UK

Looking forward to developing new 2019 initiatives on gambling protections and player safeguards, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has opened discussions for its ‘National Responsible Gambling Strategy’. The UKGC’s open consultation on developing safer gambling protocols, structures, best practices and strategies will be open to stakeholders until March 2019. As mentioned in previous commission updates, the UKGC seeks to broaden …

Political punters were kept busy all night, as rumours circulated Whitehall that embattled Prime Minister Theresa May would be forced into a vote-of-confidence by Tory party rebels. Early this morning, Sir Graham Brady of the Conservative 1922 Committee confirmed that he had received the 48 declarations needed to trigger a cabinet vote on PM May’s leadership, which will take place …

Three advertisements for the National Lottery have been cleared of wrongdoing by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), as a number of complainants challenged whether they suggested that participation could be a solution to financial concerns. The trio, seen on television in September of this year, depicted the same advert in three different variants, those of 120 second, 60 second and …

LSE-listed racing and wagering systems provider Sportech Plc has confirmed the appointment of Christian ‘Chris’ Rigg as an Independent Non-Executive Director, advising corporate governance from 1 January 2019. A + 20-year corporate finance executive, Rigg is a former Barclays Bank executive, who has served as Chief Executive of Northern Recruitment Group and UK pharmaceuticals supplier Quantum. Sportech governance notes the …

Barclays has confirmed that it will become the first UK high-street bank to integrate a ‘gambling-block’ component across its customer-facing digital platforms. Updating the media, Barclays informs that the gambling-block feature will allow customers to turn-off engagements/transactions with all gambling-related properties – retail bookmakers, casinos, racetracks, lottery and digital betting enterprises. The gambling-block feature has been co-developed with citizen financial …

Continuing its restructure/realignment of assets and divisions, Stockholm-listed online gambling group Betsson AB has confirmed that it will undertake a new strategy for its UK-centric brands in 2019. Betsson management has confirmed that it will not renew TV contracts for its NetPlay interactive gaming subsidiary with UK broadcasters ITV and Channel 5 (Viacom). The decision sees Betsson refocus on developing …

Sports fans engagement platform Oddslife will introduce support for free-to-play (FTP) prediction games with large jackpot prizes after striking a new deal with RISQ. With ever increasing competition around product functionality, and with marketing costs soaring due to bonuses and free bets, FTP games have emerged as an alternative solution to the more traditional marketing techniques. Through their use, operators …

Closing 2018, The Guardian newspaper reports further headaches for UK betting leadership as London law firm Mackrell Turner Garrett (Mackrell) seeks £1.5 million in victim compensation settlements against FTSE-listed betting firms’ – William Hill Plc and Paddy Power Betfair (PPB). The victim compensation claims relate to addicted gamblers wagering with stolen money at William Hill betting shops and PPB’s Betfair …

Regulus Partners, the strategic consultancy focused on international gambling and related industries, takes a look at some key developments for the gambling industry in its ‘Winning Post’ column. UK: Regulation – It’s not funny that we don’t talk anymore Reports this week that British gambling operators will take action to effectively bar themselves from advertising on television during live sports …

2019 will be a year of new concepts and propositions for the sport of horse racing, as its stakeholders seek fresh ideas to re-engage with the wider general public. This December, further foundations for ‘Championship Horse Racing’ (CHR) were announced, a new proposition seeking to deliver racing’s first league competition featuring high profile teams competing to be champions of ‘The …