Category Archives: Sport betting

Record revenues at UK gambling firms amid rise of online slot machines

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Industry takings top £15bn as government considers curbs on online slots due to association with addiction

Gambling firms are raking in more money than ever from UK punters, fuelled by a surge in the use of online slot machines, which the government is considering curbing due to their association with heavy losses and addiction.

The betting and gaming industry’s revenues reached £15.1bn in the year to March 2023, or £10.95bn excluding the National Lottery, figures from the Gambling Commission released on Thursday show.

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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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Betting firm logos shown on TV up to 3,500 times in Premier League matches, study finds

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Average was once every 16 seconds across 10 matches last season, with a total of 3,522 in West Ham v Chelsea

Betting company logos appear as often as 3,500 times during the course of a televised football match, the majority on pitchside hoardings, prompting renewed scepticism about top-flight clubs’ plan to give up front-of-shirt betting ads only.

A study led by psychology experts from four universities measured the volume of gambling adverts during 10 matches that took place last season, featuring every Premier League club.

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Ladbrokes adverts banned for attracting under-18s with football managers

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Advertising Standards Authority rules against two promoted tweets featuring Premier League coaches

The advertising watchdog has banned two adverts run by the sports betting business Ladbrokes for appealing to under-18s by featuring well-known Premier League managers including Frank Lampard and Eddie Howe.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) launched an investigation into the two promoted tweets, published in January and February, after concerns that the use of images of managers of top flight teams would break UK rules banning ads that have a “strong appeal” to young people under 18 years old.

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Ladbrokes owner funded ‘dishonest’ lobbying against gambling reforms

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Campaign funded by Entain urging people to write to MP was shameful, says chair of parliamentary group

The owner of Ladbrokes, Entain, has been accused of “dishonest” lobbying after it funded an operation mobilising people to complain to their MP about proposals to reform gambling laws.

The government last month unveiled plans for tighter regulation, including measures it said would make gambling safer but would also reduce revenue for brands such as Coral and PartyCasino, owned by Entain.

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Stake.com told not to use Everton branding in $5,000 betting offer

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Club’s shirt sponsor criticised for offering $10 free bet to anyone who wagers large amount in a week

Everton FC has told its sponsor Stake.com to stop using its imagery in an international promotion offering a $10 free bet to anyone who wagers $5,000 in the space of a week.

Football fans and campaign groups had criticised the marketing scheme and questioned Everton’s apparent involvement.

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Gang caught running fake Indian cricket league to dupe Russian gamblers

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Indian police say gang went to great lengths in betting scam reminiscent of the 1973 film The Sting

A gang set up a fake “Indian Premier League” tournament with farm labourers acting as players to dupe Russian punters in a betting scam reminiscent of the 1973 film The Sting.

The so-called “Indian Premier Cricket League” reached the quarter-final stage before the racket was busted by police in India.

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Online casinos face crackdown on exploiting gamblers’ superstitions

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Guardian understands advertising regulator is likely uphold complaint against firm’s claims about ‘hot or cold’ games

Online casinos face a crackdown on exploiting gamblers’ superstitions, after the advertising regulator launched an investigation into one firm’s claims about certain games being “hot or cold”.

The Guardian understands the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is likely to uphold a complaint lodged seven months ago against PlayOJO, which advertised a feature last year that offered gamblers a “unique chance to see the games on winning streaks”.

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Lockdown ‘leads gamblers from sports bets to riskier choices’

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Gambling website 888 Holdings sees increased online casino activity amid coronavirus crisis

Gamblers are switching from wagers on sport to far riskier online casino and slot games amid lockdown restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19, according to one of the UK’s biggest gambling websites.

In an update to the stock market, 888 Holdings said it had been affected by the postponement or cancellation of events such as the Premier League and Grand National, cutting income from sports betting, which accounts for about 16% of its revenues.

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