La Liga side Athletic Bilbao hope to export their model globally including to India – The New Indian Express

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Express News Service

The likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona are the names that fans across the world identify Spanish football with. However, there are some other clubs with a similarly rich footballing legacy and Athletic Bilbao is one of them.

While this Basque club doesn't boast the same global fan following like Madrid or Barcelona does, they are the only other team besides Barca and Madrid to never be relegated from La Liga. And they have done this by putting their faith in local talent in a climate where football clubs don't shy away from splurging astronomical amounts on players.

Their policy of signing Basque-only players stands as a model for others to follow especially given the fact that the club has continued to maintain their position as one of the leading clubs not just in Spain but in Europe.

India is witnessing more and more Spanish presence in its footballing eco-system, whether its coaches or players playing in the Indian leagues or the likes of Sevilla FC partnering with FC Bengaluru United.Previously, Atletico Madrid also had a tie-up with an ISL club as the country is being seen as a developing market.

Bilbao president Aitor Elizegi suggested that the Spanish side are open to future knowledge transfer opportunities.

"Every year we receive dozens of collaborative visits of people who come along to exchange information and how things can be improved. We are always open to people from all over the world," said Elizegi. The club is further looking to solidify their foundations and at the same time looking to share these experiences and make it accessible for everyone.

"We are looking at dozens of initiatives where we are trying to implement best practices like protection of minors and also implement projects based on equality and that's not only between men and women but also between race, creed and colour. It is completely open to all people," said Elizegi.

At a time when football is becoming more and more globalized and clubs looking to expand internationally, Bilbao believe that their model is something that can be adopted by other clubs without compromising on growth.

"It's the strength of our club and it is something that we want to export this model. It was something that was established more than 90 years ago and our school has just turned 50. We believe that we are a reference for the 21st Century and for the future too because it is a sustainable development model. We focus on local talent and local training. This is a very difficult path, but it has also been our strength in the last few decades and it is allowing us to compete and to stay competitive in one of the most difficult leagues on earth. But we are also constantly reviewing our projects," said Elizegi.

Bilbao are one of the most successful clubs in Spain with eight league titles and 23 Copa del Rey titles.

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La Liga side Athletic Bilbao hope to export their model globally including to India - The New Indian Express

Tackling Indonesias Poverty With Palm Oil – The ASEAN Post

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Indonesia, the worlds fourth most populous nation, and 10th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, has made enormous gains in poverty reduction cutting the poverty rate by more than half since 1999, to 9.78 percent in 2020.

Nevertheless, out of a population of 270.2 million, an estimated 26.42 million Indonesians still live below the poverty line. Without a significant expansion of social assistance, five to eight million more Indonesians could be pushed into poverty because of COVID-19 shock.

With around 40 percent of Indonesias palm oil owned by smallholders mainly in Kalimantan, Sumatera and Sulawesi the palm oil industry has a lot of potential for Indonesia to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs, which are targeted to be achieved by 2030, including eliminating poverty, growing affordable and clean energy, climate action, and eradicating hunger.

The palm oil industry has helped lift millions of people out of poverty, both in Indonesia and Malaysia, which together account for around 85 percent of global production. Oil palm plantations have created millions of well-paying jobs and enabled tens of thousands of smallholder farmers to own their own land.

However, the European Unions (EU) sanctions on Indonesiato halt palm oil imports in 2020 is indeed problematic. The reason for such action as mentioned by the parliament of the EU is related to human rights issues such as child labour, the omission of the rights of indigenous people, and deforestation and habitat damage.

As the contribution of Indonesias crude palm oil (CPO) exports to Europe is only 14 percent of total CPO exports, there were no significant impacts found in the suspension of palm oil exports on Indonesia by the EU. Nevertheless, the government of Indonesia should consider protecting the development of its palm oil industry from the violation of human rights and deforestation.

Analysis

Indonesia, as one of the leading producers of crude palm oil, has been successful in serving the domestic and world market with palm oil-based products and palm derivatives. The industry contributed US$5.13 billion to foreign exchange savings in 2020.

Several studies have shown that palm oil is an important contributor to Indonesias economic growth. Therefore, disruption in this sector will inadvertently affect other sectors of the economy as well.

For instance, according to a 2004 research paper titled, Contribution of oil palm industry to economic growth and poverty alleviation in Indonesia, the author Wayan R Susila found that the industry contributed to the archipelagos economic growth and has a significant impact on alleviating poverty and income distribution within society.

The same result was obtained by another researcher in 2015 who showed that the expansion of palm oils share of land in the 10 districts that experienced the largest expansion would decrease the poverty rate and narrow the income gap.

In 2019, it was estimated that the palm oil industry had succeeded in lifting 2.6 million rural Indonesians out of poverty.

While at the regional level, Gatto et al. in 2017 showed that contracts between smallholder palm oil farmers and private or state-owned companies significantly contributed to the regional economy especially at the village level in the form of infrastructure built. This not only benefited contract farmers but also non-contract farmers as well.

However, if mismanagement happens, the production of palm oil can result in land grabs, loss of livelihoods and social conflict. Moreover, human rights are often violated at plantations. The resulting conflicts could have a significant impact on the social welfare of many. Clearing land for plantations also involves burning rainforests, and in the process endangering rare species and releasing 100 times the greenhouse gas (GHG) of conventional forest fires.

Moreover, in Indonesia, there is limited oversight by labour authorities due to lack of enforcement capacity and the remote location of many plantations. This also contributes to child labour in the palm oil sector.

Recommendations

The development of a green economy in the palm oil industry should be based on three aspects namely: economic, social and environmental.

First, under the economic aspect, legal tools need to be developed together with building implementation capacity to strengthen management in areas with land of high conservation value but zoned for agricultural use.

Second, ensuring the social aspect that focuses on developing measures to safeguard community benefits during the implementation of smallholder partnership agreements is in accordance with negotiated terms and conditions. In addition, job creation or other forms of community livelihoods support during the period when palm trees are maturing should be agreed upon between companies and communities.

In order to tackle the issue of child labour in the palm oil industry, further improvement of government policy is needed. This can be achieved by improving compliance among plantations, strengthening monitoring systems, conducting labour inspections and providing grievance mechanisms.

Last but not least, there must be minimal to no impact on the environment with a balanced eco-system, efficient use of resources, use of alternative energy such as solar energy, biomass energy, and wind energy to replace conventional energy, and the use of environment-friendly technology.

Together, to achieve Goal 1 of the SGDs which is eradicating poverty, there should not be any human rights violations and destruction to habitats or environmental damage.

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Tackling Indonesias Poverty With Palm Oil - The ASEAN Post

Eos partners with US-based Kineticos to invest over 10M in early-stage Scottish life sciences startups – UKTN (UK Technology News

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St Andrews-based investment firm Eos Advisory has entered into a strategic partnership with US-based Kineticos Life Sciences to co-invest in early-stage Scottish life sciences companies.

The venture partnership aims to invest over 10 million over the next five years in oncology-focused life sciences ventures founded in Scotland. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, Kineticos has a biotech advisory practice and a related fund, the Kineticos Disruptor Fund, to invest in the advancement and commercialisation of clinical research.

As part of the deal, Eos will engage with Scottish Enterprise and a range of other private and public investors to leverage its co-investments. Specifically, the partnership will seek out Scottish-based investment opportunities that address large, unmet medical needs in oncology, neurosciences and rare diseases, new approaches to gene and cell therapies, and precision medicine technologies.

Kevin Grainger, Founder and Chairman of Eos Advisory, said: This strategic transatlantic partnership between Eos and Kineticos will help find and fund breakthrough ideas from Scotlands brightest life science entrepreneurs. In addition to the 10 million, Eos and Kineticos have committed, we will leverage additional equity capital from private, institutional and public sources to maximise the impact of these nascent oncology businesses. This funding, along with the commercial expertise of the Eos and Kineticos teams, will accelerate high skill R&D job creation in Scotland and subsequent commercial opportunities in the US which we hope will have a significant impact on improving the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer globally.

Shailesh Maingi, Founder and Chairman of Kineticos, said: The Kineticos Disruptor Funds mission is simple: to find cures for difficult to treat cancers and rare diseases. The fund invests in cutting edge technology such as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT), emanating from the worlds leading research scientists and universities. Scotland presents a unique opportunity with its rich history in life sciences innovation and entrepreneurial culture. With our partnership with the excellent Eos team, we hope to build upon the success of Scotlands eco-system and create a new path for collaboration between leading scientists in Scotland and the United States.

Mark Bamforth, an investor in the Kineticos Disruptor Fund, said As a Scot, I am delighted to support this partnership which will help to fund and mentor Scottish companies to support their development and global growth.

