Category Archives: Gambling

SUBANG JAYA: An illegal online gambling centre was raided after it was exposed on Facebook.

In a statement Wednesday (June 22), Subang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Abd Khalid Othman said the raid was conducted on Tuesday (June 21) night following a video on the centre by a Facebook user Macdonard Highson.

"Based on information gathered, the police conducted surveillance at the address stated in the post, but no movement was seen.

"A raid on the location was conducted and eight computers, believed to have been used for online gambling purposes, were seized," he said.

The post alleged that the syndicate had been operating there for some time and there had been inaction due to corruption.

ACP Khalid Othman said that the district police had conducted 191 raids between January 2021 and May 2022, with 458 suspects arrested. A total of 924 machines used for online gambling were also seized.

"The police view the matter seriously and will not compromise with any side in regards to illegal gambling. We also advise all to not be involved in such activities.

"We encourage the Subang Jaya community and those in the surrounding area to work with us in eradicating such activities by sharing information to our district control centre at 03-7062 7100," he said.

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Cops raid illegal gambling centre in Subang Jaya - The Star Online

While online casinos and the industry have faced many obstacles over the years, people today have access to innovative platforms and games thanks to the emergence of technologies such as the internet and mobile technology.

As long as we have a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer, we can now play at the best online casinos in the USA found here from the comfort of our own homes. We can even play when we are out on the move if we want to!

Before online casinos existed, those who liked to play casino games had no choice but to dress up, travel, and play at land-based casinos. While enjoyable, this was time consuming and potentially expensive due to travel costs, eating out, and higher wagering limits.

However, thanks to the advancement and adoption of Wi-Fi connectivity, mobile phones, and mobile communication technologies, wagering on casino games has never been easier.

We can enjoy lower table limits, play from anywhere with an internet connection, and enjoy a far more excellent selection of casino games. We can even move money in and out of our accounts seamlessly via payment methods, including bank cards, bank transfers, and eWallets such as PayPal, a payment provider that has seen record share prices in recent months.

Even the best land-based casinos cannot compete in terms of the number of games an online casino can provide. While the US iGaming industry is still growing, so it does not yet have thousands of games to offer players, you only have to look at other major iGaming markets to see that this will happen, eventually.

Over one hundred iGaming development companies develop over 20 new games per month on average. There are thousands upon thousands of titles now available around the world.

Most of these are virtual video slots, which is expected because of their popularity.

However, you will also find a wide variety of virtual table games, live casino games, bingo, scratch cards, and video poker, among other types of casino games. That number will only increase as the industry grows, and other developers will get in on the act.

One iGaming vertical that has helped reshape the gambling industry is live casino games.

Streamed live from studios worldwide, these games feature live dealers/croupiers/hosts that control the games in real-time. Using your mobile or desktop device, you watch the streams of the games while placing your wagers.

Initially, this vertical started by giving us live variations of classic games such as Roulette and Blackjack, but now you can play many games in a live format.

Some of the most popular are live gameshows developed by the likes of Evolution and Playtech. Many of these titles, including Crazy Time and Monopoly Live, have won industry awards because of their innovation.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last decade or so, you know that cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology have helped shape many industries. Cryptos are everywhere right now - according to rumours, even Facebook is planning to launch its own cryptocurrency.

Arguably, the online casino industry has been one of the biggest benefactors of cryptocurrencies.

They offer the perfect solution for players that want added security and anonymity because of their decentralized state. Plus, they probably help when it comes to paying taxes on casino winnings.

While crypto gambling is not yet regulated in the US, it is in other jurisdictions around the world. It remains to be seen if they will ever play a part in the US iGaming industry, but we would not rule out that from ever happening.

Virtual and augmented reality technology and the metaverse are two technological innovations on the lips of industry leaders in terms of where the online casino sphere could go next.

However, while we talk as if this is the future, it could prove closer than anyone might think. Evolution has already implemented virtual reality elements into one of its live titles, Gonzos Treasure Hunt, while Atari is currently developing one of the first metaverse online casinos.

With the continued evolution of these technologies, we would not bet (excusing the pun) against it! Could we be no more than years away from plying our trade at online casinos in virtual reality?

