Australia
Cricket NSW, Wanderers and Macarthur FC continue to help fans to reclaim the game

Sports fans are set to enjoy more games free of sports betting ads with Cricket NSW and A-League football clubs Western Sydney Wanderers FC and Macarthur FC extending their partnerships under the NSW Government’s Reclaim the Game initiative.
CEO of Hospitality and Racing, Anthony Keon, said the extensions are a major boost for Reclaim the Game, which is challenging the idea that betting is a normal part of sport.
“The extended partnerships are a strong show of faith in Reclaim the Game as sporting franchises realise the importance of rejecting sports betting advertising and promoting gambling awareness among their supporters,” Mr Keon said.
“We now have fourteen teams from five codes turning down sports betting sponsorships and making gambling awareness and education an important part of their work.”
Cricket NSW’s two-year extension will see the rejection of sports betting advertising at home games of the men’s and women’s Big Bash teams, the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder and also their state teams NSW Blues and NSW Breakers.
Cricket NSW CEO Lee Germon said the partnership extension would allow Cricket NSW to continue to make important inroads in helping to prevent – and reduce – the harm gambling can cause individuals, families, and society.
“Since joining forces with the Office of Responsible Gambling, Cricket NSW has made a meaningful contribution towards changing the community’s attitudes towards betting on sport,” said Mr Germon.
“We’re proud to be able to continue to play an active part in educating children that gambling is not a part of sport, and that gambling on sport is a bad bet.
“Cricket NSW will continue to do all we can to counter the constant sports betting advertising and the adverse effect it has on young people – young men, in particular – and their families.”
Western Sydney Wanderers’ partnership has been extended for a further two seasons and includes the women’s team for the first time, while Macarthur FC has signed on for an extra season. These extensions will be in place for the upcoming A-league season which kicks off on Friday 7 October.
Western Sydney Wanderers CEO Scott Hudson said he was proud to be continuing the relationship for the next two seasons.
“It is important for us to have an impact beyond the field and together with Reclaim the Game we have brought awareness of the impact that sports betting can have in professional sport,” said Mr Hudson.
“We are delighted that this partnership has now extended to our A-League Women’s team, and we look forward to continuing to build our relationship with Reclaim the Game over the next two years.”
Macarthur FC Group CEO, Sam Krslovic said “We are proud to continue our partnership with Reclaim the Game and be part of this positive initiative. Our community wellbeing is our primary focus and we feel it is important to promote a healthy connection between our game and our fans.”
Mr Keon said Reclaim the Game partners play a vital role in educating fans, players and staff about the risks associated with gambling.
“Reclaim the Game is a great way to reach young men who are most at risk of gambling harm with an estimated 41 per cent of regular sports bettors experiencing one or more gambling-related problems,” Mr Keon said.
“Online sports betting is on the rise with one in 20 adults in NSW betting on sports and growing community concern that children and young people are being exposed to too much gambling advertising.
“Research shows that almost 50 per cent of 12–17-year-olds saw gambling advertising on television during sports and racing events on a weekly basis and almost 1 in 3 young people considered betting on sports to be normal.
“Reclaim the Game is about getting back to what sport is all about – watching, enjoying and cheering on your team without intrusive sports betting ads getting in the way.
“We are so pleased that Cricket NSW, Western Sydney Wanderers and Macarthur FC will continue to reclaim the game and provide a family friendly environment for their fans to enjoy games without being bombarded by betting ads.”
If you or someone you care about needs support or advice, please call GambleAware on 1800 858 858 for free and confidential help and support 24/7.
These Reclaim the Game partnership extensions come in the leadup to GambleAware Week, an annual initiative for the NSW community to raise awareness about the risks of gambling and gambling harm. GambleAware Week will take place from Monday 17 October – Sunday 23 October 2022.
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Australia
L&GNSW Launches Compliance Campaign

The Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) has launched a compliance campaign focusing on external gambling signage and internal gambling related signage that is visible from the outside of the premises.
Inspectors will be engaging licensees and attending venues to assess compliance.
L&GNSW will be taking escalated enforcement action against any venue found not to be complying with the requirements.
From 1 December 2023, L&GNSW adopted a zero-tolerance enforcement approach regarding external gambling-related signage. This followed a compliance campaign which involved the removal of all external gambling related signage such as “VIP Lounge,” signage that includes dragon imagery or similar, and the removal of adopted imagery including images associated with gaming machines.
External gambling related signage at hotels and registered clubs are subjected to the requirements of sections 43 and 44 of the Gaming Machines Act 2001 NSW (the Act).
These requirements are in place to continue supporting gambling harm minimisation by reducing the visibility and promotion of gambling, particularly to vulnerable individuals and the broader community.
Venues that are not yet compliant should consult the 2023 Compliance Campaign: External gaming signage for hotels & clubs position paper or contact the Hospitality Concierge for additional information on the requirements.
L&GNSW recommends venues conduct self-audits to ensure their obligations and requirements in relation to the Act are met. A Gaming Harm Minimisation Fact sheet is also available.
Breaches of section 43(1) and 44(1) of the Act can result in on the spot fines of $1100 per offence or a maximum fine of $11,000 per offence if prosecuted.
The post L&GNSW Launches Compliance Campaign appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Australia
Konami Promotes Tom Jingoli to President and COO

