Category Archives: Gambling

Dr Charles Livingstone of the Gambling and Social Determinants Unit at Monash University has shown that Australia leads the world in gambling losses.

The report from the Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR), released in October, showed that people had lost more than $11.4 billion to poker machines in pubs and clubs across five states last year.

The annual loss of $11.4 billion in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania is the equivalent to a loss of $658 for every adult resident of those States. This makes Australia, per person, the worlds biggest loser to poker machines.

The losses do not look to be slowing down: total losses are estimated to be more than $13 billion next year.

The new figures also show that in the 30 years to 2019 (the latest available figures) poker machine losses amounted to a staggering $308.4 billion.

If governments needed a reason to intervene and stop greedy multinational companies from preying on people, findings from royal commissions into Crown Victoria and the Perth Casino, as well as other inquiries into casinos and their operations, should be enough.

They all state that those in charge are stealing from the vulnerable, and engaging in illegal, dishonest, unethical and exploitative conduct, underpaying casino taxes, as well as breaching laws.

AGR wants a national gambling harm regulator to be set up to reduce the number of poker machines and fast-track harm minimisation measures.

Its spokesperson Tim Costello said: At the moment there is no coordination and no will to act.

However, under pressure the Tasmanian government has decided to introduce mandatory pre-commitment and cashless gambling cards. The Northern Territory government has decided on a nine-month moratorium on new poker machine licences in central Australia and a national parliamentary inquiry into online gambling has been launched.

Arie Huybregts, Broadmeadows candidate for Socialist Alliance in the Victorian elections told Green Left that these reforms will do little to stem the flow of cash to the greedy casinos unless more significant action is taken.

Crown Casino has gotten away with not paying gambling tax for nine years, Huybregts said. It has only recently been forced to cough up a miniscule $61 million.

The damage done to children, families and working people by gambling is horrific and includes low self-esteem, poor relationships, poor physical and mental health. This all has an impact on work performance and social life.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs is seeking written submissions for its inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on people with gambling problems by November 11.

[More information about the enquiry and submission can be made here.]

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Australia leads the world in gambling losses - Green Left

Flutter Entertainment, the owner of Paddy Power, has decided to up its game when it come to player protections. The company has spent over 100 million a year to ensure a safer gambling environment in regions such as Britain and Ireland. Both of these jurisdictions have tightened gambling regulations within recent years.

Spending More to Ensure Proper Services

According to chief executive of the UK and Ireland division for Flutter, Conor Grant, the company has spent 54.6 million so far this year in Ireland and Britain. Last year, that amount was almost double. Flutter operates several brands in the two regions, including Paddy Power, Betfair, Tombola, and Sky Bet.

Grant stated further that the company has taken a hit with the spending, but it is the right thing to do. The company feels that every operator will be spending more in the future on safer gambling. For Flutter, the gambling giant wants customers to stick around for years instead of just a few minutes and no one wants to benefit from another persons misfortune.

It looks like the Republic will be adding new regulation, which will affect Flutter. The company has betting shops and websites operating in the area plus its headquarters. The Republic recently named an overseer to its Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland and legislation will be published this fall to create a new governing body.

The gambling laws of the Republic are almost 90 years old, so its high time that they were updated. The new authority will be able to provide gambling licensing for businesses. This will include physical and online locations.

Moving Forward

Any operator that breaks the laws of the Republic will be under the new authoritys scrutiny. The authority can remove a license and be in control of advertising. Requirements may be posted where operators must provide funding to help problem gamblers plus funds required for the general consumer protection fund.

Flutter would like to see the new governing body for the gambling industry operational by 2023. Grant stated that Flutter always favors regulation that makes a gambling environment fair for everyone. He pointed out that Ireland has lacked a regulatory framework for quite some time. Now, the goal is to ensure the region is well-funded and well-resourced for gambling, according to Grant.

British laws may also be updated in the future, though it seems Ireland will be the first to do so. A white paper on the matter was supposed to be produced but was halted due to the recent Conservative Party leadership election.

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Flutter Entertainment focuses on safer gambling measures in Ireland and Britain - World Casino Directory

If its an election year, there must be a big-money fight over dialysis in California. Since 2018, a health-care workers union has sponsored a series of three ballot measures to require higher staffing levels and safety requirements at clinics. After suffering defeats in 2018 and 2020, theyre hoping the third time will prove the charm in November.

The political action committee sponsoring this years measure has raised $8 million. That sounds like an impressive amount, until you realize that opponents have raised more than 10 times that much. Total spending on the last two versions easily topped $200 million combined.

Ballot initiatives a tool meant to give citizens a voice have turned into an avenue for interest groups to push pet causes. Another pair of ballot measures in California, which would legalize sports betting online or in person, have broken all records with nearly a half-billion dollars spent for and against them.

