Lottstift, the Norwegian Gambling Authority, revealed that financial institutions such as banks can play a pivotal role in preventing gambling debt.

Eight Out of Ten Banks Notify Customers If They Use Unlicensed Gambling Operators

The Authority uncovered the results of a new study, which showed that the financial institutions are being proactive and have joined the fight against illegal gambling. The new white paper uncovered a probe by Sentio which found out that 8 out of 10 banks currently have routine procedures to contact their customers whenever a transaction with an illegal gambling operator is flagged. This result marked an improvement, considering that in 2020, only 6 out of 10 banks had such procedures in place.

Additionally, the new study uncovered that 7 out of 10 banks inform customers that using illegal gambling websites can have consequences. Besides allowing people who may be suffering from problem gambling, illegal operators are not obligated by law to adhere to gambling regulations. This puts the customers that use such operators at risk.

Although more banks are becoming involved in the process to protect their customers from illegal gambling, the topic remains uncommon during loan meetings. The new report points out that 2 out of 3 banks acknowledge that “gambling problems are rarely or occasionally a topic in loan meetings with the customer.” On the other hand, 1 in 4 banks displays information about problem gambling on their websites.

Although banks can take further actions, the latest study confirms that a step in the right direction is made. Considering that banks can inform their customers of transactions with illegal operations, this can help protect the well-being of their clients.

Norwegian Banks Help Protect Their Customers

Silje Sægrov Amble, a lawyer for the Norwegian Gambling Authority, acknowledged that problem gambling can have dire financial consequences not only for people suffering from problem gambling but for their families as well. She pointed out that banks in Norway are obliged to stop transfers of funds from and to illegal gambling operators.

“Norwegian banks have a duty to stop money transfers to and from illegal gambling companies, such as Unibet and Betsson. Thus, they must also discover it when money goes to and from the gambling company.“

Silje Sægrov Amble, lawyer for the Norwegian Gambling Authority

According to Amble, this unique position allows banks to be at the forefront of the fight against illegal gambling. She explained that whenever a bank contacts their customer to inform them that they are gambling with an illegal operator, the customer either stops gambling or starts using licensed operators. Finally, Amble said that problem gambling should become a part of the “compulsory training” for banks.

After beating the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round, the Giants now get to face the Eagles, the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Giants upset the Vikes last weekend, but do they have it in them to cause another upset? Let’s find out!

New York Giants vs Philadelphia Eagles Divisional Odds

*Odds taken from FanDuel on Monday, January 16, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023
• Time: 8:15 PM ET
• How to Watch: FOX

New York Giants Might be Playoff Imposters

The New York Giants should feel more than happy for getting to the postseason. Their roster just isn’t great in the 2022-23 season, and if it weren’t for a superb run at the start of the campaign, they wouldn’t get nowhere near the playoffs.

However, they got themselves a Wild Card entry in Brian Daboll’s first season as the Giants’ boss. Not only that, but they defeated the Vikings in their first postseason game since 2017, despite coming to Minneapolis as underdogs. We did, however, predict that they’re going to cause an upset. Our reasoning wasn’t that they’re a brilliant team; instead, we just didn’t have much faith in Minnesota.

Although we do think that the Giants have a couple of amazing players with a brilliant future in the NFL, we just don’t see them as playoff material, at least not yet.

Philadelphia Eagles Already Thinking About NFC Championship

The Philadelphia Eagles cruised through the regular season as the most impressive NFC team. They ended on a 14-3 record, with two losses happening in the final three rounds of the season – when it was already clear the Birds from Philly were going to make the playoffs.

They played two games against their NFC East rivals – the New York Giants – in 2022, winning both times. The first game happened in Week 14 when we saw Philadelphia blow out New York 48-22. In Week 18, they met again, but this time, it was a much more modest win for the Eagles (22-16).

We suspect that they’re going to take a similar approach in the Divisional game. Rather than going for another blowout win, the Eagles are probably going to try to keep the ball in their hands for a long time, focusing on runs by Pro Bowlers Miles Sanders (RB) and Jalen Hurts (QB).

New York Giants vs Philadelphia Eagles Prediction

The Giants just aren’t a great team. They got to the Divisional Round by going all-in against the Vikings, but we can’t see them doing the same again. Instead, we expect to see them lose to the Eagles for the third time in the 2022-23 season. 

Still, this probably won’t be a blowout win for the Eagles. In fact, we expect them to win by no more than one TD.

Picks: Philadelphia Eagles to win but not cover the spread; under to hit

After beating the favored Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round by just one point, the Jacksonville Jaguars are now praying for another miracle. If they beat the No. 1 Super Bowl favorites – the Kansas City Chiefs – this coming Saturday, they’re going to advance to the AFC Championship for the first time in the 21^st century. So, can they pull it off?

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Kansas City Chiefs Divisional Odds

*Odds taken from FanDuel on Monday, January 16, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
• Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023
• Time: 4:30 PM ET
• How to Watch: NBC

Jacksonville Jaguars Never Give Up

Confidence is sky-high in the JAX locker room. These guys are 6-0 in their last six, with their most recent win being the one against the Chargers in the Wild Card round. The game saw a superb comeback by Doug Pederson’s boys who were 27-0 down at one point in the second quarter.

Casino gaming may become a reality in Thailand in a few years. As reported by the Bangkok Post, the Asian country’s House of Representatives just approved a report that proposes the creation of integrated resorts with casinos.

