A Russian teenager who stabbed her abusive, gambling addicted father to death with a kitchen knife has avoided going to prison for her actions.   

According to news outlet Readovka, Russian authorities have initially spared the girl named Alisa from prison pending a trial, while investigators have also ordered a post-mortem psychiatric test into the deceased father, 42, referred to as Roman Z. 

Alisa allegedly knifed Roman to death in “a desperate attempt to save her older sister from a brutal attack, following a disagreement.”

Roman allegedly attacked his older daughter after forcefully demanding she take out a loan to pay off his gambling debts, reportedly stating he would “drag her to the bank” if she refused to go.

As the argument escalated, Roman punched the elder girl and then swung a small knife at her, cutting her hand.   

The father’s prior warnings that it was futile for the girls to report his abusive behavior to the police – and that it would make things worse for them – appear to have massively backfired. 

endured beatings and humiliation

Too scared to approach the police, the girls allegedly endured beatings and humiliation from Roman, until the youngest finally cracked over Roman’s attack on her sister.  

According to reports, Russian state investigators stated Alisa ambushed her father from behind, plunging the kitchen knife twice into his neck.

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Unibet knows how to do live poker

My first Unibet Open was in Citywest in Dublin in 2011. Looking back years later, my abiding memory was that it was the first time I played in a tournament where I felt like a foreigner in my own country. Exactly how much the collapse of the Celtic Tiger and subsequent austerity affected the Irish poker economy was made clear that there was a tournament in Ireland that got less than a dozen locals to buy in.

Nevertheless, it was a very fun weekend. It turns out feeling like a foreigner in your own land doesn’t have to be a bad thing, if the atmosphere among the visitors is as friendly as it was at the event.

Fast forward five years and I’m in Bucharest at the biggest ever Unibet Open. The first thing that stood out was the friendliness I’d seen in Dublin was still there in abundance. In the intervening five years I’d grown accustomed to less friendly and more testy atmospheric conditions surrounding live poker, so this felt like a refreshing return to the good old days of live poker.

I was also surprised how many faces I recognized from Dublin: Unibet had clearly done a better job retaining players than other sites and operators. After shooting the breeze with some of the Unibet staff, it was easy to see why.

ethos and culture of the company was geared towards the recreational poker experience

The whole ethos and culture of the company was geared towards the recreational poker experience. This is something that ties in with my view of how poker should be. It should be fun for the so-called fun players: if not, what’s the point? Live poker, in particular, shouldn’t be 9 robots sitting at a table wearing hoodies, shades, and Beats grinding GTO ranges.

Unibet clearly recognized this, which is why I was delighted to announce after the event that I would be representing them as a brand ambassador alongside my good friends Ian Simpson and David Lappin starting at the following Unibet Open in London.

All good things

For eight and a half years, “The Chip Race” has been incredibly fortunate to be sponsored by a company that respected our vision for the show and always had our backs. Unibet Poker is a great poker site that cares about its players and the health of the game. It has been an honor to partner with them, represent their brand, and amplify their message.

June 1, our partnership with Unibet Poker will come to an end

On June 1, our partnership with Unibet Poker will come to an end and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the people who helped us down the years, in particular David Pomroy, Kris Bergvall, Kat Arnsby, Nataly Sopacuaperu, Kasia Scanlon, Simon Steedman, Andy Paton, Stubbe Buchwald, and Sebastian Rebhan.

Between now and then, we will put out three more episodes of “The Chip Race,” two strategy videos, and our 100th episode of The Lock-In from The Irish Open. We will try to make them all bangers.

Being an ambassador

I learned how to play poker in May 2007. In the 18 years since, I have been an ambassador for three different online poker sites for almost 13 of those years. I’ve also been an ambassador for other brands for a total of nine years, making me one of the most sponsored players in the game, so if this turns out to be my last sponsorship, well, I’ve had a good run.

Of course, if anyone else out there thinks I fit what they’re looking for in an ambassador, I’m more than happy to entertain the possibility. It has been a pleasure to work alongside David in what was his first sponsorship deal, and in an ideal world, that partnership continues. If not, I will say that David has grown into the role to become a tremendous ambassador.

It has been an honor and a privilege for both of us to represent Unibet as ambassadors for more than eight years, and I’d like to thank all the great people we worked with and everyone who supported us.