Founded in 2014, Eos has a portfolio of 13 investee companies including Cumulus Oncology, ILC Therapeutics, and Clinspec DX. Eos invests in four key impact areas: disease diagnosis, prevention and treatment; energy security, climate change and pollution; food and water security, and; sustainability of industrial processes and infrastructure.

Founded in 2007, Kineticos is an award-winning organisation supporting Bio-pharmaceutical and Precision Medicine firms. The advisory business provides strategy, licensing, and market access support. The Kineticos Disruptor Fund has invested in cutting edge companies such as Amylyx, Arranta Bio, Brammer Bio and Promaxo. Additionally, the Kineticos Disruptor Fund formed and operates two new CGT biotechs, Inceptor Bio and FastBack Bio

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Eos partners with US-based Kineticos to invest over 10M in early-stage Scottish life sciences startups - UKTN (UK Technology News

Wild Bicester on mission to boost wildlife in town – Oxford Mail

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RESIDENTS in Bicester are being urged to transform their gardens and community green spaces into friendly environments for wildlife to thrive.

An 18-month project in the town called Wild Bicester has been launched with the aim of bringing people and nature together creating a greener, healthier and wilder Bicester.

ALSO READ: Flood defence group calls for 'multi agency' response to flooding in Yarnton

The scheme is being delivered by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), Bicester Garden Town, Cherwell District Council, Healthy Bicester and Bicester Town Council.

It will encourage and enable people of all ages and backgrounds to get involved and turn their homes and green spaces into wildlife rich areas.

Some of the practical ways people can do this is by creating a bee hotel, growing a wildlife friendly vegetable garden, building a hedgehog home and learning how to attract butterflies to your garden.

BBOWT has provided step-by-step guidance on how residents can do this as well as other tasks to boost wildlife in the town, and will promote them through Wild Bicester.

The Trust says wilder neighbourhoods are an essential part of our health and wellbeing and that people who spend time in nature are happier and healthier.

Ed Munday, community wildlife officer at BBOWT said: Nature needs to be part of everybodys everyday lives and restoring nature can be the greatest generator of hope and happiness.

We know many people in Bicester are already passionate about how their local patch whether garden, street, or their community space - could be greener and wilder and there is already some fantastic conservation work being done in the town.

ALSO READ: Bicester railway line to close for construction of new bridge in Easter

The Wild Bicester project is a hugely exciting opportunity for more people of all ages and backgrounds to get closer to nature in their everyday lives and be inspired and moved by its beauty and wonder.

There is a role for everyone to play and together our local actions in Bicester can form part of the collective national and global effort for a better, wilder future with more nature everywhere.

BBOWT warns that the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world and that it is losing more of its nature every day. It says new generations grow up more and more disconnected from the natural world around them, starved of the opportunity to enjoy the wonder of wildlife.

Wild Bicester will create a network of community groups to work on local green spaces and run a series of educational events, activities and resources to inspire and support people who want to take action.

The project plans to create opportunities in schools, parks, allotments, community centres and streets for people to get involved and take action for wildlife themselves and will also work strategically with local authorities to create more space for wildlife across Bicester.

Councillor Andrew McHugh, Cherwells lead member for health and wellbeing said: Bicester Garden Town is committed to protecting and enhancing the natural biodiversity of the area, while providing healthy, social neighbourhoods for people to live.

Wild Bicester will play an important part in both these areas, monitoring the towns eco-system whilst giving residents the chance to engage with the environment around them, offering an easy way to boost their physical and mental wellbeing.

It gives our residents the opportunity to regain a sense of wonder at the beauty and diversity of nature on their doorstep.

Bicester already has community groups such as Bicester Green Gym and Bicester Grassroots which are passionate about how the town could be greener and have been carrying out conservation work

Cherwell District Council last month said it would make a renewed effort to ensure developers who build in the district contribute to improving the natural environment.

Its executive committee approved the 2020-2022 Community Nature Plan and its approach to addressing the councils statutory biodiversity duty.

The plan sets out a vision to work with partners and projects to protect and enhance the regions natural environment and Wild Bicester is one of the ways it hopes to do this.

BBOWT says wild urban patches and green spaces in Bicester are crucial offering essential homes for wildlife, connecting wild places and bringing wildlife, and the benefits of a healthy natural world, into our lives.

Parks, allotments, school grounds and community spaces can all offer something for nature and, in doing so, can bring people together creating healthier and more socially connected communities.

The Trust believes that if people are given a helping hand, garden birds, bees, hedgehogs, foxes, frogs and insects can all thrive.

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Wild Bicester on mission to boost wildlife in town - Oxford Mail

The deception of greenwashing in fast fashion – Down To Earth Magazine

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Terms such as ethical or eco-friendly have no legal significance and encourages lack of accountability

Buzzwords such as sustainable, ecofriendly, natural and green are common on the labels of everything we consume be it food or clothes. We, however, need to question whether businesses taking notice are genuinely encouraging conscious brands or merely 'performing' sustainability.

Greenwashing in fashion is on the rise, making it difficult for individuals to know whether they are consuming responsibly or hooked on to misleading practices.

The term greenwashing was coined by environmentalist Jay Westervelt in 1986 which refers to misleading advertisements or false claims by companies that suggest they are doing more for the environment than they actually are.

Such practices deceive customers with claims that are not backed by evidence and bear social, ethical and environmental repercussions.

The fast fashion industry has been a major culprit of this malpractice. They have often been found to use climate crisis as a means of marketing without pursuing a fundamental shift in its business model.

Getting away with it

The most significant loophole in sustainability is its lack of a clear, quantifiable definition. Terms such as 'ethical' or 'eco-friendly' have no legal significance. This encourages the lack of accountability of fashion brands.

Absence of empirical data and government-subsidised studies on the impact of fashion also poses a hurdle.

Another reason contributing to greenwashing is insufficient public awareness and education around the harmful practices the industry embraces, allowing companies to continue spewing false information.

Fast fashion businesses merely tack a 'sustainable' line onto their supply chain, which inherently is hypocritical since fast fashion can never be sustainable. Moreover, it tricks customers into evaluating brands as more sustainable, simultaneously fuelling the fast fashion business model.

The big fish

Several independent brands are reinventing themselves as genuinely conscious of the environment. Big brands, however, use the vast profits generated through cheap, exploitative clothing to produce enormous marketing budgets to promote 'green' collections.

Unfortunately, creating an add-on sustainability agenda to their overall business model, which relies on exploitative and unsustainable supply chain, cannot ultimately tackle the larger problems of textile waste and climate change.

In April 2019, Swedish fashion giant Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) introduced its Conscious Collection featuring leather-like Pinatex products, made from orange peelings and pineapple leaves.

However, one can question Pinatex's legitimacy as 'sustainable' and 'eco-friendly' since it contains plastic and petroleum-based agents that offset any probable positive, eco-friendly impact of utilising fruit fibres and makes it non-biodegradable.

It can be criticised that H&M's new line has therefore engaged with surface-level sustainability, a mere toe-dip into the prevailing cultural dialogue on the climate crisis and surmounting textile waste before returning to business-as-usual.

Similarly, fast fashion brands like Primark, disreputably known for its child labour scandal, ASOS, Zara and Boohoo are also a part of the broader fast fashion companies' circle-jumping on the sustainability trend.

No holistic change

The fashion industry has as many as 52 micro-seasons or one new trend a week. The extent and swiftness, with which clothes are produced, discarded and possibly reproduced through re-emerging fashion trends lead to enormous textile waste.

Major fashion corporations absolve themselves of the responsibility of handling or treating this waste. Instead, they introduce the sustainability criteria through greenwashing to promote mindless consumerism that makes customers feel good about themselves.

With this, sustainability becomes synonymous with 'eco-friendly' at the expense of essential economic, health, social, and cultural facets. The industry's reluctance to tackle sustainability holistically and resorting to cherry-picking to fulfil its agenda, is more damaging to the ecosystem than beneficial.

Arguably, 'sustainability' by these fast fashion brands does not ensure reforms in garment-producing factories for better conditions and wages. Neither does it involve resilience in their sustainability effort when seeking to mass-produce 'sustainable' clothing.

For instance, ASOS claims that it supports Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), an initiative to uplift the condition of farmers in the region. However, while the company claims to offer crucial agricultural training and business understanding, farmers are not taught how to diversify their income in a risk-prone climate and exist independently from the western fashion giant's profits and losses.

Identifying greenwashing

While navigating and identifying insidious greenwashing can be overwhelmingly difficult, a fundamental rule of thumb would be to see whether a brand promotes sustainability as an add-on rather than a core to its business model.

