Daily Archives: October 7, 2023

As part of our commitment to support the health and wellbeing of Ballarat residents, we aim to reduce the harmful impact of gambling in our community.

Gambling has the potential to generate negative social and economic impacts for the player, their family and friends, and the wider community.

Gambling-related harm can include financial loss, relationship breakdown, intimate partner violence, increased prevalence of anxiety and depression, emotional or psychological distress, issues with work or study, criminal activity, reduced health and wellbeing, and suicide.

Whilst there are many different forms of gambling, a significant source of financial loss and harm in Ballarat comes from Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs), also known as poker machines (pokies).

It is also theform of gambling over which Council has the greatest influence through its statutory roles and decision-making processes. Whilst the state-controlled nature of gambling regulation leaves Council with minimal regulatory influence, the City of Ballarat is committed to reducing the harms that result from gambling where possible.

In 2022/23, it is estimated that the Ballarat community lost $149.1 million to legal gambling, and our losses to pokies per day were $176,331. The money lost through pokies in our community last year could have fed 23,575 children for an entire year.

In 2018/19, $57,540,687 was lost to EGMs in Ballarat alone. With closures impacting gaming venues due to COVID-19, EGM expenditure was reduced to $43,713,216 in 2019/20 and $37,189,238 in the 2020/21 period.

Sports betting and internet gambling are also fast-growing, with participation in these forms of gambling increasing rapidly each year. The advertising and normalisation of sports betting and online gambling- and the community impacts from this- are of significant concern.

Original post:

Gambling Harm - City of Ballarat

Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Jermari Harris (27) breaks up a pass during a game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Michigan State Spartans at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

IOWA CITY As former Iowa football great Robert Gallery spoke to the current Hawkeye team as last weekends honorary captain, he brought a special guest.

It was Marcus Luttrell, the retired Navy SEAL whose harrowing and tragic experience as the only survivor of a mission in Afghanistan was depicted in the 2013 movie Lone Survivor.

I cant believe I was talking to a man who went through something like that, Iowa defensive back Jermari Harris said this week. I cant even imagine the perseverance and the will and the fight that you had to have to go through that and to still be here today having a conversation with us.

Harris, obviously on a much smaller scale than the retired Navy SEAL, has needed some perseverance of a different kind in the Iowa secondary.

After a promising end to the 2021 season Harris had interceptions in Iowas last three games a season-long injury kept Harris out of the 2022 season. Then, he missed the first two games of the 2023 season with a sports wagering suspension.

It caused the defensive back to go 623 days more than 20 months without playing in a football game of consequence.

Patience is a virtue, Harris said earlier in the season. It was a big test of my patience, and I felt as though I passed the test.

Fellow defensive back Quinn Schulte said Harris stayed sharp on the mental side of things during the extended absence.

He never lost his mental focus, Schulte said. If youre not getting a physical rep, if you get a mental rep, sometimes thats just as good, if not better.

Harris said he tried to add value in a different way other than being on the field while he was out. A big part of that has been being a mentor for younger defensive backs.

Hes a very positive influence on our kids, defensive coordinator Phil Parker said.

As Parker and others speak highly of Harris leadership, the fifth-year senior is not taking any credit for his mentees success.

Because at the end of the day, they still have to listen, Harris said. You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make them drink.

Harris efforts to mentor younger players also have paid dividends for himself.

When Im talking to someone, a younger guy, Im also helping myself, reminding myself of those little details, he said.

The results of Harris off-the-field work were on display when he finally took the field in Iowas Week 3 win over Western Michigan. He started at cornerback on the side opposite of preseason All-American Cooper DeJean.

"You just feel confident that hes out there, he knows whats going on, Parker said.

Harris has felt more comfortable and, like Parker, confident.

Not even just in myself, but in the team as a whole, my confidence is growing, Harris said. I feel as though our best football is ahead of us.

Harris optimism is infectious in the defensive back room.

He brings the confidence to the other guys on the unit, Parker said.

Harris return to game action last month was not perfect. A gap in coverage between Harris and safety Xavier Nwankpa allowed Western Michigan to get away with a 64-yard touchdown reception and take an early 7-0 lead.

I tried to do too much, but corrected it out on the practice field and continue to correct many other mistakes, Harris said.

Harris has at times been trying to do too much in his three games back on the field, which head coach Kirk Ferentz said is common for guys when they come back.

He was too anxious, maybe pressing a little bit, Ferentz said. My experience is, at least, when you start to press or try to force things, usually it doesnt work. You have to play the game and then eventually plays will come to you or they wont.

A big play came to Harris near the end of Iowas 26-16 win over Michigan State as he picked off the Spartans Noah Kim in the final seconds.

I missed that feeling, Harris said. Hopefully, I get to feel it a couple more times throughout the year.

The plays Harris came up short on, however, are the ones more on my mind at the time. Fortunately for Harris, he will have an opportunity to show he corrected those mistakes, too, on Saturday.

For this next game, hoping to make it the best one yet, Harris said.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

See the original post:

Iowas Jermari Harris regains confidence after persevering through ... - The Gazette

The Romanian government has approved a dramatic increase in annual gambling licencing fees across all verticals.

On Thursday, the Romanian government approved an emergency ordinance that makes a raft of wide-reaching reforms to its gambling laws.

These include increased licence costs, new advertising rules, a ban on alcohol in gaming venues and a requirement that gambling businesses have a fiscal headquarters in Romania.

The ministry of finance proposed the changes earlier in the week. The parliament of Romania must confirm them to become permanent.

Annual fees for gambling businesses will be:

The rules also apply a staged increase in annual slot machine fees. These begin at 100 per machine in 2023, rising to 300 in 2024 and 500 in 2025.