Is this the end for “The Chip Race”?

Maybe. David and I are both very busy men, and as much as the podcast is a labor of love for both of us, we can’t justify investing the considerable amount of time we do in making it without a sponsor. The demands on David’s time are particularly heavy, as in addition to hosting the show, he is also our sound engineer and chief researcher, publicist, and script writer.

We are open to finding a new sponsor or sponsors to enable us to continue past June. We have established ourselves as a leading global poker podcast, with a big audience worldwide, which we hope makes us attractive to potential new sponsors.

connected us to thousands upon thousands of wonderful enthusiasts worldwide

We will both be more than a little sad if this does turn out to be the end of the show, but we know all good things must come to an end, and there’s something to be said for going out on a high. We would leave behind a body of work we both feel very proud of, that connected us to thousands upon thousands of wonderful enthusiasts worldwide.

A few people have asked if or assumed that we must have a new sponsor lined up given our public announcement, but I swear this is not the case. A few have reached out to express interest, but nothing is guaranteed, so watch this space.

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GambleAware is looking to spark a nationwide debate about the growing number of underage people engaging in gambling. It launched a new display in London made up of 85,000 poker chips, with each chip representing a kid who suffers from gambling harm.

Many people on social media have been lending their opinions about the subject, with video games like FIFA taking a lot of flak. One commenter on a quote post from Good Morning Britain remarked that it’s nearly impossible for teenagers to use licensed online gambling sites due to extensive verification checks:

Loot boxes are criticized again and again by other posters. One man detailed how he got addicted to FIFA Ultimate Team and the packs that players can buy with real money:

A big point is that these types of games have an age rating of just three years old, so kids have access to loot box elements that mimic slot games. Packs reward users with items of varying rarity levels and the most desirable players only have very small probabilities of appearing upon opening a pack.

the UK government decided against banning loot boxes

Despite commissioning a 22-month consultation into the topic, the UK government decided against banning loot boxes, despite many other countries like the Netherlands and Belgium doing so.

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The Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto has to pay a CA$120,000 (US$86,492) penalty to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) after two dealers were caught colluding with players that led to the illicit winnings of CA$20,000 (US$14,415) over a week period.

AGCO was unhappy that pit supervisors and the property’s surveillance team missed it all

Some of the ways in which the dealers helped three individuals cheat included intentionally showing hidden cards, overpaying winning hands, and overdrawing dealer cards. AGCO was unhappy that pit supervisors and the property’s surveillance team missed it all and failed to follow table audit processes.

AGCO charged five people in the case and remarked that it wasn’t a one-off incident at the Toronto casino. It received a CA$80,000 (US$57,661) fine in September 2023 over a cheating scheme involving an electronic craps dealer.

Talking about the matter, AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr said that all licensees “have an obligation to ensure the integrity of gameplay in their casinos.”

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American poker pro Steve O’Dwyer is not happy with players who abuse the late registration system for tournaments. He took to X on Thursday to make his feelings clear, stating that “tournament organisers and directors need to start being extremely strict” about not allowing players to register once a late reg period has closed.

Within the rant, he called out Daniel Smiljkovic specifically. He is a German player with around $92,000 in live earnings. O’Dwyer claims Smiljkovic “and others of his ilk” will continuously abuse the late reg system until organizers come down harder on the activity.

O’Dwyer explained his grievances in a series of posts, highlighting a specific incident at the ongoing Irish Open when Smiljkovic was supposedly seated for the 10k event 16 minutes after late reg closed. “He does this everywhere he goes and gets away with it,” the poker pro said.

People like him ruin it for everyone else.”

O’Dwyer, who has more than $46m in live earnings and is 14^th on the all time money list, said that some tournaments have made changes in response to his complaints, and he urged others to do the same. “It would be great if we could trust everyone to allow a little bit of leeway,” O’Dwyer stated. “But people like him ruin it for everyone else.”

The PokerStars and PaddyPower Poker-sponsored Irish Open is running from April 10 to April 21 at the Royal Dublin Society in the Irish capital. The Main Event has a prize pool of €2.5m ($2.8m).

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Games and spending

A new survey by Tokyo-based SMBC Consumer Finance has revealed how gacha games influence the online spending habits of Japan residents in their 20s. 