Thailand Approved a Casino Proposal

The report in question is a comprehensive report that a special committee compiled in 2022. The report was presented to the House last week, where it was discussed for three hours. In the end, representatives cast their votes, greenlighting the proposal with almost unanimous approval. In total, 310 representatives voted for the report against 9 who voted against it.

The approval of this report marks the first steps toward the launch of integrated casino resorts in Thailand. Following this, specialists in the country will conduct further research, carefully examining the potential benefits and drawbacks of legalized casino gaming.

While casino resorts are still far from becoming a reality, the results of the vote show that the country is warming up toward the idea of launching integrated resorts with casinos. It is now up to the government to carefully examine the proposal and conduct further studies on the matter before proceeding to launch legislation that would bring casinos to Thailand.

Casinos Would Welcome People Above 21

According to the report, Thailand would benefit from the development of legal casinos that are a part of big entertainment complexes. The document proposes the creation of up to five casinos in integrated resorts across the country.

Bangkok and cities in the Eastern Economic Corridor, like Pattaya and Rayong, have been marked as potentially-suitable locations for these plans. Once open, the casinos would welcome tourists and locals aged 21 or older. As outlined in the proposal, visitors would have to prove that they have enough money to play without going bankrupt.

The report emphasizes that a casino should not take up more than five percent of the total floor within its respective integrated resort. Meanwhile, IRs should provide their visitors with a plethora of non-gambling facilities such as premium hospitality offerings, shopping centers and a selection of leisure facilities.

Pakornwut Udompipatsakul from the Move Forward Party and a member of the committee which compiled the report noted that the next government will likely be the one to decide whether casinos in IRs should become a reality.

Udompipatsakul noted that the legalization will likely take a few years and that public hearings and referendums must be organized before proceeding with the legalization and construction of casinos.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that in an interview in connection with the death of Cardinal George Pell, Anthony Fisher, the Sydney Archbishop, has called on the Australian government to take action in order to protect vulnerable individuals and families from the negative effects of gambling addiction.

The Archbishop Says It Is a Matter of Moderation

During the interview, Archbishop Fisher gave his views on the topic of problem gambling and expressed his support for government efforts to address the issue. Fischer noted that the recently deceased Cardinal George Pell referred to poker machines as a “scourge” when he was serving as the Archbishop of Melbourne. 

Archbishop Fisher acknowledged that he does not possess the expertise to determine which forms of gambling are the most harmful and which methods of regulating them are the most effective. However, he made it clear that he supports any government’s attempts to address the problem and the social harm it causes. 

It must be highlighted though that Archbishop Fisher did not get involved in the discussion of the introduction of cashless gaming cards, which has been going on for a while. In the interview, Fisher did not endorse the use of a mandatory cashless card for gaming machines in any way.

Fisher compared gambling to alcohol, stating that while both can be enjoyed in moderation, addiction can have devastating consequences not just for gamblers but also for their families. He also mentioned that while he does not single out any specific form of gambling as being inherently bad, it is well-known that it can cause financial strain on families who may lose their rent or grocery money due to addiction. 

The Archbishop Still Patron of the Most Successful Pokie Club in New South Wales

The Archbishop further stated that if gambling is simply done for entertainment and people do not spend more on it than they would for a concert or a cinema visit, he does not see a problem with it. He acknowledged that some Catholics may be disappointed that the Church does not take a stronger stance against gambling and alcohol, but he emphasized that moderation is key and it was not a matter of a complete ban. 

Despite the Catholic Church has distanced itself from the club industry in Sydney, Archbishop Fisher still holds the position of patron for Dooleys Catholic Club located in Lidcombe. This club is often considered one of the most financially successful venues for electronic poker machines in the state of New South Wales, with approximately 450 machines. 

The Archbishop stated that the Church has no involvement in the day-to-day operations of any clubs in Sydney, however, he urged Catholic owners and managers to take steps to prevent problem gambling.

Overall, Arkansas approved four locations for land-based gambling venues following a constitutional amendment from 2018. While casinos were already built for three locations, a legal battle has been ongoing for the fourth location, Pope County. Preparing its casino operations, the Cherokee Nation Businesses bought 180 acres in the county. But a legal battle challenging the Cherokee Nation Businesses and Legends Resort and Casino’s license put on hold the casino project.

Judge Rules to Void Casino License

Now, a report released by the Associated Press, reveals that Timothy Fox, Pulaski County Circuit Judge ruled against the Cherokee Nation Businesses and Legends Resort and Casino license. On Thursday last week, the judge ruled to void the decision to award the businesses a license, claiming it breached Arkansas’ constitution. Moreover, the judge deemed Legends Resort and Casino not suitable for a license considering it lacked casino gaming experience.

The legal battle was filed by Gulfside Casino Partnership, another applicant in the race for the state’s fourth casino. Initially, Gulfside secured a license in 2020. However, its license was then deemed not valid shortly after. At the time, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the company secured its license with a support letter from a Pope County judge that had not been in office.

After that, the Arkansas Racing Commission decided to award the license to Cherokee Nation Businesses/Legends Resort and Casino near the end of 2021. But this wasn’t the end of the race for Gulfside which contested the Commission’s decision.

The Legal Battle Continues

In light of the recent decision, Lucas Rowan, Gulfside’s attorney, said that the company remains committed to developing Arkansas’ fourth casino in Pope County. He explained that the new casino will bring economic stimulus and create new jobs. Last but not least, Rowan said that the latest decision marks an essential step for Gulfside.

On the other hand, Cherokee Nation Businesses’ CEO, Chuck Garrett, acknowledged that the court’s decision is disappointing. He explained that the next step is now to file an appeal with the Arkansas Supreme Court.