Ralph Topping on LinkedIn: William Hill fine is poison to ‘responsible gambling’ message (2024)

Radical move ( yes/no?) by Mr Bloomberg but why did he allow directors to stay 20 years on his Board in the first place ? Seats on any board are not meant to be sinecures. Is it too late for him though to repeat the prescription and acquire Man Utd ( or 🙏🏿 Hibernian of Edinburgh ) and underpin the club with his phenomenal wealth died-in-the-wool supporters may be asking themselves . A forlorn hope, perhaps , for a club that seems to need radical change at its summit and the embracing perhaps of Bloomberg’s approach to the Board’s population . Some other UK companies , certainly in the gambling sector, need to meaningfully question director contributions much more frequently and re-jig their teams . Underperformance is not always the fault of executive leadership alone .

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Harking back to my childhood Latin classes some 60 years ago there is a phrase that constantly comes to my mind when the services of C suite denizens in the gambling industry have been dispensed with which is equally applicable to populists like Johnson and Trump in politics and a host of football coaches :Omnium consensu capax imperii nisi imperasset ie he was thought by all to be fit to lead -until he led . 2023 could yet be a bumper year or a year where many get bumped in football , politics and gambling . Challenging times for leaders everywhere when results are everything and where patience runs out .

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I’ve been privileged to have worked in both football and the betting industry and to have met several exceptional folks in both sectors to whom the term “old school” could be readily attached . High quality individuals with very high standards , focused always on improvement , always taking an interest in others and happy to see young people develop and progress . My English teacher , Mr Martin ,told me when I was 14 I would be lucky to meet 6 exceptional individuals in my life - I’ve encountered maybe nine in all , 5 in my working life and 4 outwith , 3 in total in the last decade . Several with lots of the qualities and standards identified in this article .

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A developing focus by media and public representatives in Europe and the USA on the widening availability of online gambling—and online gambling marketing especially on key tv events in football- is drawing widespread media and policymaker scrutiny in what were previously thought to be softer markets . The 1account eKYC validation platform is not only a useful tool it’s a necessary one and one of several important clubs needed in the savvy and responsible operator’s golf bag . Now available in many jurisdictions. Check out Ben Keirle’s latest interview on his company .

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Remember the name - Vlad Ardeleanu . Man with a broad perspective on life and its opportunities . Nice guys do win in this life .

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There is a great cloud of unknowing in the UK gambling industry as to the outcome of regulatory review . There is though a strong sense that a pendulum is about to swing too far from the middle as crowdpleasing MPs , somewhat depressingly , seem to move away from the sanctity of facts . They seem intent on marmalising the betting industry, eating away at it like battery acid and with it the Horseracing industry especially on issues such as affordability . On this they are looking somewhat like a corgi dog trying to attack a fly through a window or a blindfolded person tackling a Rubik cube . Stringent regulatory change may unfortunately see off many smaller UK companies leaving only the large players standing ie those best equipped to deal with the challenges and opportunities of digital id , automation and in retail staffless betting shops . 1account's management team are strongly optimistic about the opportunities that the future will afford and new ways of working across the sector . I'm excited for them .

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Ukrainians are fighting for the lives of their families, for their people, for their homes and for their country . This is a great and powerful reminder of the good that you find in football fans and football clubs throughout Scotland . Fair play to Steven Carr and all other Hibs supporters , officials and others in the Edinburgh government and Scottish community involved in getting these kids to Scotland . Noble work by thoroughly decent people in a small country with a big welcoming heart . Slava Ukraini!

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Garry KasparovatSuperbet Chess Classic Romania 2021 !Superbet does not do anything by half measures so naturally when the organisation stages a chess tournament they invite along the biggest name in chess , Mr Garry Kasparov . It’s amazing how ultra popular the game is in Romania and elsewhere in Eastern Europe . This is most certainly a class event sponsored and organised by a class company with laudable ambitions .

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The great Professor Scott Galloway said in one of his blogs “I’m searching for a takeaway, a lesson that will endure . “ Well , Kenny Alexander certainly found a takeaway in the quiet Scottish city of Perth on the banks of the Tay river where life is like watching a magnolia wall being repainted in the same colour . Nothing much happens there to raise eyebrows. A peaceful place . My kind of city . The lesson to be endured ? When Kenny several years ago decided to veer away from taking Turkish bets and gave away that part of his company’s business that should have led to him body swerving his local Turkish kebab shop . Turkey equals trouble for him . This tale of the kebab vehicle joyride reads like a schoolboy prank by a member of the Bullingdon Club . However , this was an act so out of character for Mr A , a quiet , well behaved and modest individual .Hardly a hellraiser . This uncharacteristic escapade should and will soon be forgotten as we all emerge from a difficult year of covid disruption with more substantial challenges ahead . Life is so interesting but ultimately it’s all about maintaining perspective . Kenny made a mistake . Nobody got hurt . Life moves on . Good luck to him .

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