Category Archives: Gambling

AFLs chief executive, Gillon McLachlan, will receive many tributes for his eight-year legacy of running the premier sporting code in the nation and guiding it though Covid to deliver joy to millions, despite terrible lockdowns. That is rightly so but there is a huge shadow over his legacy.

McLachlan took over as chief executive from Andrew Demetriou, who immediately joined the Crown Resorts board and helped strike a deal with his protege around sports betting, as the newly created Crownbet became the major gambling sponsor of the AFL.

Demetriou eventually had to along with most of the directors resign from the Crown Resorts board after a royal commission-style inquiry in NSW. But Demetrious legacy lived on, as his successor twice renewed the $10m-a-year official AFL gambling partner deal, while Crownbet became Beteasy, which was then taken over by Sportsbet.

As a result, weve now got the Sportsbet Brownlow medal and a Sportsbet grand final, as a generation of children increasingly think that gambling is inextricably linked with our great Aussie game.

Under McLachlans leadership, the AFL pocketed close to $100m of direct gambling sponsorship revenue and signed television rights deals, which led to a tsunami of advertisements from foreign-owned betting agencies across television, radio, digital and at all grounds where AFL matches are played with the noble exception of Geelong.

The original Sportsbet, pioneered by rich lister Matt Tripp, was estimated to be worth just $250,000 in 2005. But after a successful high court challenge that broke advertising restrictions and the state Tab monopolies, Tripp and a gaggle of global competitors got cheap gambling licenses out of the Northern Territory government and signed deal after deal.

Sportsbet is now owned by Dublin-based Flutter Entertainment, the worlds biggest online gambling company, with a market capitalisation of $29.5bn. In its latest results, Flutter gloated about having 50% of Australias online gambling market, with 1.1 million regular monthly gamblers who collectively lost $2.3bn to Sportsbet alone in 2021.

They described this as excellent performance.

The same, sadly, is true of the other major sporting codes where Sportsbet is also the official gambling partner (the NRL), while the British-owned Bet 365 has Cricket Australia locked up.

This is the first generation of parents who have had children grow up watching sport while being bombarded with constant gambling advertisements. A generation ago (except for horse and greyhound racing) this was unthinkable.

We need to remember that gambling is an adult product like alcohol, tobacco and legalised brothels. We do not let them get in childrens faces even though all are legal.

Gambling sponsorship and advertising in family friendly television viewing hours is the exception, and is now everywhere. We have surrendered to a dangerous and addictive adult product that has legitimised itself by seizing the commanding sporting heights.

This has changed their perception of sport and introduced the language of betting odds into many sporting conversations our children have. Every AFL Club app that kids have on their phones has the odds come up first when you just want to check the teams or starting time for the game.

This particular scourge is because the AFL handed the keys to its digital data empire to the highest gambling bidder.

The federal government is certainly not blameless, as Australians continuously win the world record for per capita gambling losses, which will hit $25bn this year alone.

The prime minister and his minister for communications, Paul Fletcher, refuse to heed our call to ban sports betting sponsorship and advertisements. Spain and Italy has recently banned gambling sponsorship of all sporting teams, particularly soccer.

But in Canberra they are timid regulators, having banned in-play betting but little else. Instead, family viewing shows from MasterChef to The Block and even the 6pm news are plastered with betting advertisements.

Remember that we removed the Benson and Hedges Cricket Cup sponsorship, although tobacco is still legal, and we removed the Fosters AFL Grand Final as inappropriate for family enjoyment of the game. But our politicians have literally succumbed to betting agencies, sitting idly by while pocketing their donations, as these increasingly multinational companies demonstrate state capture of regulators.

The AFL and other codes have sold us an inevitability story: that but for the sports betting sponsorships, we could not enjoy top-tier professional sport.

But there is nothing inevitable about having gambling so entwined with sport.

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A generation of children increasingly think gambling is inextricably linked with the AFL - The Guardian

India has not been the most gambling-friendly nation out there, but this is slowly changing. Meghalaya, a state in the country, is now preparing guidance and policies that would enable lawmakers to create binding legislation that enables private operators to launch both interactive gaming and betting.

The process started with the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Ordinance 2021 and it has been slowly being worked on. The law that the state would need to overturn is the Meghalaya Prevention of Gaming Act of 1970 which effectively forbids all and any gambling on the territory of the state.

Meghalaya Law and Taxation Minister James PK Sangma are reportedly in talks with various business representatives who can guide the states choice of sports betting and iGaming legalization and help build a solid basis for future growth. Locals also seem to be taking well to gambling as well.

