A recent AGR analysis shows that 32 parliamentarians have accepted 60 gifts during the current session of parliament, including tickets to prestigious events, races, dinners, and sporting shows. Some of these gifts have gone to key figures involved in deciding the fate of gambling regulations.

The AGR’s findings were uncovered using a new tool called the Influence Engine, which allows users to easily search for terms in the federal register of interests.

The AGR claims that the real scale of these gifts is likely underreported, as only items worth more than A$300 are required to be disclosed.“This is likely just the tip of the iceberg,” the AGR stated.

Tabcorp, one of the Australia’s largest wagering companies, was the most frequent gift giver, responsible for 19 entries in the federal register of interests.

Key decision-makers targeted

Of the 60 gifts recorded, 25 were received by cabinet ministers and shadow spokespeople, including Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, who is overseeing the decision on whether to ban gambling advertising.

Rowland reportedly accepted hospitality for herself and four others to an Australia vs. UK rugby match in 2022, as well as hospitality for five people at the 2022 Melbourne Cup Carnival, both from betting giant Tabcorp.

In August, Rowland refuted claims of holding inappropriate meetings with gambling industry executives.

The administration has also come under fire from politicians amid reports that it plans to “weaken” a widely anticipated ban on gambling advertising.

Other high-profile recipients include Cabinet Minister Bill Shorten, who has publicly opposed a ban on gambling ads.

Shorten accepted hospitality at the Melbourne Cup from Tabcorp and at the Australian Open from Sportsbet.

Tabcorp, one of the Australia’s largest wagering companies, was the most frequent gift giver, responsible for 19 entries in the federal register of interests.

Hidden lobbying

AGR chief advocate Tim Costello (pictured) condemned the gambling industry’s “charm offensive,” calling it a “hidden and undemocratic opportunity to lobby against critical gambling reforms.” “These results show how our political system can be exploited by the rich and powerful to lobby in secret against popular changes such as the proposed gambling ad ban, to the detriment of the Australian community,” Costello said

Last month, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese clarified that no decision has been made on gambling advertising reform, contradicting recent media reports suggesting otherwise.

The investigation, led by the Gambling Commission, is looking into allegations that individuals with insider knowledge of the election date may have placed bets in breach of gambling rules.

Former UK deputy prime minister Sir Oliver Dowden has been interviewed as part of an ongoing investigation into betting on the date of the 2024 general election,

Dowden’s interview follows those of other senior figures close to former prime minister Rishi Sunak, including former parliamentary aide Craig Williams and ex-chief of staff Liam Booth-Smith.

Sky News reports that Dowden (pictured) is not under investigation but spoke with police officers to assist in their inquiries. This interaction took place earlier this summer, and the inquiry is expected to continue for several more months.

The controversy began when Williams admitted to placing a £100 bet on a July election just before Sunak officially announced the date on 22 May.

At least four people are being looked into by the commission in relation to the alleged bets. However, the Metropolitan Police ended its investigation after it said the alleged offences did not meet the “high bar” to prove misconduct in public office.

Since then, however, the Gambling Commission has reportedly seized “hundreds of documents” from Conservative Party headquarters as part of the probe.

Former prime minister Sunak has not yet been interviewed, but numerous other party officials have been questioned, according to Sky News.

Several commentators have raised concerns about the timing of the leak regarding Dowden’s interview, noting that it coincided with the opening day of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

Additionally, reports indicate that numerous individuals have been interviewed as part of the investigation, with the simple aim of uncovering the truth.

The investigation of the Gambling Commission is ongoing, with further developments expected in the coming months.

New study

Meanwhile, a new survey by OLBG and YouGov revealed that 76% of the British public believe politicians should be banned from gambling on political markets following the general election controversy. Additionally, 60% of respondents think all politicians should be required to declare their gambling activities.

Nearly half (46%) of those surveyed also said that any politician found to have used insider knowledge for betting on politics should be barred from holding public office.

“While politicians are also private citizens and should enjoy a reasonable amount of privacy, as members of public office they are meant to serve the best interests of the public,” said OLBG CEO Richard Moffat.

“As a result they are held to a high standard, and if those involved have used insider information for financial gain, even at a token amount, it may have far-reaching consequences,” he added.

The survey sampled a diverse range of voters from the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Reform parties to remove political bias. The survey was conducted online by YouGov between 15 and 16 August and included 2,273 adults in the UK. The figures are weighted to be representative of all UK adults aged 18 and over.

Sleswig-Holsteen is one of the 16 federal states of Germany, the northernmost of the country and the only one with a land border with Denmark. Its capital is Kiel.

Last week, the state announced that it had issued licenses to various operators, including Bluebet, Tipico, Skill on Net, and Austrian casino Cashpoint, to offer online casino games in its jurisdiction.

All the new licensed operators are required to comply with player protection regulations and anti-money laundering laws, as stated by Schleswig-Holstein’s Ministry of the Interior.

