Delay on gambling laws sparks concern

Gambling companies have called on the Government to lay its cards on the table regarding regulation of the industry, saying it seemed legislation was being deliberately stalled.

A Gambling Control Bill was approved in principle in 2013 after years of promises but it has made minimal progress since.

In its absence, casinos are self-regulated, online betting operations have exploded, underage betting at bookmakers and the tote is left to the industry to police, operators have no legal responsibility to report financial transactions that might indicate theft, money laundering or event fixing, and gaming arcades are operating under 60-year-old laws.