For 18.8% of the 1,000 surveyed, gacha – Japanese digital, video-type online games that involve in-game purchases similar to loot boxes – eats into their living expenses. 

spent enough on in-game purchases to affect their “ability to cover living expenses”

According to Automaton, almost one in five young Japanese admitted to having spent enough on in-game purchases to affect their “ability to cover living expenses.”

Men (22.8%) were more likely to prioritize in-game purchases over living expenses such as rent and food than women (14.8%).

While nearly 25% of those canvassed regretted spending money on gacha, the number of young Japanese who made purchases via microtransactions is on the rise. 

Men and women alike

While women appear considerably less likely to spend in-game than men, those who make such transactions have also spiked. In 2025, 2.6% more women than in 2024 fell into the category of not being able to enjoy games without making in-game buys.  

The result is that “women are following the trend at almost the same pace as men.”

I can’t enjoy the game if I don’t make in-game purchases.”

The 2025 survey’s insights came from positive answers to questions offering responses that included: “I’m willing to pay to have an advantage in-game” and “I can’t enjoy the game if I don’t make in-game purchases.”

Overall rise and fall

Overall, the survey states that the percentage of Japanese spending on gacha and other online games offering in-game purchases has risen 5.8% over 2024, to 21.6% in 2025.

Somewhat contrary, however, was that the survey found the average spend on in-game purchases is decreasing. In 2024, those canvassed spent a monthly average of approximately ¥5,138 ($35.85) on microtransactions. In 2025, this figure dropped to ¥4,247 ($29.63).

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GambleAware has unveiled a powerful display in London that is made up of 85,000 poker chips showing a sad child and captioned “Gambling Can Grip Anyone.” Each poker chip represents a child between the ages of 11 and 17 years old in Great Britain who currently suffers from gambling-related harm:

The addiction organization wants to spark a nationwide conversation and lower the stigma associated with talking about gambling-related struggles, as well as curtailing marketing messages.

It cited new research about the prevalence of gambling ads, with 31% of people recalling seeing such a promotional message before they turned 17, and 62% of the general public remarking that these marketing messages are “everywhere” these days.

accompanied by stories from people who’ve struggled with gambling harm

To view the display, people can visit Westfield London in Shepherd’s Bush, Europe’s biggest shopping mall. It is accompanied by stories from people who’ve struggled with gambling harm from a young age.

GambleAware is no stranger to delivering powerful messages with similar types of visual displays. Last year, it had a billboard in Birmingham that filled up with smoke to show how gambling can cloud a person’s vision and judgment:

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York Crown Court in the UK has sentenced caregiver Cheryl Louise Pratt to two years in jail for stealing £17,000 ($22,551) from elderly and vulnerable people to spend on gambling and takeouts.

The court handed down its sentence on Tuesday to the 35-year-old York native who worked as a senior support worker at a care home.

unusual banking account activity

According to Yorkshire Live, a brother of one of Pratt’s victims spotted unusual banking account activity, which led to an internal investigation, Pratt getting fired from her job, and a North Yorkshire Police investigation.

The police probe revealed that Pratt created multiple online accounts in the names of the residents at the care home before shifting money from their bank accounts. Pratt then transferred the money from the online accounts into her own account, using the cash to spend “huge sums of money on gambling websites,” takeouts, clothes, and gifts for her family. 

Pratt told police investigators that she made all the withdrawals with the approval of the account holders. A doctor overseeing the care home patients, however, overruled Pratt’s claim, stating that “none of the victims would have been able to provide true consent.”

As such, Pratt was charged with five counts of fraud. Speaking in York Crown Court, Detective Constable Oliver Dalby said Pratt’s offense was “cold, cruel and calculated.”

DC Dalby said the senior caregiver targeted the residents she knew were the “most vulnerable to financial exploitation.”

“The victims and her former colleagues have been left utterly devastated by her actions, and it is right that she faces the consequences of her crimes.”

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Kick has announced that partners can now broadcast on Kick and other streaming sites simultaneously:

The platform, home to many of the most popular gambling streamers, originally revealed its intentions to allow content creators to reach a wider audience and earn more passive revenue in February. One downside is that the earning potential will be halved for partners who opt for multi-streaming on horizontal platforms instead of vertical ones like YouTube Shorts, Instagram, X, and TikTok.

