Topics : “Uncertainty on the impact of supply following the closure of pubs, clubs and restaurants last week caused some people to purchase differently,” said Julie Ryan, CEO of industry group Retail Drinks Australia which recommended the measure.”These temporary measures will ensure that all consumers can continue to access their favorite drinks when they decide to make a purchase.”In Australia, where government figures show one in six adults drinks more than the recommended daily maximum, pubs and bars were closed last week under a shutdown intended to keep people apart and slow the spread of an illness that has infected nearly 5,000 Australians and led to 21 deaths.That led to photos circulated on social media of Australians in liquor stores with trolleys piled high with drink, prompting warnings about heightened risk of alcohol-related violence and illness. Australia’s retailers are putting limits on purchases of alcohol as hoarders turn their attention from toilet paper and other household essentials to drink amid a widespread shutdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus.Supermarket giants Woolworths Group Ltd, Coles Group Ltd and others agreed this week to limit sales for each shopper after social distancing measures to keep people home resulted in spikes in drink purchases.The measures show how panic buying that began with toilet paper and rice is making its way through the retail sector as people fret about product availability despite assurances from the authorities that there is enough to go around.
In the week to March 27, Australian spending in liquor shops was up 86% on the same period a year earlier, according to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Even factoring in the shutdown of pubs, bars and restaurants, alcohol spending jumped 34%.The new rationing is not stingy by most people’s standards: each person may buy daily up to two cases of 24 beers each or pre-mixed drinks, a case of 12 bottles of wine, or two bottles of spirits, with a limit of two product categories.The limits do not apply in the state of Western Australia, where the government imposed its own limit on alcohol purchases, citing health concerns and hopes of curbing alcohol-fuelled violence.”People are under a lot of stress, with worries about the disease, financial impacts and social isolation,” said Caterina Giorgi, CEO of policy group the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education.”Many people are at increased risk of alcohol use spiraling out of control, with negative effects on their own health and sometimes the safety of those around them.”The hoarding has moved beyond foodstuff at retailers. Shelves of stationery chain Officeworks, owned by Wesfarmers Ltd , have been stripped of home office gear amid a rush of people working from home. Nurseries are also sold out of seedlings of edible plants like tomatoes and potatoes as people plan for shortages. 
Betfred counters Oppenheimer bid in race to rescue Phumelela August 26, 2020 GVC Holdings has become the latest gambling company to issue a claim to Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) regarding compensation owed from tax charges related to fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs).After William Hill followed the lead of Betfred and Rank Group earlier in the week, GVC has predicted that a successful claim ‘will result in a cash inflow to the Group of approximately £200m’.GVC’s HMRC rebate stands from an April High Court ruling that favoured a joint appeal issued by Betfred and Rank which contested HMRC VAT charges on machine duties, with operators claiming that they could exempt charges in accordance to EU taxation policies and its precedent on fiscal neutrality.The High Court sided with the betting operators on the grounds that HMRC had made no distinction with regards to the ‘supply of games’ until it updated its VAT policy in January 2013.In a statement, GVC said: “GVC Holdings PLC has learned that the UK tax authority, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, has taken the decision not to appeal the ruling of the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber) in the cases of the Done Brothers (Cash Betting) Ltd (trading as Betfred) and Rank Group Plc concerning the application of VAT to certain gaming machines and fixed odds betting terminals within licenced betting shops.“The Rank dispute concerned the VAT liability of gambling made using certain gaming machines prior to 5 December 2005 while the Done Brothers dispute related to the tax treatment of supplies of gambling by means of fixed odds betting terminals (“FOBTs”) during the period prior to 31 January 2013.“The Group understands it will be eligible for a rebate of historic VAT incorrectly paid on gaming machine revenues from its own Ladbrokes betting shops in the period 1 October 2002 to 31 January 2013.”Yesterday, William Hill confirmed it would seek compensation from the government, stating it was examining scenarios related to its rebate fee.It added: “Whilst William Hill currently expects the net cash recovery to be material, its precise quantum remains uncertain. Nevertheless, the board has considered a number of scenarios which suggest a potential net cash recovery of between £125m and £150m.” Share Related Articles StumbleUpon GVC hires ‘comms pro’ Tessa Curtis to re-energise media profile August 25, 2020 Share Submit SBC Magazine Issue 10: Kaizen Gaming rebrand and focus for William Hill CEO August 25, 2020
The “A” national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina will play a semi-final EURO 2020 play-off match with Northern Ireland at the Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica on 26th March at 20:45 h.The FF BH timely began organizational preparations for the play-off matches that included a sales plan and a ticket distribution.The individual ticket prices are: “West” 30 BAM, “East” 20 BAM, “North” and “South” 10 BAM, and the sale will be conducted in accordance with the relevant and prescribed standards of FIFA and UEFA as follows:Ticket sales at the offices of the authorized partner agency “Centrotrans”According to the established rules, in order to enable as many of our fans as possible to watch the upcoming matches and prevent any ticket manipulation in advance, the FF BH has established the principles that will be applied when selling tickets, as following:One person can buy 2 (two) tickets for the match, with the presentation of an identification document (ID);Tickets for minors and people without an ID will not be allowed;A person already identified as a ticket buyer at the same or another point of sale will not be allowed to re-purchase the tickets;Tickets will be on sale at the “Centrotrans” points of sale, you can download the list of points of sale HERE;The FF BH will have the ability to electronically monitor ticket sales to take necessary action in disputed cases.The FF BH has made the purchase of tickets available to all its loyal fans in the offices of the authorized partner agency “Centrotrans”.Ticket sales for the semi-final play-off match against Northern Ireland will begin on WEDNESDAY, 11.03.2020 at 09:00 h.Sale of pre-booked tickets for the needs of the following categories: “A” national team players, “A” national team technical staff, organized and registered fan groups, technical staffs of all other national teams, cantonal and regional federations through entity federations, clubs of the “BH Telecom” Premier League of B&H, members of the organs and bodies of the FF BH, deserving football workers and former BH national team players, sponsors and partners of the FF BH, state and entity level bodies and institutions, employees of the FF BH, will be made through direct sale at the reception of the FF BH office building (Bulevar Meše Selimovica Street, No. 95) since 11.03.2020 from 11:00 to 15:00 h.Special note:We ask our loyal fans, supporters and friends of the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina to strictly adhere to the instructions for using the designated entrance to the stand, row and number of the seat in a specific sector when entering the stadium. The locations are indicated on the ticket, and it is necessary to respect that.The FF BH has, in accordance with current FIFA/UEFA standards, installed new electronic turnstiles with ticket readers at the entrances of the Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica, and any failure to comply with these instructions could cause unnecessary crowds and additional procedures when entering a certain stand.In case of qualification of the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the finals of the play-offs, ticket sales for that match will start the day after the semi-final match, that is on FRIDAY, 27.03.2020 starting at 09:00 h.