
Jonathan Parke, former head of commissioning at RGT, now director of Sophoro Ltd.
The Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT), the UK’s leading problem gambling advocacy group, has found itself in the harsh glare of the media spotlight again, this time around for allegations of nepotism.
The charity, that is funded by the bookmaking industry to the tune of $5 million each 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 are asked as to whether its scientific studies are completely separate of gaming passions.
The RGT maintains that it is impartial. But the revelation this week by the UK’s Independent newspaper that a firm owned by the husband associated with 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 your Independent, Sophoro Ltd. owned by Rigbye’s husband Jonathan Parke, happens to be offered a major research contract as part of a £750,000 initiative into the effect of online gaming on issue gambling.
Parke was previously head of commissioning at RGT himself, leading to accusations that he and their wife swapped jobs, then quickly swapped contracts.
Sophoro was granted the contract in December, the first of two, but until last 12 months the organization had been registered during the few’s house, and both Rigbye and Parke were listed as company directors.
Additionally, Sophoro bid for the RGT contract simply two months after Rigbye stepped down as director to take on her role that is new at.
In response to the news, Labour shadow gambling minister Clive Efford said RGT ‘should be disbanded’ if its research ended up being found to protect the ‘interests of the industry at the cost of people who have gambling problems.’
Goulden Steps Down
RGT has long 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 month, Neil Goulden, the trust’s chairman, stepped criticism that is down following The Guardian newspaper that while chair of RGT, he was additionally a chair of the industry lobby team known as the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB). The roles were held concurrently between 2012 and mid-2014.
Goulden told the Guardian that his participation with RGT, therefore the participation of the industry as whole, had been integral to investigating and ultimately understanding problem gambling.
‘[Bookmakers] wouldn’t normally have released data or have taken the actions it continues to ingest prevention of harm without my individual impact and urging,’ he stated.
RGT, which will be investigated by the charity regulator within the Sophoro affair, told the Independent that Rigbye had no say in commissioning of research agreements.
DraftKings Appeals New York AG Lawsuit, Filing Says Empire State Should Ban Spelling Bees
New York AG Eric Schneiderman, that has been accused by DraftKings of earning mistakes in his lawsuit against DFS sites. (Image: pokerhomegames.com)
DraftKings has launched its appeal against the nyc State injunction that is preliminary seeks to ban daily fantasy sports (DFS) and place an end to its operations in the Empire State.
The DFS operator’s 67-page filing pulls no punches, accusing New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman of legal misapprehensions that ‘did perhaps not come close to carrying the responsibility’ of proof that DFS isn’t game of ability.
It further accuses the court of ‘abusing its discernment’ in siding with Schneiderman.
‘The court applied the wrong appropriate standard, and ignored the undisputed evidence, in finding that daily fantasy sports contests are games of chance,’ the business argued in its filing.
Can be An Entry Fee A wager?
In December, Justice Manuel Mendez granted the AG’s injunction, ordering DraftKings and FanDuel to stop operations in New York State, its market that is second-biggest after.
DraftKings immediately filed an expedited movement to stay the court’s choice 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 New York until the actual situation is solved.
In their December ruling, Mendez was in fact needed to see whether DFS was a game of skill or of chance, and more specifically, whether setting a line-up was a process that is skill-based an ‘entry fee,’ 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 contests daily could be deemed risking certainly ‘something of value.’ ‘
Dog Shows and Bass Fishing
DraftKings’ appeal filing claims that when this had been the scenario, then ‘dog shows and bees that are spelling yachting tournaments and bass fishing’ must be ‘criminalized’ under Judge Mendez’s ruling. Each of those are events requiring entry fees whose outcome is vunerable to an element of chance, argues the DraftKings filing.
‘Daily fantasy sports are skill-based games that are, and may be, legal,’ DraftKings’ attorney David Boies said in a declaration. ‘DraftKings competitions are no less legal than season-long dream sports, which the Attorney General has repeatedly conceded are legal.’
In January, Schneiderman amended his lawsuit against DraftKings and FanDuel to seek the return of the many buy-ins compensated by ny residents paid to both organizations throughout 2015, along with a $5,000 fine per head.
