Scottish bookmakers have slammed Holyrood’s decision to reopen betting shops without chairs or live racing, stating that the ruling is ‘crazy’ and a ‘slap in the face’ for bookies which have most likely been struggling during the lockdown period. Scotland’s 900 betting shops – employing around 4,500 people – have been closed since March as part of the national effort …
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UK Casinos have been excluded from the government’s list of leisure and hospitality venues that will be allowed to reopen for business on 4 July. In the House of Commons this afternoon, Boris Johnson announced a series of final lockdown easing measures for businesses across England, in which pubs, restaurants, cinemas and hairdressers will be allowed to reopen providing they …
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Scottish betting shops have been given the green light to reopen on 29 June, but will only offer a transactional service. Under the government’s next phase for lifting COVID-19 restrictions, the Scottish government will prevent betting shops from showing live races, while there will also be a ban on seating within the shops to discourage people from gathering. In a …
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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has launched a two-month consultation on proposed measures which would change the way that operators interact with high-value customers. The consultation will consider the seven propositions made by a working group led by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) and GVC, which aim to make gambling safer and reduce harm across the sector. It includes …
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Claire Murdoch, the director of mental health at NHS England, has urged betting companies to avoid ‘aggressive advertising campaigns’ following the return of the football season. Murdoch suggested that the NHS’ problem gambling centres will struggle to cope with ‘avoidable harm’ as a result of excessive gambling advertising, emphasising that the industry must not ‘open the floodgates of addiction’. “The …
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Supporting those most vulnerable to problem gambling during the ongoing lockdown, a number of helplines – including GamCare – have launched the #readytotalk campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness of problem gambling support services at a time when people are most vulnerable, encouraging individuals to reach out and speak about their issues confidentially. Anna Hemmings, Chief Executive of GamCare, …
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Communicating on behalf of its members, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has declared that England’s casinos will be ready to reopen and service the public safely from 4 July. As part of the government’s ‘stage 3’ arrangement of lockdown easings, hospitality and leisure businesses across England will be allowed to reopen from 4 July, providing that they adhere to …
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The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has urged Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak to ‘keep being flexible’ following the latest update to the Government’s COVID-19 furlough scheme. Welcoming Sunak’s extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the standards body acknowledged that a number of its members ‘will be forced to operate at a reduced capacity for the foreseeable future’. …
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The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has backed the government continuing its UK furlough scheme until October, branding it a much needed measure to help support around 64,000 of the industry’s workforce. Yesterday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak pledged that the government would continue its business relief measures, in which a furlough scheme has been established to pay ‘80% of wages up …
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As I write this, I am greatly looking forward to moderating the “Brand Control – Working with Affiliates” panel session during the “Digital Marketing Day” of the ground-breaking SBC Digital Summit. This will be a highly topical session because, looking back on what has happened in gaming regulatory terms since the commencement of the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK and …
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