Archive | November, 2017

Loot boxes in video games and bingo in retirement & care homes

What do (a) loot boxes in video games and (b) bingo in retirement and care homes have in common? They are both the subject of Gaming Commission website postings in the last couple of days. Loot boxes: In a new posting headed “Loot boxes within video games” (that can be downloaded below), the Gambling Commission has confirmed […]

UK gaming machine consultation maintains status quo for casinos

David Clifton writes for Casino Life about the consequences for British land-based casinos of the 31 October announcement by Gambling Minister Tracey Crouch of a 12-week consultation that covers Government proposals relating to: maximum stakes and prizes for all categories of gaming machines permitted under the Gambling Act 2005 (including a reduction in the maximum stakes on […]

Time for online gambling operators to take action on unfair terms

The Gambling Commission has warned online gambling operators to review their terms and conditions before regulatory action is stepped up in the New Year to ensure that consumers are treated fairly. This warning follows a speech delivered yesterday at the Gambling Commission’s annual Raising Standards conference) by George Lusty of the Competition and Markets Authority, entitled “Online gambling: the investigation so far […]

Good news for the pub and bar industry in Budget announcement

In today’s Budget announcement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has delivered the following good news for the pub and bar industry: the £1,000 business rates relief for pubs with a rateable value of under £100,000 will be continued until March 2019 in order to “support thousands of small pubs at the heart of so many communities”, the […]

Online gambling: the CMA investigation so far and next steps

CMA Project Director, George Lusty, delivered a speech yesterday (at the Gambling Commission’s second annual Raising Standards conference in Birmingham) entitled “Online gambling: the investigation so far and next steps”, in which he provided a further update on the CMA’s investigation into potentially unfair and misleading terms and practices in the remote gambling sector. His speech (that can be downloaded below and […]

How serious is high-roller problem gambling?

David Clifton is to moderate a panel session called “How serious is high roller problem gambling?” at the KnowHow “Social Responsibility for Gambling Operators” conference to be held at the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel, 45 Prescot Street, London, E1 8GP on 18 January 2018. As made clear in the conference organiser’s announcement (that can be downloaded below), David’s panel […]

Court of Appeal delivers clarity on music festivals in public parks

In a judgment delivered on 16 November 2017 in the case of Friends of Finsbury Park v Haringey London Borough Council (2) Festival Republic Limited (3) Live Nation (Music) Limited, The Open Spaces Society [Intervenor] (C1/2016/2662), the Court of Appeal dismissed a judicial review challenge to the ability of the London Borough of Haringey to allow the […]

Commission calls for a “fairer and safer” gambling experience for consumers

David Clifton and Suzanne Davies attended the Gambling Commission’s second annual Raising Standards conference in Birmingham yesterday, when operators were pressed to make gambling a fairer and safer experience for players. At last year’s conference, the Commission called for operators to accelerate the pace at which they were putting consumers at the heart of business decisions. This year, […]

Do “loot boxes” in online games constitute gambling?

David Clifton is quoted in a Gambling Compliance article entitled “Fresh Loot Box Controversy Sparks Regulator Investigations”. In the article (that can be downloaded below), David: expresses the view that the Gambling Commission is unlikely to move against loot boxes in the near future, but may become more inclined to take action as in-game items are […]