This would constitute hundreds of millions of dollars in buy-ins, plus around $3 billion in fines with 600,000 DFS customers in the state.
Outrage Over NFL-Owned Youngsters Daily Fantasy Sports Site from Youth Advocacy Group
The NFL kids daily fantasy sports site is facing backlash from several outraged groups, arguing the league really should not be marketing their product to children who are only six yrs . old. (Image: fantasy.nflrush.com)
Targeted at pre-teen kids, day-to-day fantasy recreations (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 fact is that the National Football League is catering to kids to participate 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 actually parental consent are eligible.’
Though the league and its commissioner, Roger Goodell, have long publicly opposed recreations gambling and betting, it apparently doesn’t have qualms when it comes to children and dream sports. The CCFC is calling on Goodell and the NFL to stop marketing fantasy football to children in conjunction with the National Council on Problem Gambling.
‘ There is evidence that playing fantasy sports, particularly with the motivation of valuable rewards as offered regarding the NFL Rush Fantasy website and app, can lead to problem gambling and addiction,’ CCFC Executive Director Josh Golin said in their letter to your league. ‘It is unconscionable that the NFL encourages children as young as six yrs . old to develop the habit of engaging in this adult task.’
NFL Hypocrisy?
The NFL has always maintained that any expansion of conventional activities betting could impact the league negatively and compromise the integrity of its games. Surprisingly, it is taken a stance that is rather different daily fantasy contests.
FanDuel has contracts with 15 NFL groups, while Dallas Cowboys and brand New England Patriots owners Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft hold stakes in DraftKings.
DFS varies from sports betting because of the fact that the participant isn’t simply picking a team or line, but assembling a roster of players in an activity that is recognized as to be a skill-based endeavor.
Multiple solicitors general have ruled that DFS constitutes gambling, with all the operators themselves, not surprisingly, fighting straight back. The statistics on whom routinely wins DFS contests seems to support the ability over luck debate.
But as it applies to children, teaching 6 to 12-year-olds how to assemble a group of players to deliver the greatest odds of winning a video game console is cause for concern certainly.
‘By providing these valuable incentives, the NFL is indoctrinating kids into engaging in fantasy sports by having a stake that is financial the end result,’ the CCFC noted. ‘This exposes them, and our communities, to the risks of gambling issues.’
You have to Be Carefully Taught
It should be noted that the NFL hasn’t simply promoted an online website: it’s provided an in-classroom curriculum for teachers as well. Launched in 2014, NFL Rush Fantasy understand, Play, Score! was billed as a language and math arts course based around fantasy sports. The league says that this system wrapped at the conclusion of 2014-2015 period, however in it, kids were encouraged to ‘choose their ultimate fantasy group each week’ through critical thinking.
The program did employ basic math in determining just how numerous fantasy points can be allocated based on the ball player’s performance, however it also required the student to realize the guidelines of soccer. Critics of the scheme argued it’s the NFL’s way to engage a new audience, as youth soccer involvement continues to decline.
Hey, have you thought to just teach the casinopokies777.com value of a dollar with a ‘Let It Rain’ mathematics program as well?
No Safeguards for Guardians
In the event that you’re thinking NFL Rush features a few protections to prevent kiddies from enrolling by themselves, you will be surprised to discover that registrants are simply just required to offer their parent’s email address, therefore that the NFL can confirm their age and guardian consent.
Undoubtedly no 10-year-old would think to enter their friend’s email or develop a yahoo that is quick to self-confirm their validation, right? Of course not.
From on line poker to the emergence of daily fantasy sports, the main concern for a lot of legislators is how exactly to protect adult consumers that are best while video gaming on the online, as well as the really issue of age verification. However, in the situation involving kids, the most susceptible and impressionable demographic, little will be done to keep your child that is way-under-18-year-old from in daily fantasy recreations.
Surprisingly, no one from the contingent that is pro-RAWA to have jumped on this site as evidence that young ones won’t be exempt from gambling online. It’s precisely the sort of fodder that Sheldon Adelson and the bill’s other sponsors, like presidential GOP contender Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida), want to throw in the face of every person who supports Internet gaming.