An advertisement for PokerStars.net screened on New Zealand’s TV3 television channel has created controversy in the country and launched an investigation by the Internal Affairs Department. According to the New Zealand Herald, the nine-year-old daughter of John Stansfield, Chief Executive for the Problem Gambling Foundation, watched the advert during an episode of The Simpsons.

German VfB Stuttgart took a bit of a gamble and came out ahead. The club challenged the German law that banned casino sponsorship for clubs. An administrative court in Stuttgart ruled for the club, meaning they can again carry advertisements from BWIN, as well as get a shirt sponsorship.

Gambling operators are gearing to advertise on television for the first time when new laws come into force this week. Casinos, betting shops and gambling websites can place TV commercials from September 1 onwards. The change is part of the Gambling Act 2005 which brings with it a relaxation of current gambling advertising laws. Operators remained tight-lipped about which if any firms would launch new publicity campaigns on September 1.

Antigua & Barbuda is not on the list of foreign remote gambling jurisdictions approved to be white listed by the UK Gambling Commission, released yesterday, and has begun the bid to join jurisdictions approved. The list gives the countries or jurisdictions pre-approval to advertise gambling services in the UK from September. In February, Minister of Finance and the Economy Errol Cort announced an overhaul of the country’s gaming regulations, citing the desire to be white listed among the motivations for the move.

The gambling industry has been forced to establish a new body to draw up a voluntary code for socially responsible advertising, weeks before the Gambling Act 2005 comes into force. The group will monitor the code, adding to the plethora of different bodies, including the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), already regulating the industry. Members will be drawn from representatives of a number of gambling associations.

The gambling industry is to be allowed to screen advertisements during sporting events in return for a pledge to remove its logos from children’s replica football shirts. Television adverts for bookmakers, casinos and gambling websites will be allowed for the first time from next month as new laws take effect. It emerged yesterday that James Purnell, the Culture Secretary, has won a battle to impose a 9pm watershed on the adverts when the gambling industry published a voluntary code of conduct before the liberalisation on September 1.

The gambling industry has bowed to government pressure and agreed that the logos of betting companies should not be printed on children’s replica football shirts. A new advertising code to be announced this week will commit gambling companies which sponsor Premiership clubs to remove their branding from children’s kit. It will also restrict advertising before the 9pm watershed.

The Swedish media earned USD 103.7 million from publishing gambling ads in 2006, despite it being technically illegal in the country. Sweden’s chief legal counsel at the Gaming Board said that it ’hardly felt worthwhile’ reporting cases when nothing happened. Commenting on the results, Hakan Hallstedt, Sweden’s chief legal counsel at the Gaming Board, said that it ’hardly felt worthwhile’ reporting cases when nothing happened.