Residents are open to various forms of the experience, with poker, sports betting, horse racing, rummy, casino, fantasy sports, and lottery all interesting segments for the locals who may be looking to place a bet legally. The UK India Business Council has shown interest in the push to legalize gambling in the state and Kevin McCole, managing director of the organization, has welcomed the efforts by legislators to make this a reality. He added:

We appreciate Meghalayas administration for taking a proactive approach to the licensing of games of chance in the state, which would assist the state to generate more money and creating jobs.

The exact numbers of illegal gambling are not known, but the figures are expected to be significant. The Indian gambling market is worth around $60 billion annually, out of which at least $30 billion is believed to be wagered through unauthorized gambling websites. Legalizing gambling in Meghalaya can create jobs and contribute to the state budget as well as address problems such as problem gambling.

India is still very fragmented when it comes to gambling legislation and information about the status of the industry is generally scarce.

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Third Indian State Pushes Forward with Gambling Legalization - GamblingNews.com

Federal taxes are due by Monday for most of the country, andPlayMarylandfelt it appropriate to provide readers with a breakdown of what Maryland does with its gambling revenue. Dont worry: Marylands deadline for taxes is July 15.

When the recent sports betting law passed, Maryland made sure to link sportsbook taxes with education funding. But for casinos and the lottery, the revenue goes to a diverse set of programs and accounts.

Lets get into it.

Fifteen percent of sportsbook revenue is set aside for Blueprint for Marylands Future Fund, which is dedicated to early childhood education and public schools.

One of the objectives of the fund is to remove gaps between students from different family incomes, races, ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, and other defining characteristics. Pre-K is expanded, teachers are able to seek mentorships, and SATs are easier to access, among other things.

Maryland has added $1.8 million to this fund since sports wagering became legal in December 2021.

Maryland casinos pay different tax rates based on the type of game. Casinos keep around half of their slot earnings, but only pay 20% for table game revenue.

Maryland casinos, like sportsbooks, send tax money to education initiatives. Unlike the sports betting businesses, though, not all of that money is dedicated to education. The vast majority does go to the Education Trust Fund, followed by Local Aid.

The states horse racing industry also gets a decent cut of the profits, and this subsidizes the sport as Maryland casinos continue to increase revenue. Specifically, the taxed money goes to two pools the Racetrack Facility Renewal account and the Horse Racing Purse Dedication Fund.

Both Pimlico and Laurel Park were improved via this money. Money from the latter fund increases the prize amount and can cover the losses for certain tracks.

Next, a small percentage then goes to Marylands Small, Minority and Women-owned Business Fund. Specifically, Maryland created the Video Lottery Terminal Fund and gets money from casino slot machine earnings. This fund allocates half of its revenue to businesses near the states six casinos. The other half goes to all qualifying businesses throughout Maryland.

The smallest slice of the revenue goes to Responsible Gaming programs, but that still added up to over $4 million in 2021.

In 2021, casinos made $1.75 billion in revenue. Of that, the state took around $750 million (42%).

Profits from the Maryland Lottery go to the states general fund, which also brings in money from income and corporate taxes. The general fund stretches to many facets of Maryland programs, including public health and safety services, among several others.

If 2022 is anything like 2021, gamblers will contribute a lot of money to these state programs. Casino revenue contributed $723.5 million in 2021, and Maryland Lottery tickets werent far behind at $667.4 million.

With sports wagering licenses being awarded over time via a somewhat lengthy application process, it may be a while before those numbers join them. The state can award up to60 licensesunder the current legal framework.

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What Maryland Does With Its Taxes on Gambling - The Southern Maryland Chronicle

By: Josh Sens April 19, 2022

Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman return to the Zurich Classic after winning last spring.

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The pros go marching two-by-two this week as the PGA Tour moves to team competition at the Zurich Classic. The outlier format (best ball in rounds 1 and 3; alternate shot in rounds 2 and 4) gives fans a fresh look, and gamblers new variables to consider.

There is no ShotLink data for team chemistry.

Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman, the defending champs, are pairing up again. But theyre hardly the only headline tandem among the 80 teams. Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa will be joining forces, as will California pals (and Ryder Cup partners) Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will be making his first appearance since his big win at the Masters, pegging it alongside fellow Texas Ryan Palmer. And lets not forget the family pairing of Bill Haas and his 68-year-old father, Jay.

Where to put our money?