Voters in South Dakota, for example, will have the chance to approve an expansion of Medicaid, as envisioned under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. A half-dozen states have approved Medicaid expansions through ballot initiatives after legislators balked, most recently Missouri and Oklahoma in 2020. Iowa voters have the chance to affirm gun owners rights in the state constitution, while Oregon voters will decide on a gun-control measure that would require criminal background checks and ban large-capacity magazines, among other restrictions. Nevada voters could add an equal rights amendment for women to the state constitution.

In an earlier article, we explored ballot measures related to abortion, marijuana legalization and minimum wage increases and other labor issues. But there are a total of 129 measures on the ballot in 36 states on Nov. 8 and they cover an incredible range of topics.

Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont voters will decide the issue. Presumably, most will want to cast a vote against slavery, even as a punishment for crime. Since 2018, similar amendments have passed in Colorado, Nebraska and Utah.

Heres a summary of some of the other significant ballot issues this year:

Voting and Democracy

The ability to engage effectively in direct democracy has been under increasing threat in recent years. Dozens of states have considered bills to make it harder to push initiatives, including restrictions on signature-gathering or efforts to raise the threshold for the percentage of the vote needed for passage. Last year, Mississippis supreme court ruled that the states entire initiative process is unworkable and inoperative.

State lawmakers have also proven unafraid to overturn laws almost immediately after theyve been enacted by voters. Those in power cant win fairly and so theyre changing the rules in ways that directly undermines the will of the people, complains Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, executive director of the progressive Ballot Initiative Strategy Center.

Arkansas has a referendum that will make life more difficult for initiative sponsors, while Arizona has three. Issue 2 in Arkansas would require that ballot measures received 60 percent of the vote to pass, in place of a simple majority. "It is entirely too easy to amend our state constitution, said state Rep. David Ray. We shouldn't amend our constitution in just some sort of willy-nilly fashion."

Theres also a proposed amendment in Arizona requiring 60 percent support for passage, as well as a measure that would make it easier for the Legislature to repeal or amend laws approved through the initiative process, plus one that would limit initiatives to single subjects.

Arizona voters will also consider a measure that would tighten voter identification requirements for both mail and in-person voting. Nebraska, which is one of 15 states left without a requirement to show ID to vote, will have one if Initiative 432 passes. Showing ID when they go to vote, its one of the ways we can strengthen the integrity of our elections, said Nebraska GOP Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Voter ID requirements will be loosened if a Michigan amendment passes. Registered voters would be allowed to sign affidavits in lieu of showing a state-issued ID. The measure would also amend the state constitution to require nine days of early voting, ease access to absentee voting and allow voters to deposit their ballots in drop boxes. A measure in Connecticut would allow early voting days to be created by the Legislature.

Two states, Louisiana and Ohio, have measures stipulating that only citizens may vote, countering a practice recently adopted in a few localities. The city council in Washington, D.C., gave initial approval to a non-citizen voting bill this month, but New York Citys law was struck down in June.

Nevada would become the third state, following Maine and Alaska, to allow ranked-choice voting if a proposed amendment passes there in November and again in 2024. As is often the case with ranked-choice voting, officials from both major parties are opposed.

Taxes

The idea of raising taxes on the rich has an inherent populist appeal, but the perils of applying portions of the tax code to small numbers of individuals might keep a couple of millionaires taxes from passing this year.

Californias Proposition 30 would increase taxes for individuals making more than $2 million a year. Their incomes over that threshold would be taxed an additional 1.75 percent, which would raise up to $5 billion a year. Eighty percent of that money would go to subsidizing electric vehicles and charging stations, with the remainder devoted to fighting wildfires.

The measure is being promoted by Lyft, which faces regulatory requirements to move to an electric fleet. The company has spent $45 million pushing the measure. Some environmental groups back it, but the fact that it would provide tremendous subsidies to a particular industry has led Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to come out strongly against it.

Millionaires in Massachusetts could also face a new tax. Any income over $1 million would be taxed an additional 4 percent, with the money going to education and transportation. Supporters say its simply a way to make the rich pay their fair share, but critics warn that the tax could penalize small business owners or individuals when they collect windfalls from home sales.

It might also prompt top earners to leave the state. Voters frequently reject taxes on higher earners even if theyre not in that bracket because they understand there are economic impacts, especially post-pandemic, on migration, says Jared Walczak, vice president of state projects at the Tax Foundation.

Colorado voters will consider a tax cut. Two years ago, they supported a ballot initiative backed by conservatives that cut the individual income tax rate from 4.63 percent to 4.55 percent. This year, the same sponsors are proposing a further reduction to 4.4 percent.

Under the states Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR amendment, state spending growth is limited to rates of inflation and population growth. This year, residents are receiving a record $3.65 billion in refunds, thanks to soaring revenues.