Walking around, interacting with other players, and sitting at casino tables as if we were there in person?

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How innovative US online casinos are reshaping the gambling industry Retail Technology Innovation Hub - Retail Technology Innovation Hub

Gambling has always existed in Canada. Yet, the gambling laws have changed over the years, making it a little confusing to know what is legal and what is illegal. Here is a quick overview of the gambling laws in Canada, and how you can gamble legally.

The gambling laws of Canada are a little difficult to understand. If you are considering gambling online, you must read up on the rules. Here is what you need to know to gamble legally in Canada.

In the 1970s the criminal code was changed, giving oversight of gambling to the provinces. The first casino was built in 1989, quickly spreading to Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia. The provinces allowed casino games as well as horse tracks, and video lottery terminals. The trend, however, did not spread to the rest of the 10 provinces. Today, the provinces of Canada still uphold their own gambling laws, making it a little tricky to gamble online legally if you live in a province with a negative attitude towards gambling. As a result, Canadian online casinos are often located offshore. These casinos, however, cannot be legislated or licensed. Luckily, local governments have met the demands of the community by starting their own gambling sites.

Online gambling is technically legal in Canada, but because each province has its own rules, a lot of Canadian online casinos are located offshore, making it impossible for the federal government as well as local governments to license and legislate the casinos. This creates a less safe environment for gamblers. As a result, illegal gambling and sports betting activity. This, however, may cause a change in the gambling laws.

To stop the tendency of illegal gambling and sports betting, the federal government has made it legal to gamble on individual sporting events. The hope of the government is, that the legalization of sports betting will bring the activity into a legal, safe and controlled environment, making it possible to monitor and tax the billion-dollar industry of sports betting. Although this change has not yet reached online casinos, this may be just the beginning of a more liberal attitude to gambling in Canada.

While the rest of Canada is waiting for the gambling laws to become more liberal, if you are living in Montreal, you can already start gambling online. Quebec is one of the provinces that have legal casino sites launched by the local governments. You can find Canadas best casinos here. It is not illegal to play at casinos located offshore. However, you must be extra careful. These casinos arent licensed, and Canadian law cant prosecute them. If you are cheated out of your money, there is not much you can do about it. It is, therefore, best to choose a licensed casino from the provinces that have made gambling legal. If you want to know more about gambling in Quebec, read more news from Montreal here.

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PETALING JAYA: The complexity of the digital world that allows one to mask their identity is making it almost impossible to regulate online gambling, said a cybersecurity expert.

LGMS Berhad chairman and Cybersecurity Consultant CF Fong said anyone could set up online gaming sites so monitoring and tracking who the real owners are will be difficult.

Fong believes legalising online gaming could lead to other social issues.

When you allow online gambling, anyone can set up his gambling site and collect money from people. So unless the (act of) gambling is based on brick and mortar gambling establishments, it will not be feasible to regulate.

Ethically, I dont think it is good because you are encouraging and giving the public more access to gambling, he said.

Blocking unlicensed sites can also be a hassle, Fong said. They will keep changing their domain name once their servers have been blocked. They can notify their players via messenger on the new sites that can pop up quickly. It will be difficult for the authorities to keep track and block them, he said.

Fong said many online gambling sites have their servers hosted abroad, making it harder to identify the owners.

The operators also use mule accounts for transactions to mask their identities.

He said they have many such accounts to hide their financial transactions from betting to commerce. Some even accept Touch n Go ewallet payments.

He also said some of the operators used runners to make cash payouts with a small fee imposed on the winners to prevent their operations from being traced to them.

Besides websites, online gambling has also become a mobile application.

Typically, a domain name for a gambling site is easy to remember, for example, AAA.com, he said.

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Gruelling to navigate online gambling in cyberspace - The Star Online

Some sectors, like online gambling, experiment with and integrate Metaverse elements to enhance virtual experiences. There is constant competition between the big tech companies like Google, Apple, and Metaverse for the best innovations. However, nowadays it should be stated that Metaverse, among gamblers, is at the center of attention, as it provides them with the main attraction gambling in virtual reality.