While the federal gaming regulator, the Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), issues licenses for online slots and poker in Germany, each of the country’s 16 states retains the authority to grant licenses for online casino games.

“By allowing an attractive online offer, we want to prevent players from taking advantage of illegal offers if they want to play the games they know from casinos online, for example, and thus strengthen legal gambling.” Sabine Sütterlin-WaackInterior minister

Germany’s gaming industry generally faces significant challenges from a thriving black market. According to the GGl, the black market contributed 4% of the sector’s total GGR in 2023. However, industry stakeholders contend that this figure underestimates the scope of the online black market. The Deutsche Online Casinoverbrand (DOCV), a local trade body in Germany, placed the accurate figures to 20% of the country’s GGR.

The significant presence of the illegal gambling market in Germany has been attributed to regulatory delays and restrictive advertising policies for licensed operators.

In June, GGL launched a study to investigate the effects of TV and online gambling ads on problem gambling behavior. According to the authority, the comprehensive inquiry titled 'Gambling advertising on television and the Internet in the tension between channeling and addiction prevention' will also examine the impact of 'advertising report' on all individuals, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable groups like minors.

Additionally, topics like television commercials, social media ads, and targeted promotional strategies like bonuses and other incentives used to attract new players will be brought under the purview of the research.

The study was led by the research firm Eye Square. Subcontractors Covered Different Topics,these include Bilendi, a Cologne-based market research company, and Dynata, a Hamburg-based data software provider, who will conduct an empirical study and analyze the effectiveness of gambling advertisements.

Negotiators for a UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar’s post-Brexit relations with the bloc will hold another four-way political summit in Brussels on Thursday to continue the work toward an agreement.

The meeting, the third of its kind, will bring together UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares, European Commission vice president Maroš Šefčovič and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, as well as their respective negotiating teams.

Gibraltar's Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, Nigel Feetham, gave the opening speech at the Ethical Gambling Forum 2024.

Thursday’s meeting had been provisionally pencilled in for some time and was confirmed on Monday afternoon following a meeting in London between Mr Lammy and Mr Albares. The meeting in Brussels will be in the same format as the two previous ones but will be the first one attended by Mr Lammy, who succeeded Lord Cameron as Foreign Secretary after Labour’s general election win last July.

The two earlier summits, in April and May, failed to seal the deal despite wide expectation, although all sides signalled “important breakthroughs” at the time.

Technical work in the negotiation has continued since then, but Thursday will be the first meeting at ministerial level since the UK election. “I look forward to continuing the work of seeking agreement for a UK / EU Treaty on Gibraltar's future relationship with the EU,” the Chief Minister said in a statement.

“We still have technical issues to resolve but I remain optimistic that a safe and secure agreement is possible that will be beneficial to all and that will bring renewed and enhanced prosperity to the whole region.”

Ahead of Monday’s UK/Spain meeting in 1 Carlton Gardens, the Foreign Secretary’s residence in London, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office [FCDO] said Mr Lammy and Mr Albares would discuss “the full spectrum of the UK-Spain bilateral relationship”.

Within that context, the FCDO said at the weekend that Mr Lammy was “keen to understand” first hand from Mr Albares Spain’s position in the Gibraltar negotiation, but made clear this was only a discussion.

“There will be no negotiations with respect to Gibraltar on Monday, or at any meeting with the Spanish at which the Government of Gibraltar is not present,” an FCDO spokesperson said at the time.

Will be expected by 11.59pm on Thursday 19 September, due to the Governance and Administration Committee having to report back to the House of Representatives on 10 October.

The Government of New Zealand has launched a public consultation into a legislative amendment to exempt lotteries from a remote gambling prohibition clause.

Currently, the New Zealand Gambling Act 2003 prohibits ‘remote interactive gambling’ under Section 9, defining the term as any activity that involves “gambling by a person at a distance by interaction through a communication device”.

The legislative amendment aims to exempt lotteries from the remote gambling prohibition clause under the New Gambling Act 2003. Contained in Section 9, the rule prohibits "gambling by a person at a distance by interaction through a communication device."

However, In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, New Zealand's gambling law was updated to permit certain remote gambling activities for Class 3 license holders, ensuring they could continue fundraising. While lotteries were covered in the update and allowed to operate remotely, the exception is temporary and scheduled to expire on October 31, 2024. However, with the new proposed law, the government aims to make remote lottery operations permanent.

Public feedback will be expected by 11.59pm on Thursday 19 September, due to the Governance and Administration Committee having to report back to the House of Representatives on 10 October.

The legislative framework recognizes Class 3 license holders, including lotteries, as gambling operators who conduct gambling activities without machines to raise funds for charities and non-commercial purposes. With the permanent exemption, lotteries can continue advertising freely and accepting online payments.

Currently, only three entities can permanently operate remote gambling in New Zealand: the state-owned Lotteries Commission (Lotto NZ operator), providers authorized under the Racing Industry Act 2020, and licensed lotteries operating outside New Zealand's jurisdiction.