But its much better to cut taxes in the first place than issue refunds after the fact, Walczak argues. Location and investment decisions arent made on the basis of possible future refunds, he says.

Government Operations

Two states are taking up term limit questions, which were a major ballot-measure battleground back in the 1990s. Voters in some states have since rethought term limits, which were meant to diminish the influence of career legislators but have left them weaker players against governors, lobbyists and staff.

Michigan has the strictest limits in the country, allowing politicians to serve only six years in the state House and eight years in the state Senate. A ballot measure would allow them to serve a total of 12 years in the Legislature, allowing them the chance to build up longer tenures in either body. Arkansas voters approved a similar change two years ago, as did California voters a decade ago.

As a sweetener for voters dubious about politicians, the Michigan measure would also impose stricter financial disclosure rules on state officials.

Thirty-six states currently impose some form of term limits on governors, while 15 states have legislative term limits. North Dakota might expand both those lists. An initiative there would create legislative term limits, capping service at eight years in the state House and Senate, while limiting governors to two four-year terms.

All but five states have lieutenant governors. That number will shrink to four if Arizona voters approve a measure to create that office in Phoenix. In Tennessee, the speaker of the state Senate acts as lieutenant governor. If Amendment 2 passes, that person would assume the duties of governor if the governor is incapacitated.

Oregon legislators could lose their jobs if they fail to show up for work. Three times in recent years, Oregon Republican lawmakers have torpedoed Democratic proposals by walking out and denying the majority a quorum. Measure 113 would block legislators from running for re-election if theyve had unexcused absences.

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Spending on Gambling, Health and Tax Measures Breaks Records - Governing

With less than a month until Novembers election, a poll released Tuesday shows one of two state propositions that would greatly expand sports gambling stands a chance at passing.

Sports gambling companies, California tribes and card rooms have spent more than $410 million for and against Proposition 26 and 27. The former would allow in-person sports betting at tribal casinos and horse racetracks. The latter would allow online sports betting on platforms run by tribes and gaming companies.

Early this month, neither looked likely to pass. Only 31 percent of voters supported Proposition 26, and even fewer 27 percent supported Proposition 27, in a poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.

But in a more recent poll conducted by SurveyUSA for The San Diego Union-Tribune and KGTV 10News, support for Proposition 26 had grown to 43 percent of likely voters, compared with 32 percent opposed. Proposition 27 still looked unlikely to pass with 37 percent of voters in support and 43 percent opposed.

Both measures performed better among those who regularly bet on sports or visit tribal casinos, according to the poll. They were also more likely to be supported by voters who were more familiar with the propositions and understood the difference between them.

Leaders of four of Californias most successful Native American tribes with gaming interests are the original proponents of Proposition 26, the in-person sports betting measure. It would impose a 10% tax on sports betting to fund gambling addiction treatment and enforcement programs.

A coalition of more than 30 tribes support Proposition 26, with major funding from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in Palm Springs, the Barona Band of Mission Indians in Lakeside and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation in rural Yolo County.

Proposition 27 is funded by gambling corporations, including sports gaming companies DraftKings and FanDuel. The companies, which control a large swath of the online sports betting market in the U.S., would be required to partner with a California tribe and pony up $100 million to get licensed in the state. Tribes could also offer sports betting platforms on their own for a $10-million entry fee.

Tribes and gambling companies with sports betting licenses would pay 10% of their take from sports bets each month to the state, after subtracting some expenses and losses. The initiative would direct the revenue to fund programs for homelessness and gambling addiction, with a smaller cut for tribes that are not involved in online sports betting, according to the Legislative Analysts Office.

If both propositions receive more than 50 percent approval, the one with the most votes wins.

Despite the increase in support for the propositions, 41 percent of voters think expanding access to gambling would be bad for the state compared to 37 percent who said it would be good, according to the SurveyUSA poll.

The poll also found that Gov. Gavin Newsom and Senator Alex Padilla are well-ahead in their re-election bids, with both Democrats ahead of their Republican opponents by 22-point margins.

The Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.

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Support for sports gambling Propositions 26 and 27 grows, but only one is close to passing - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Week 7 arrives, which means every FBS program in Texas will be at least to the halfway point of its regular season by the end of the day on Saturday. There are three mid-week games featuring Baylor, UTSA, and SMU. Four programs -- Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Houston, UTEP are idle in Week 7.

Cravens Corner suffered its first sub-.500 week in Week 6 with a 3-5 record. Were still paying the bookie with their own money, however, thanks to a 33-21-1 record against the spread in the 2022 season.

