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The dark side of ambling in Australia has once again been put in the spotlight following many calls for poker machines to be once and for all removed from local clubs and pubs. But can Australian authorities do that? Will they dare to slash one of the largest sources of revenue of states and territories that fill in some budget holes and fund some society projects and good causes? Electronic slot machines are largely present at casinos all over the world. However, in Australia, the scale of popularity of poker…

This week, the first training day for the Gambling Anti-Money Laundering Group (GAMLG) was completed by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC). The main goal of the workshop was to show operators ways to reduce the risks of money-laundering activities and ensure best practices. Despite gambling being categorised as a low-risk activity by the Government’s National Risk Assessment (NRA), the gambling industry is focusing on improving the way operators are tackling high-risk gambling issues and hope to further prevent criminal activities in the UK gambling sector. Gambling Determined as Low…

The Dublin-based gambling company Flutter Entertainment reported a revenue slump in Ireland and the UK, which it attributed to safer gaming measures and the decrease in online betting activity after coronavirus restrictions were lifted. The Irish company suffered £30 million in losses resulting from the implementation of safer gambling strategies over the past twelve months. Flutter witnessed a 20% decline in Q1 online revenue compared to the results for the previous year when the two countries were in lockdown. The holding company owns several international betting and gaming brands, including…

Election candidate, Nick Xenophon, calls for stricter regulation on gambling advertisements in Australia as well as a total ban on sponsorships with sporting clubs. The ex South Australian senator believes that gambling ads should be allowed the same airtime as ads promoting alcohol. A recent study has revealed that the number of gambling ads in Victoria has expanded drastically in the last five years. What is more, in 2021, the industry has spent about $287.2 million on gambling advertisements across Australia. When compared to the estimates for 2020, we can…

Several sports betting businesses threatened to pull out their operations from Australia’s Northern Territory if their taxes were raised, local broadcaster ABC uncovered. At least three betting companies said they would abandon the region in submissions to the Australian government the broadcaster accessed under the Freedom of Information Act. According to the local media, the operators made the threats during consultations for a review of the Racing and Betting Act, which regulates thoroughbred racing, on-track, and remote sports wagering in the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory is largely dubbed the…

Northern Ireland has officially passed the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements bill. The law will have a tremendous impact on the gambling industry of Northern Ireland and will modify a few of the regulations introduced by the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Order of 1985. The new bill marks the first steps towards a more regulated gambling sector, with Northern Ireland’s future plans including regulation of the online gambling industry. One of the biggest changes introduced with the passing of the law includes local bookmakers and bingo halls being allowed…

The video gaming industry in Australia has recently described some calls for the introduction of tougher rules for the sector as a temporary measure. In the middle of the week, the country’s Arts Minister Paul Fletcher officially revealed that the Government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison plans to implement further restrictions for screen content that depicts suicide, violence against women or tends to sexualise underage individuals. However, some representatives of the Australian video gaming industry do not seem very thrilled with the announced changes. Ron Curry from the Interactive Games…

While Australians are well known for their love for pokies, they are also notoriously bad at generating any gambling wins. The reason for Victorians ranking among the biggest pokie losers is the huge amount that is wagered on different gambling products. The latest reports of the Alliance for Gambling Reform revealed very concerning results. Just in March, the losses that Victorians have suffered in a single month reached $257.3 million. The worrying amounts that have been lost in March alone were the reason for calls for gambling reform. March Gambling…

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is taking legal actions against several operators over allegations of non-compliance with section 15 (2A) of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA). The civil penalty proceedings launched by the regulator are taken to the Federal Court, with these actions being a part of the ACMA’s extensive investigation into illegal online gambling operations. The ACMA has been taking different steps to regulate the gambling industry in Australia, with the regulator blocking 426 black market gambling websites ever since November 2019. Now, the regulator is…

The financial regulatory body in the UK has seized £2 million in total from the payment solutions provider QPay Europe as part of some measures linked to a multi-billion bank fraud that took place in the US. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has not provided detailed information on whether it considered QPay Europe a complicit party in the US-based bank fraud, which was estimated at about $150 million, but raised a red flag about a pattern as part of which the payment solutions operator quickly cleared transactions that resulted in…