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A quarter of betting shops on UK high streets have been slated for closure, putting 12,000 jobs at risk, with William Hill the latest bookmaker to blame job cuts on stricter regulation of fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). Restrictions cutting the maximum stake on the controversial betting machines from £100 per spin...
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Labour would set up a new gambling ombudsman to protect consumers, deputy leader Tom Watson will say on Tuesday, citing a string of scandals that have raised concerns about “predatory” practices in the industry. In a speech at the thinktank Demos, Watson will unveil the latest plank of a plan to...
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Sports minister defies call from UK regulator to raise funding for addiction treatment. The government has come under fire for its “outrageous” failure to back a mandatory levy on betting firms to increase funding for addiction treatment, in defiance of a call from the industry’s regulator. Labour’s deputy leader,...
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One of Britain’s biggest bookmakers agreed to pay £1m to the victims of a problem gambler who had stolen the money he was using to bet, in return for a pledge not to inform the industry regulator. Ladbrokes showered the gambling addict with thousands of pounds-worth of gifts over two...
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World Gambling News … August 2018 State should restrict gambling ads seen by children, industry says 10/08/2018 – Senior gambling industry figures have admitted concerns that children are being exposed to too many betting adverts on TV and have called on the government to act. The growing consensus among of...
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Senior gambling industry figures have admitted concerns that children are being exposed to too many betting adverts on TV and have called on the government to act. The growing consensus among of industry bosses prompted calls from Labour for the government to crack down on “out of control” gambling ads. Philip...
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The man behind a successful campaign to reduce stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) has scored a second victory over the machines’ biggest manufacturer, after a court ordered the company to pay damages of $315m (£244.5m). Derek Webb, 68, who funded the anti-FOBT Fairer Gambling group, is expected to pocket tens of millions...
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William Hill blamed the government’s clampdown on fixed-odds terminals (FOBTs) as it warned that up to 900 betting shops could close, putting 4,500 jobs at risk. The bookmaker reported a loss of £820m in the first six months of the year, as the decision to slash maximum stakes on FOBTs from £100...
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Betting firms face a crackdown on breaches of advertising rules and consumer law in a drive to ensure fairer treatment for gamblers. From October the Gambling Commission will have powers to impose unlimited fines for promotional campaigns that appeal to children or glamorise gambling. The watchdog will also introduce an eight-week...
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In 2017, the global eSports economy was estimated to stand at around $696m, attracting an audience of over 385 million people, according to Newzoo. But the industry’s formidable growth has attracted more than just hordes of professional gamers, avid viewers and brands offering lucrative sponsorship deals. Organised criminals and low-level chancers...
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The casino industry donated thousands of pounds to the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) after the thinktank published a report on gambling policy that called for restrictions on the number of casinos to be lifted. The National Casino Industry Forum (NCIF) confirmed it donated £8,000 to the IEA having...
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Experts on problem gambling have described the growing number of football clubs with betting firms and online casinos on their shirts as “disturbing” and “worrying” and said a national debate on the potential harm is overdue. Nearly 60% of the clubs in England’s top two divisions will have gambling...
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Bookmakers are in line for a £1bn tax rebate after a court ruled they were wrongly charged VAT on revenue from controversial fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). The finding, in a case brought against HM Revenue & Customs by the high-street bookmaker Betfred, will be seen as a major victory for an...
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Authorities in Macau, the world’s largest gambling hub, will care for more than 600 greyhounds after their owner renounced them ahead of the closure of China’s only dog-racing track on Saturday. The move is likely to save former Australian racing dogs, which were exported to Macau in huge numbers and...
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The UK’s advertising watchdog is examining complaints about World Cup ads by Bet365, William Hill and Coral that potentially broke new rules designed to crack down on problem gambling. The Advertising Standards Authority received 115 complaints from viewers about TV gambling ads during the four weeks of the 2018 World Cup. This...
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Kevin McKenna Opinion After a while, you find yourself getting accustomed to the absurd chauvinism of English commentators at World Cups. The BBC and ITV seem to vie with each other every four years to provide the most asinine and uninformed coverage of this global extravaganza. There are 32 nations...
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The online casino company 32Red has been fined £2m for missing 22 opportunities to help a problem gambler, offering the customer VIP status and free bonuses instead of advice. The Gambling Commission said 32Red should have intervened after the customer, who deposited £758,000 over more than two years, admitted to staff...
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The cocktail of new-found freedom at university, easy availability of borrowed money and the ever-present opportunity to gamble has driven some students to academic failure, bankruptcy and mental health problems. Gambling is a growing issue for students at British universities. The Gambling Commission estimated that more than 100,000 students are in debt...
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We applaud the announcement that there will be a stake reduction of highly addictive fixed-odds betting terminals from £100 a spin to £2. The ability of players, including the most vulnerable in society, to place bets of up to £100 every 20 seconds is a matter of the deepest concern...
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Graham Beech opinion This weekend, hundreds of people from all walks of life will gather for a party in the splendid grounds of a former stately home in Wiltshire to celebrate the fact that they are alive and well. There will be music, yoga sessions and a stall selling...
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Many people within the gambling industry would agree with one contention in your editorial (Live gambling ads during sporting events are a sure bet against the vulnerable,9 June): that there is too much advertising of gambling products around live sport. The more intractable question you don’t address is what...