Thats the question once again for GOLF.coms expert prognosticator Erick Lindgren, who followed up his winning Scheffler play at Augusta by correctly picking Jordan Spieth at last weeks RBC Heritage. (By the way, heres how much youd be up if you were following Lindgrens advice all season.)

For the modified-format Zurich Classic, weve tweaked our deal with Lindgren. Usually, we give him a $1,000 gambling budget (just play money) in exchange for his five favorite picks. But given the shortened field, weve asked Lindgren to offer up his three top plays for the event, which gets underway Thursday at TPC Louisiana.

(Looking to play any of these bets yourself? We teamed with BetMGM and the online sports book is offering a Risk-Free Bet of up to $1,000.)

Last years winners from Down Under are proven commodities in team competition, and Lindgren expects them to put up a proud defense. Its no surprise that they rank among the pre-tournament favorites. Keep in mind, Smith all took Jonas Blixt to the title in 2017, Lindgren says. Jonas Blixt!

A pair of birdie machines who have been pounding the ball of late, Sergio and Fleetwood should play off each other nicely, Lindgren says. The hope is that teaming up can help them avoid the Sunday slippage theyve shown when playing on their own.

Its hard to overstate the importance of motivation. This pairing brings together two longtime cardholders who are keen to maintain their full Tour status. They know when it is time to accumulate Fed Ex Cup points, and with just 80 teamsactually, make that 79 with Haas groupthere is no better spot to get them.

A golf, food and travel writer, Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes across all of GOLFs platforms. His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting. He is also the co-author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook.

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3 picks I love at the Zurich Classic, according to a professional gambler - Golf.com

The USFL's first day went off without a hitch, asthe Birmingham Stallions defeated the New Jersey Generals in a come-from-behind victory that gave the home team the first win of the new USFL's inaugural season.

Things are getting a bit more complicated on the second day of the season. The game featuring the Michigan Panthers and Houston Gamblers has been delayed due to lightning in the Birmingham area.

The Panthers vs. Gamblers game was initially slated to kick off at 12 p.m. ET. Now, it will start later, and it's unclear whether that will have an impact on the other two USFL games airing on Sunday: the New Orleans Breakers vs. Philadelphia Stars and Tampa Bay Bandits vs. Pittsburgh Maulers.

Sporting News is tracking the latest USFL weather updates from Birmingham and how it might impact the league's first tripleheader of the 2022 season.

MORE: Sporting News follows Sunday's Week 1 USFL action

(All time Eastern.)

12:52 p.m. The national anthem is being performed and the game will kickoff shortly thereafter. That will bring to an end this weather delay.

12:40 p.m. There is still light rain falling in Birmingham, but it appears that the thunderstorms have subsided... for now. According to Weather.com, it should be cloudy for the next five hours in Birmingham, but there is a chance of thunderstorms again beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

12:35 p.m. The players have officially taken the field for warm-ups. The NBC broadcast says that the game should start in about 20 minutes, so we're looking at a potential 12:55 p.m. ET start time.

12:29 p.m. The NBC broadcast just announced that the players for each team would be taking the field "momentarily." They will need about 15-20 minutes to warm up, and after that, the game should be just about ready to begin. When adding in the pre-game ceremonies (National Anthem, etc.) it looks like we're heading for a start at just about 1 p.m. ET.

12:26 p.m. The Gamblers and Panthers social media teams are having a good time during the rain delay. They challenged one another to an online game of Connect Four, which Houston ended up winning.

12:24 p.m. Jac Collinsworth announces that the players are expected to take the field in 10 minutes or so. That should give the game a chance to start at or just before 1 p.m. ET.

12:05 p.m. The NBC broadcast interviewed Panthers coach Jeff Fisher as well as Gamblers coach Kevin Sumlin. Both brushed off the delay with an "it-is-what-it-is" type of mentality.

Fisher also shared a story of one of the longest weather delays he dealt with during his time with the Rams. That occurred when the last two minutes of Los Angeles' game against the Buccaneers was delayed nearly two and a half hours by lightning.

12:03 p.m. The USFL officially announced that the Panthers vs. Gamblers game was in a delay on social media. They shared a picture of the rain-soaked field in doing so, but once again, had no update about when the game might start.

12 p.m. The broadcast of the USFL's game featuring the Michigan Panthers and Houston Gamblers opened with an announcement from NBC's Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett that the game is in a weather delay. It was not immediately clear how long the delay would last.

Below is the full schedule of USFL games for Sunday, April 17. The first game was originally scheduled to kick off at noon ET before the weather delay while the last will begin at 8 p.m. ET.

