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Problem gambling costs the UK up to £1.2bn a year, according to a report that its authors say should serve as a “wakeup call” to the government. The report, commissioned by charity GambleAware and written by the IPPR thinktank, charts the costs associated with problem gambling, such as mental health...

The amount gamblers can stake on controversialshould be slashed and councils given powers to stop bookmakers “clustering” betting shops on high streets, an influential group of MPs has said. The recommendations, timed to coincide with a government review of betting machines, won support from gambling campaigners but were dismissed as...

LONDON: MotoGP claimed a motorsport first on Wednesday by announcing a multi-year partnership with a company that monitors betting patterns for signs of fraud. Series promoters Dorna said in a statement that Sportradar Integrity Services would apply their Fraud Detection System to all 54 races across MotoGP, Moto2 and...

The founder of Paddy Power Betfair, Britain’s biggest bookmaker, privately lobbied against betting machines frequently dubbed the “crack cocaine” of gambling, it has emerged. Stewart Kenny, the former chief executive of the betting giant he founded, wrote that there was “no public demand” for fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), on...

Nearly half a million children a week gamble and 9,000 are problem gamblers, according to a study by the industry regulator. The Gambling Commission’s Young People and Gambling report(pdf) found that while rates of smoking, drinking and drug-taking among children have declined, gambling rates have remained largely static, with 450,000 11-...

They say the bookie always wins, but not on Tuesday night. Three weeks ago, bookmaker Paddy Power paid out £800,000 in winnings to punters who had backed Hillary Clinton to be the next US president, only now to be left with a bill for £4m to pay clients who...

Gambling operators in Britain will be subject to a new obligations aimed at preventing money laundering and terrorist financing under new licensing conditions due to come into effect on 31 October. The revised licensing conditions and codes of practice (LCCP) (81-page / 1.43MB PDF) will require gambling operators to...

An investigation into online gambling operators’ compliance with UK consumer protection rules has been opened by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The regulator has used powers set out in the UK’s Consumer Rights Act to serve information notices on businesses operating in the online gambling market in Great...

Ministers have launched a review of the gambling industry, including fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) that have been accused of being highly addictive. The review was announced by Tracey Crouch, the sport minister, who said it would consider the maximum stakes and prizes for gaming machines. It will look...

The CMA has today announced it is investigating whether online gambling firms are treating their customers fairly. This follows concerns raised by the Gambling Commission about potential breaches of consumer law, including misleading promotions and unfair terms, being used by firms to block players’ payouts. The Competition and Markets Authority...

Bookies could lose licences over claims they use ‘misleading promotions’ and ‘unfair terms’ to deceive customers Online betting companies who overturn gamblers’ winning bets using loopholes buried in the small print of their websites face losing their licences, after the competition regulator launched a probe into the industry. The...

William Hill was forced to defend its withdrawal procedures this week following accusations that it and other operators within the online bookmaking industry “use their terms & conditions to delay or even avoid payment on winning bets,” The Guardian reported. A campaigner for improved consumer rights for punters said...

THE UK RACING LEVY SCHEME HAS CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF NATIONAL PRESS ONCE MORE, AS UK SPORTS MINISTER TRACEY CROUCH INFORMED INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORTS WILL IMPOSE A 10% GROSS PROFIT CHARGE ON ALL RACING WAGERS REGARDLESS IF PLACED ONLINE OR AT A RETAIL...

William Hill and its Canadian suitor Amaya have ended talks over a potential £4.6bn (CAD$7.2bn) merger following opposition from some of the UK bookmakers’ major shareholders. Earlier this month, the companies said they were pursuing a “merger of equals”, but on Tuesday William Hill said it was walking away from...

A system set up by bookmakers to address problem gambling is in disarray, according to campaigners, after a report exposed vast differences in how firms apply the measures. The report, produced by accountancy group PwC and seen by the Guardian, found flaws in how betting shops use “player awareness...