TCU vs. Oklahoma StateViewing info:Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on ABCGambling odds:TCU -3.5; O/U 68.5The two best teams in the Big 12 at least currently battle in Fort Worth for sole possession of the inside track to one of the two spots in Arlington for the championship game. Both teams enter with similar traits. Quarterbacks Max Duggan and Spencer Sanders are playing the best football of their experienced careers. The two offenses average exactly 46.4 points per game. Even the defenses are allowing almost the exact same amount per game with TCU giving up one point less than the Cowboys at 23.8 points per game.Cravens bet:Oklahoma State +3.5

Baylor at West Virginia:Viewing info:Thursday at 6 p.m. FS1Gambling odds:Baylor -3.5; O/U 54.5Baylors chances to repeat as Big 12 champions require the Bears to run the table in conference play. That starts with a Thursday night game on the road against an explosive West Virginia team. The Mountaineers are averaging 38.2 points per game with quarterback JT Daniels improving each time out. Baylor has already lost as many games in five contests in 2022 (2) as it did in the 14-game 2021 season. The defense allowed over 30 points for the first time in a season and a half last time out in a loss to Oklahoma State.Cravens bet:Baylor -3 (buy the hook)

North Texas vs. La TechViewing info:Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN+Gambling odds:North Texas -6.5; O/U 70.5An intriguing Conference USA matchup takes place Saturday afternoon in Denton when the Mean Green host a La Tech squad coming off a 10-point win over UTEP. North Texas is 2-0 in C-USA play and coming off a much-needed bye week after starting the season in Week 0 on the road against UTEP. The difference here might be the run game. North Texas averages 220 a game while La Tech sits at 97.6 a game. The Mean Green hold a clear advantage if they can avoid turnovers in the passing game.Cravens bet:Under 70.5

SMU vs. NavyViewing info:Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNGambling odds:SMU -13.5; O/U 57.5The Mustangs need to stop a three-game losing streak as a double-digit favorite at home against Navy on Friday night. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai has thrown as many interceptions (5) as touchdown passes over the past three games. SMU needs to find some explosive plays in the running game, and hopefully playing against Navy masks the deficiencies in the secondary.Cravens bet:Over 57.5

UTSA at FIUViewing info:Friday at 7 p.m. on CBSSNGambling odds:UTSA -32; O/U 64The only question for UTSA is if the Roadrunners can cover. Jeff Traylors squad should glide past FIU, even in a road game. FIU is one of the 10-worst college football teams in the country. UTSA is one of the five best G5 squads and should move to 3-0 in C-USA play.Cravens bet:Over 64

Texas vs. Iowa StateViewing info:Saturday at 11 a.m. on ABCGambling odds:Texas -16.5; O/U 49.5Texas looks like a Big 12 title contender with Quinn Ewers at quarterback. The Longhorns exorcised some demons in the 49-0 win over Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown. The second-half collapse against the Sooners in the 2021 contest started Texas reputation as a program that folds in the second half. The Cyclones arent as good as normal. Weird how that five-star culture doesnt help as much when an NFL running back leaves campus. It is almost like stars matter. Iowa State is strong defensively, but the Longhorns possess many more offensive weapons.Cravens bet:Under 49.5

Texas State at TroyViewing info:Saturday at 2:30 p.m.Gambling odds:Texas State +16; O/U 48.5The Bobcats should enter this road game with plenty of confidence following an upset win at home against App State in Week 6. Texas States defense is becoming a force, and quarterback Layne Hatcher looks more comfortable in the offense with each passing week. The Sun Belt doesnt offer many breaks, and Troy will be another Goliath for the Bobcats to slay. The good news for Texas State is that this Troy team lost by four points to App State earlier in the season.Cravens bet:Texas State +16

Rice at FAUViewing info:Saturday at 5 p.m. on ESPN+Gambling odds:Rice +4; O/U 56Rice is on pace to reach a bowl game for the first time since 2014. The Owls are 3-2 overall and 1-0 in C-USA play entering the road game against FAU. Rice is coming off a bye week. The defense is allowing 18.33 points per game in three wins and 50 points per game in the two losses. The only defeats for Mike Bloomgrens squad in 2022 were to USC and Houston.Cravens bet:Rice +4

Idle:Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Houston, UTEP

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Viewing guide, gambling odds for Week 7 of the college football season - Dave Campbell's Texas Football

Ontario gamblers wagered more than $6 billion on sports, casino, and Esports in the province's new legal market for three months ended Sept. 30, according to the latest figures from iGaming Ontario. (Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports)

Ontarios new legal online betting market grew in its second quarter, raking in $267 million in total gaming revenue as more players and websites participated in sports, casino, and Esports wagering.

The second official release of financial figures from iGaming Ontario (iGO), a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), shows a nearly 65 per cent increase in overall gaming revenue for the province.

The report, released on Wednesday, covers the period of July 1 to Sept. 30. The figures do not include the government-owned Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) iGaming platform, or the free bets or other promotional wagers offered by various websites.

Total wagers placed during the quarter amounted to $6.04 billion, up 48 per cent from the $4.08 billion booked in iGOs inaugural financials released in August. The latest report shows the market grew to 24 operators running 42 gaming websites, from 18 running 31 sites in the previous quarter.

