UK and Australia Regulatory News

News from the commonwealth, as Australia continues to pull out more figures to deter gambling ads, while the UK level is already making a radical change! (Photo by Heather Gill on Unsplash)

Two of the strictest regulated gambling jurisdictions in the world have both been in the latest iGaming headlines, bringing out facts and figures on levies or advertising.

In the UK Casino market, the levy of 1% for online casinos is about to come into action, raising the bar by 0.9% from the voluntary 0.1% that has been in place.

However, the rise in mandatory levy contributions for land-based is much lower at 0.4%.

On top of this, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has published the latest figures covering gambling entertainment advertising in the country.

The figures show millions in TV broadcasting and radio advertising despite the Australian government’s recent watershed applied to the time gambling ads can air.

See both news stories covered in full below!

Compulsory Levy Set to Transform UK’s Betting Scene

Following the latest 5 October 2023 UK Slot Stake Limits Extension news, the headlines and consultations have moved to the UK  levy on gambling entertainment. All businesses offering gambling services will now contribute a mandatory amount to a pot, which will be handed out to charities. The idea is that companies. Offering services in the industry must also contribute to the non-profits preventing or helping gambling addicts. It seems that since the latest UK White Paper, the levy that is voluntary at this time will soon become mandatory. The money will go to The National Health Service (NHS) as well as the UK Research and Innovation.

Funding and Anticipated Earnings

Voluntary contributions gambling levy on all revenues from land-based and online casinos and sports betting are as low as 0.1%, which has brought in just below a target of £ 10 million for the UK’s NHS. However, this estimate is expected to reach at least £ 10 million via new mandatory levels.

  • Online Gambling Sites: Online entities contribute 1% of their revenues.
  • Land-based Venues: Brick-and-mortar gaming companies will pay 0.4% of their revenue due to additional costs of running a physical location and the reach for customers is more local than nationwide.

Views from the Public: Anti-gambling advocates and entities such as Gambling with Lives are all for the gambling levies, as the money goes directly to responsible gambling awareness initiatives and non-profits that treat those affected by gambling addiction.

Revenue Source Percentage of Revenue Contributed
Online Gambling 1% | £10 million
Land-based Venues 0.4%
Levvy Type Estimated Earnings
Voluntary £ 10 million
Mandatory £ 100 million

A$ 160 million May 2022 to April 2023 Gambling Media Adverts

As with the UK consultation news, Australia is also moving on from its latest news covering crypto and credit cards deposit bans. The report by the ACMA claims that gambling advertising expenditure hit a staggering A$ 160 million in the 12 months covering May 2022 to April 2023. The figure shows that 64% of this figure came from gambling operators. These would be sports betting entities operating under Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act of 2001, such as Entain, Tabcorp, Bet365, Ladbrokes, and Sportsbet.

Lotto companies were responsible for 8%, horse racing made up for 3%, and the remaining 4% from other companies. This could be slot shops and eSports, but I’m speculating as the exact companies are not mentioned in the reports.

Volume and Origin of Gambling Adverts

Over the 12 months recorded, the ACMA shows that terrestrial TV and local radio stations aired over 1 million gambling-related advertisements. In particular, online gambling made up almost 50% of these commercials aired between 21:00 and 22:00. This time frame is known as the gambling watershed and falls in line with Australia’s advertising rules.

Australia is currently one of the strictest countries regarding gambling advertising, game and venue controls, taxes, and the banning of overseas websites. The country also only allows land-based slots and casino gaming with no online gambling licensing.

The volume of Gambling Ads on TV and Radio

  • Per Month: 83,333 ads
  • Per Week: 19,165.55
  • Per Day: 2,739.73 ads

Despite the online casino bans, many Aussie casinos are still available online with attractive sports betting and casino bonuses.

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