
Jonathan Parke, former mind of commissioning at RGT, now director of Sophoro Ltd.
The accountable Gambling Trust (RGT), the UK’s leading problem advocacy that is gambling, has found itself in the harsh glare of the news limelight again, this time around for allegations of nepotism.
The charity, that is funded by the bookmaking industry to the tune of $5 million per year to research and promote the avoidance of problem gambling, has been under fire in the press that is british for apparent conflicts of great interest. Because of its ties that are close the gambling industry, questions have already been asked as to whether its scientific studies are fully independent of gaming passions.
The RGT maintains that it is unbiased. But the revelation this week by great britain’s Independent newspaper that a firm owned by the husband of the charity’s Director of Commissioning, Jane Rigbye, has been awarded a lucrative research agreement, isn’t assisting the explanation for credibility for the outfit.
Marital Agreements
According to the Independent, Sophoro Ltd. owned by Rigbye’s spouse Jonathan Parke, has been offered a major research agreement as part of a £750,000 initiative into the aftereffect of online video gaming on issue gambling.
Parke was previously mind of commissioning at RGT himself, leading to accusations that he and their wife swapped jobs, then immediately swapped contracts.
Sophoro had been granted the contract in December, the firstly two, but until last 12 months the organization ended up being registered during the couple’s family home, and both Rigbye and Parke were detailed as company directors.
Also, Sophoro bid for the RGT agreement simply two months after Rigbye stepped down as director to take on her role that is new at.
In response to the news headlines, Labour shadow gambling minister Clive Efford stated RGT ‘should be disbanded’ if its research ended up being found to protect the ‘interests of the industry at the cost of people with gambling problems.’
Goulden Steps Down
RGT has for ages been accused of being too sympathetic to the industry, and in particular for its refusal to denounce fixed-odds wagering terminals (FOBTs) in bookmaking shops.
Last thirty days, Neil Goulden, the trust’s chairman, stepped down following criticism by The Guardian newspaper that while chair of RGT, he ended up being additionally a chair of the industry lobby group known as the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB). The jobs had been held concurrently between 2012 and mid-2014.
Goulden told the Guardian that his participation with RGT, as well as the participation of the industry as whole, was integral to investigating and ultimately understanding problem gambling.
‘[Bookmakers] wouldn’t normally have released data or have taken the actions it continues to take in prevention of damage without my influence that is personal and,’ he said.
RGT, which will be investigated by the charity regulator over the Sophoro affair, casinopokies777.com told the Independent that Rigbye had no say in commissioning of research contracts.
DraftKings Appeals Nyc AG Lawsuit, Filing Says Empire State Must Ban Spelling Bees
New York AG Eric Schneiderman, who has been accused by DraftKings of making mistakes in his lawsuit against DFS sites. (Image: pokerhomegames.com)
DraftKings has launched its appeal against the ny State injunction that is preliminary seeks to ban daily dream sports (DFS) and put an end to its operations in the Empire State.
The DFS operator’s 67-page filing pulls no punches, accusing ny Attorney General Eric Schneiderman of legal misapprehensions that ‘did not come close to carrying the responsibility’ of proof that DFS is not a game of ability.
It further accuses the court of ‘abusing its discretion’ in siding with Schneiderman.
‘The court applied the incorrect legal standard, and ignored the undisputed evidence, to find that daily fantasy sports contests are games of chance,’ the business argued in its filing.
Is An Entry Fee A wager?
In December, Justice Manuel Mendez granted the AG’s injunction, ordering DraftKings and FanDuel to cease operations in New York State, its market that is second-biggest after.
DraftKings immediately filed a motion that is expedited stay the court’s decision pending the results of its appeal. This was upheld by a Court of Appeals judge that same afternoon, permitting the companies to continue company temporarily in nyc until the truth is solved.
In their December ruling, Mendez have been necessary to determine whether DFS was a game of skill or of chance, and more specifically, whether setting a line-up was a skill-based process with an ‘entry cost,’ or an out-and-out ‘wager.’ He decided it was the latter.
‘New York State law that is penal not refer to ‘wagering’ or ‘betting,’ instead it states that an individual, ‘risks something of value,” he said. ‘The payment of an ‘entry fee’ since high as $10,600 on one or more competitions daily could certainly be deemed risking ‘something of value.’ ‘
Dog Shows and Bass Fishing
DraftKings’ appeal filing claims that when this had been the truth, then ‘dog shows and bees that are spelling yachting tournaments and bass fishing’ must be ‘criminalized’ under Judge Mendez’s ruling. Each of the are events entry that is requiring whose outcome is prone to a component of opportunity, argues the DraftKings filing.