Even if we cant know exactly what will happen in the future, predicting is a lot of fun. Wouldnt it be fantastic to wear a virtual reality headgear and visit a real-world casino like Macao or Las Vegas? It doesnt matter where you are, the metaverse may be able to carry you away.

In order to participate in metaverse gambling, users may be required to create or utilize an existing avatar at the time of registration. A headset will be used to give the whole casino experience. Because of this, there will be no more back pain from sitting for hours at a desk or holding a mobile device. In this article, well talk about how the Metaverse is going to change the gambling industry and what makes it prominent among gamblers globally.

When it comes to the main benefits of decentralized gambling, there are many things that can be appealing to casino enthusiasts. As the online gambling business evolved, so did the number of methods for players to avoid disclosing any personal information. Cryptocurrency transactions are used in decentralized gambling. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptos are popular among online gambling lovers.

It is worth noting that decentralized providers use blockchain technology, which per se has several advantages and benefits. A decentralized blockchain network is resistant to hackers, ensuring that the gamers are protected while participating in online games. This means that players can safely gamble casino games like crazy time, blackjack, roulette, poker, and so forth. Many prospective gamblers find it difficult to cope with payments and withdrawals on online gambling sites because of regional regulations. Users from all across the world may utilize Metaverses integrated cryptocurrency payments, independent of local limitations.

Players may explore the Metaverse casino in a virtual environment that simulates real-life rather than sit in front of a computer screen for the whole gambling experience.

Immersive gambling has been given a new life thanks to virtual reality technology. Virtual reality (VR) and metaverse gaming go far beyond merely chatting with a dealer to provide gamers with an authentic casino experience.

There is a major difference between playing online casino games and playing in the metaverse. A decentralized gaming platform doesnt need any kind of authentication. So, in contrast to centralized gaming, no ID documents or personal information is required. The only thing that you need for transactions when it comes to decentralized gambling is the wallets unique address.

After just being launched in October of 2021, the Metaverse project has already seen a great deal of progress, with several projects having even seen the light of day.

The most talked-about digital City of Lights today is situated in Decentraland, in an Ethereum-based decentralized virtual environment with sparkling lights. Without the involvement of a governing body or smart contracts, this metaverse is completely controlled by its users.

Coins, tokens, and NFTs make up the majority of the Metaverse gaming sector. Although these financial instruments have been present for some time, they are now enjoying a resurgence in popularity, as seen by the daily coverage of crypto and NFT subjects in the main media.

Decentralands virtual casino sector bears a striking resemblance to the Las Vegas Strip, which it has modeled after. Users are met when entering one of the citys numerous casinos by hundreds of gamblers wearing streetwear fashion, from funny wigs to fancy shoes and, of course, the required sunglasses for the poker-playing crowd. So, you can easily access the new world and try out what it looks like to gamble in a Vegas-like city virtually.

Even though the Metaverse world is still in its infancy and is comparatively new for the customers, it should be stated that some analysts predict that it can easily beat the land-based casinos. Players choose virtual casinos for the finest gaming experience.

Because of the Metaverses plethora of benefits and advantages, its more probable that the land-based casinos at some point will be excluded. As an example, we can look at online and land-based casinos. Nowadays the popularity of land-based casinos has decreased significantly. People realized that they can get a unique gambling experience from the comfort of their homes.

When it comes to Metaverse, the things that were the main drawbacks of online casinos, like the lack of land-based casino atmosphere, lights, music, and several others, are all settled in the virtual universe. With the use of headsets, gamblers can feel like they are in a real casino. Plus, they can gamble with the use of cryptocurrencies. Cryptos as mentioned above provide casino enthusiasts with a myriad of advantages. So, if not quite soon, at some point, Metaverse will exclude the land-based casinos.

As time goes by and technological advancements provide people with a plethora of innovations, individuals start to actively embrace these innovations in order to make their lives easier. One of the examples of this is the Metaverse and generally, virtual reality, which made it possible to experience numerous things without going out. Gambling is no exception players can anonymously, and securely play their favorite games. In addition, they can experience what it looks like to play in Vegas, without travel expenses and leaving their homes. So, Metaverse can easily replace land-based casinos in the future.

Read: Japanese Scientists Develops living skin for Robots

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How Is The Metaverse Gaining The Gambler's Attention? - TechnoSports

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Pokie machines [generic image].

