Category Archives: Gambling

Australia politics live: Penny Wong condemns ‘any indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilian infrastructure’ after Gaza hospital blast

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‘Protection of civilian lives must come first and respect for international humanitarian law is paramount,’ Australian foreign minister says. Follow the day’s news live

Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour speaks on the referendum

Just before the house adjourned for the evening on Tuesday, Labor Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour gave a speech about the referendum which is very much worth your time:

I want to say a few things about what led us to the recent referendum and what it means for those first peoples Australians most affected by the outcome, particularly the first peoples Australians in my electorate of Lingiari.

Because of some arcane parliamentary tradition, which I understand derives from English House of Commons, we are obliged to call the making of a speech at this time and in this place a ‘grievance debate’.

The price tag of Israel’s right to defend itself cannot be the destruction of Palestine.

Israel’s right to defend its civilians cannot equate to the annihilation of Palestinian civilians. I hereby call for an immediate ceasefire to come into effect, alongside many world leaders and experts.

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Sydney venue moves $26m in pokies profits to NRL club as ‘community development and support’

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Canterbury leagues club has given millions to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs since 2014-15

One of Australia’s biggest poker machine venues has shifted more than $26m in gambling profits over eight years to its parent company – an NRL club – while claiming the payments as a community benefit for a tax cut.

In New South Wales, clubs that donate a percentage of gambling profits to community causes receive a tax concession under a scheme called ClubsGrants, which is under review by the state government after years of sustained criticism.

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Gambling firms to be forced to pay about £100m a year to NHS

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Levy will be used to fund addiction research, prevention and treatment as part of government overhaul

Gambling companies will be forced to pay about £100m a year to the NHS to fund addiction research, prevention and treatment, as part of government changes that will replace a longstanding system of voluntary contributions.

Under a mandatory levy, which has been welcomed by clinicians and campaigners, online bookmakers and casinos will pay 1% of what they win from punters.

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News Corp sells stake in gambling startup Betr after initial investment of $70m

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Betr chairman says he is grateful for media company’s ‘initial and ongoing support’ but that it is no longer an investor

News Corp has sold its shares in gambling startup Betr less than a year after its launch and having received a record $210,000 fine from regulators in April.

Betr was established with a reported $70m backing from News Corp, the former BetEasy chief executive Matthew Tripp’s TGW and the Las Vegas firm Tekkorp, with the intention of utilising News Corp’s media assets to promote the company.

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Lotteries should not be exempt from credit card ban for online gambling, experts say

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Proposed laws provide carve out but financial counsellors say lottery products can cause ‘serious gambling harm’

Lottery companies should not be exempt from a ban on credit card use due to the harms they cause people with gambling addiction, according to financial counsellors, anti-gambling advocates and industry competitors.

The federal government has introduced legislation to ban credit card use for online wagering, citing high levels of community harm and people gambling with money they don’t have, but has proposed a carve out for lotteries.

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‘Staggering’ rise of gambling among school-age children leads to calls for urgent inquiry

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Exclusive: Without action, a ‘generation of young people’ could be addicted to gambling, says independent MP pushing for government to urgently intervene

MPs have called for an urgent parliamentary inquiry into the impact of advertising on children and young people by harmful industries after revelations by Guardian Australia of a 16% rise in young people seeking help for gambling in the last financial year.

The call, led by Dr Sophie Scamps, has been supported by the Greens and fellow Independent MPs including Andrew Wilkie, Monique Ryan, Zoe Daniel and Kate Chaney. Scamps said without action, advertising targeting children “at this vulnerable stage of life could create a generation of young people addicted to gambling”.

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Victoria to expand vacant residential land tax across state in bid to increase housing supply

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The surprise announcement came on the first day of parliament since Jacinta Allan became premier

Victoria’s treasurer has shocked the property industry and even some of his colleagues by announcing an expansion of taxes on vacant residential land during Jacinta Allan’s first day of parliament as premier.