All games will be available to watch on the Fox and NBC family of networks. You can also stream the contests with fuboTV, which offers a free trial.

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USFL weather updates: Rain, lightning delay start of Panthers vs. Gamblers - Sporting News

Michael Jordan was not only known for his basketball prowess, but also for his love for gambling. Sure, his Airness set the league alight and made the game world famous. But that wasnt the only thing that was synonymous with Jordan. He was also an avid gambler. Jordan used to bet on everything and anything, and his bets would go up to half a million. But there is one Jordan story that is pretty famous and also a controversial one. Additionally, this story could have cost Jordan the opportunity to become a billionaire.

We all know Jordan took a break from basketball in 1993. He announced his retirement and said he had lost the will to play basketball. The death of his father majorly affected his decision. Although Jordan would return in 1995 and would win 3 more titles before retiring again. He made a comeback again at the age of 40 and played for two more seasons. As such, many regard him as the greatest of all time. But a story broke out during the time of the first retirement, which could have been costly.

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Jordans gambling problems came into the limelight in 1993 after his retirement. There were several conspiracy theories that were making the rounds. One of them was that there was a connection between the death of Jordans father and Jordans gambling debts. The league had conducted several investigations, and they found no truth to the matter.

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At the time, David Stern said that the leagues latest investigation of Jordan was now closed, emphasizing that he was certain Jordan had never bet on NBA games and was not suffering from gambling addiction. But there was a lot of noise and with Jordan saying he will return to basketball if David Stern let him in, these rumors caught fire. Jordan wanted Stern to come out in his support, but Stern felt like this would only add fuel to those rumors.

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These rumors were put to bed when Jordan made his return, but talk started again when Jordan became a majority owner. Stern was quite active in getting Jordan into his team, even though they werent that close ever. The story eventually blew over and things became normal.

WATCH THIS STORY: Does Trae Young have a girlfriend?

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Gambling Lover Michael Jordan Battled a Wild Rumor About His Retirement That Could Have Ruined His Billionaire Ambitions - EssentiallySports

The Ancient Greeks, certainly like the modern Greeks, enjoyed gambling.

As one of the most common vices in the world, gambling has a long history that dates all the way back to ancient Greece.

Records of ancient Greeks playing dice and other luck-based games are found throughout ancient literature, and are even included in the works of Homer, who is perhaps the most famous ancient Greek poet in history.

Possibly the most common and popular form of gambling in Greece involved various dice games.

As in many ancient cultures, such as Iran, Egypt, and India, the earliest Greek dice were actually made of the bones of animals, called knuckle bones, or astragaloi in Greek.

Gambling was a favorite pastime in ancient Greece and Rome

The ancient Greeks played knuckle bones, and even assigned numerical values to each of the four sides of the pieces, much like modern dice.

Ancient Greeks and Romans also began to form cubic dice out of clay in later antiquity. These strongly resembled contemporary dice.

While the rules of many of these ancient games have been lost to time, scholars are capable of guessing and estimating some rules based on ancient sources.

A well known element of dice games played first in ancient Greece and then in Rome is called Aphrodites throw, which involves throwing four knuckle bones at once.

If all four landed on a different number, it was considered the best result and called Aphrodites throw.

In the most simple dice game, groups would throw dice and bet on the results, hoping to get the best throws. According to the ancient Roman writer Suetonius, the Emperor Augustus thoroughly enjoyed gambling with knuckle bones.

Apart from gambling, knuckle bones may have also been used for divination in ancient Greece.

Archaeologists have also uncovered carved wooden boards that resemble contemporary board games. These tablets were likely used for some sort of game that may have also included use of knuckle bones.

Gambling and dice throwing is also a favorite pastime of the Olympian gods, as mentioned in a number of myths.

According to various versions of the tale, the brothers Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon played a game of dice in order to decide who would rule over which realm of the universe.

Practice found across the world

Mankinds impulse to gamble has been recorded around the world throughout history. Remnants of dice-like pieces have been found in nearly every ancient civilization, and rules imposed to regulate the practice have been recorded for millennia.

Nearly all religions have some sort of rules surrounding gambling, from Judaism to Buddhism. In the Bible, the Roman soldiers are described as casting lots, likely throwing knuckle bones, to decide who would acquire Jesus robes.

READ MORE: Stolen Ancient Greek cultural assets catalogued in German museum.

