DCMS Select Committee Enquiry Welcomed by Betting and Gaming Council

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has welcomed the DCMS Select Committee inquiry into the UK’s gambling regulations, calling it a “further opportunity” for the regulated industry to demonstrate its commitment to raising standards in safer gambling and supporting the UK economy. The BGC represents over 90% of the regulated industry in the UK, including retail betting and bingo operators, online betting and gaming operators, and casinos.

Further Promotion of Safer Gambling

In a statement, the BGC highlighted the many measures it has taken to promote safer gambling, including tools that give consumers control over their play, such as time-outs and deposit limits, as well as technology that helps identify and assist problem gamblers and vulnerable individuals. The BGC also noted that 20% of all TV and radio advertising by its members is devoted to safer gambling messaging, including the Take Time to Think campaign.

According to a report by EY, the UK betting and gaming industry supports 110,000 jobs and contributes £7.1bn in Gross Value Added to the economy and £4.2bn in taxes to the Treasury each year. It also provides significant funding to sports such as horse racing, the English Football League, snooker, darts, and rugby league.

UK’s Highly Regulated Market

The BGC emphasized that the UK’s regulated betting and gaming sector is one of the best regulated in the world, with problem gambling rates among the lowest in Europe at 0.3%. However, the BGC warned that further restrictions on the industry could drive customers to the black market, citing examples from other European countries where strict regulations have led to a significant increase in black market betting.

BGC Chief Executive Michael Dugher said: “I am sure that the Committee’s inquiry, like the Government’s Gambling Review, will be genuinely ‘evidence-led’ and has to strike a careful balance in making recommendations that are about protecting the vulnerable, whilst not unfairly impacting on the millions of customers who bet perfectly safely and responsibly… We must also ensure that they do not drive people to the unsafe, unregulated black market online, where there aren’t any safeguards to protect vulnerable people.”