UK gambling industry stakeholders are offering cautious reactions to rumors that the government is planning to ban all daytime TV gambling advertising.

On Friday, the Times newspaper quoted anonymous senior officials in the ruling Tory government saying that the Department of Culture, Media & Sport’s (DCMS) upcoming review of fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBT) would also include a total ban on TV gambling adverts before the 9pm watershed.

Reaction was swift from stakeholders, with many pointing out that the government had yet to confirm that it was planning a FOBT review, let alone that gambling ads would be a part of this review. A DCMS spokesperson said only that it continued to monitor existing gambling controls and would “take further action if necessary.”

Remote Gambling Association (RGA) CEO Clive Hawkswood pointed out that it was only last year that the DCMS released the results of its review of the advertising question, which found insufficient evidence to justify amending the existing rules. Hawkswood said it was “slightly hard to deal with” the idea that new rules were warranted based on someone’s “gut reaction” to a perceived problem.

iGaming Business Magazine recently published its 100th issue, and publisher/editor-in-chief Michael Caselli decided to commemorate the event with a special issue devoted to some of the online gambling industry’s movers, shakers and opinion makers.

We encourage you to check out the whole issue for yourself or click here to read the contributions from industry notables such as PartyGaming founder Ruth Parasol, Sportingbet founder Mark Blandford, Microgaming CEO Roger Raatgever, 888 Holdings ex-CEO John Anderson and World Poker Tour founder Steve Lipscomb.

Our very own Calvin Ayre was invited to submit his thoughts on what development he believed had most impacted the online gambling sector for the better. We’ve quoted Calvin’s contribution in full below.

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Macau casino junket investor Iao Kun Group Holding Company (IKGH) has alerted investors that its dire Q2 financial numbers were actually even more dire than originally reported.

Late last month, IKGH announced a net loss of $104.4m in the three months ending June 30. On Friday, IKGH announced that it was boosting these losses by a further $21.5m, bringing the total net loss for Q2 to $125.8m.

IKGH says the extra $21.5m came from a further study of the $159.2m in outstanding VIP debts the company is carrying on its books. IKGH says that the $21.5m is at “an elevated risk of collectability.” IKGH director Jim Preissler said last month that around $40m of its VIP debts were over 180 days outstanding.

IKGH has been in a financial tailspin for the past two years, a downturn that accelerated rapidly in September. The company closed all but one of its Macau VIP rooms and saw its highly publicized acquisition of a South Korean casino come to naught when it couldn’t raise the necessary financing on time.

Bet365’s traditionally vice-like grip on Italy’s online sports betting market loosened somewhat in September.

Figures released this week by the Agimeg news agency show Italian-licensed online sports betting turnover of €369m in September, up 37% from the same month last year and 19% higher than the amount wagered in August 2016.

Bet365’s Italian site once again stood proud atop the chart of individual operator turnover with €129m, which is €6m higher than August’s total, but Bet365’s share of September’s overall pie fell to 35% from 39.7%. Gala Coral Group’s Eurobet brand held on to its distant second ranking with €34.5m, but this was up sharply from €27m in August.

The rest of the top-five posted solid gains in September, led by Sisal (€25.6m, +€5.5m), Snai (€24.6m, +€4.9m) and William Hill (€23.6m, +€6.6m). Paddy Power Betfair slipped from fifth to eighth place despite improving €600k to €18.2m while Betaland.it, which only launched in June, made the turnover top-10 for the first time with an even €10m.