The Gaming Machine Association of New Zealand says just two people have sought help for problem gambling in the Southland District Council area in the past 12 months.

The associations representative Jarrod True said Ministry of Health figures show in 2018-19 just one person in the Southland District sought help for problem gambling, in 2019-20 nobody sought help, and in the past 12 months, two people sought help for problem gambling.

However, in response to questions from councillors at a meeting on Wednesday, True said there would be up to eight problem gamblers for every person who self-reported their problems.

READ MORE:* We should not be the fun police: Sinking lid policy splits council* Ruapehu District Council tackles 'huge' level of gambling harm* Wellington council poised to start ditching 'dirty money' pokie machines

But districts of a similar size to Southlands had 40 or 50 or 60 people presenting with problem gambling, rather than two, suggesting Southlands problem was less, he said.

True was submitting on the councils draft pokie machine venues policy.

The council has yet to make a final decision, but the draft policy would allow venues to continue operating existing machines, and replace them when necessary, but would not permit licences for new machines.

True, one of the submitters to the policy, asked that the councils current sinking lid policy be replaced with a cap at current numbers which was a mere 14 venues and 88 machines in the district.

In 2013 there were 133 pokie machines in the Southland District Council area, and that number had reduced to 88, he said.

Eighty-eight machines was reasonable given the very low problem gambling rate in the district, he said.

In the past decade 4600 machines had been removed from New Zealand, a 25% reduction, and in the same period the problem gambling rate had remained the same, True said.

Gaming machines gave people entertainment, and funding from the machines was returned to the community via community grants, he said.

True believed retaining the sinking lid policy would accelerate the migration to offshore based online gambling which had no local grants, no local employment and no harm minimisation controls.

However, another submitter, Ivan Yeo of the Asian Family Services, said those people classed as problem gamblers were at the very sharp end of the problem, and the Ministry of Health had reported 250,000 people experienced mild, moderate or severe gambling harm in New Zealand.

Given the harmful nature of pokie machines we strongly advocate for a true sinking lid policy with no relocations [of pokie machines], he said.

People with gambling problems sometimes isolated themselves from family and friends, it impacted on the financial security of their families, and it could lead to crime, prostitution and family violence.

There was no evidence to suggest a sinking lid policy would reduce grants funding to the community, Yeo said.

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Southland District gambling problem worse than reported, councillors hear - Stuff

Whether its online bets, horse racing, sports bets or even bingo, gambling has become ever present across UK society, with the industry contributing 2.83 billion in tax to the treasury during 2020-2021. Plus, with gambling mobile apps on the rise, the avocation has become more accessible than ever before.

In a study by online casino affiliate Mr Gamble, the UKs gambling habits were revealed with some interesting insights into spending habits, usage, and even calls for more regulation.

Check out some more exclusive North West insights from the study below:

North West gamblers are happy to spend on average 67 per week

Not far from the UKs average at 70, North West gamblers spend on average 67 per week on the activity.

However, the region believes on average 208 would be too much to spend on gambling per week, almost triple what the average UK gamblers spends per week.

Sports Betting is the most popular form of gambling in the region

The most popular form of gambling across the North West was Sport Betting, with 42% of the region engaging in the form on a regular basis. This was followed closely by online gambling at 38% and bingo at 12%.

Gambling across the UK has become easier than ever before as a result of betting apps, with 84% of the North West already having them downloaded on their phone.

73% of the North West would know where to access gambling resources if they needed them

Whilst 75% of the region have never had to access help for excessive gambling, but if they did, 73% would know where to look. Alongside this, 77% of the region are confident they have never had a gambling problem, meaning despite the ease in the activity, patrons are still in control of their usage.

Infact, 55% of gamblers in the region are happy to stop after a win, whilst 67% will stop after a loss.

However, only 41% believe the current amount of gambling regulation is enough

Despite the distinct level of control demonstrated by the region, 59% still believe there should be more regulation when it comes to gambling. This is compared to the 68% across all regions who believe there is room for change.

Gambling affiliate sites like Mr Gamble have supported in streamlining this process, highlighting responsible gambling resources across their sites to support gamblers looking for help.

