Transparency Advocates Share Concerns over Potential Conflicts of Interest Linked to Gambling Companies’ Political Donations in Australia

Transparency Advocates Share Concerns over Potential Conflicts of Interest Linked to Gambling Companies’ Political Donations in Australia

The gambling sector has provided about 150 free tickets to shows, sporting events, and hospitality to politicians from the Federal Government since the 2019 elections. The findings have triggered some concerns regarding the potential for conflict of interest among transparency advocates across Australia. As revealed by some analysts of the interest registers of the Parliament by transparency organisation Open Politics, the majority of free gifts have been granted by Tabcorp, which is currently the largest sportsbook operator on the territory of the country. Other businesses operating in the sector, such…

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AUSTRAC Establishes Second Specialist Unit to Fight Money Laundering in Australia’s Gambling Market

AUSTRAC Establishes Second Specialist Unit to Fight Money Laundering in Australia’s Gambling Market

The financial crime regulator in Australia has rolled out a second specialist unit as a response to the rising threat of money laundering in the local gambling industry, which has been recognised as a high risk by people with knowledge of the situation. The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) confirmed the establishment of the new unit at the Regulating the Game conference that took place in Sydney earlier this week. At the time, the financial crime watchdog warned that it had found evidence of serious non-compliance with the…

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Anti-Gambling Campaigner Calls Australian Authorities for Bigger Fines to Be Imposed over Violations of Sports Betting Companies

Anti-Gambling Campaigner Calls Australian Authorities for Bigger Fines to Be Imposed over Violations of Sports Betting Companies

The independent Member of Parliament Andrew Wilkie has called for the competent authorities that they should adopt higher fines for sports betting operators that violate their licence conditions. According to him, the fines are currently so low that they actually sent the wrong message to the local gambling sector which is worth about AU$50 billion. As Casino Guardian already reported, Ladbrokes recently suffered a monetary penalty of almost AU$80,000 for its failure to limit damages caused by a problem gambler who stole millions of dollars from his clients and friends…

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AFL Fans Urge Authorities to Consider Nationwide Ban on Gambling Adverts over Concerns about Normalisation of Gambling

AFL Fans Urge Authorities to Consider Nationwide Ban on Gambling Adverts over Concerns about Normalisation of Gambling

Fans of the Australian Football League (AFL) are calling for a nationwide ban on gambling adverts at stadiums and on television channels. The move followed a major finding of the second yearly AFL Fans Association (AFLFA) survey, which found that nearly half (47%) of the almost 3,000 research respondents pointed out gambling advertising when asked to share all their concerns from a list. The results of the survey showed that gambling advertising has surpassed rule changes and has become the most common concern for supporters of the Australian Football League.…

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New Report Claims Sports Betting Is Normalised for Australian Children by Massive Number of Gambling Adverts

New Report Claims Sports Betting Is Normalised for Australian Children by Massive Number of Gambling Adverts

Children in the state of Victoria are exposed to a large number of gambling ads as sports betting operators have been literally bombarding local TV channels with an average of over 900 adverts per day, as reported by the state’s official adviser on gambling-related harm. According to a report issued by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (VRGF), as a result, Victorian children and young adults have started associating gambling with sport. The discussion paper released a week ago states that a decision to put some restrictions on gambling advertising during…

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Brentford Striker Ivan Toney Pleads Guilty to Many of the 262 Charges of Violating FA Gambling Laws

Brentford Striker Ivan Toney Pleads Guilty to Many of the 262 Charges of Violating FA Gambling Laws

Brentford player Ivan Toney has pleaded guilty to a large number of charges of violating the Football Association’s gambling rules. Now, the player is expected to face a long ban from football before the end of the ongoing 2022/2023 season. Toney, who is 26 years old, has pleaded guilty in response to a large number of the 262 charges that were officially by the Football Association in December 2022 but is rejecting others. Reportedly, a disciplinary hearing at the FA is set to imminently be held. The impending ban of…

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UK Problem Gambling Rates Have Dropped to 0.2%, the Betting and Gaming Council Confirms

UK Problem Gambling Rates Have Dropped to 0.2%, the Betting and Gaming Council Confirms

Earlier this week, the trade body representing the licensed gambling sector in the UK – the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) – confirmed some figures provided by the country’s gambling regulatory body, according to which problem gambling rates in the country have fallen reaching 0.2% in 2022. In the previous year, 2021, the gambling addiction rates in the UK were 0.3%. According to the research, the decline in the aforementioned figure means that the problem gambling levels in the country are currently below international standards. The reported figures confirm that…

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Inquiry on Online Gambling in Australia to Review Gambling Regulation Issues

Inquiry on Online Gambling in Australia to Review Gambling Regulation Issues

Last year, thanks to a federal government investigation of online gambling, advocacy groups, gambling companies, and people who were affected by gambling addiction were requested to give their opinion on the ways the gambling sector in Australia was regulated. Ever since the gambling industry has been going through thorough assessments, one of the biggest issues concerning the regulation of the sector has been the effectiveness of interventions combating problem gambling and whether they have been implemented responsibly. The public hearings in Canberra resumed on Tuesday, with several politicians, researchers as…

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New Study Reveals Quarter of UK Student Gamblers Experience Gambling Harm

New Study Reveals Quarter of UK Student Gamblers Experience Gambling Harm

A recent study has revealed that half of the UK students who gamble are complaining about the negative effects of gambling on their university experience. Meanwhile, a quarter of them expressed they have been going through some form of gambling harm. The survey in question was conducted in December of last year, with 2,003 participants from UK universities taking part in the study. The Problem Gambling Severity Index was included in the survey as it is commonly used to assess the severity of problem gambling among UK residents. Thanks to…

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New Study Suggests Problem Gambling and Suicide Risk Are Related in British Children and Young Adults

New Study Suggests Problem Gambling and Suicide Risk Are Related in British Children and Young Adults

New research has suggested there is a link between problem gambling and suicide risk among young adults in the UK. The study unveiled that, over the course of a year, young people aged from 16 to 24 whose problem gambling behaviour deteriorated and resulted in more serious gambling-related harm were 2.74 times more likely to try and commit suicide than the ones whose gambling habits remained pretty much unchanged. The scientists at the University of Glasgow who carried out the study, have noted that gambling-related harm refers to the unfavourable…

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