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In a recent article published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, academics from Swansea University have called for some gambling harm services of the National Health Service (NHS) to be established in Wales. The scientists eagerly highlighted the current lack of treatment services, saying that it was unacceptable and urging the Welsh Government to ensure it addressed the issue as soon as possible. The call with the Gambling Research, Education and Treatment (GREAT) Network Wales was led by a team of academics from the School of Psychology at Swansea University who outlined…

Some of the most crucial training centres of the racing industry in Cotswolds, Lambourn, Newmarket, the Scottish Borders, and Yorkshire, are still making a valuable contribution as the industry-wide parliamentary petition that is seeking the authorities to put proposed affordability checks on hold gathered more than 70,000 signatures as of October 6th night. The 12 parliamentary constituencies with the highest scoring, which have so far accounted for approximately 7.5% of the overall number of signatures, are all associated with high levels of employment in the breeding and racing sectors. The…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is preparing to address the subject of bonuses and other enticements used by the gambling industry to attract customers as a part of a more complex review of the sector. As previously reported, the country’s Government has been aiming at completing an overhaul of the sector, so at the end of April, it published its long-awaited White Paper on gambling. The plans remain on track even though some recommendations have been facing growing public resistance. When speaking at the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (BACTA)…

Andrew Black, one of the founders of the international gambling business Betfair, has shared some concerns that none of the seven new commissioners who were appointed to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) earlier this week has a background in gambling. Mr Black, who is also the Chasemore Farm breeding operation’s owner, has previously scolded the way the commission’s board is formed, saying that the lack of experience in the gambling industry would mean the members’ “commonality of thinking” would not be aligned in any way with the sector. According to…

The Seven Network has faced an AU$13,320 penalty by the Australian media authority for repeated violations of the country’s gambling advertising ban during live sports events. The news about the fine emerged at a time when SBS had just announced its decision to start offering its viewers the chance to block gambling and fast food adverts for the first time. The Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) crackdown on the Seven Network follows revelations that the network broadcast 49 betting adverts during its coverage of the Olympic Games, and received…

The end of October 2023 has seen the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) publish more data on the country’s gambling industry. The UK gambling regulatory body revealed that the data, which covers both in-person and online gambling, was sourced from local high-street Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) and reflects the period from March 2020 to September 2023. The watchdog further noted that a comparison should not be made with the industry statistics dataset because it may include bonuses and free bets and does not involve data from all operators that are available…

A UK Member of Parliament (MP) has warned that the controversial plans of the Government to overhaul the country’s gambling regulations could result in less money to support further development in equine welfare and veterinary science. The claims emerged at a time when ministers were urged to reconsider the proposed introduction of so-called affordability checks on British punters. According to the measure’s critics, proceeding further with the proposed affordability checks is likely to have a devastating effect on the country’s horse racing sector. During a Westminster Hall debate that took…

Australia’s sports betting sector has suggested removing companies’ logos from the match-day jerseys of football clubs amid an intensifying argument with the Government over a looming gambling advertising crackdown. Michelle Rowland, the Communications Minister, is preparing to make an announcement regarding some limits on TV, outdoor, and online betting adverts and has been in talks with representatives of the gambling sector, and TV and sporting code executives. As revealed by three unnamed sources from the aforementioned sectors, the gambling industry had offered to cease advertising on football clubs’ jerseys, and…

A Government survey has revealed that young Australian people in the age group between 18 and 34 years are exposed to a higher risk of gambling-related harm than any other age group. On October 26th, the Australian Gambling Research Centre at the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) published its National Gambling Trends Study’s latest edition. The survey found that 18 to 34-year-olds who gambled on regular slot machines spent an average of AU$1,453 every month on all forms of gambling. In addition, a significant majority of 89% of them…

A former Member of Parliament in the state of Victoria, Russell Northe, has faced an almost two-year imprisonment sentence for using public money worth more than AU$170,000 to fuel his problem gambling. The Melbourne Country Court officially announced his sentence in the middle of the week, after 57-year-old Northe pleaded guilty to two counts of misconduct while in public office. At the time, Judge Michael McInerney handed out a total effective imprisonment sentence of 21 months and further explained that if the defendant had not made a guilty plea, he…