One needs to look out for numbers, including facts and figures backed by science instead of vague words. For instance, one could question what percentage of a certain brand's 'sustainably made' or 'eco-friendly' products are made with recycled materials or what quantifiable objectives have these brands listed publicly.

Brands also often promote greenwashing by claiming to use natural degradable fibres like viscose, rayon and bamboo. It is, however, important to understand how these materials are sourced to determine their closed-loop sustainability and trade-offs.

For instance, while bamboo is a fast-growing fibre, it is frequently exposed to harmful pesticides and chemicals while turning into the fabric, making it very polluting. Similarly, viscose can contribute to deforestation unless it is extracted from a certified source. Vegan does not mean sustainable either as it is made from oil, making it environmentally damaging.

Checking for various certifications like Bluesign, Cradle to Cradle Certified, Fair Trade Textiles Standard, Global Organic Textile StandardandOrganic Content Standards, where each seeks to offer an approved standard across the supply chain, is vital.

Meanwhile, Fair Wear FoundationandWorker Rights Consortiumcan help provide reports and updates on various investigations looking at the treatment of factory workers globally.

Despite the pervasive greenwashing, many fashion brands have genuinely attempted to spread their message of sustainability within the broader community. We can begin by looking at Everlane, a direct-to-consumer brand which pioneered the concept of "radical transparency". This method charts out the cost of labour, materials and the company's profit margin for each item.

Patagonia has been offering to repair and buyback programs to encourage a circular economy, ensuring protection of the environment and people working or interacting with the company.

Similarly, despite its drawbacks, Nike has considerably improved its supply chains over many years, using innovation as the key driver for sustainability.

Indian brands like Doodlage working with eco-friendly materials, such as organic cotton, corn fabric, banana fabric and discarded textile from large manufacturers and many other national and international brands, have followed suit.

And yet, according to the 2019 Pulse of the Fashion Industry report, sustainability measures in the fashion industry seem to be slowing down rather than fast-tracking to tackle the climate crises and surmounting textile waste.

Perhaps more companies could consider Nike's successful approach, which involves increasing R&D expenditure instead of marketing, thereby decreasing costs and increasing long-term margins, while promoting circular economy simultaneously. On the bright side, significant R&D innovations are already underway.

Views expressed are the authors own and dont necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth

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The deception of greenwashing in fast fashion - Down To Earth Magazine

Flying high: Naturalist charts transformation of Mar Lodge estate as wildlife haven reaches landmark in 200-year regeneration – The Sunday Post

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It is today a stunning Highland haven for 5,000 species of wildlife, including some of Scotlands most endangered birds and animals.

The future of the Mar Lodge Estate and its expanse of Caledonian woodlands, mountains, bogs and moor was not always so certain.

It was once a contested landscape where some species had been driven to the brink of extinction while swathes of ancient pines had been lost in large part to overgrazing of red deer, a place where hunting and shooting enthusiasts locked horns with conservationists over how the land should be managed.

That was until 1995, when the National Trust for Scotland bought the 30,000-hectare estate with its sights set on a 200-year restoration plan that, according to ecologist Andrew Painting, would create one huge, functioning eco-system.

Now, a quarter-of-a-century on, one-eighth of that vision is complete. Today, the Mar Lodge Estate National Nature Reserves treasures are returning to their former glory, with environmental conservation and field sports existing in harmony.

Andrew, who charts the projects progress, says it is one of the most exciting, progressive conservation stories playing out in Britain. His new book, Regeneration, is a celebration of that success. The 31-year-old lifelong naturalist said: Mar Lodge has shown that Highland sport and environmental restoration can sit hand in hand.

And, he said, it was cause for global optimism: Our environment faces greater challenges than ever before, but these stories show that there is still hope for the future.

By the time the trust took it on, Mar Lodge had been managed as a sporting estate for almost two centuries, while field sports had been undertaken there for almost a millennium. Its great ancient pinewoods were reduced to remnants. Mountain wood and scrub was lost and bogs became eroded and scarred. Animals like lynx, boar, beaver and wolf disappeared either through destruction of habitat or hunting. Smaller species went too. The only large mammals left were red deer, in their many thousands.

Andrew said that, for many, the iconic stag and sporting culture was what made the Highlands special. But he added: For many others, the grazed, burned, drained moors and dying woodlands were a landscape of environmental and cultural destruction. The conservationists turned the heat on the sporting industry, who in turn accused the tree-huggers of wanting to kill centuries-old traditions and harm the local economy.

When the estate came up for sale, NTS already responsible for places like Glencoe, Torridon, and St Kilda was perceived as less tree-hugger, more tartan and tweed he said, and a good fit for a controversial landscape at a controversial time.

The ecologist explained: The basic problem in 1995 was the woodlands just werent regenerating, and hadnt done for a couple of hundred years. The main reason is there were too many red deer. From the outset, the idea has been to link environmental conservation with Highland sports, with environmental conservation taking the lead role. There needed to be fewer deer across quite a large area of the estate. This was done by increasing the annual cull and without fencing.

Some of the conservationists decided the trust wasnt culling enough deer, meanwhile sporting organisations were worried this was going to be the end of sporting culture, but in the event this was not the case. There are still 1,600 deer at Mar Lodge and the woodlands are quite something to see.

We have definitely over doubled the total area of Caledonian pinewood on the estate. This is all natural regeneration, no planting.

We estimate we now have between one and two million Caledonian pines, which take 200 years to come to maturity. But that doesnt mean you cant see progress in the short term as well. We are finding huge increase in orchids and other species, simply because the grazing pressure has been reduced.

Among species to emerge in the past four years is the rare Dark-red Helleborine and the Greater Butterfly Orchid.

He added: We still have Highland sporting on the estate, less so in the woodlands, but we are slowly getting to a place where the two are aligning quite nicely.

In the mountains deer management has also meant rare montane scrubland are beginning to flourish. He said: What is exciting is that you can see the change year on year. Now we can expect to see a lot more small birds like the ring ouzel, which are declining quite badly across Scotland and the UK. They will benefit from more areas of montane scrub.

We are also seeing other species associated with montane scrub like rare ferns and northern blaeberry. The other interesting thing about montane scrub is the carbon sequestration. The mountains are probably capturing more carbon than they would have 25 years ago.

But the estates moors are the champions of carbon capture. Andrew explained: In 2013 the trust assessed the total peat coverage on most of its upland properties, using satellite imagery and ground surveys the Mar Lodge bogs were found to hold about a third of all the trusts peatland carbon stocks: nine million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. That means it holds one ninth of Scotlands annual carbon emissions in its peat bogs. But when moors are in degraded condition they become carbon emitters.

Andrew admits the best part of his job is counting the nests of rare hen harriers. We have seen a major return in the last five years, he said. These days we have between five and 10 pairs. Hen harriers returned to Mar Lodge as a breeding species for the first time in living memory in 2016. They were persecuted pretty much to extinction on mainland Scotland in the 19th Century. The decline of the hen harrier is one of the main reasons why the Scottish Government is pushing for licencing of grouse moors.

He hopes the book which he is at pains to point out holds his views and not that of the trust will help people to reconnect with the natural world. He said: There is hope for the future of our wildlife, our planet and its people. But it takes a lot of work and we are not there yet.

So, 175 years on, will the Mar Lodge conservation story have a happy ending?

If I was to put my ecologist hat on I would say there is no such thing as an ending, just a case of continuing to try to improve things in future. He cited an academic paper on bird extinction that showed 187 of the worlds 11,147 species were estimated to have disappeared in the past 500 years with fears for a further 471.

But it also showed conservative estimates that global conservation efforts have reduced the effective extinction rate by 40%. He smiled: For all the doom and gloom, we know how to save species from extinction; we just have to find the resources, collectively, to do it.

The trust can be proud of what it has achieved up to now. I go to work with optimism every day.

The National Trust for Scotland bought the 30,000-hectare Mar Lodge Estate for the below market value price of 5.6 million in 1995 with support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Easter Charitable Trust, entering into a management agreement with the then Scottish Natural Heritage over its woodland.

The estate which covers the land to the west of Braemar and to the east of Glen Tilt forms part of the largest stretch of high subarctic ground in Britain.

It is the largest National Nature Reserve in Scotland, and boasts 15 Munros and four of the five highest mountains in Scotland including Ben Macdui at 4,295ft.

It has the highest source of any river in Britain, is home to one of two of the oldest known Scots pines in Scotland dating back to 1477 and to the countrys second largest Caledonian pine, a monster at around 100ft and with a girth measuring nearly 20ft.

