Australian Government Officially Bans Credit Cards and Cryptocurrencies for Gambling, Starting Today

Australian Government Officially Bans Credit Cards and Cryptocurrencies for Gambling, Starting Today

As of today, Australians can no longer use credit cards to deposit funds to gambling websites. The plans of the federal government came into effect today, nearly six months after the legislation was passed. Gambling operators were allowed a transitory period of nearly half a year to implement the new rules. Those who fail to observe the limitation could be subjected to fines amounting to nearly AU$ 234,750. As per the new legislation, the Australian Communications and Media Authority will be empowered to oversee the regulations and impose penalties. Besides…

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Cork City Council Rejects Ballincollig Casino Proposal After William Hill and SPFL Seal Sponsorship Deal

Cork City Council Rejects Ballincollig Casino Proposal After William Hill and SPFL Seal Sponsorship Deal

The city council of Cork, Ireland, has shut down plans for the establishment of a new Coalquay Leisure Limited casino in Ballincollig. This news follows the cementing of a controversial sponsorship deal signed between the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and one of the UK’s major gambling giants, William Hill. According to the local news website Cork Beo, Cork’s city officials reached the decision to reject Coalquay Leisure Limited’s proposal after almost 50 Ballincollig residents and local businesses expressed their disapproval of the plan. Their concerns surrounded issues of public…

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Federal Court Hands SkyCity Adelaide AU$67m Fine for AML Violations

Federal Court Hands SkyCity Adelaide AU$67m Fine for AML Violations

On Friday, June 7th, the Federal Court of Australia ruled that SkyCity Adelaide must pay AU$67 million in penalties for violations concerning Australia’s anti-money laundering laws. The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) filed civil penalty proceedings against SkyCity in 2022 after a probe into the company’s operations revealed then-alleged breaches of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act). Friday’s ruling marks the second time AUSTRAC has been successful in securing a civil penalty against an operator that failed to comply with AML regulations. According to…

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Safer Gambling Tool Usage on the Rise Thanks to Safer Gambling Week Initiative, BGC Data Shows

Safer Gambling Tool Usage on the Rise Thanks to Safer Gambling Week Initiative, BGC Data Shows

According to the latest data shared by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), 2023’s Safer Gambling Week (SGW) initiative prompted an impressive number of players and bettors to begin taking advantage of safer gambling tools. Each November, charities, entities belonging to the gambling sector, football clubs, the Gambling Commission, and the Government all take part in this campaign with the goal of raising awareness regarding safer gambling. As revealed by the BGC, the 2023 campaign enjoyed 50 million impressions on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram,…

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Lucas Paqueta Could Face Lifetime Suspension if Found Guilty of Betting Misconduct and Spot-Fixing

Lucas Paqueta Could Face Lifetime Suspension if Found Guilty of Betting Misconduct and Spot-Fixing

West Ham star Lucas Paqueta’s career could end prematurely over alleged breaches of the Football Association’s rules, The Sun has revealed. Paqueta has been subject to regulatory scrutiny since last August after suspicions arose that he might have been involved in betting misconduct. Last month, the Football Association (FA) charged the player with several counts of spot-fixing achieved through yellow cards for the purpose of monetary gain. Although Paqueta has denied all accusations, his career has already been impacted by the probe since last year’s investigation was announced just as…

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John Borghetti Succeeds William McBeath as Chair of Crown Resorts

John Borghetti Succeeds William McBeath as Chair of Crown Resorts

Tuesday marked the announcement that John Borghetti, Chair of Crown Sydney, will be appointed as Chair of Crown Resorts in July following the stepping down of William McBeath, who will remain a member of the board. Mr McBeath was appointed as Chair of Crown Resorts in 2022 and led the company through its extensive remediation process after the year prior saw Crown Resorts be fined and deemed unfit to retain its licences in several Australian jurisdictions due to money laundering. Earlier this year, however, Crown Melbourne and Crown Sydney were…

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Affordability Check Critics in the Parliament Enjoyed £279k From Gambling and Horseracing Sectors, Says the i

Affordability Check Critics in the Parliament Enjoyed £279k From Gambling and Horseracing Sectors, Says the i

British newspaper i has revealed that members of parliament (MPs) who have lobbied against the implementation of online risk checks have been granted nearly £280,000 from the gambling industry and the horseracing sector. The figures cover donations, earnings, and other forms of payment or benefits received in the past five years. The controversial regulatory proposal, if implemented as currently outlined in the Gambling White Paper, will result in gamblers who suffer net losses of £125 or more within a month being subject to risk checks. The same will apply to…

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Swansea City’s Player Liaison Officer Hit with Suspension Over Betting Misconduct

Swansea City’s Player Liaison Officer Hit with Suspension Over Betting Misconduct

The Football Association (FA) has announced that the player liaison officer of Swansea City, Huw Lake, has been suspended for sports betting. Mr Lake has held the position of player liaison officer of the football club for two decades, and as revealed by the FA, he had placed over 2,470 bets between April 3rd, 2018, and September 24th, 2023. All of the said wagers concerned football games, and 130 of the bets were wagers against the victory of Swansea City. His suspension will last 12 months, and in addition to…

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BGC Celebrates Members’ Impressive Age Verification Pass Rates

BGC Celebrates Members’ Impressive Age Verification Pass Rates

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) announced on Wednesday that the latest data by age audit company Serve Legal has revealed record numbers surrounding the age verification checks conducted by the BGC’s member operators. For bookmakers, the age verification pass rate across thousands of annual checks stood at 91.4%. BGC casinos, on the other hand, achieved a rate of 98%. Serve Legal began conducting such assessments in 2009, and the above figures show a 30% increase in total since that year. As stressed by the BGC, the British gambling sector…

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Alderney Sees Profits of £2.3m From AGCC While Irish and UK Gambling Giants Suffer Stock Performance Drop

Alderney Sees Profits of £2.3m From AGCC While Irish and UK Gambling Giants Suffer Stock Performance Drop

British crown dependency Bailiwick of Guernsey’s Alderney has been granted £2.3 million in profit from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) in 2023, a figure that exceeds that of 2022 by £636,000. Meanwhile, this Tuesday’s UK stock market session saw Entain and Flutter Entertainment’s stock prices falling, with the latter being attributed to Illinois’ decision to introduce a significant betting tax hike. As reported by the BBC, the States of Alderney claimed the AGCC’s figures were the result of the “strong rebound” that the global gambling sector enjoyed after the…

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