‘Daily fantasy sports are skill-based games that are, and may be, legal,’ DraftKings’ lawyer David Boies said in a statement. ‘DraftKings competitions are believe it or not legal than season-long dream sports, which the Attorney General has repeatedly conceded are legal.’
In January, Schneiderman amended their lawsuit against DraftKings and FanDuel to look for the return of the many buy-ins compensated by ny residents paid to both companies throughout 2015, and also a $5,000 fine head that is per.
With 600,000 DFS customers in the state, this would represent hundreds of millions of dollars in buy-ins, plus around $3 billion in fines.
Outrage Over NFL-Owned Youngsters Daily Fantasy Sports Site from Youth Advocacy Group
The NFL kids daily fantasy sports site is facing backlash from a few outraged groups, arguing the league really should not be marketing their product to children as young as six years of age. (Image: fantasy.nflrush.com)
Aimed at pre-teen kids, day-to-day fantasy sports (DFS) site NFL Rush is being asked to cease operations by the non-profit organization Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC).
In a story that might appear right for satire, the truth is that the National Football League is catering to children to be involved in free DFS contests, with the potential for winning regular prizes like an XBOX One, video games, and a grand prize of a $5,000 scholarship.
Based on the NFL Rush Fantasy website, ‘US residents between 6 and 12 who have parental consent are eligible.’
Though the league and its commissioner, Roger Goodell, have long publicly opposed recreations gambling and betting, it apparently has no qualms when it comes to children and fantasy sports. In conjunction with the National Council on Problem Gambling, the CCFC is calling on Goodell and the NFL to stop marketing fantasy football to kids.
‘ There is evidence that playing fantasy sports, particularly with the incentive of valuable prizes as offered on the NFL Rush Fantasy app and website, can lead to issue gambling and addiction,’ CCFC Executive Director Josh Golin said in his letter towards the league. ‘It is unconscionable that the NFL encourages children as young as six yrs . old to produce the habit of participating in this adult task.’
NFL Hypocrisy?
The NFL has always maintained that any expansion of old-fashioned activities betting could adversely impact the league and compromise the integrity of its games. Surprisingly, it’s taken a rather different stance on daily fantasy contests.
FanDuel has contracts with 15 NFL groups, while Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots owners Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft hold stakes in DraftKings.
DFS differs from sports gambling as a result of the fact that the participant isn’t just picking a team or line, but assembling a roster of players in a process that is known as to be an endeavor that is skill-based.
Multiple solicitors general have ruled that DFS constitutes gambling, utilizing the operators themselves, not surprisingly, fighting back. The statistics on who routinely wins DFS contests seems to help the skill over luck debate.
But as it pertains to children, teaching 6 to 12-year-olds how exactly to assemble a team of players to supply the most effective odds of winning a video game console is definitely cause for concern.
‘By providing these valuable incentives, the NFL is indoctrinating children into engaging in dream activities with a financial stake in the outcome,’ the CCFC noted. ‘This exposes them, and our communities, to the potential risks of gambling dilemmas.’
You have got to Be Carefully Taught
It must be noted that the NFL hasn’t simply promoted a site that is online it’s provided an in-classroom curriculum for teachers since well. Launched in 2014, NFL Rush Fantasy Learn, Play, Score! was billed as a language and math arts program based around fantasy sports. The league says that this system wrapped at the end of 2014-2015 season, however in it, young ones were encouraged to ‘choose their ultimate fantasy group each week’ through critical thinking.
This program did employ basic math in determining just how fantasy that is many should be allocated based on the gamer’s performance, however it also required the student to comprehend the principles of soccer. Critics of the scheme argued it’s the NFL’s way to engage a new audience, as youth football involvement continues to decline.
Hey, then just teach the worthiness of a buck with a ‘Let It Rain’ mathematics program because well?
No Safeguards for Guardians
If you’re thinking NFL Rush features a few protections to avoid young ones from registering on their own, you’ll be amazed to discover that registrants are merely required to supply their parent’s email address, so that the NFL can validate their age and guardian consent.
Clearly no 10-year-old would think to enter their friend’s email or create a quick Yahoo address to self-confirm their validation, right? Of course maybe not.
From online poker to the emergence of daily fantasy sports, the primary concern for several legislators is how to best protect adult consumers while gaming on the Web, as well while the very issue of age verification. However, in the instance involving kiddies, the most susceptible and impressionable demographic, small will be done to keep your way-under-18-year-old child from participating in daily fantasy activities.
Surprisingly, no body from the pro-RAWA contingent seems to have jumped on this web site as evidence that kiddies will not be exempt from gambling online. It’s precisely the kind of fodder that Sheldon Adelson and the bill’s other sponsors, like presidential GOP contender Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida), would love to throw in the face of everybody who supports Internet gaming.