Active player accounts and average monthly spend increased as well, according to the report. iGO counted 628,000 active accounts, up from 492,000 in the first quarter. Average monthly spend jumped more than 25 per cent to $142 from $113.

Following Ottawa's move to legalize new forms of betting last summer, including individual sports games and events, Ontario has set itself apart from other provinces by allowing private companies to compete with government-run betting outlets.

While iGO's latest figures show the industry gaining traction, revenue is on track to fall well short of some early forecasts.

U.S. consulting firm VIXIO GamblingCompliance estimated the Ontario market to be worth about $1.6 billion in gross gaming revenue this year, rising to $2.36 billion in 2023.

Private companies operating in the province took their first bets on April 4. The promise of an open, competitive market in Ontario has lured a number of industry heavyweights like Boston-based DraftKings (DKNG) to the province. However, restrictions on advertising free bets and other inducements, as well as competitors from outside the new legal system, have posed headwinds.

Story continues

"We always said that we didn't think we'd be able to achieve quite the same share as we believe we will be able to achieve in the U.S.," DraftKings CEO Jason Robins told analysts on an Aug. 5 post-earnings conference call.

A number of private sportsbooks and online betting websites that operated for years outside of Ontarios laws have joined the legal market, like industry giant Bet365. In August, Wall Street analysts told Yahoo Finance Canada that companies with roots in the so-called grey market are likely to dominate the early innings of the new legal industry in Ontario by leveraging their experience in Canada's most populous province.

Earlier this month, the AGCO set Oct. 31 as the deadline for illegal betting platforms to transition into the legal market. The agency says unregulated operators must halt their operations by this date to avoid jeopardizing the eligibility for registration.

Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jefflagerquist.

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Ontarios online gambling revenue tops $267M in Q2, up nearly 65% - Yahoo Sports

The Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation will not ban people from going to the casino or purchasing Atlantic Lottery Corporation products, even if they have an extreme gambling addiction.

Bob MacKinnon, president and chief executive officer of the Crown corporation, said a person must have certain qualifications to be able to diagnose someone with an addiction.

Were not skilled to diagnose somebody as a problem gambler or having problems with their gambling such that we would trigger a ban, MacKinnon told the standing committee on public accounts Wednesday.

Instead, MacKinnon said they are required to intervene, but its a delicate intervention.

At the casino, a person who may be struggling with a gambling addiction is approached by the corporations staff, who have all taken a responsible gambling training program.

Depending on the situation, the person is asked if they would like to take a break, visit the on-site responsible gambling resource centre or be given resources for help. Theres also the self-exclusion program, where someone can voluntarily ban themselves from the Halifax and Sydney casinos.

Ultimately, its up to the individual themselves if they want to avail to that information or of that break, MacKinnon said, adding people are only banned for negative behaviour impacting other people.

Brendan Maguire, MLA for Halifax Atlantic, said the gaming corporation needs to step in earlier to help people who are struggling with responsible gambling.

I have close personal friends that have gambling problems and they usually dont take advantage of (resources) until they hit absolute rock bottom, Maguire said.

With the ALC expanding into online gaming this past July, Maguire noted there are more opportunities for people to gamble.

Patrick Daigle, president and CEO of the ALC, said roughly 3,000 Nova Scotians are playing online on ALC.ca per week.

However, Daigle said there are benefits to having people shift over to the online casino.

We absolutely know a lot about those players and thats great because we can offer them tools about their play, Daigle said.

Players must also submit a maximum weekly deposit limit, take mandatory breaks in play and are shown a timer of how long they are playing for. There are other optional features, such as setting a limit on daily wagers or time sessions.

And while MacKinnon said Nova Scotia is known as one of the most responsible jurisdictions internationally, some members of the standing committee took issue with how much money the ALC devoted to the provinces office of mental health and addictions.

Nova Scotias Department of Finance and Treasury Board estimated Nova Scotias share of the ALCs net income would be $146 million for the fiscal year, but only $6 million is marked down for gambling support services and initiatives.

Lilani Kumaranayake, the Finance Departments executive director of fiscal policy, economics and budgetary planning, said theres more money allocated to mental health services than what is earmarked.

Ultimately, its up to the individual themselves if they want to avail to that information or of that break."

- Bob MacKinnon, president and CEO of Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation

There have been over $150 million in investments in mental health, Kumaranayake said.

But Lisa Lachance, MLA for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island, said that doesnt mean $150 million is being dedicated to help people with gambling addictions.

Correct me if Im wrong, but its probably not true that $150 million of investment in mental health in this past budget includes a cross-cutting approach to gambling, Lachance said, noting funding on early intervention of autism probably doesnt have a gambling lens on it.