A quarter of betting shops on UK high streets have been slated for closure, putting 12,000 jobs at risk, with William Hill the latest bookmaker to blame job cuts on stricter regulation of fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). Restrictions cutting the maximum stake on the controversial betting machines from £100 per spin...
Labour would set up a new gambling ombudsman to protect consumers, deputy leader Tom Watson will say on Tuesday, citing a string of scandals that have raised concerns about “predatory” practices in the industry. In a speech at the thinktank Demos, Watson will unveil the latest plank of a plan to...
Sports minister defies call from UK regulator to raise funding for addiction treatment. The government has come under fire for its “outrageous” failure to back a mandatory levy on betting firms to increase funding for addiction treatment, in defiance of a call from the industry’s regulator. Labour’s deputy leader,...
One of Britain’s biggest bookmakers agreed to pay £1m to the victims of a problem gambler who had stolen the money he was using to bet, in return for a pledge not to inform the industry regulator. Ladbrokes showered the gambling addict with thousands of pounds-worth of gifts over two...
World Gambling News … August 2018 State should restrict gambling ads seen by children, industry says 10/08/2018 – Senior gambling industry figures have admitted concerns that children are being exposed to too many betting adverts on TV and have called on the government to act. The growing consensus among of...
Senior gambling industry figures have admitted concerns that children are being exposed to too many betting adverts on TV and have called on the government to act. The growing consensus among of industry bosses prompted calls from Labour for the government to crack down on “out of control” gambling ads. Philip...
The man behind a successful campaign to reduce stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) has scored a second victory over the machines’ biggest manufacturer, after a court ordered the company to pay damages of $315m (£244.5m). Derek Webb, 68, who funded the anti-FOBT Fairer Gambling group, is expected to pocket tens of millions...
William Hill blamed the government’s clampdown on fixed-odds terminals (FOBTs) as it warned that up to 900 betting shops could close, putting 4,500 jobs at risk. The bookmaker reported a loss of £820m in the first six months of the year, as the decision to slash maximum stakes on FOBTs from £100...
Betting firms face a crackdown on breaches of advertising rules and consumer law in a drive to ensure fairer treatment for gamblers. From October the Gambling Commission will have powers to impose unlimited fines for promotional campaigns that appeal to children or glamorise gambling. The watchdog will also introduce an eight-week...
In 2017, the global eSports economy was estimated to stand at around $696m, attracting an audience of over 385 million people, according to Newzoo. But the industry’s formidable growth has attracted more than just hordes of professional gamers, avid viewers and brands offering lucrative sponsorship deals. Organised criminals and low-level chancers...
The casino industry donated thousands of pounds to the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) after the thinktank published a report on gambling policy that called for restrictions on the number of casinos to be lifted. The National Casino Industry Forum (NCIF) confirmed it donated £8,000 to the IEA having...
Experts on problem gambling have described the growing number of football clubs with betting firms and online casinos on their shirts as “disturbing” and “worrying” and said a national debate on the potential harm is overdue. Nearly 60% of the clubs in England’s top two divisions will have gambling...
Bookmakers are in line for a £1bn tax rebate after a court ruled they were wrongly charged VAT on revenue from controversial fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). The finding, in a case brought against HM Revenue & Customs by the high-street bookmaker Betfred, will be seen as a major victory for an...
Authorities in Macau, the world’s largest gambling hub, will care for more than 600 greyhounds after their owner renounced them ahead of the closure of China’s only dog-racing track on Saturday. The move is likely to save former Australian racing dogs, which were exported to Macau in huge numbers and...
The UK’s advertising watchdog is examining complaints about World Cup ads by Bet365, William Hill and Coral that potentially broke new rules designed to crack down on problem gambling. The Advertising Standards Authority received 115 complaints from viewers about TV gambling ads during the four weeks of the 2018 World Cup. This...
Kevin McKenna Opinion After a while, you find yourself getting accustomed to the absurd chauvinism of English commentators at World Cups. The BBC and ITV seem to vie with each other every four years to provide the most asinine and uninformed coverage of this global extravaganza. There are 32 nations...
The online casino company 32Red has been fined £2m for missing 22 opportunities to help a problem gambler, offering the customer VIP status and free bonuses instead of advice. The Gambling Commission said 32Red should have intervened after the customer, who deposited £758,000 over more than two years, admitted to staff...
The cocktail of new-found freedom at university, easy availability of borrowed money and the ever-present opportunity to gamble has driven some students to academic failure, bankruptcy and mental health problems. Gambling is a growing issue for students at British universities. The Gambling Commission estimated that more than 100,000 students are in debt...
We applaud the announcement that there will be a stake reduction of highly addictive fixed-odds betting terminals from £100 a spin to £2. The ability of players, including the most vulnerable in society, to place bets of up to £100 every 20 seconds is a matter of the deepest concern...
Graham Beech opinion This weekend, hundreds of people from all walks of life will gather for a party in the splendid grounds of a former stately home in Wiltshire to celebrate the fact that they are alive and well. There will be music, yoga sessions and a stall selling...
Many people within the gambling industry would agree with one contention in your editorial (Live gambling ads during sporting events are a sure bet against the vulnerable,9 June): that there is too much advertising of gambling products around live sport. The more intractable question you don’t address is what...
