UK’s biggest gambling companies implement self-regulation, protecting customers in danger of developing gambling problems.

Betting companies will put mandatory time limit on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) into place, which is described by campaigners as the “crack cocaine” of gambling.

At the start of a session on a terminal, players will be prompted to set their own time or money limit. Even if they choose not to do so, the machine will show a short warning after 30 minutes of use or once a play racks up losses of £250. The companies will also will also cover 8,000 betting shop with messages about betting responsibly as part of an industry-wide “gamble aware week.”

Betting companies have launched a new £2m responsible gambling campaign intended to remind punters to curb their impulses when gambling. The new watchdog named the Senet Group, whose ranks include Coral, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and William Hill, have debuted a pair of new TV adverts centered around the message that: “when the fun stops, stop.”

“75% of customers, when hitting a limit, stop immediately or don’t put any more money into the machine. But not enough customers are setting limits.” said Carl Leaver, chief executive of Gala Coral.

“Campaigners would say that problem gamblers were our best customers, actually the reverse is true – they are our worst customers,” he added. “We want people who continue to have fun for month after month, year after year. Our hope is that in introducing these measures, customers will manage their own spending better.”

According to the Responsible Gaming Trust after it took its first in-depth analysis at FOBT that average player loses £6 per session after playing for 11 minutes and the average stake doubled after 10pm and 3% of sessions involved the maximum £100 bet, a ceiling that was set in 2005.

It was a somber week at the On Deck office (of one). Roger Federer was my bet to win the Australian Open and he got bounced out early. I hadn’t even had the time to process that when Kobe Bryant reportedly suffered yet another season-ending injury. Then just when it couldn’t get any worse, Josh Gordon, my fantasy hero from 2013, will reportedly get a one-year suspension after testing positive for, wait for it, alcohol. Alcohol! I didn’t even know you could get busted for testing positive for alcohol!

I know what you’re thinking. No opinions on Deflategate? Don’t worry, I do have an opinion but I’m saving it for a separate piece. That one deserves its own 800 words.

Anyway, let’s start with Federer, who I (foolishly) backed ahead of the Australian Open. I probably drank too much of that 1,000th match win Kool Aid, so shame on me, right? Who knew that little known Andreas Seppi would boot out the current world number 2 player in the third round of the Aussie Open. I certainly didn’t see it coming, but it did seem like Roger was out of his game throughout that third round match. Chalk it up to age or just having a bad day at the court, but c’mon Roger! You shouldn’t be losing to Seppi in any match, let alone a third round match in the year’s first Grand Slam!

As usual, Federer was gracious in defeat, even referring to the Seppi draw as one he “quietly feared.” You don’t normally read into these sorts of things, especially considering that Federer has a spotless record against Seppi (10-0 before their Aussie clash) and that his past performances at the tournament usually meant that you already had him booked at a seat in the semi-finals, a spot he found himself in every year since 2003.

But it wasn’t meant to be, which is probably the most apt way to describe Federer’s early exit in the tournament. Now, is it possible to get my stakes back?

Federer may have had a rough weekend, but at least he’s still healthy enough to play. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for one Kobe Bryant, who, according to reports, will likely miss the rest of the NBA season after tearing his rotator cuff. Kobe actually had the injury earlier in the pre-season, but gamely played through it even if his Lakers have languished in mediocrity for the entire year. It’s possible that his early action slowly aggravated the injury, but one thing we do know is that it’s going to be another tough road back for the Black Mamba. Hopefully, he recovers from this latest setback and returns stronger than ever.

It’s tough to ask, especially after suffering through two season-ending injuries in the past two seasons. But if anybody’s up to it, it’s Kobe Bryant. I’ve never been a fan of Kobe until the past few years, but you have to appreciate what he’s done to the game of basketball and ending his career like this isn’t the proper send-off we should have for the future first-ballot

Gaming machines manufacturer Interblock has taken steps to change its leadership after hiring John Connelly, former executive committee member of Bally Technologies, to become its next global chief executive officer. Connelly’s background in the US and international gaming industries will serve him well as he assumes the role of overseeing the company’s business endeavors in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Connelly’s tenure in Bally began in 2004 and in the decade since, he has held a variety of roles within the company, including time spent as vice president of international business and more recently, as senior vice president of business development and interactive. On top of his roles at Bally, Connelly also had senior roles at GTECH and Automated Wagering International, which is now part of Scientific Games.

“I am honored to be given this opportunity to join such a dynamic and ambitious organization, with a clear and focused mission to provide the casino sector with the necessary products to remain competitive,” Connelly said in a statement.

Interblock owner and chairman Joc Pececnik also commented on the hiring of Connelly, lauding the new CEO’s “vision, focus, and experience” in the industry and expressing his confidence that Connelly’s leadership would help achieve Interblock’s expectations in the future.

Meanwhile, UK independent machine operator the IOA Group went through its own management reshuffling after John Powell stepped down from his chairman role within the company after serving in that capacity for the last 15 years. Taking Powell’s place will be Paul Langham, who already has 40 years of experience in the industry. Langham is the current  managing director of operating firm Town & County Leisure.

“I’m honored to be leading the IOA, an organization which continues to raise the bar in machine operating and is a standard bearer for professionalism and dedication,” Langham said in a statement.

“Having worked alongside John Powell for more years than we both probably care to remember, I know only too well the amount of time and insight he has dedicated to the IOA and it is fair to say that the vast majority of the success we have enjoyed over the last decade-and-a-half can be traced back to what he has brought to the table.”

UK online sportsbook Titanbet has signed off on a sponsorship deal that would make the online gambling site the official sponsor of the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick Racecourse in February 2015.

Titanbet will also have its name attached to a number of other races on the card as the firm builds up its brand ahead of the highly awaited Cheltenham Festival this coming March 2015.

Titanbet struck the deal in part because of its ongoing attempts to further ingratiate itself in the UK market. “It’s a prestigious race at an important stage in the calendar and we’re delighted that it marks our biggest racing sponsorship to date,” Titanbet spokesman Russell Yershon said. “We hope it will be the first of many similar deals that help us build the profile of Titanbet.co.uk among horseracing fans.”

The Jockey Club’s region sponsorship manager for the south west region, Carey Buckler, echoed those sentiments, calling the deal with Titanbet an important step towards fostering a positive working relationship with the betting firm.

“I am delighted that Titanbet.co.uk have taken their first major National Hunt race sponsorship at Warwick,” Buckler added. “The Titanbet.co.uk Kingmaker Novices’ Chase is one of the leading trials for the Racing Post Arkle and I am sure that this year’s renewal will be just as competitive.”

Moving to the world of football, the Estonian Football Association (EJL) has renewed its partnership with  Sportradar. With the extension, the EJL will continue to benefit from Sportradar’s industry-leading sports data collections system as it continues to monitor global betting patterns through the country’s leagues and cup competitions.