You can see the full rundown of the story covering other UK regions HERE!

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REVEALED: 59% Of The North West Call for MORE Gambling Regulation - Business Cheshire

Mobile-focussed gambling content provider Gaming Realms has been awarded an online gaming service provider licence by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, it announced on Tuesday, making it the fourth US state where it is licensed.

The AIM-traded firm said DraftKings and FanDuel, both of which have multi-state deals and direct integrations with Gaming Realms, were already operating in Connecticut.

It said it expected its Slingo content to go live in the state with those two operators by the end of 2022, once final certifications are complete.

We are delighted to have been granted an online gaming service provider licence in Connecticut, which now sees Gaming Realms licensed in the US' four largest states for iGaming, as well as in Ontario, Canada, said executive chairman Michael Buckley.

The company's strategy to sign multi-state deals and direct integration agreements with some of the largest operators in the US has also put us in a stronger position for our Slingo content to go live in a shorter time frame and to capitalise on market growth as more states look to regulate iGaming.

The company's expansion outside of North America is progressing as expected, and our Slingo games have recently gone live in Italy with Lottomatica, which is that country's largest operator.

At 1439 BST, shares in Gaming Realms were up 4.35% at 24p.

Reporting by Josh White at Sharecast.com.

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Gaming Realms awarded gambling content licence in Connecticut - ShareCast

A charity is hoping to prevent teenagers from becoming hooked on gambling by bringing them the stories of people who have lived through the addiction experience.

Gambling With Lives has been working with the Lagmore Youth Project for the past three weeks, trying to prepare them to make informed choices about gambling products they may be confronted with.

The program finished on Monday night, with a specially commissioned film and a talk from a local man who is recovering from his own gambling addiction.

Read more: West Belfast man's mission to educate young people about dangers of gambling addiction

Declan said he had been through extreme periods of gambling in his life but was in recovery now and determined to help others getting hooked the way he was.

At one point, he had lost 30,000 in just days, saying that he would have bet anything between 100 and 1,000 on any race, such was the hold his addiction had on him.

He said: "I started gambling when I was around 16, I started gambling when I was in school.

"Of course it started small and gradually it gets a lot worse and more out of control.

"Throughout the years, throughout the gambling, it took its toll on me.

"I started to lose a lot of money and I was completely invested and addiction completely took over my life.

"I'm now in recovery, I haven't had a bet in 1,005 days, so things are going well.

"Of course I always have to keep my guard up as well, just so I don't slip down that path again because it's very easily done.

"It's been amazing to be honest to be able to share my story and I think if I can even help one of the kids out there, it'll be absolutely brilliant."

The young people involved in the program told Belfast Live they had found it useful and an eye-opener.

"Even if you're just playing bingo once a week, just to know everything that can happen," Saorse Hannaway said.

"I just think it's better to know it now, so that obviously when you get older you know and you're more aware and understand the consequences that go along with gambling."

"I think it was really educational," Caoimhe Denver added .

"I think it taught us a lot about the dangers of it, to be cautious of it and if there's anyone that has this addiction, to tell them to get the help and offer them the help that's needed."

Aron Hughes is a youth support worker with the Lagmore Youth Project and said the program's message was something that resonated with the local community.

"I think especially here in West Belfast, it is a prevalent issue, a lot of people don't see that - it may be a very underlying issue, but it is present, it is there," he said.

"A lot of these people in this room might have had family members or friends who have had issues with gambling.

"Being able to have this awareness-raising, being able for them ones to engage with this organisation, to understand what this can do, allows them to go and spread that word with their other friends, with their peers, so that the awareness is constantly like a ripple effect.

"With that hopefully, maybe it can help save someone's life or it can help prevent one of these young people from going down that route of spending money they don't need to spend, or getting into that bad habit cycle."

Barry Fennell is the Program Manager for Gambling With lives in Northern Ireland and said they focus on challenging the young people to think about potential harms.

He said they provided information on the types of gambling products young people might see and how they might trigger addictive behaviour.

"There's a lot of focus around drugs and alcohol awareness, we feel as an organisation that this (gambling awareness) is important as well.