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Ancient Greeks And Gambling Greek City Times - GreekCityTimes.com

It doesnt matter if you want to place a bet on your favorite cricket team or try out the new lucky 7 casino game tricks, you need to go online. But betting and playing casino games is not that simple in India.

Indian gambling laws and regulations are one of the most complicated in the world. In this article, we will try to explain how different factors impact the legality of online gambling in India.

When talking about the legality of gambling in India, there are a few factors we need to consider. In most cases, the combination of these factors will determine what if any kind of gambling is legal.

These factors are:

Of course, the main deciding factor about the legality of gambling in every country is the law. But in the case of India, while there are some laws and regulations on the national level, they are mostly considered guidelines. This means that individual states have the power to make state-level laws and regulate gambling.

So, if you want to see if gambling is legal in India, you first need to check what are the regulations in the state in which you are residing. This will be your first guideline, but not the only one, as you will see in the rest of the article.

When it comes to games, there are two main game types that Indian laws and regulations recognize:

As defined per Indian law, all games that take prior knowledge, strategy, and skill are considered skill games. Gambling is legal in certain Indian territories but just if the games in question are skill games.

Luck games are games in which the participants have no impact on the outcome and which require zero skill or prior knowledge in order to be successful. These kinds of games are illegal in most of the country.

As we mentioned earlier, Indian gambling laws are unclear and leave a lot to be discussed. One of the things that end up being in the grey area is the location. Because the current national-level law in India was created before the invention of the internet it does not mention online gambling.

This means that online gambling is not illegal in most of India, while gambling in traditional gaming houses is prohibited. This is why most Indian players are moving online in search of fun, adrenalin, and extra income.

Based on the above-mentioned elements and rules there are some key takeaways about the state of certain gambling activities and how they are treated. There are some interesting things that might seem conflicting yet that is simply how it is. For example, betting on horse races is legal in the country based on the opinion that bettors have to possess the prior skill to place these bets.

But at the same time, the lottery is also legal which doesnt seem logical. This way of gambling is permitted in several Indian states including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Goa, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Punjab, Nagaland, West Bengal, and Sikkim.

At the same time, based on the Public Gambling Act of 1976 Goa, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Daman have banned brick-and-mortar casinos and online gambling.

Gambling is illegal in Maharashtra also, this state bases its regulation on the Prevention of Gambling Act of 1887.

E-gaming or how they are considered in the states of Nagaland and Sikkim, luck games, are allowed in these territories.

Skill games are legal in Arunachal Pradesh and Telangana regions based on the State Gaming Act of 1974.

With so many rules and regulations that prevent many types of betting and gambling, the creation of black-market gambling was inevitable. At the time of this article, some reports claim that the back alley gambling in India is a billion-dollar industry. Some statistics even show that it is almost three times bigger than the legal one. And when we take into consideration that these are only assumptions, we can safely say that the numbers are probably much higher.

There is no doubt that online gambling is one of the fastest-growing industries in India. Many young Indians are enjoying the perks of placing bets via the internet. And with the development of the necessary infrastructure, the predictions are that these numbers will double in the next few years. That is of course if the Indian gambling laws stay the same.

If you looking to gamble in India, and you dont know where to start our advice would be to take the easy way. Check if online gambling is prohibited in your state. Do your research more thoroughly.

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Learn everything you need to know about gambling laws in India - TheNewsMill

They are embedded in Twitter feeds, between Snapchat stories, sharing a television screen while Cade Cunningham attempts a free-throw. Advertisements for sports gambling companies are saturated throughout the media.

Advertising for companies like FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM is still in its infancy despite the prevalence of these ads. Local TV advertising spots cost sports gambling companies $10.7 million in the United States in the beginning of 2019. This has risen to $154 million in 2021 and is expected to surpass $550 million by 2024.

Dr. Teresa Mastin is a professor and chairperson in Michigan States Department of Advertising and Public Relations. She said that it is important to view ads of gambling companies in the same context of ads for tobacco or alcohol. Addiction is a major component for the consumers of these products. Gambling is no different.

What they are focusing on is the exciting parts, said Mastin. The people who have an issue with addiction are the ones who are most likely to see these ads and the ones who will struggle the most.

Although Mastin said there are obvious flaws in this practice of focusing on the highlights of gambling, she doesnt foresee much changing in the future for gambling advertisements.

There is a lot of money to be made so that means it is unlikely that there will be changes anytime soon, she said. It is important for young people to understand that what they are seeing. We need to help people contextualize what the advertisement is really for and make sure they know that the odds are not in their favor.