MacKinnon said the financial amount contributed to mental health and addiction services are based on gaming strategies and industry best practices.

The ALC is working to produce a healthy play report, which would include data on the usage of its resources offered to people.

If you have concerns about your gambling, you can call the provinces mental health and addictions intake line at 1-855-922-1122. The line is staffed by professionals who provide support and referrals to programs and services. Supports are also available through theGambling Support Network.

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N.S. Gaming Corporation will intervene, but not ban people with gambling addictions - Saltwire

In America, football is a way of life, and it is one of the most profitable industries in the nation. From 2020 to 2021, the National Football League (NFL) had a record increase in profits, raking in $11 billion for the 2021 season, according to Sportico. The league has never had much trouble with sponsorships and brand deals. In the past decade, the NFL has become exponentially more profitable due to the incorporation of a recently legalized revenue stream: sports betting. Despite their adamant opposition to the legalization of sports betting, the NFL has decided to embrace it with open arms. This begs the question: Is this move beneficial for the league, its players and their fans?

Gambling in sports has been a hot topic for decades. In the past, it was heavily criticized because many thought it hurt the integrity of sports. The fear that coaches, players or referees might use their position and access to sports gambling to fix matches for their personal gain was too high for many sports leagues to condone and promote the industry. The NFL was the most outspoken against sports betting out of all the major sports leagues. The league has a history of being swift in punishing members who were discovered to be betting on league games or even remotely close to the sports gambling industry. One example is when the league canceled a fantasy football convention hosted by former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, citing the leagues stance on events at casinos.

A turning point for the NFL came in 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a law banning sports betting, prompting over 30 states to legalize the industry. The Major League Baseball, National Hockey League and National Basketball Associations quickly capitalized, signing promotional deals with sports gambling companies. The NFL soon followed suit. Combined with the platforming of sports gambling on smartphones, this has caused the already successful industry to explode in popularity. Now sports gambling is characterized as a way to promote fan engagement, and you cannot escape the DraftKings and FanDuel commercials during Sunday Night Football. While it is evident that sports betting is likely here to stay, it is important to recognize the dangers of platforming gambling to this degree.

Gambling is an addictive vice, plain and simple. However, unlike other addictive habits, it can manifest inside your pocket with the press of a button. With this new widespread access to these platforms, there will come an increase in the number of problem gamblers. While these platforms have terms of service and features that promote responsible gambling, they do not have rules to limit how much one can lose, only how much one can gain. Gambling may be a fun way to be invested in your favorite teams game, but it can also very easily cause great amounts of loss and pain. With the rise of betting in professional sports, there needs to be a rise in awareness of responsible gambling.

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The price of gambling The Paisano - UTSA The Paisano

Summary

Perhaps it is because many folk love to gamble, even at risk of losing their shirt, that Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport has bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic so strongly.

Las Vegas is one of several airports around the world where traffic figures are heavily influenced by gambling activities.

Others include the competing Nevada resort city of Reno, Atlantic City in New Jersey, Monte Carlo (Monaco) on the Mediterranean Sea, and Macau in Southeast Asia which is regarded as the worlds #1 gambling city.

Las Vegas airport handled 4.9 million passengers in Jul-2022, which was an increase of 17.2% year-on-year and a new monthly record for passenger traffic. It is the second consecutive month that the airport has recorded a new all-time traffic record, having handled 4.7 million passengers in Jun-2022.

In fact, three of the top five months for passenger volume at the airport have been in 2022, and it was an impressive +22% that was recorded in Aug-2022 as well, including 209% growth in the international segment.

That was not always the case.The airport recorded only moderate growth over the past decade or so, averaging 2.8% in the eight years 20122019.

Like most US airports, it rebounded strongly from the initial impact of the COVID pandemic in 2020 (which led to 57% passenger traffic losses) by growing by 79% in the following year, which was four percentage points ahead of the national average.

Overall growth in 2022 (Jan-Aug) has been 41%.

Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (formerly known as McCarran International Airport) is the main gateway to Las Vegas and Clark County, in Nevada.

It was the ninthbusiest US airport and 30th busiest airport globally in 2019.

The US FAA approved plans for the airport to be renamed as Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport in late Jun-2021, and the airport completed its name change in Dec-2021.

In Airport names and political intrigue in the United States of America, a recent CAPA report, reasons were speculated upon for the name change, mindful of the current political climate in the US. The message is in the eponym in many cases.

US Senator Pat McCarran was a Democrat who represented Nevada from 1933 to 1954. Harry Reid, also a Democrat, was a lawyer and politician who served as a senator from 1987 to 2017 and as Majority Leader (the position held now by Nancy Pelosi) for eight years.

Media reports suggest that historians have called McCarran a noted proponent of aviation but also an advocate of xenophobic and anti-Semitic policies during his career, leading several of Nevada's political leaders to have called for changing the name of the airport.