"For me, it's very much about allowing and providing the opportunity for young people to unpack all of this information and I think that's the most important thing as well.

"We're very keen to have that lived experience voice and input, I do feel that young people can relate to that lived experience or story, whatever you want to call it.

"I do think that Declan's input and there's another guy I work with, I think that input is invaluable to what we're doing.

"Our approach would be 'we will give you as much information as we can and we hope that further down the line you can make a decision that's based on an informed choice.'"

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For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.

If you or someone you know would like help with a gambling problem, Gambling With Lives has resources here.

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West Belfast teens hear from those whose addiction had them 'gambling with their lives' - Belfast Live

Former Wrexham striker Marc Williams has spoken passionately about helping others who have suffered from addiction problems after he himself experienced what he calls his 'rock bottom' just a few years ago. Now aged 33, Williams is enjoying his football once more after a succession of injuries and gambling addiction threatened to derail his once-promising career.

Williams came through the ranks at Wrexham AFC, breaking into the first team at the age of 18. After enjoying an impressive start to the 2008/09 season, the former Wales under 21 international was widely tipped for a bright future in the game until a broken foot hampered his progress significantly.

It was during his period on the sidelines that his gambling addiction took hold. Thankfully, Williams has overcome his demons and now visits sports clubs in order to share his experiences as well as educating others about gambling addiction.

READ MORE: Stadium for the North: The big names backing the campaign as signatures top 15,000 mark

Speaking to North Wales Live, Williams revealed that he had opportunities to move clubs just before his injury but decided to stay with his beloved Dragons. "Gambling took me to my rock bottom, I got injured at the biggest purple patch of my career (during the 2008/09 season). I potentially could have moved in the January but I wanted to stay at my boyhood club Wrexham and get them promoted," said Williams.

"I struggled with that injury - I was lonely, bored and on my own. The only way I could cope with that was to start gambling and from that it got worse."

"My football wages were there and when I got back fit there was something else occupying my brain - I just wanted to get off the training pitch and continue gambling. It completely changed me, I became extremely angry and I changed how I treated people.

"I neglected my little girl. I remember the last day I had a bet, November 7, 2018 - I broke down in front of my little girl, crying my eyes out.

"I'd just had my last 10,000 I could get my hands on, I couldn't get any more money I was that much in debt. I looked at her and thought to myself 'wow, not only am I ruining my life, I'm ruining her future'.

"That was my rock bottom. I knew I needed help, from that point I vowed I was going to get help and be a better person and father."

To sign the Stadium for the North register of support click here

Williams said that having the support of his family and friends has been a huge boost. He also went on to say he hopes that to see the stigma around gambling removed so that more people will open up about their struggles.

Williams said: "I'm coming up to four years now, this November. It's been a long road, but I've had a lot of support from my parents, my siblings and my partner Zoe has been really supportive. I can only try to be a better person from this point, I can only try and help people as much as I can.

"I don't want other people to feel alone, we need to take that stigma away from gambling and stop it being that taboo subject. For all those years I was embarrassed and ashamed but I just felt I couldn't open up and that's what we're trying to change.

"At Epic Risk Management we have partnerships with the EFL (English Football League) and the Rugby Players Associations as well as the cricket also. We're quite fortunate to be able to visit these sports clubs, delivering our lived experiences and providing the educational side of it.

"Recently I've done a few talks at Blackpool, Hull City, Newport County, Tranmere Rovers and Crewe Alexandra. We go around all 72 EFL clubs so it's been great to share my experiences.

"We cover all bases to raise that awareness. We also go to schools and make them aware of how detrimental gambling can be."

Williams went on to say that he is finally enjoying his football again, plying his trade for Cymru North side Llandudno FC. He said: "I love being back at Llandudno, it's probably the lowest level I've played but it's not about that - it's about putting on the jersey, working hard and being part of a team. Eards (Llandudno manager Sean Eardley) brings the best out of me and it's a great place to be.

"I'm looking forward to next season already. Hopefully we can go one better and win the league, but for me now it's how I feel around the place - playing with a smile on my face, that means the world to me."

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Ex Wrexham star Marc Williams tells of gambling addiction and the moment he knew he'd hit 'rock bottom' - North Wales Live