Tim Pallas told an industry breakfast on Tuesday that he planned to introduce legislation to parliament this week, which will see the vacant residential land tax expanded to include the whole state from 1 January 2025.

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Hanson-Young labels Dutton’s voice campaigning ‘sinister’ – as it happened

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This blog is now closed.

Residents of Pine Scrub and Leeka in Tasmania urged to leave amid out of control fire

A bushfire emergency warning has been issued to the Tasmanian communities of Pine Scrub and Leeka.

Burning embers may threaten your home before the main fire arrives.

Smoke and ash may make it difficult to see and breathe.

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Betting agency’s $40m payout for Penrith premiership believed to be largest in Australian history

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News Corp-backed Betr attracted controversy last year when it offered 100-1 odds on the 2023 NRL and AFL grand final winners, as well as other sports

The News Corp-backed betting agency Betr is in the process of paying out $40m in bets after Penrith’s grand final win on Sunday, which the company believes is an Australian record.

Betr attracted significant controversy earlier this year over its widely advertised launch campaign offering 100-1 odds on the Melbourne Cup, something that prompted regulatory intervention and a record $210,000 fine.

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In Australia, Gambling Help Online is available on 1800 858 858. The National Debt Helpline is at 1800 007 007. In the UK, support for problem gambling can be found through GamCare on 0808 8020 133. In the US, the National Council on Problem Gambling is on 800-522-4700

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AFL criticised for promoting series of bets that have 85% loss rate for gamblers

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Analysis of 90 advertised same-game multis from Sportsbet shows only 15% would result in a win

The AFL has been promoting bets that have an 85% fail rate while taking a cut of the losses, drawing criticism from politicians and harm reduction advocates who want such ads banned.

Sportsbet suggests same-game multis during televised coverage, in segments hosted by the former AFL star Nathan Brown. These bets allow gambling on a combination of outcomes such as possessions and goal scorers, and all must succeed before money is paid out.

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Football fans received 11,000 gambling messages in Premier League opening weekend

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Study for 5 News warns of ‘overwhelming and inescapable’ betting imagery in the game

Football fans were bombarded with 11,000 gambling messages during the opening weekend of the latest Premier League season, according to a study that warns of “overwhelming and inescapable” betting imagery in the game.

Clubs in the top flight agreed earlier this year to ban gambling firms from sponsoring the front of players’ shirts from 2025, but the research – which analysed social media posts alongside hours of TV and radio – cast doubt on the likely effect of that measure, given the saturation of football with other gambling messages.

the sheer volume of gambling messages;

social media content not clearly labelled as ads; and

insufficient safer gambling messaging.

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News Corp’s sports betting hub criticised by anti-gambling advocates as ‘new low’

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Experts say CODE Bet, which assesses wagering markets, could be affected if parliamentary inquiry’s calls are heeded

Anti-gambling advocates have criticised News Corp’s dedicated sports betting coverage website as “a new low” given community concerns about wagering, after a parliamentary inquiry called for ads and commentary on odds to be banned.

The company runs a digital hub for gambling coverage that offers detailed reports, videos, podcasts, previews and analysis on the latest markets and “top offers” from Ladbrokes, Bet365, TopSport and Betr. News Corp has a financial stake in Betr.

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Penrith Panthers grand final triumph could damage Betr after it offered gamblers 100-1 odds on win

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News Corp-backed firm offered inducements that attracted record fine and criticism from regulator

The finances of News Corp-backed gambling company Betr’ could take a big hit if the Penrith Panthers win the NRL grand final, due to a generous inducement that attracted a record fine and criticism from a regulator.

When the gambling company launched in late 2022, it offered 100-1 odds on the Penrith Panthers winning a third consecutive grand final with bets capped at $10. A Penrith victory is now short odds and a likely outcome according to most analysts.

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Anti-pokies campaigners bid to stop doubling of machines in two Alice Springs pubs

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Northern Territory government approval will be contested at a tribunal, with activists arguing the expansion will hurt Indigenous communities

A Northern Territory government decision to approve a doubling of the number of gaming machines in two Alice Springs pubs will be contested by local anti-pokies campaigners who are concerned the move would further exacerbate social problems.