Putting politics aside, it is interesting how airports can grow into mirror images of the cities they represent. (A prime example is in Austin, Texas, one of the worlds leading music cities where live shows within airport terminals are commonplace, and especially during the music festival periods.)

In Las Vegas case, the very first CAPA Global Airport Privatisation Report (2005) noted how gambling was such an important part of the non-aeronautical revenue mix at the airport, earning it then an estimated USD25 million each year.

The airport was one of only two US airports that permitted on-site gambling the other being Reno-Tahoe, but latterly they have been joined by Chicago OHare, where there was considerable local opposition.

A different kind of 'airport slots' conundrum, perhaps.

Las Vegas, just like other US cities that are built around leisure activities, such as Orlando and Los Angeles/Orange County, took a hit from the early ravages of the pandemic.

But the recovery in most cases started early, and especially so in Las Vegas as Airlines and gamblers return to Las Vegas; others struggle: a Jul-2020 CAPA report, highlighted with 230 hotels reopening there in Jun-2020 alone.

In Worlds Top 10 airports 2021 many of the previous busiest airports are back on the list, a further CAPA report published in Apr-2022, it was observed: It is interesting to note that two airports at the centre of the worlds tourism industries also performed well in 2021, namely Orlando and Las Vegas, as vacationers and gamblers confronted the coronavirus head-on by way of theme park rides and Mickey Mouse, or one-armed bandits and roulette tables.

It concluded, Orlando, Las Vegas, Antalya and Cancn between them represent what has become the only new business opportunity during the COVID-19 pandemic, a fact that presumably wont go unnoticed in airline boardrooms.

And the subsequent traffic growth reported above adds weight to that theory.

A year on from that last report, how is the airport shaping up?

Firstly, looking beyond the impressive traffic figures mentioned earlier, current and future seat capacity levels are now ahead of where they were in 2019 and have consistently been so since mid-Mar-2022.

In the week commencing 03-Oct-2022 the difference is +13.5%, and there is no suggestion that it wont stay that way.

When the same chart was published in the Jul-2020 report, the green line for the current year 2022 had a U-shape that was as deep as the nearby Hoover Dam.

Las Vegas Airport remains mainly a domestic airport for now, with only 5.7% of seat capacity on international services.

The average flight length, as measured by seats, is less than three hours, and as measured by ASKs/ASMs it is just over four hours.

The large increase in international passenger numbers for Aug-2022 suggests that that may be about to change.British Airways, for example, will return in Mar-2023.

For now, the relative paucity of international services can be seen in this map.

Target markets for the future will probably be where there is some capacity already.

Canada and Mexico are the two main countries, but three of the top seven are in Europe (UK, Germany and the Netherlands), together with South Korea and the Central American playground of Panama.

The airport is also fundamentally a low cost airport as well, with 71.5% of capacity on budget airlines, led by Southwest Airlines (34.5%) and the ULCC Spirit Airlines (15.5%).

That is no great change from 2020, and the three leading airlines are all LCCs the difference being that in 2020 it was four, but the ULCC Allegiant Air no longer has the same presence there.

Las Vegas International Airport is not particularly well served by alliance airlines either, with 73.5% of its capacity on unaligned carriers in the week commencing 03-Oct-2022.

That, in theory, puts it at a disadvantage again in the international marketplace, especially as Virgin Atlantic, which serves it from the UK (London only presently) has just announced that it's joining SkyTeam.

It is perhaps a useful exercise to contrast these low cost and alliance capacity statistics with the other airports mentioned earlier that are heavily influences by gambling traffic, i.e. Reno-Tahoe and Atlantic City in the US, Nice (the closest international airport to Monte Carlo, and Frances third busiest), and Macau in Southeast Asia.

The only conclusion that can be drawn is that there is no conclusion.

There is no correlation to be made between these highly variable statistics and the success of the relevant cities as gambling centres.

Utilisation at Las Vegas across 24 hours is typically high, with 18 hours of concentrated activity relieved only from midnight to 0600, and sometimes by less than that.

There is a notable equilibrium between departing and arriving capacity as well, which encourages hubbing activities, although the airport is not set up specifically as a hub airport.

According to the CAPA Airport Construction Database, there is no infrastructure work of note at Las Vegas International presently.

However, the most recent projects include the international Terminal 3, which was completed in 2012, thereby opening up new markets, and that is largely accredited to Harry Reids efforts in Congress, having been planned during the financial crisis in 2008/9.

Terminal 3 cost USD2.4 billion to build and is one of the largest public works projects in Nevada, replacing Terminal 2 and providing more international gates, as well as a larger US Customs and Border Protection facility.

Harry Reid is also credited with helping secure the USD111 million in funding needed for the airports air traffic control tower, which is the second tallest in the US.