Julio Garza is part of the demographic that sports gambling companies are trying to reach with their advertisements. Garza is 21, and a senior at Eastern Michigan University.

I do believe that I am a part of the target audience for these advertisements because of the combination of how often I see these advertisements on social media, how often I sports bet, and I know so many people my age that do sports bet, said Garza.

Garza said he noticed a recent ad for MGM Casino and Sportsbook while he was viewing his friends Snapchat stories.

The first thing that came to mind about this ad was the extremely large font saying NEW USERS SPECIAL OFFER. Also, another thing that I noticed was Jamie Foxx was endorsing the ad. It seems most casinos and sportsbooks have a celebrity endorser that they use to promote new users to sign up and receive some type of risk-free bet or an incentive for free play bonus money, he said.

BMC Public Health conducted a study from 2015-2020 on the rapid emergence of gambling advertising. The study focused on the content, delivery and structural features incorporated within emerging gambling advertising.

The study concluded that as sports gambling becomes legal in more and more states, the intensity of the advertising increases. This results in more advertisements that are interactive than most other forms of advertising. Promotional content is incorporated into the ads and presented directly to the viewer. Garza notices these ads regularly and they tend to be very enticing to him.

I feel that when I get the promotions in my email or see it on social media that it's a too good to be true type of feeling and I don't want to miss out on what I could win, Garza said.

Taliah Martinez is a junior at Michigan State studying creative advertising. She likened ads for sports gambling companies to more interactive versions of most tobacco and alcohol ads. Martinez said that when she notices these ads, they remind her of less annoying pop-up ads because of the mediums they are shown on.

If Martinez were to change something about how sports gambling ads work, it would be to make them more self explanatory. She says that she notices these ads and notices that they can be enticing. However, because she is not very familiar with sports betting, Martinez is not inclined to click on these ads.

Gambling ads are a new frontier. Advertisers will adapt as sports gambling continues to become legalized in more states. Currently, the top gambling companies are the ones pumping out most of the ads by a wide margin. For example, the top five gambling companies run 90% of the gambling ads in Michigan.

These figures will change drastically as the gambling industry continues to grow. These companies are taking advantage of this ripe situation in ways that are similar to other markets like alcohol and tobacco.

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The big business of sports gambling is Indeed taking over TV and social media ad game - WKAR

The Gambling Commission is to lay down tougher rules for the industry in Great Britain after becoming exasperated by the ongoing failure of online casinos and bookmakers to protect vulnerable people and addicts.

In a major shift in emphasis, the regulator will start giving operators direct instructions on how to ensure tconsumers are not harmed, taking a prescriptive approach, instead of leaving it up to them to decide how to do so.

The Gambling Commission chief executive, Andrew Rhodes, said the regulator had been forced to act because firms were not doing enough, despite the imminent threat of a government review of gambling laws that could lead to stricter regulation.

William Hill recently revealed it had set aside 15m to cover potential costs arising from a review of its licence by the Gambling Commission. If the regulator were to fine the bookmaker that much, it would be the highest penalty ever levied against a British operator.

Online casino 888, which is in the process of buying William Hill, was fined 9.4m last month over multiple failings that led to customers racking up huge losses during the depths of the Covid pandemic.

Rhodes said the regulators more prescriptive approach would leave firms in no doubt about what they need to do to avoid facing more penalties, the volume of which has risen significantly in recent years.

Time and time again our enforcement cases show that some operators are still not doing enough to prevent gambling harm, said Rhodes.

These new rules, developed following an extensive consultation, make our expectations even more explicit.

We expect operators to identify and tackle gambling harms with fast, proportionate and effective action and we will not hesitate to take tough action on operators who fail to do so.

Under the new rules, bookies and online casinos will be required to monitor a specific range of indicators that a customer is suffering harm due to their gambling, flag worrying signs and take action quickly.

They will also have to put in place measures to stop themselves marketing bonus offers for customers deemed to be at risk of gambling disorder.

The commission will expect them to provide regular evidence of their progress. It plans to issue guidance on how to comply in June, before the rules come into effect on 12 September.

A spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council, the industry lobby group, said: We believe enhanced spending checks should be used online to identify those showing signs of problem gambling and to focus in on those at risk, so swift interventions can take place.

But it is essential this is targeted so we dont interfere with the personal freedoms of the vast majority of people who gamble safely and responsibly, as research shows that 90% of people do not comply with requests for information.

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Gambling firms in Great Britain to face tougher rules on preventing harm - The Guardian