It also boast the second highest altitude tree a rowan 3,595ft above sea level. With in excess of 5,000 species recorded on the estate, over 10% of all the species found in Scotland, the estate holds eleven national and international environmental designations designed to protect it.

Regeneration: The Rescue Of A Wild Land is out next month from Birlinn

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Flying high: Naturalist charts transformation of Mar Lodge estate as wildlife haven reaches landmark in 200-year regeneration - The Sunday Post

Jekyll board voices opposition to casino gambling on island – Brunswick News

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The board of the Jekyll Island Authority approved Tuesday a resolution opposing any effort to bring casino gambling to the island.

There is no plan to open casinos on Jekyll Island. The resolution is in opposition to House Resolution 30 now under consideration by the state legislature.

The resolution calls for a statewide referendum authorizing a limited number of casino resorts

The legislation does not call specifically for casino gambling on Jekyll. Instead, it seeks to require a vote from local jurisdictions that would be interested in creating casino gambling opportunities.

I understand that there are three jurisdictions in Georgia that are interested, said Jones Hooks, JIA executive director. Nevertheless, there was just recently an editorial in The Brunswick News which expressed concern about casino gambling as it related to Jekyll Island, and as a result of that editorial there was social media discussion about expressing concerns, that is this something thats being considered for Jekyll Island?

In response to those concerns, Hooks and board members felt compelled to propose their own resolution making their opposition clear.

We are proposing a resolution today that would confirm that Jekyll Islands interest continues to be in quiet, open spaces, limited traffic, limited congestion, where people will experience healthy recreation, Hooks said.

JIA has in past years expressed its opposition to bringing casino gambling to the island. As Jekyll has undergone significant revitalization efforts in recent years, the focus has been on the islands family-friendly activities and natural attractions.

It would be of concern from a management standpoint if in fact there were to be an effort to look at casino gambling on Jekyll, Hooks said.

A state legislator from Savannah expressed an interest in Jekyll Island as a potential destination for a casino if the General Assembly approved legalized gambling in Georgia. Jekyll Island is owned by the state.

The JIA resolution reads, in part, that the Jekyll Island State Park Authority Board of Directors expresses its strong opposition to any thought, discussion or action that would include Jekyll Island as a location for casino gambling; and in light of Georgia House of Representatives Resolution 30 calling for a statewide referendum authorizing a limited number of casino resorts, that the Jekyll Island Authority Board has not, does not and will not support casino gambling on Jekyll Island.

Board members also voted during the meeting to amend the language of the resolution to include clarification that the JIA does not oppose gambling in the state.

In other business, the board voted to revise and amend the 2021 fiscal year budget to allow for $130,000 for employee compensation/merit increases and $242,000 to include $150,000 for the new Public Safety Complex design, $65,000 for a Jekyll Island Master Plan update and $27,000 for replacement bicycles at the Bike Barn.

The budget, approved by the board in July, was revised from the originally discussed spending plan and took out $3 million worth of expenses. These cuts were made in response to the pandemics financial toll on the island.

We did talk about the fact that since the future was so uncertain and unknown that we would like to bring forward the idea that, if in fact after six months or so we were making good progress, that there may be some items that we would like you to realign in the budget, Hooks said. Today thats what were looking at.

In early 2020, as the pandemic began affecting island operations, JIA made significant adjustments to decrease expenditures, including at one point the furloughing of 43 percent of its workforce. One of the changes proposed and approved Tuesday was a 2 percent merit pay increase for all full-time and part-time Jekyll staff based on the normal qualifications for merit increases.

The cost for the remainder of this fiscal year will be approximately $130,000, said Marjorie Johnson, JIAs chief accounting officer.

Were not asking for any additional funds to be put into the budget at this point because our human resources expenses are $539,000 less than budget at this point she said. So well be able to absorb the increase without asking for additional funds.

Noel Jensen, chief operations officer on Jekyll, asked for consideration of a request for proposals for architectural and engineering services for the public safety complex, which is envisioned to be a 12,000- to 15,000-square-foot structure that will house Georgia State Patrol, Jekyll Island Fire Department and emergency service workers in one location. Hooks and board members recently met with Gov. Brian Kemp in Atlanta to discuss plans for the project, which will require funding from the state legislature.

The board approved the RFP to seek architectural and engineering services at a cost of up to $150,000.

A resolution endorsing the Glynn County 2021 SPLOST, through which Jekyll is set to receive $2.5 million of the $68.5 million collected if voters approve the three-year SPLOST during a referendum election March 16.

Consideration of a University of Georgia proposal for a 2021 master plan update.

A letter in support of the Brunswick Area Transportation Study (BATS) committees opposition to a proposal from the Federal MSA Standards Review Committee to raise the minimum metropolitan population from 50,000 to 100,000.

An amendment to the fire alarm ordinance.

Consideration of a contract renewal for Summer Waves management.

Consideration of a lease agreement for Tribuzios Grille, LLC, to operate the restaurant currently known as McCormicks Grill at the Jekyll Island Golf Club.

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Jekyll board voices opposition to casino gambling on island - Brunswick News

Home Lands gambling bill debate pushed to Thursday – Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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A key Senate committee postponed decision-making until Thursday on whether to allow a controversial gambling bill that would allow the possibility for generating revenue for the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands through some form of legalized gaming and break Hawaiis prohibition on any form of legal gambling.

The original version of Senate Bill 1321, which would allow DHHL to develop Hawaiis first casino resort, was amended to give the Hawaiian Homes Commission five years to figure out whether it wanted to permit any form of gambling whether in the form of a casino, lottery, bingo or even horse racing in order to help clear the backlog of more than 28,000 beneficiaries who have been waiting sometimes decades for homes and land.

The House Committee on Economic Development earlier deferred the original House version, effectively killing the DHHL casino resort concept in the House.

In the Senate Hawaiian Affairs Committee on Tuesday, the Senates amended version of SB 1321 faced deep opposition from at least two of its five members and possibly three, prompting Chairwoman Maile Shimabukuro to defer it until 1 p.m. Thursday.

Committee member and state Sen. Laura Acasio (D, Hilo) said, This measure is egregiously divisive. Settler culture seems to love to watch Hawaiians fight against Hawaiians, and this measure, in my experience with constituents and those writing in, is exactly that adding to more deep historical trauma, generational cultural trauma.

Fellow Hawaiian Affairs Committee member and state Sen. Kurt Fevella, Senate Republican minority leader and minority floor leader, helped generate a petition opposed to SB 1321 that was signed by 15,600 people.

Fevella said Tuesday that he plans to vote against the bill, which he said is causing division.

Fevella, who represents Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point, said the Hawaiian Affairs Committee is kicking the can down the road while opponents have spoken loudly.

Its only getting louder, the voice, Fevella said.

The question of whether to allow the Home Lands Commission to have five years to consider approving any form of gambling on DHHL land by a so-called supermajority vote of six of nine members comes during the states worst financial crisis, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, the current level of state funding for DHHL is estimated to take another century to clear DHHLs backlog of more than 28,000 beneficiaries.

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Home Lands gambling bill debate pushed to Thursday - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Online gambling lobby says ‘no problem’ with punting on credit as MP calls for crackdown – ABC News

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The representative for the biggest players in Australian online gambling says punters should be not be stopped from going into debt to bet.

Responsible Wagering Australia chief executive Brent Jackson's remarks follow a call for a crackdown on the use of credit cards in online gambling from Queensland MP Andrew Wallace.

The LNP Member for Fisher is pushing the country's banks to create a voluntary code of conduct that would mean punters could only place online bets using their own money.

Mr Wallace said it was a "no-brainer".

"We know that people pay 22 per cent or thereabouts in interest on their credit card balances that's a very dangerous mix," he said.

"You can't use a credit card to go into a TAB and gamble on the horses or the dogs, you can't use a credit card at a casino, and you can't use a credit card to gamble on the pokies."

For almost 20 years, gamblers have been unable to use credit cards to access cash advances in casinos and poker machine lounges.

Suncorp and Macquarie have already voluntarily stopped allowing credit cards to be used on wagering apps, but the big four Westpac, NAB, ANZ and Commonwealth Bank have not followed suit.

But Mr Jackson, whose lobby group represents the likes of Sportsbet, Bet365, Ladbrokes, Neds and others, said there was no reason to stop Australians from going into debt to gamble.

He said online gambling was "safer" than betting in a casino or at a poker machine because it was governed by strict legislation and companies could monitor gambling behaviour in real time.

"They do keep an eye out specifically for unusual behaviour and strange behavioural patterns and activity that is not considered normal and might be risky," Mr Jackson said.