The airport is owned by Clark County and operated under the policy direction of the Board of County Commissioners, the authority of the County Manager and the management of the Director of Aviation.

As far as is known, there has never been any serious consideration of privatising the airport by way of lease, and there are no known current or historic public-private infrastructure projects.

In a city of conspicuous private sector consumption it remains a public model.

According to the 2022-23 Economic Outlook Report published by the University of Las Vegas Centre for Business and Economic Research (CBER), Nevadas economy will continue its recovery and expand throughout 2022, but the picture is less clear for 2023.

That is in contrast to the national economy, which currently is experiencing a significant structural adjustment toward a new normal in the midst of COVID-era impacts, the war in Ukraine, disruptions to the supply chain and trade.

Additionally, CBERs Clark County Tourism Index which combines gross gaming revenue, room occupancy rates, and airport passengers had recovered to more than 114% of its COVID-era decline by Apr-2022.

But CBER forecasts total visitor numbers for Las Vegas not returning to pre-pandemic levels until after 2023.

Because the Southern Nevada economy heavily depends on tourism, its outlook ties to the future path of all these factors.

The report concluded that continued progress on vaccinating a higher percentage of the population, the absence of a new variant that can avoid the protection of vaccines, a reasonable resolution of the war in Ukraine, and how the economy reacts to higher interest rates will make economic recovery more likely.

All that sounds like a Utopian wish list, but it is reasonable to conclude that the airport is pulling its weight in the effort to restore the economic fortunes of its city-region.

Las Vegas is not known only for gambling and the associated entertainment that goes with it, and sporting events such as boxing.

The city is the biggest convention centre by far in the US, with many millions of square feet of space and hundreds of thousands of guest rooms.

The Routes World 2022event, organised by a sister company to CAPA, will take place there from 16-Oct-2022 to 18-Oct-2022.

Originally posted here:

Las Vegas International Airport no longer gambling on its future | CAPA - CAPA - Centre for Aviation

Posted on: October 12, 2022, 06:49h.

Last updated on: October 12, 2022, 12:22h.

Spains government wants to take a closer look at the gambling industry, with a specific focus on problem gambling. To do so, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs of Spain (MCE, for its Spanish acronym) wants to allocate most of its budget to the issue.

Alberto Garzn, who heads the ministry, plans to increase his offices budget by 11.38% in 2023. Hes already working with 63.6 million (US$61.74 million). But theres another 5.7 million (US$5.53 million) the government department receives through special allocations.

Garzn, who gained oversight of Spains gaming industry last year, now wants another 6.5 million (US$6.31 million) for 2023, according to a draft of the General State Budget. If the budget is approved, the MCE could have more than 76 million (US$71.8 million) with which to work.

The MCE said the strong growth experienced by increased oversight of gambling regulations in 2022 will continue through next year. It cited figures that show a year-on-year increase of 66.08% over 2021.

It anticipates another 9.45% increase through 2023. The main items the MCE targets through its efforts are those aimed at avoiding problematic and fraudulent behaviors, increasing scientific knowledge, and detecting risky behaviors in gambling.

The budget for the research and prevention of gambling disorders and their effects would go from 1.1 million to 2.2 million (US$1.06 million to $2.13 million). This represents an increase of 102%.

The main expenditure of the office next year will be financing research projects for the prevention of gambling disorders. Garzn and his office have spent most of this year already addressing problem gambling. The MCE has been looking for ways to unify Spains 17 autonomous communities to provide a more streamlined policy and theyve seen some success.

However, communities are still able to develop their own rules and regulations. Several, including Madrid, Navarre, and Valencia, have already done so, while others are working on making changes.

The changes come in spite of a relatively low level of gambling addiction in the country. Spains Carlos III University conducted a survey last year and found that, in 2020, the country had the lowest rate of problem gambling in Europe. It holds a tie for first place with Denmark.

Based on an industry-standard gauge, the problem gambling severity index, Spains problem gambling penetration is only 0.25%. Even so, the government wants to inject millions of euros more into addressing gambling harms.

The survey also found that there was no significant rise in online gaming when retail gambling venues shut down over COVID-19. The number of players at bingo and gaming halls, casinos, and retail betting shops fell 50% year on year to 3.8 million. Thats only around 11% of Spains adult population.

There are two other segments where Garzn wants to spend more money. One of them covers the expenses related to the organization and coordination of the activities linked to the next rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

That council is comprised of ministers of the European Union member states. Its goal is to control the EU budget alongside Parliament, as well as international agreements. That vote will take place in the second half of next year.

The last segment focuses on something that impacts all Spaniards. Garzn wants to increase the essential services of laboratories for the oversight and control of the quality of food and non-food consumer goods.

Read more from the original source:

Problem Gambling the Biggest Target of Spain's Ministry of Consumer Affairs - Casino.Org News