Konami Gaming has announced the promotion of Tom Jingoli to President & Chief Operating Officer, as well as Managing Director of its overseas subsidiary Konami Australia Pty Ltd.
For more than 20 years, Tom Jingoli has served Konami with strategic leadership across a variety of areas, including compliance, sales, marketing, customer service and more. Concurrent to this announcement, Konami marked the appointment of Steve Sutherland as Corporate Officer for parent company KONAMI GROUP CORPORATION, where he now serves in addition to carrying on his role as Chief Executive Officer of Konami Gaming Inc.
“Considering Tom Jingoli’s exceptional industry tenure, commitment, vision, and impact, it is especially rewarding to announce this leadership change within the organization. As President of Konami Gaming and Managing Director of Konami Australia, Jingoli will continue the organizations’ business growth, market expansion, and positive momentum on a global scale,” said Steve Sutherland, chief executive officer at Konami Gaming.
As President & COO of Konami Gaming, Tom Jingoli is responsible for successful daily operations, execution and partnership throughout the business, to ensure company results. All internal departments and divisions are under his direct report, spanning seven locations across five continents. This supervision extends to his role as Managing Director of Konami Australia. In his role as Chief Executive Officer of Konami Gaming, Steve Sutherland continues to oversee all aspects of the global organisation and its divisions to achieve long-range goals. Steve Sutherland and Tom Jingoli are both long-time members on Konami Gaming’s Board of Directors.
The post Konami Promotes Tom Jingoli to President and COO appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Australia
VGCCC: Minors Exposed to Gambling at ALH Venues

Victorian venues are putting young people at risk when they turn a blind eye to, or otherwise fail to prevent, minors entering poker machine areas, according to Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) CEO Suzy Neilan.
Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) was fined $38,000 without conviction in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria for offences involving 3 minors at 3 venues on 4 dates in 2024.
ALH pleaded guilty to 6 charges, having self-reported the breaches to the VGCCC, which Ms Neilan said was important to recognise as a positive step towards improving industry practices.
“Being accountable for wrongdoing demonstrates integrity, which has been a focus of the VGCCC’s ongoing work with gambling operators,” she said.
“But it’s not enough to own up after the fact. Venues must be proactive about ensuring that minors do not access poker machine areas by ensuring they have in place appropriate systems, processes and staff.
“Operators should undertake a risk assessment and put in place controls to prevent minors from entering gambling areas. Some examples of controls could include displaying clear signage that the poker machine room is for adults only and checking the identification of anyone who appears under 25 years of age.”
Ms Neilan said it was not acceptable that any Victorian clubs and hotels – in this case, the Cramers and Excelsior hotels – were repeat offenders.
A 17-year-old was able to enter the poker machine area of Cramers Hotel in Preston multiple times without having to show ID, despite several interactions with staff and visits to the poker machine area on 24 January 2024. Staff intervened on 25 January 2024 only after the underage teen placed his belongings next to a poker machine.
Separately, a child in the company of 2 adults entered the poker machine area of the Excelsior Hotel in Thomastown on 24 April 2024. The child, who was seated with one of the adults, pressed buttons on the poker machine before they were both escorted from the area.
And on 27 September 2024, a 14-year-old boy entered the poker machine room of the Mountain View Hotel in Glen Waverley and gambled on a poker machine before staff intervened.
Ms Neilan said the VGCCC would continue to be vigilant about prosecuting venues for allowing minors to access the gambling areas of their premises, but that “prevention is better than cure”.
“I encourage all hotels and clubs to review their operations, including staff training, and consider making any adjustments required to ensure compliance with the law.”
In addition to the fine, the Magistrate ordered ALH to pay VGCCC’s legal costs of $40,000. The Magistrate also noted that but for the guilty plea, he would have fined ALH $90,000 and recorded a criminal conviction.
Summary of charges:
Incident 1 – Cramers Hotel:
Charge 1: Offences in respect of a minor entering a gaming machine area
Charge 2: Offences in respect of allowing a minor to gamble
Incident 2 – Excelsior Hotel:
Charge 3: Offences in respect of a minor entering a gaming machine area
Charge 4: Offences in respect of allowing a minor to gamble
Incident 3 – Mountain View Hotel:
Charge 5: Offences in respect of a minor entering a gaming machine area
Charge 6: Offences in respect of allowing a minor to gamble.
The post VGCCC: Minors Exposed to Gambling at ALH Venues appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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