"We can take a number of interventions aside from banning them completely we often contact customers directly as this is happening."

Mr Jackson said it should be left up to punters to decide whether they used credit cards when gambling online.

"We think that consumers should have the right to choose and directly manage their betting preferences," he said.

"What we're not seeing is any evidence of a problem out there at all.

"We think punters behave responsibly."

In late 2019, the Australian Banking Association (ABA) canvassed members and others as to whether banks should disallow the use of credit cards on gambling apps.

Its report found 81 per cent of Australians felt the practice should be restricted or banned.

Only 7 per cent supported no restrictions.

The ABA described gamblers as "vulnerable customers" on its website, but has decided against any kind of blanket policy citing fears it could fall foul of anti-competition laws.

But the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it had supported other voluntary codes of conduct with banks.

A spokeswoman said the ACCC could also grant an exemption to the law if there was a significant public benefit.

Late last year an Australian Gambling Research Centre survey of 2,000 people found one in three signed up for new online betting accounts.

The biggest growth market was comprised of people aged 1834, who the centre found were gambling more and spending more.

Sportsbet's profit jumped by 108 per cent between April and June last year during COVID-19 shutdowns, increasing from $96 million to $191m.

David McAnalen said he used to put money down on just about anything he could "casino games, electronic gaming machines, pokies, scratch-its, lottos, raffles, horses, dogs".

"I was betting on everything," he said.

"If I was still an active gambler when the opportunity came into the online world, I would have embraced it as well."

Mr McAnalen said whatever the barrier, he would overcome it to gamble.

"I would always find a way I always did find a way," he said.

Mr McAnalen said he was compelled to change after his parents and sisters told him they loved him, but that they could not have him in their lives if he continued to gamble.

Now a Relationships Australia counsellor, Mr McAnalen said he was no longer "triggered" by gambling but neither was he entirely cured.

"It's the first drink that does all the damage it's the first bet that would do all the damage and everything would come back," Mr McAnalen said.

"I wake up in the morning and say: 'There are a lot of things I can do today and one thing I'm choosing not to do today is gambling'."

Associate professor Charles Livingstone from Monash University has been studying gambling habits for decades.

He agreed that online gambling had the potential to be safer, but did not think that was necessarily the case at the moment.

"They certainly could step in and stop people gambling," Dr Livingstone said.

"There's no evidence whatsoever that that's what they do."

A lot of gambling can be relatively harmless going in the office sweep for Melbourne Cup, buying a scratchy every now and then but for some people, it takes control and ruins their lives.

In case studies used in a Financial Counselling Australia study from 2015, members worked with people who had lost large sums of money betting online, including one gambler who amassed a $300,000 debt over a three-year period.

In 2019 an ABC investigation reported accusations that Bet365 was skewing its system to encourage losing gamblers while banning or restricting the winners.

This month, Oxford University research found that gambling increased the risk of death, in addition to being linked with addictive behaviour and financial problems.

The Oxford findings inspired Mr Wallace's call for change here in Australia.

"They don't want Mum or Dad to go out and blow the weekly wages at the track, or in this case online," he said.

"Banks have a social responsibility to step in and say: 'We're not going to allow this to happen any further'.

"If they won't introduce a voluntary code, I'll be recommending to my Parliamentary colleagues that we force them to do it.

"If they don't act voluntarily, they don't leave us with a lot of options."

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Online gambling lobby says 'no problem' with punting on credit as MP calls for crackdown - ABC News

Force banks to let customers block gambling transactions, Monzo tells ministers – The Guardian

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The government should force banks to let customers block all betting transactions, according to proposals led by the online lender Monzo, which wants gambling firms to hand over data to make sure the system is watertight.

In a letter to the sports minister, Nigel Huddleston, who is leading a landmark review of gambling law, Monzo, campaigners and addiction experts called on the government to use the opportunity to remove obstacles for people who want to stop betting.

All banks and other account providers should be made to offer tools that allow customers to bar themselves from making any gambling transactions on a debit card, they said.

Gambling companies would also be made to hand over their own bank account details, which could be stored on a central registry. This would help banks block all forms of payment for customers who want the feature, preventing them from using other means to circumvent card blocks.

At least eight major banks already offer some form of gambling block service but some of the tools available apply only to certain types of account or card.

About 40% of current account customers in the UK, or 28 million people, still do not have the option, according to a report released by the GambleAware charity last year, while 40% are unaware such tools exist.

Monzo said that it had 275,000 users with active gambling blocks with fewer than 10% of customers deactivating the block once activated.

We believe the government should take the opportunity afforded by the Gambling Act review to make sure every consumer in the UK can access these blocks, regardless of who they bank with, said Monzos chief executive, TS Anil.

The letter was also signed by researchers at the University of Bristol, a leading NHS gambling disorder expert, firms that provide gambling blocking software and gambling addiction campaign groups including GamFam.

These tools are simple to build, proven to work, and will help protect hundreds of thousands of people, they said.

The letter also calls on the government to work with video game companies to see if it would be possible to identify and block payments made for loot boxes, in-game features that have caused concern due to qualities similar to gambling.

Ultimately, the Gambling Act review offers a unique opportunity to create a world-leading self exclusion framework in the UK to reduce gambling harms, and help consumers gain control of their finances, the letter said.

The rise in online gambling, and new ways to pay, requires a robust response from the government.

A spokesperson for the Betting & Gaming Council said: We support all forms of blocking capabilities and are encouraged by the continued uptake by banks of these functions.

The Guardian has contacted the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport for comment.

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Force banks to let customers block gambling transactions, Monzo tells ministers - The Guardian

Experts explain investing versus gambling, concerns regarding increase in online investing – RU Daily Targum

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In January, a surge of investing coordinated by the Reddit channel r/WallStreetBets (WSB) caused many hedge funds to lose billions of dollars, The Daily Targum previously reported. Many people from WSB used Robinhood, a commission-free investing application, to process their transactions.

The ease with which people can now invest in the stock market raises questions about the differences between gambling and investing as it relates to platforms like Robinhood and the future of these platforms.

When you're investing, you're making educated decisions about future earning potential on a stock over the long-term, said Lia Nower, professor and director of the Center for Gambling Studies and the Addiction Counselor Training Program in the School of Social Work. Gambling is when you are staking (money) on an outcome of random chance.

She said that although both actions involve the element of risk, investing revolves more around making informed choices, whereas with gambling, people are making bets more for the action than for the long-term earning potential.

For the average individual, investing in stocks might be riskier than for a financial advisor or wealth manager. After all, the financial advisor has been trained and has years of experience looking over balance sheets and other facts, said Devin J. Mills, assistant professor in the Department of Community, Family and Addiction Sciences at Texas Tech University.

Mills said that while stock trading is a form of gambling, since one hopes their investment is going to increase in value, the definition of gambling itself should not be conflated with the extent of the risk. Stock investing does not have to be as risky or riskier than other forms of gambling, he said.

People gamble for a variety of reasons including social and financial circumstances or for the high they may get from the act itself, Mills said.

It is also possible that (the coronavirus disease) COVID-19 increased interest with additional discretionary funds and no sports or casinos or traveling People might have been looking for something to do, he said. It will be interesting to see if this trend persists after COVID-19 becomes less of an issue.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, retail accounts on trading platforms have greatly increased, with Robinhood recording three million new accounts in its first quarter, according to The Wall Street Journal.

From an analysis done by JMP Securities, more than 600,000 people downloaded Robinhood on Jan. 29 amid the rising of the GameStop stock, whereas its previous best day in March was 140,000 downloads, according to CNBC.

Nower said that the popularity of day-trading itself is not new but that it is now experiencing a resurgence due to WSB and Robinhood.

In the past, she said the infrastructure for investing greatly slowed down the speed at which someone can take risks, but now, people can take risks 24 hours a day right from an application on their phones.

With the ease of stock trading on these platforms, Nower said this likely means that more people are not fully researching the product or understanding it to invest for the long-term, but instead are conducting a flash mob, pushing the needle on a particular stock.

She said that although this method may work at times, there are people that spend years learning how to properly buy and sell stocks.

I would like to caution anyone to learn about options trading and the platforms before they start, Mills said. Trading options spreads is not risk-free. There is no financial security or trading strategy that is risk-free.

Robinhoods success and longevity depend on a number of factors, including future government regulation and recent high-profile negative press, Nower said.

Following the surge of the GameStop stock, Robinhood placed temporary restrictions on the trading of certain stocks by retail investors, or everyday users, but continued to allow insiders to trade as per usual, according to the Targum.

