The UK’s retail betting sector has continued to bear the brunt of last April’s FOBT ruling, with data released by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) showing a 12.1% decline in the number of shops between March 2019 and October 2019. The number of betting shops on the UK high street dropped to 7,315 in September 2019, while the total number …
Read More »Tag Archives: fobt
GVC expects strong full year results following online growth
Gambling group GVC Holdings expects its full-year results to show an ‘excellent’ operational and financial performance throughout 2019, as stated in the operator group’s post close trading update for the year to 31 December 2019. GVC reported that growth in its online division has led the way for what it believes to be a ‘successful 2020’. It revealed that net gaming revenue ‘remains strong’ …
Read More »SBC’s Year In Review: November’s big betting news
As 2019 comes to a close SBC looks through the year to highlight major news that you might have missed in the sports betting world. This tenth edition looks at November and more specifically at an interview with BtoBet’s CEO Alessandro Fried, the future of retail, Trustly’s Pay N Play celebrations and the four pillars supporting state lottery success. Alessandro …
Read More »Tower Hamlets Council to restrict locations of new betting shops
London’s Tower Hamlets Council (E14) has confirmed proposals to implement a revised gambling policy which will prevent gambling shops from opening in a number of areas across the borough. The East London council, which was amongst a number of others to lobby for a change in FOBT legislation, has only approved the application of one new betting shop over the …
Read More »Safer Gambling Forum: ‘We have a duty of care to protect players’
Ahead of Responsible Gambling Week, which runs from 7-13 November, SBC has been looking at some of the key areas covered during the inaugural SBC Safer Gambling Forum. The Safer Gambling Forum took place at the CasinoBeats Summit in September, and brought together operators, regulators and industry stakeholders. Moderating a panel focused on ‘loss limits and stakes reduction’, Founder and …
Read More »GVC suggests 900 of its betting shops will close
GVC Holdings has responded to the news of William Hill’s shop closures by outlining that 900 of its own Ladbrokes and Coral shops could face closure, which is ten per cent lower than its previous estimates made in April. Similar to William Hill, GVC has attributed the potential closures to the FOBT stake cut brought in on 1 April of …
Read More »William Hill confirms 700 shops to close following FOBT losses
UK bookmaker William Hill has confirmed that it will be closing approximately 700 betting shops, impacting 4,500 members of staff, following the introduction of the controversial FOBT legislation on 1 April. As detailed in a media statement, William Hill had entered into a consultation process with its retail colleagues. The statement explained: “This follows the Government’s decision to reduce the …
Read More »Paul Graham, Mark Jarvis: The FOBT ruling has been tough for independent bookmakers
With the FOBT ruling coming into play earlier this year, the effect upon retail-focused bookmakers has been tough, with some having to close their doors for good. In a chat with Paul Graham from Mark Jarvis Racing, he told SBC that the FOBT ruling has been tough on independent bookmakers, but that he hopes the new partnership with FSB will …
Read More »UKGC’s May stats reflect retail reality
The UK’s retail landscape has continued to suffer over recent months with the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) reporting a 1.5 per cent decrease in the number of shops since March 2018. As part of the biannual statistics published by the regulator, the total number of betting shops has fallen to 8423, while licensed arcades and bingo premises have also dropped …
Read More »Tracey Crouch joins Horse Welfare Board as independent member
Former Minister for Sport and Civil Society (DCMS), Tracey Crouch, has joined the British racing’s Horse Welfare Board after being appointed as an independent member. The MP for Chatham and Aylesford will join Barry Johnson, President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and past Chairman of World Horse Welfare, on the board. The Welfare Board will oversee the promotion …
Read More »