Twitch ended its exclusivity requirements for partners in October 2023.

Up until this point, Kick streamers could not stream on Twitch at the same time to earn money on both channels. Twitch ended its exclusivity requirements for partners in October 2023.

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It has come to light that Australian lawmakers accepted gifts of sporting event tickets worth AU$245,000 (US$156,000) from sports leagues while considering a ban on gambling advertising.

Reuters analyzed the parliamentary gift register and attached a monetary value to the gifts. Politicians from both of the main parties received a total of 312 complimentary tickets between June 2023 and March 2025.

One of the recipients was current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who at one time had strongly pushed for the advertising ban that he subsequently backed away from last year. His tickets totaled AU$29,000 (US$18,000), with the leader of the opposition coalition Peter Dutton taking AU$21,350 (US$13,591) in tickets.

a country where gambling losses per capita are the highest in the world

A report outlined the significant harm that the marketing messages were having on people in a country where gambling losses per capita are the highest in the world. The government that wins next month’s general election will consider the legislation; polls suggest that most people in the country want a ban.

Australian sports leagues rely heavily on gambling-related advertising and sponsorship. The NRL’s gambling-related revenue, for example, is about AU$70m (US$44.5m) annually, which would halve if a ban came into effect.

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Body lays charges

The UK Gambling Commission has charged 15 people, including former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s closest parliamentary aide Craig Williams, for election betting offenses.

multiple MPs and law enforcement officers remained under investigation

While the Metropolitan Police concluded its investigation last summer into the 2024 election betting violations without charging anyone, multiple MPs and law enforcement officers remained under investigation by the UKGC. 

After a probe spanning several months, the UK gambling regulator took to X Monday with news of its resulting charges: 

Along with Williams, the other notables charged over suspiciously timed bets linked to the 2024 General Elections include a current Welsh Senedd member and a former police officer. 

Shady activity prompts probe

The UKGC’s investigation targeted individuals believed to have used confidential advanced information about the proposed date of the 2024 elections to take unfair advantage of the betting markets. 

Being a criminal offense under the Gambling Act 2005 meant the UKGC could also exercise its authority to investigate such actions and “bring criminal prosecutions where appropriate.”

will continue to take robust action against illegal betting practices”

The regulator stated Monday it “was committed to upholding the law and will continue to take robust action against illegal betting practices, including investigating and prosecuting offences.”

The UKGC began the investigation after Williams admitted placing a £100 ($128) that the election would be on July 4, just three days before then-PM Sunak announced the date. Williams argued he “committed a serious error of judgment, not an offense.”

Like Williams, all 15 the UKGC charged are or were staff members of the Conservative Party or candidates for election.

One-party problem

The Tories were quick to react, stating that all current members of staff charged “are being suspended with immediate effect.”

A Tory spokesman added that the party “believes that those working in politics must act with integrity.”

Chair of the opposition Labour Party Ellie Reeves, meanwhile, stated the charges were serious and the “British people will expect that anyone found guilty of wrongdoing faces the full force of the law.”

Those charged are up before the judge at Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday, June 13.

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Not all gambling busts require heavily armored law enforcement officers blowing off doors, as a pair of Metropolitan Police proved after taking down suspects in a busy London tourist area while dressed as Batman and Robin.  

The police force for Greater London took to X with a video clip of the two officers successfully “deploying creative tactics to protect the public” on Westminster Bridge: 

According to a police statement, organized gangs target tourists on the iconic London bridge with gambling games like the “three cups challenge” or “shell game.” 

The police said its officers were very familiar to the perpetrators, so a fresh approach was necessary.

might not be “the most conventional policing method”

Inspector Darren Watson (Batman) admitted donning superhero costumes might not be “the most conventional policing method,” but that it “worked perfectly.”

Watson said the Metropolitan Police was “thrilled” that it got “some great results, taking these people off the street and protecting tourists and Londoners from being fleeced.”

Batman and Robin’s arrests on the day included Eugen Stocia, 32, and Constica-Gherorghe Barbu, 53, under suspicion of providing gambling facilities. According to reports, London courts have already convicted both suspects. Barbu was fined £925 ($1,223), while Stocia was convicted in absence with a warrant subsequently issued for his arrest.

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