The app is now facing dozens of lawsuits from several states, and its CEO, Vlad Tenev, is expected to testify on Thursday in front of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, according to The Verge.

There is also a court case brought by the parents of Alex Kearns, a 20 year old who died by suicide when he saw his Robinhood account balance was at negative $730,000 and was not able to get into contact with Robinhood employees about what he actually owed, according to CNN.

Nower said she anticipates more regulations for Robinhood and similar platforms coming in the future.

This type of behavior can really destabilize the financial markets for the country. So it's not like there's not a risk in general to a lot of people's 401(k) (plans) and a lot of things that could get wiped out, depending on how unstable the market becomes, she said.

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Experts explain investing versus gambling, concerns regarding increase in online investing - RU Daily Targum

DC Hospitality Group Hopes Sports Betting Will Give Them Edge – WCP – Washington City Paper

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A newly formed hospitality group with two D.C. projects in the works is betting sports gambling will help draw people back to bars and restaurants once its safe to high five strangers again. Sports betting became legal in D.C. in May 2019, and the Districts first sports book opened at the Capital One Arena last year. A betting app run through the DC Lottery has gotten mixed reviews. Now smaller retail enterprises are getting into the game.

Were all interested in proving were right about something, says Jonas Singer, who co-founded Union Kitchen and now makes up one third of the team at ExPat Hospitality. He thinks studying data and crunching numbers is part of pop culture and believes Washingtonians will be eager to bet on everything from the length of the National Anthem to who returns the first kick. It doesnt have to be sleazy, he insists.

Singer is joined by Chef Tim Ma of downtown restaurants American Son and Lucky Danger and Ben Sislen of Logan Circle watering holes Kingfisher and The Crown & The Crow. Sislen also served as legal counsel to the Tin Shop bar group. The trio have spent the past two years familiarizing themselves with the ins and outs of retail sports wagering.

They think of betting as an experience-creating amenity at the sports bars theyre planning to launch in Adams Morgan and Foggy Bottom, rather than the main draw. Thats why theyre shooting for the seamless integration of technology. Patrons will be more likely to place bets on their phones or on tablets at their tables instead of visiting kiosks or windows, though the group hasnt ruled anything out. Bars can use geofencing to dictate where customers can place bets on premises.

Thats far more interesting to us and has less of an impact on our sort of aesthetic, Sislen says, reiterating that food and beverage will be the focus. Sislen describes sprawling, Las Vegas-style sports books as somewhat intimidating places with terrible carpeting. That doesnt jibe with the groups mission of being inclusive and appealing to a broad audience. Education is part of our job. So is having an interface thats intuitive.

The experience is going to be very much the same thing as walking into Lauriol Plaza, Singer adds. You see people sitting around having funan eclectic range of people across the age spectrum. Theyre going to be looking at their phones, but they might be placing a bet.

He hopes ExPat Hospitality spaces will appeal to everyone. But even if newbie and veteran gamblers come to pick the spread with a side of truffle fries, sports betting isnt a cash cow. When you hear gambling you think, Its raining money, Singer says. It helps, it doesnt hurt. But its not that much money. Its not a huge bump to our top or bottom line. Most of the money goes to the city and operators of gambling.

Theres also the challenge of addressing neighbors concerns. Not everyone wants legal gambling paired with alcohol in their backyard. Capitol Hill residents are fighting a Virginia businessmans plan to put a sports book, Handle 19, inside the former Stanton & Greene space on Pennsylvania Avenue SE.

Asked about the resistance Handle 19 is facing, Sislen says, We are great neighbors. We will continue to work hand in hand with neighborhood commissions to make sure that we operate restaurants that our neighbors are proud of. We have an excellent track record.

Ma believes differentiating themselves from others by offering sports gambling is worth the effort. What drew me to this project other than Jonas and Ben is the big lesson from the pandemic, he says. A single-threaded concept with only one draw is the first to collapse.New revenue streams, such as ghost kitchens or gourmet pantries, have been critical to survival.

Hes looking forward to working on the menus for both bars, which they hope will open before the next NFL season kicks off. (Gambling licenses may take longer than that to acquire.) The beauty about sports bar food is its all-encompassing comfort food, Ma says. Each ExPat Hospitality business will have its own personality and menu. One could focus on American Chinese food or barbecue.

Those cuisines are crowd-pleasing sure bets. But what about the groups wager that fans will rush back to sports bars after a year of comfortably watching games on their couches with beers that havent been marked up and without that too-tall fan obstructing the view?

That trend about people staying home? Sislen asks. I believe that when everyone is vaccinated, everyone is going to have that itch to watch sports with friendshigh five, hug a stranger, cheer your team on. It wasnt that long ago that the Nationals took the World Series. Being at Nanny OBriens when Howie [Kendrick] hit the ball off the post, beer was flying. Were optimistic. We see a tremendous opportunity to create amazing experiences in bars and restaurants and sports gambling is the entrance to that.

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DC Hospitality Group Hopes Sports Betting Will Give Them Edge - WCP - Washington City Paper

Betting firm accused over ‘astroturfing’ with customer lobby group – The Guardian

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A plan to amplify the positive side of betting via a handpicked group of customers has hit controversy, amid racist social media posts and allegations of similarity to controversial astroturfing campaigns.

Last month, Ladbrokes owner Entain launched an initiative called the Players Panel with the help of CT Group, the political consultancy run by Lynton Crosby, a former adviser to Boris Johnson and Theresa May.

The Players Panel, which publishes short pro-gambling articles written by Entain customers, claims that it gives a voice to the 99% of people in the UK who bet enjoyably, safely and responsibly and often go unheard.

While Entains involvement is disclosed on the Players Panel website, the companys name initially did not feature on its Facebook page, which also does not show the Entain logo.

Stakes are currently high for gambling companies, amid a government review of betting laws that has triggered a rise in industry lobbying.

Lord Foster of Bath, chair of Peers for Gambling Reform, said: Of course there are people who gamble without experiencing harm.

But if the gambling industry wants to promote examples of such people to try to avoid further curbs on their businesses, they should be more upfront that its an industry campaign.

They should also make clear how they have sampled the population to choose which people they use as examples.

The gambling debate is a highly complex one and in the current environment, the industry would do well to operate in a transparent and cautious manner.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, director of the betting reform campaign group Clean Up Gambling, suggested the Players Panel risked giving a false appearance of being a grassroots initiative set up by members of the public.

This is reminiscent of astroturfing campaigns that attempt to convey an image of a sector thats quite distinct from the reality, he said.

Crosbys CT Group, which Entain said assisted with the Players Panel, has previously been exposed by the Guardian for its involvement in astroturfing campaigns on Facebook.

Staff members said they created websites and Facebook pages which appeared to be independent online news sources with names such as Why Electricity Matters, Reporting Yemen and Londoners for Transport, which could be used to distribute highly selective information on behalf of CT Group clients. CT Group did not comment at the time.

Entain said it directly managed the Players Panel and rejected the suggestion that the group bore the hallmarks of an astroturfing operation.

The panel was organised by Entain, but the views of the panel are entirely their own and are expressed voluntarily, the company said.

Since being contacted by the Guardian, the company has updated the Players Panel Facebook page to include a disclosure that it is an Entain initiative.

Entain added members of the group were asked whether they wanted to be involved and had to volunteer to join, receiving no payment or other benefit for doing so. CT Group did not return a request for comment.

While the initiative aims to show gamblings best side, social media posts by one of the Players Panel members have raised questions about the due diligence performed by Entain when vetting people recruited for industry lobbying.

The profile of one panel member, a man from Leeds, stated: Id like to think I was the voice of the normal customer.

But his Facebook page revealed a list of favourite quotes containing a string of racist and homophobic slurs.

Entain said it had since removed the panel member, reducing its membership from five people to four.

A spokesperson for the company added: The Players Panel was created to give a voice to the 99% of gamblers in the UK who bet enjoyably, safely and responsibly, and whose views on the gambling industry often go unheard in the current debate around its future.

All members of the panel are unpaid volunteers who receive absolutely no beneficial treatment from Entain of any kind.

Entain also denied misrepresenting the views of the public about the future of gambling regulation.

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A page of the Players Panel website titled Findings lists a series of statistics indicating opposition to government interference in gambling regulation.

While some of them come from a representative sample carried out by CT Group in May 2020, others come from a survey of Entains own customers, carried out by the company.

They include findings such as: 81% believe individuals should be free to decide whether they gamble.

Entain said that the results of the survey of its own customers were marked with an asterisk to show that they came from a different sample set.

