UK Bookmakers Due £1 Billion Tax Rebate Court Rules

A UK court has ruled that bookmakers are eligible for a £1 billion tax rebate for wrongly being charged value added taxes on revenue from fixed-odds betting terminals. The...

Published August 13, 2018

Ireland’s President Calls for Ad Ban

Gambling scandals have rocked Irish sports in recent times. So while the office of President Michael Higgins (l.) is largely ceremonial, bookmakers are not discounting a recent interview he...

Published August 6, 2018

UK Gambling Commission Readies Harsher Penalties for Advertising Breaches

The UK Gambling Commission has announced new rules including harsher penalties for gambling companies that break advertising rules. The commission said the new rules provide stronger protection for consumers...

Published August 6, 2018

Spanish State Wants Resort Casinos

Lawmakers in Extremadura in the southwest of the country have OK’d a measure proposed by the state President Guillermo Vara (l.) to streamline planning and approvals in hopes of...

Published August 6, 2018

Penn National’s Pinnacle Acquisition Advances

Penn National Gaming's $2.8 billion acquisition of Pinnacle Entertainment moved forward following approvals from the Ohio Casino Control Commission and Louisiana Gaming Control Board. The deal will add 12...

Published July 30, 2018

Greek Casinos Down in First Half

The Greek casino industry marked a decline in visitation and turnover in the first half of 2018. It’s part of a decade-long trend, according to sources who spoke to...

Published July 30, 2018

UK’s GambleAware Doubles Budget

The UK problem gambling advocacy group GambleAware will double its annual spending on tracking gambling trends to £16 million a year. The figure—about £32m over the next two years—exceeds...

Published July 30, 2018

Italy Bans Gambling Ads

Italy’s Council of Ministers has approved a ban on gambling advertising in the country which will begin in January. The ban also applies to sponsorship and prohibits all promotional...

Published July 30, 2018

Tenerife Plans to Sell off Casinos

The island of Tenerife, Spain, plans to sell off three state-owned casinos, including the Casino de la Laguna (l.). Union workers of the casinos are opposed to privatization.

Published July 30, 2018

Melco Cyprus Sees More Foot Traffic

Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s temporary gaming hall (l.) in Cyprus has seen a pickup in visitation since its June opening. The Cyprus Casino will one day be replaced by...

Published July 30, 2018

William Hill Launches ‘Nobody Harmed’ Campaign

London-based bookmaker William Hill has launched a campaign addressing problem gambling, "Nobody Harmed," focusing on how products are designed and marketed; identifying those at risk; and supporting people with...

Published July 23, 2018

Belarus Readies New Gaming Legal Framework

The Republic of Belarus is nearly completed work on a new legal framework for its casinos, including online casinos. The new laws await approval by Parliament.

Published July 23, 2018

Shambala Reveals Primorye Plans

Russian casino operator Shambala is unveiling more details about plans for a 16,000-square-meter (172,000-square-foot) entertainment complex in the country’s Far East Primorye entertainment zone.

Published July 23, 2018

Irish Slot Machines Licenses Jump

When the government of Ireland got tough with owners of slot machines who had not obtained licenses for them—in some cases seizing the scofflaw machines—they got the result they...

Published July 23, 2018

Triple Five Targets Spain

Canadian real estate developer Triple Five Group is considering integrated resort projects in Europe with a special focus on Spain. After rejecting several sites, the company may have settled...

Published July 23, 2018

UK Official Says Bookmakers Will Have Say in FOBT Change

A high-up UK official promised that UK bookmakers would be fully engaged in the switch to a lower betting maximum on fixed odds betting terminals during a Parliamentary debate....

Published July 23, 2018

Melco to Open Second Cyprus Satellite

Melco Resorts & Entertainment, which is developing the sole integrated resort in the Greek-controlled republic of Cyprus, already opened a satellite casino Limassol (l.) and is planning to open...

Published July 23, 2018

Italy Bans Gambling Advertising

The Decreto Dignita, which takes effect January 1, 2019, will ban gambling-related advertising and sponsorships by gambling-related companies. The Lega Serie A, Italy's top soccer league, expressed concern, since...

Published July 16, 2018

Finnish Gambling Company Sets Loss Limit

The Finnish company Paf will become the first international gambling business to limit a player's losses, at $35,000 a year. The move will lower Paf's profits by 5 percent...

Published July 16, 2018

UK Report Focuses on Interpreting Gambling Harms

A report from the UK Gambling Commission and GambleAware is calling for a new methodology in accessing the harm caused by problem gambling. The report calls for mapping out...

Published July 16, 2018