Reforms

Reforms which relate to the racing industry and sports funding will not result in losses for sporting organisations in the country, Grant Robertson, Sport and Recreation Minister, has claimed. On the other hand, Racing Minister Winston Peters has also defended the shortened public consultation process at a time when Transparency International NZ has strongly criticised it after claiming that the period of five days available for public submissions is not long enough. Back in April, New Zealand’s competent authorities unveiled the Racing Reform Bill which is currently before the select…

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New Zealand Gambler Says Local Councils Should Be Able to Make Decisions on Poker Machines’ Fate

New Zealand Gambler Says Local Councils Should Be Able to Make Decisions on Poker Machines’ Fate

The local council should be given more powers to decide on the fate of controversial poker machines, a New Zealand gambling addict said. Currently, there are 61 pokies in the hometown of the man, Ōtaki, north of Wellington – a number a lot higher than the number recommended by the council, which is 42. The man, called James, confesses that he has spent thousands of dollars while playing the machines that have been blamed a lot for their detrimental impact on gamblers’ lives. The fact that James has been self-employed…

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NSW Court of Criminal Appeal Rejects Gambling Addict’s Appeal to Jail Sentence Following Robbery of an Elderly Man

NSW Court of Criminal Appeal Rejects Gambling Addict’s Appeal to Jail Sentence Following Robbery of an Elderly Man

Three gamblers were reported to have targeted a 95-year-old man who has been carrying a large amount of cash at the Star Casino in Sydney, then followed the man home and robbed him, taking his live savings estimated to AU$6,250. One of the three attackers, Amandeep Singh confessed about his wrongdoings to the police officers who caught him up and accused him of the robbery and said that the three of them gave the elderly man back AU$100 “so he can eat”. Today, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal rejected…

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Former Australian Regulator Supports New Probity Check of Lawrence Ho Following Crown Resorts Stake Purchase

Former Australian Regulator Supports New Probity Check of Lawrence Ho Following Crown Resorts Stake Purchase

The former regulator who provided Crown Resorts with a casino operation license backed a new probe to the company’s new shareholder Lawrence Ho but also highlighted the fact that no links have been found between him and his father Stanley Ho. Chris Sidoti, the human rights lawyer who took the chairman’s position of the NSW Casino, Liquor and Gaming Authority more than a decade ago, inspected a 2014 agreement with Crown Resorts under which any links between the Asian casino mogul Stanley Ho and the Australian gambling operator were prevented.…

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UK Online Gambling Sector Continues to Grow Despite Overall Decline across Local Gambling Industry

UK Online Gambling Sector Continues to Grow Despite Overall Decline across Local Gambling Industry

Earlier today, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) published the latest gambling industry statistics to unveil more detailed information on each sector which it regulates. The country’s gambling watchdog publishes its industry statistics twice a year, in May and November. The latest data provided by the regulator cover the period between October 2017 and September 2018 and include online gambling services. The official statistics published by the UKGC have been compiled thanks to the data provided by British gambling licence holders through their regulatory returns. The UKGC revealed that the total…

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New Research Shows Gambling-Related Harm Affects 1 in 25 Teenagers in Australia, amid Spreading Normalisation of Gambling

New Research Shows Gambling-Related Harm Affects 1 in 25 Teenagers in Australia, amid Spreading Normalisation of Gambling

Recent research has shown that one in 25 teenagers may be facing gambling-related harm. At a time when online betting and extensive advertising has made gambling in sport look normal to customers, more underage individuals are being negatively affected by the issue. The last few years have seen a significant increase in gambling participation and problem gambling rates among teenagers to the point where about 75% of underage individuals believe gambling is just a normal part of sport. Teenagers who are currently in year 10 to 12 at Ballarat Christian…

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NSW’s Eleventh Largest Pokie Club to Face Disciplinary Hearing Due to Allegations of Irresponsible Gambling Practices

NSW’s Eleventh Largest Pokie Club to Face Disciplinary Hearing Due to Allegations of Irresponsible Gambling Practices

A disciplinary hearing is to be faced by the Dee Why RSL Club after an investigation has been held into accusations of irresponsible gambling practices which have allegedly led to the death of one of the club’s customers in 2018. Gambler Gary Van Duinen committed suicide after he had a 13-hour gambling session at the club, which his family members had previously asked to do something to prevent him from gambling there any more. The gambling regulatory body in the state, the Liquor and Gambling NSW has commissioned an investigation…

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Gambling Addiction Is Mistakenly Considered Only Men’s Problem, Says Female Former Gambler

Gambling Addiction Is Mistakenly Considered Only Men’s Problem, Says Female Former Gambler

A woman who has been trying to deal with the negative consequences of gambling is now calling for more to be done to help female problem gamblers, saying that compulsive gambling is mistakenly considered as a problem which affects mostly men. The 31-year-old Katie Clarke sought professional help for her problem gambling in July 2018. However, she was surprised to see that gambling addiction actually lacked publicised support, especially when it comes to female gamblers. Ms Clarke has revealed that her compulsive gambling habits led her to a £25,000 of…

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Main UK Gambling Regulator Remains Committed to Tackling Gambling-Related Harm and Providing Better Customer Protection

Main UK Gambling Regulator Remains Committed to Tackling Gambling-Related Harm and Providing Better Customer Protection

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) remains committed to its strategy to reduce gambling-related harm and guarantee that local customers are well protected against possible negative consequences of gambling. It was only last week when the regulatory body revealed that it has imposed s number of significant penalty packages totalling £4.5 million to companies which operate in the online gambling sector. The move was taken as part of the widespread regulatory actions of the Commission against companies which failed to make sure they put in place effective measures preventing money laundering…

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More Gambling Addiction Centres Needed in the UK, Sky Bet’s Boss Says

More Gambling Addiction Centres Needed in the UK, Sky Bet’s Boss Says

The executive chairman of Sky Bet shared his concern with the fact that the gambling industry as a whole had not been very supportive to people who suffer from problem gambling. In an interview for BBC News, Mr Flint said that the sector had not done enough to look after gambling addicts and suggested that gambling operators should consider providing some funding to a network focused on gambling treatment. According to the boss of one of the largest online gambling businesses in the UK, a network of gambling treatment centres…

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