In addition to these licence costs, the government requires operators to hold minimum capital totals in the case it fails to pay its licensing costs.

The ordinance sets out these based on a companys revenue. However, these guarantees rise to 1,000,000 in 2025, no matter an operators revenue total.

Under the new rules, 70% of gambling operator contributions will go to the state budget. The government will use the remaining 30% to cover the costs of responsible gambling initiatives.

Under the new rules, operators must display their ONJN licence on promotional materials and are barred from sending unsolicited electronic messages. Operators must also not advertise on billboards larger than 35 square metres.

Observers expected the government to sign off on the emergency ordinance yesterday. On Tuesday, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu claimed to not be intimidated by threats from the gaming sector, accusing some politicians in the past of caving into industry lobbying.

Read the rest here:

Romania increases online gambling licence fee to 500,000 - iGaming Business

Plans to regulate gambling in the Republic should not legislate horse racing out of existence a leading industry figure has warned.

Racing figures fear a proposed pre-watershed ban on betting adverts in the Governments Gambling Regulation Bill threatens broadcasting coverage of the sport, damaging racetrack revenues and horse ownership.

Barry Gibson, chairman of Ladbrokes bookmakers owner Entain, argues that the legislation needs to take into account the important role that horse racing plays in many parts of the Republic, particularly in rural areas.

You have to be careful not to legislate it out of existence, he said. Instead of a blanket ban, Mr Gibson maintains that the gambling regulator, which the new law will establish, should work out the details of how betting advertising should be controlled.

Racing TV, a specialist subscription channel that provides daily coverage of Irish racing, warned last month that the proposed ban could end broadcasts of the sport in the Republic.

Irish tracks, and racehorse trainers and owners, say the proposal will hit revenues, endangering a business that employs 30,000 people and generates 2.46 billion a year, mostly benefiting rural Ireland.

The legislation needs to take into account that betting is integral to horse racing, according to Mr Gibson, who predicted that a blanket ban would damage both.

It would be grossly unfair to stop gambling companies from having advertising opportunities at racecourses, he said.

The Department of Justice said that the legislation took care to accommodate horse racing and would not prohibit visible gambling advertising during televised meetings.

The presence of trackside betting and use of trackside gambling advertising and the sponsorship of jockeys colours are permissible under the Bill, said a statement.

[Gambling a problem for one in 30 adults in Ireland, higher than previously thought - ESRI]

Opponents of the proposal say that specialist, subscription-based racing channels should be exempt, which is the case in Britain and Australia.

Racing TV channel subscribers must be over 18, which they say fits with the laws aim of protecting children from gambling marketing.

Mr Gibson argued that it was hard to legislate for a new regulatory system, as it is not possible to predict everything that can happen.

Consequently, Gambling Regulatory Authority chief executive designate Anne Caulfield should consult with the industry to ensure that the new system works, he said.

This would help develop the industry and protect gamblers, he added. The regulator should have the responsibility to help promote a healthy betting and gaming industry and to protect its customers, said Mr Gibson.

The Bill is not about stopping gambling, he added. The presentation of odds, representing legitimate, objective information would not be considered a form of advertising under the legislation.

The department noted that the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice recommended the ban.

Entain-owned Ladbrokes is a big player in the Irish market. Mr Gibson stressed that the company backed the proposed Gambling Regulation Bill

Mr Gibson stressed that the group broadly supported the Gambling Regulation Bill and its aims.

The Oireachtas published the Bills second draft in July. Minister of State at the Department of Justice James Browne is promoting the legislation.

Research published by the Economic and Social Research Institute this week showed problem gambling is an issue for one in 30 adults in Ireland, 10 times higher than previously measured in 2019.

The study was commissioned through the implementation team supporting the establishment of the new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland and the department.

Mr Gibson made his comments as stockbroker-turned-racehorse trainer Barry Connell warned of an Armageddon for the sport if an advert ban forced it off television screens. He joined calls for the law to accommodate specialist broadcasters. Youre only going to watch Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing if youre a racing fan, he told the Racing Post.

Mr Connell, well known to Irish business people from his previous career, trained Marine Nationale to win the Supreme Novices Hurdle at this years Cheltenham Festival. He argued there was a distinction between games of skill and those of pure chance, such as the National Lottery.

Follow this link:

Gambling giant warns proposed regulations could 'legislate horse ... - The Irish Times

IPOH: A man has been arrested in an operation to crackdown on illegal gambling here.

Ipoh OCPD Asst Comm Yahaya Hassan said the arrest was made at a grocery shop in Taman Jati on Friday (Oct 6).

The suspect, believed to be a part of a gaming syndicate, had used a mobile device in online gambling, he said.

"We raided 13 places today," he told reporters after the operation, adding that premises used in illegal activities had their electricity cut by Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

ALSO READ: Over 1,600 arrested in Perak for illegal gambling this year

ACP Yahaya said a total of 23 premises - located in Jelapang, Taman Jati and the Jelapang Industrial area - had their power supply cut since last week.

"Based on (our findings), a majority of the premises were outlets selling communication devices and groceries.

We found that most places provided mobile phones to their customers for gambling.

"Some used computers but the number is low," he added.

ALSO READ: End of the line for illegal gambling call centres

ACP Yahaya said police had also seized over 300 mobile phones in anti-gambling operations this year.

We want the people to stop because it is a serious offence.

"We will continue to clamp down on illegal activity," he said, adding that some cases have been brought to court while others are being investigated under the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.

Follow this link:

One nabbed, 13 premises raided in Ipoh gambling crackdown - The Star Online