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Betting firm accused over 'astroturfing' with customer lobby group - The Guardian

BGC Introduces New Rules to Limit Gambling Ads on Social Media – European Gaming Industry News

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The Betting and Gaming Council in the UK has introduced new rules aimed at preventing football clubs from using their official social media accounts to promote gambling offers.

Under the new BGC code of conduct, calls to action or links to gambling websites would not be allowed on organic tweets on the social media feeds of football clubs. The code of conduct also bans any display of direct bonuses or odds on organic tweets that cannot be solely targeted at over-18s.

The BGC is writing to the Premier League and the English Football League highlighting the new guidelines so they can make clubs aware and encourage them to apply the rules for non-BGC members. Separately, a letter will also be sent to Twitter and Facebook calling on them to introduce age-gating for all social media accounts to ensure that organic posts that include gambling adverts can only be seen by over-18s.

Brigid Simmonds, chairman of the BGC, said: Football clubs are an important part of the sporting fabric of this country, followed by millions of all ages on social media.

Our members rightly have a zero tolerance approach to gambling by under-18s, so as an industry we are understandably concerned that children may be exposed to betting adverts on Twitter.

Our new guidelines make clear the standards expected of football clubs when they post gambling promotions on social media, and I look forward to them being put into practice as soon as possible.

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BGC Introduces New Rules to Limit Gambling Ads on Social Media - European Gaming Industry News

Mo. company accused of illegal gambling sues the state – Columbia Missourian

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A Missouri-based company accused of operating illegal gambling devices filed a lawsuit alleging state law enforcements crackdown on rogue slot machines is a campaign of harassment and intimidation.

Torch Electronics, LLC, filed its lawsuit Friday in Cole County against the Missouri Department of Public Safety, Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control.

The company alleges the state exceeded its authority by removing Torch machines from Warrenton Oils convenience stores, as well as other locations. Warrenton Oil joined Torch in the lawsuit.

These government officials continue to threaten to remove Torch devices based solely on their own incorrect interpretations of Missouri gambling laws, the lawsuit, filed by Jefferson City attorney Charles Hatfield, states.

As such, the lawsuit continues, judicial intervention is necessary to prevent the department and the Highway Patrol from exceeding their authority by continuing to remove Torch amusement devices from convenience stores.

On Monday, the Senate briefly debated a bill sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, that would grant the Missouri Gaming Commission authority to go after these machines.

It also allows for the revocation of a liquor license of any businesses found to be allowing the machines to operate on their premises.

I just want them to stop violating the law, Schatz said of the illegal machines.

Torch Electronics opposes the bill, arguing that it would put the company out of business.

The machines in question operate similarly to what youd find in a casino. A player inserts money, selects a game and decides how much they wish to wager. Winners get paid by the store cashier.

Missouri officials estimate there are 14,000 of these machines across the state.

The Missouri Gaming Commission has deemed them gambling devices, which are prohibited outside of licensed casinos, and the state highway patrol considers them illegal.

Torch disagrees, saying its machines reveal the outcome of the wager before the player moves forward. Thus, the company argues, they are not a game of chance and therefore not illegal.

Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, doesnt buy Torchs argument that its machines are not illegal gambling.

Because these machines operate outside the law, Hegeman said, there are no consumer protections in place and they do not abide by the same restrictions as other slot machines including that a portion of proceeds goes to fund public education.

Im passionate about getting after these illegal machines who are stealing money from our kids for their own personal benefit, he said. It makes me mad. It makes me upset. They need to be taken out. They need to be destroyed. They need to get out of the state of Missouri.

Last year, Hegeman earmarked $150,000 in Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitts budget to crack down on illegal gaming machines around the state.

Schmitt initially declined to spend the money until a case involving illegal gambling machines in Platte County was resolved. That case ended last month, with Kansas-based Integrity Vending paying a fine after being found guilty of promoting gambling in the first degree.

Integrity Vending chose not to appeal the ruling.

The attorney generals office then said the case proves that these cases are local matters that should be handled by local prosecutors.

Hegeman said if the attorney general doesnt spend the money, we will probably make an adjustment to that. If we give them the resources to do that, and they dont, then we will find something else to do with it.

The attorney generals office declined comment.

I heard for two years that we need to wait for the Platte County case. As soon as that is adjudicated, well take action, Schatz said Monday. Well, that case is resolved.

In addition to filing a lawsuit, Torch Electronics also earlier this month donated $10,000 to a political action committee connected to its lobbyist, Steve Tilley.

Last summer, the company gave $90,000 to a different PAC connected to Tilley, and that money was doled out to various lawmakers in the run-up to the November election.

Tilley is also a longtime friend and adviser to Gov. Mike Parson, as well as one of his top fundraisers. Torch donated $20,000 to a PAC supporting Parsons bid for governor.

In its lawsuit, Torch is asking a Cole County judge to declare that its machines are not gambling devices and that the state overstepped its authority when it removed machines from convenient stores.

The company also wants the judge to prevent the state from removing or participating in the removal of any Torch machines from convenience stores moving forward.

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Mo. company accused of illegal gambling sues the state - Columbia Missourian

With new bills aimed at loosening Florida’s gambling restrictions, sports betting could be coming to cruise ships – Creative Loafing Tampa

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Image via Princess CruisesWith states now facing pandemic-impacted budgets, some are looking at expanding gambling as a way to make up the difference.Since 2018,when a federal statute restricting regulated sports betting was ruled unconstitutional,more than aquarter of all stateshave legalized sports betting in some fashion.Three billshave been filed in Florida to legalize sports wagering. Now cruise lines are looking at the same tool to help them recover from more than a year of no cruises.

Princess Cruisesannounced plansto become the first cruise line to offer onboard sports wagering. Betting will take place via a custom app onboard all MedallionClass ships. Princess has pushed its mobile and tech offerings in recent years with itsOcean Medallion program. The medallions are similar to Disneys MagicBands with an RFID-enabled chip that enables touchless interactions. The quarter-size medallions are linked to a custom app on which passengers can order food or beverages, find others in their party, use interactive maps, watch television, and play games.

Multiple casino games are also available via the Ocean Casino app developed via a partnership with gaming technology firm Miomni. The Ocean Casino app, part of the OCEAN Guest Experience Platform, will now include a sports wagering section.

A fully connected guest experience now goes well beyond a superior Wi-Fi position, and Ocean Sportsbook reinforces the unparalleled position MedallionClass enjoys in the industry, said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation. Wagering is now seamlessly fused into the overall guest experience in both digital and physical interactions all powered by the OCEAN Guest Experience Platform.

Like other onboard gambling, it will only be available when in international waters, or, according to Princess, wherever permitted by law. Guests will be able to bet on both sporting events that take place during their cruise and one future one that may occur after it. Princess MedallionClass ships have ship-wide Wi-Fi and are designed for passengers who want to remain connected to their devices.

Princess Cruises parent company Carnival Corp. is affiliated with the Miami Heat, so bets on NBA events involving the Heat are unavailable.

Carnival has so far limited the sports betting to its more upscale Princess Cruises. Sports betting is available on the MedallionClass ships. The cruise line has used the current pause to install the MedallionClass featuresonto more of its vesselswith the full fleet to feature the technology. The cruise line has pushed touchless technology as a health advantage in the age of COVID.

Seeking Alphas senior editor,Clark Schultz, believesthat sports betting will spread to other cruise lines, including Norwegian and Royal Caribbean. All major cruise lines have onboard Wi-Fi making a move to mobile gaming easy.

Sports wagering is expected tocontinue increasingin the coming years.In 2019, Buffalo Wild Wingslaunched a partnershipwith MGM Resorts that allows diners in select locations to bet on games via MGMs digital gaming platform, BetMGM. Dave & Busters has alsoexpressed an interestin sports betting.

Its still too early to know if FloridaSenate Bill 392, which aims to legalize sports wagering in the state, will pass. The legislative session begins March 2.

This article first appeared at our sister publication Orlando Weekly.

Support local journalism in these crazy days. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you up to the minute news on how Coronavirus is affecting Tampa and surrounding areas. Please considermaking a one time or monthly donationto help support our staff. Every little bit helps.

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With new bills aimed at loosening Florida's gambling restrictions, sports betting could be coming to cruise ships - Creative Loafing Tampa

How will Brexit affect online gambling in the UK? – European Gaming Industry News

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Back in June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. After several years of protracted negotiations and fraught politics, this vote was finally followed through on 31 January 2020, with the transition period ending on 31 December.

Brexits impact on life in the UK is hard to overstate and few industries in the country have not been affected by the change in regulations. However, the gambling sector is one of the exceptions. The list of UK online casinos is long, which means that any changes to the way it functions could have a significant effect on the economy as a whole. Fortunately, early signs suggest that Brexit is set to have a comparatively minimal impact on the industry.

