There was relief for Scotland’s 900 betting shops after the Scottish government confirmed that it will revoke its in-store restrictions, which have caused havoc on reopening arrangements. Scottish bookmakers were allowed to re-open their businesses on 29 June, beginning their recovery from lockdown. However, last-minute orders by the SNP forced shops to remove in-store seating, as well as turn-off machines …
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Casino venues remain in the lurch with regards to their future schedules, as the government denies them a July reopening. Yesterday afternoon, DCMS Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced the government’s latest easing orders for leisure and hospitality businesses – a ‘significant lifting of lockdown restrictions for arts, entertainment and sport’. From this Saturday (11 July), England’s outdoor pools, sports pitches …
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Pre-empting regulatory and compliance changes enforced on its UK online gambling operations, GVC Holdings has restructured its customer service teams. The FTSE100 gambling group stated that it will undertake changes to its VIP schemes and customer engagement protocols in-line with the recommendations set out by the Betting and Gaming Council’s (BGC) new code-of-conduct. Concluding a series of ‘industry working groups’, …
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As UK businesses wait for Chancellor Rishi Sunak to issue his ‘summer statement’ tomorrow, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has continued to pressure the government to reopen casinos this July. Branded as a ‘critical mini-budget’, Sunak’s statement will underline vital business grants, industry subsidies and workforce schemes to help boost the UK’s economic recovery from COVID-19’s aftershocks. Writing to …
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The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has demanded that the Scottish Government lift ‘draconian restrictions’ that are wrecking the viability of Scottish bookmakers making a business comeback from lockdown. Closed since mid-March, Scotland’s 900 betting shops were allowed to reopen on Monday 29 June. However, Scottish National Party (SNP) ministers applied last-minute requirements demanding betting shops remove chairs and switch …
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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has launched a consultation which will review the rules and procedures that are in place for licensed gambling operators when engaging with high-value customers (HVC) and VIP players. In launching the review, the Commission said it recognised the exceptional commercial value that VIP customers hold for licensees and the ‘preferential service’ high-value customers receive from …
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A Lords report into gambling regulation has called for ‘urgent action’ to address harms caused by gambling. House of Lords Gambling Select Committee’s report ‘Gambling Harm – Time for Action‘ has taken over a year to compile and the results do not make pretty reading for the industry, the regulator and the government. On its launch, Committee Chair Lord Grade …
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The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has called for ministers to guarantee the reopening of UK casinos in July to avoid industry job losses. BGC CEO Michael Dugher re-emphasised that UK casinos had undertaken all necessary steps to ensure that venues are ‘covid proof’ and able to reopen safely in July, with the majority of UK leisure and hospitality businesses. …
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Responsible Affiliates in Gambling (RAiG) has announced that its membership body supports ‘in principle the introduction of statutory licensing or registration regime’ for affiliates operating within the UK gambling market. Support for the introduction of an affiliate-centric licensing regime follows RAiG’s internal review of existing social responsibility and responsible gambling standards related to affiliate marketing practices. It said in a …
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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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