Bloopwatch

The Power of Knowledge: News, Trivia and Random Facts

In today’s increasingly fast-paced digital age, information is disseminated at breakneck speed. Global news cycles can change by the minute, and every day it gets harder to stay up to date.
In the hopes of keeping people informed, this website aims to provide breaking news and developments, no matter how trivial or seemingly random, to readers all over the world.

With this in mind, anyone hoping to stay on top of the news should bookmark this page and make frequent visits. After all, Thomas Jefferson’s repeated assertion that ‘knowledge is power’ rings more accurate than ever in these uncertain times.

Gambling Laws in the United Kingdom

15 Jun 2021

The Betting and Gaming Act of 1960 established the first gambling regulations in the United Kingdom, and despite the strict rules, the first legal casino opened the following year. The new 2005 act made things a lot easier, and now you can bet on more games than ever before.

The Gambling Commission is responsible for online poker, sports betting, online slots, bingo, and lottery-style games. Anyone who wants to sell these games to UK residents must first obtain a commission license.

This is an excellent setup for our UK readers because they can choose from a wide range of safe and licensed gambling sites. Unlike some other countries, the UK government does not consider online gambling illegal. Instead, it promotes a secure environment with safeguards for both players and operators.

This includes service operators with: US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, France, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Singapore, the Czech Republic, Norway, Hong Kong, Belgium, Hungary, Israel, Taiwan, Panama, Costa Rica, Norway, South Korea, Singapore, Sweden, Italy, and the Netherlands. To take advantage of more attractive tax benefits from well-known (such as William Hill), some of the most significant gambling brands (such as William Hill) are based in these jurisdictions.

The following is a list of gambling jurisdictions that have been whitelisted:

  • Countries of the European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Antigua and Barbuda (Alderney)
  • Gibraltar is a British colony on the Isle of Man.
  • Tasmania is a state in Australia.

The Gambling Commission believes that the above jurisdictions have appropriate operator licensing requirements and is thus comfortable allowing those operators to accept wagers from UK customers.

More than 1,000 remote licensees offer legal gambling services on the internet. Then there are the lottery, 51,000 pubs with two gambling machines each, more than 150 land-based casinos, and online betting services, to name a few.

If you've been paying attention, you'll know that the UK has made some changes in the area of online gambling in recent years.

Credit card use in online casinos has been prohibited, verification requirements have been tightened, and other regulations have been implemented. Now, some new laws are being enacted that will affect anyone residing in or visiting the United Kingdom's online gambling experience.

The commission is funded by fees paid by the individuals and organizations it licenses, and the DCMS sets the licensing fees.

The National Lottery Distribution Fund provides grants to the commission because it also regulates the National Lottery.

The UK Gambling Commission's goals are as follows:

  • Keep the gambling industry in the United Kingdom free of crime and disorder.
  • Ascertain that gambling services are both transparent and equitable.
  • Minors, for example, should be protected from the adverse effects of gambling.
  • The UK Gambling Commission issues licenses to individuals and businesses to provide betting services, arcades, gambling machines, online and telephonic gambling, bingo gaming, and gambling software to achieve its goals. It also issues national lottery game licenses.

Due to concerns about fraud and gambling addiction, new regulations have been proposed and are currently being implemented. Many online casino fans will be disappointed by this, as the new laws limit some bonuses and online casino VIP programs.
However, the benefits of safe and licensed gaming sites outweigh these changes.

Reggae Legend Bunny Wailer Passes on

14 Apr 2021

Reggae icon Bunny Wailer has died at the age of 73. Wailer, whose real name was Neville O'Riley Livingston, died on February 2, 2021 while undergoing treatment in Kingston, Jamaica. He was the last surviving member of the Wailing Wailers' trio that also included Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.

Reggae Loses a Legend

5 Mar 2021

The last surviving member of the original Wailers line-up, Bunny Wailers, has died at the age of 73. Dominating the reggae scene with childhood friend, Bob Marley, Bunny received three Grammy awards and Jamaica's Order of Merit. Tributes have already flooded in, with fans mourning the loss of a true musical legend.

Joe Biden: US to Have Enough Vaccines by the End of May

15 Feb 2021

While the US president insists that the war on Covid- 19 has not been won, he assured the citizens of the most powerful nation on earth that the country will have enough vaccines for its adult population by the end of May 2021.