The challenge to the decisions made by the director of gaming machines, Philip Timney, to expand the number of pokies from 10 to 20 at both the Todd Tavern and Gap View Hotel will be heard in the NT civil and administrative tribunal on Friday.

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Australia news live: Brisbane to undergo ‘mock earthquake’; Coles profit up to $1.1bn

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Supermarket operator posts 4.8% rise in full year cash profit, lifted by strong rise in groceries revenue. Follow today’s live news updates

AEC monitoring disinformation about electoral processes

Rogers said the AEC has seen an increase in mis- and disinformation over the last few years, particularly around the electoral process itself.

It’s all about the electoral process. We’re seeing an increase in [disinformation]. We’re seeing an increase in threats to staff. Which is very disappointing. And we’re monitoring that very closely.

At the last federal election, we had similar issues. We’re seeing behaviours we haven’t seen previously. The people who work elections are community members … Treat people with respect and civility.

We’re ready for it whenever it may be. That’s what we do in any case. We’re used to these events when we don’t know the date until a few weeks out. We’ve got all systems go.

We would ultimately like the rate to be exactly the same as the general roll, but it’s very close.

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‘Tone deaf’: MPs call for University of Sydney to return gambling research money

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Independents Zoe Daniel, Andrew Wilkie and others say university’s Centre of Excellence in Gambling Research’s funding from casino and gambling companies should be scrapped

The University of Sydney’s reputation has been tarnished by its partnership with Australia’s biggest sports gambling companies, according to multiple federal MPs who want hundreds of thousands of dollars to be immediately returned to bookmakers.

The university has announced its Centre of Excellence in Gambling Research will be funded by a $600,000 investment from the International Centre for Responsible Gaming, which the university has described as “a global leader in research and education on gambling disorder and responsible gambling”.

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AMA tells University of Sydney to ‘read the room’ over research funded by gambling industry

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Head of Australian Medical Association says university should 'reflect on the credibility’ of industry-funded studies

The Australian Medical Association has demanded the University of Sydney “read the room” and reconsider its decision to accept hundreds of thousands of dollars from the gambling industry, while the Greens want the money immediately returned.

The university’s Centre of Excellence in Gambling Research was launched this week after receiving a $600,000 funding commitment from the International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG), which the university has described as “a global leader in research and education on gambling disorder and responsible gambling”.

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University of Sydney gambling research centre bankrolled by casinos is ‘troubling’, experts say

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Institution says companies won’t ‘constrain or edit’ research, but public health expert Sean Cowlishaw calls funding relationship ‘unprecedented’

Public health experts have criticised the University of Sydney for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from some of the world’s biggest gambling companies and casinos, which are bankrolling a new research centre that will examine their conduct.

But the researchers and the university believe the partnership will produce more useful research that limits consumer harm, and one of the gambling companies involved has warned against “emotional rhetoric” from critics.

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Firm behind ‘voice of gamblers’ group co-owned by betting industry consultant

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Gamblers Consumer Forum aims to derail planned betting reforms and claims to act on behalf of ordinary punters

The company behind a lobby group that wants to derail planned overhaul of UK gambling laws and claims to act on behalf of ordinary punters is co-owned by a consultant for the betting industry.

Ministers proposed a series of changes in April that they said would make gambling safer by imposing tighter regulations on online betting firms, though they added that further consultation was needed before a bill could be put before parliament.

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‘Should be closed after midnight’: experts warn 4am pokies closures in Victoria will do little to stop harm

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Proposed mandatory closing times will still allow 361 venues to remain open after 2am, data suggests

More than 360 Victorian poker machine venues will be allowed to stay open past 2am, with experts warning proposed reforms to force 4am closures will do little to tackle gambling harm.

The Andrews government on Sunday announced widespread proposed gambling reforms, which include requiring all venues to close for at least six hours each day, from 4am until 10am.

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