Saying that, there is likely to be some small changes. In this article we will speculate about exactly how the severing of ties with the EU could affect British gambling companies in the future.

Unlike many other industries, gambling has never been centrally regulated by the EU. Because of this, Brexit is unlikely to have much of an impact on online casinos and sportsbooks in a legislative sense.

Currently, gambling operators must receive a license from the UK Gambling Commission. This scrupulous body ensures that all operators are operating both safely and fairly and it is in no way tied to the EU. Because of this, the only impact that Brexit is likely to have on UK gambling is to further differentiate it from how other countries on the continent operate.

What is certain to affect the sector in the near future is the upcoming review being undertaken by the Commission. This is the widest sweeping report that has been conducted in the countrys gambling laws in recent memory and reports suggest that the recommendations will be far reaching.

Number 10 are likely to back the report, with Boris Johnson thought to be a personal supporter of revised gambling regulations.

Indirectly, the UKs exit from the European Union may have an impact on the gambling industry by leading to a talent drain. Brexit has ended freedom of movement across the EU in Britain with all immigrants now required to accrue a certain amount of points in a Australian style system, in order to be eligible for a working visa.

These added restrictions to the movement of labour could dissuade the brightest workers in Europe from coming over to the UK to work driving down industry standards in the process.

Another key talking point regarding Brexit and the UK Gambling industry is the uncertain status of the UKs overseas territory, Gibraltar. The Rock is home to a significant number of online casinos and gambling companies, thanks to its attractive tax rate.

However, a significant amount of the workers in the industry actually commute to the Island from Spain. This practice could be disrupted if Gilbraltars freedom of movement is curtailed due to Brexit. It goes without saying that this would have a drastic, knock-on effect on the UKs gambling industry.

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How will Brexit affect online gambling in the UK? - European Gaming Industry News

Dozens of arrests made in bust of illegal gambling operation at Anaheim furniture store – KTLA

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Around 70 people were arrested after an illegal gambling operation in the back of a furniture store was busted in Anaheim Wednesday, police said.

The raid around 10 a.m. near the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Euclid Street was the result of a two-month investigation spurred by dozens of complaints, according to the Anaheim Police Department.

From the outside, the nondescript building appeared to be a typical furniture store. But that faade was shattered as a SWAT team responded to the scene.

A man named Jay, who didnt want to give his full name, told KTLA he was inside when police arrived Wednesday morning and people began breaking out the front windows to escape.

They just went for it, he said. I mean, its a gamble this whole place is about gambling, right?

Community members regularly called police to report suspicious vehicles and activity at the location, said Anaheim police Sgt. Jake Gallacher.

This type of thing is going on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, he said. So it is affecting our community and the quality of life of our residents.

Authorities set off gas as they raided the building to ensure it was cleared before officers entered. Police themselves had to wait a while for the gas to clear, and remained on scene investigating after 3 p.m.

No further details were available.

Cell video shows people inside alleged illegal #gambling house break windows to try & escape as @AnaheimPD moves in to break the operation up this morning. About 70 people inside arrested. From front, building near Lincoln & Euclid looks like a furniture store @KTLA pic.twitter.com/T8qU1Rn2MR

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Dozens of arrests made in bust of illegal gambling operation at Anaheim furniture store - KTLA

Bankruptcy: How It Works and How You Can Get It Off Your Credit Report – Brooklyn Reader

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In recent years, many businesses and individuals have closed down because of underlying debts. More than 700,000 Americans declared bankruptcy in 2017. And more so in the last half of 2020 because of the pandemic. It is reported that the number of bankruptcies in the latter year has exceeded the number of filings seen in any other year since 2012.

But what is bankruptcy? Will filing for bankruptcy help you in settling your debts? How will it affect your status in the credit community? Will you still be able to make a loan or mortgage despite your record? Here are the things that you need to know about this proceeding.

It is a legal process that helps you get relief from your debt by eliminating all or part of it. It calls for you to demonstrate that you are unable to pay and requires a process to liquidate some of your assets to pay off a portion of your debts. In some cases, you can reorganize the company and pay your debts without any work interruption.

The federal courts shall handle the process, and its conduct will be based on the underlying rules outlined by the Bankruptcy Code. There are still more details about bankruptcy that we all need to know and understand.

There are several types of bankruptcy, and each has a salient feature that differs from other forms. They are referred to as Chapters in the Bankruptcy Code. They are Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13.

However, this will negatively affect you because the bankruptcy information will remain in your credit report for ten years. It can affect your credit standing, and you will have difficulty in, say, getting a car loan or mortgage. This kind of bankruptcy is also called straight bankruptcy.

Under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the main point here is the reorganization and not liquidation. It does not interrupt the conduct of their business while working out on the repayment plan. This process is under the supervision of the court.

Also called the wage earners plan, this is a better option because it will only stay in your credit report for seven years from the date of filing. Unlike Chapter 7, you are not required to surrender certain properties once the bankruptcy proceeding is initiated.

Getting a bankruptcy report removed from your credit report takes a lot of time, depending on the kind of bankruptcy that you filed. Although it will automatically delete, it will take years before it is completely gone, and this spells a certain inconvenience on your part. Your financial situation is still open to any potential creditors and may hurt your chances.

You can challenge any erroneous report on your record. Go over your credit record after your bankruptcy case. This is how to get bankruptcy off credit report early. Any inconsistency or error is an opportunity to remove bankruptcy. It will give you a chance to repair your credit.

If you have been through a bankruptcy case, avoid making the same mistakes. It is hard to go through the same problems again. You are given another chance to pick up the pieces of your life. Review your credit records, work hard to repair your credit, and keep yourself debt-free.

Filing for bankruptcy is usually the last resort of most individuals and businesses to save their finances, but it will also make a dent in your credit standing and cause you to lose more than you gain. Creditors will be wary of you because of your financial history. It will also take some time before you can clear your credit record.

This is a tedious process that will exhaust you and your resources; therefore, it is proper to avoid this situation. It is best that you anticipate any potential challenges that may come your way, manage your income, cut on some unnecessary costs, and make your debt a priority.

This is a tedious process that will exhaust you and your resources; therefore, it is proper to avoid this situation. It is best that you anticipate any potential challenges that may come your way, manage your income, cut on some unnecessary costs, and make your debt a priority.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of BK Reader.

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Bankruptcy: How It Works and How You Can Get It Off Your Credit Report - Brooklyn Reader

Government Former State Scientist Calls on Ireland to Push for Renationalisation of EU Waters – Afloat

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The Governments soft-touch approach on access to Rockalls fishing waters for Irish boats is totally unacceptable, a former state marine scientist has said.

As Times.ie reports today, Dr Peter Tyndall has also called on the government to push for a renationalisation of European waters to allow coastal states greater access to their own fish stocks.

He said the EU could still handle the management of shared and migratory stocks under a more honest Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

Dr Tyndall, formerly a BIM gear technologist, was commenting after last months warning by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and Minister for Marine Charlie McConalogue of increased risk of enforcement action by Scottish authorities around Rockall while engagement continues.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney

Their joint statement was issued four days after Donegal vessel Northern Celt was boarded by a Marine Scotland fisheries patrol while fishing within 12 miles of Rockall.

Ireland has never made any claims to Rockall, located some 230 nautical miles off north-west Donegal, nor has it recognised British sovereignty claims or a 12 nautical mile territorial sea limit.

Ireland is due to bear the brunt of a return of EU quotas to Britain, at a 15 per cent overall reduction in Irish quotas.

Tyndall said that the CFP, which is due for review in 2023, is clearly a failure.

He said he Irish government should now engage the best legal minds before 2023 to challenge a management system which is in breach of the Treaties of Europe on the rights of fishing communities to an income.

The CFP is rife with injustices and the British Tory party actively worked this emotive subject to influence votes in the Leave campaign, he said.

The effect that the CFP has had in Europe is totally disproportionate to its economic contribution. Norway rejected EU membership on two occasions while Iceland decided not to join. Greenland, a home rule dependency of Denmark, pulled away, Tyndall recalled.

Even with the new agenda of reducing carbon emissions there is a strong argument that those closest to the resource should access them proportionately, he said.

Irelands leaders should have the courage to initiate this conversation with our European partners in the knowledge that it can lead to a fairer system and healthier stocks which would be more in keeping with the stated aspirations of European partnership, Tyndall said.

Asked to comment, the Department of Foreign Affairs referred to Mr Coveneys Dil response on February 3rd

Read more in Times.ie here

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Government Former State Scientist Calls on Ireland to Push for Renationalisation of EU Waters - Afloat