Tag Archives: fobts

The latest statistics from the UK Gambling Commission released at the end of last year contained with them some figures for betting shop closures that might yet be a sign of things to come for UK bookmakers. The total number of shops as of the end of September 2017 stood at 8,502, down 304 from March this year and 412 …

FTSE online gambling group GVC Holdings has today detailed its proposed bid for bookmaker Ladbrokes Coral Plc, putting forward a takeover deal that could be worth up to £4 billion, creating a new multi-channel, multi-market gambling group. Bringing clarity to its initial bid (first announced 7 December), GVC’s proposition values Ladbrokes Coral at 160.9p per share, equating to approximately £3.2 billion. However, deal …

The Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) has expressed that the latest statistics from the Gambling Commission display “very bad news” for the future of British betting shops. The Gambling Commission revealed that there are now 8,502 betting shops in the UK, a fall of almost 4% within the last six months and a number that represents a continual decline in betting …

The UK betting industry breathes a sigh of relief, as Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has detailed no industry tax hike for the governments annual budget. Prior to yesterday’s budget presentation, a number of industry stakeholders had outlined concerns regarding further taxes being demanded from the UK betting sector. At Lunchtime, Hammond would present Commons a budget ‘designed to …

Aiming to reaffirm the status of bookmakers as a hub of local communities, The Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) are encouraging people to sign a petition in support of the ‘Back Your Local Bookie’ campaign. Citing the interaction between the staff and the consumers, the campaign aims to assert the belief of the ABB that ‘responsible gambling is at the …

On 31 October, Gambling Minister Tracey Crouch announced the launch of a 12-week consultation on proposals for changes to gaming machines and social responsibility measures that will run until 23 January 2018. The consultation covers Government proposals relating to: maximum stakes and prizes for all categories of gaming machines permitted under the Gambling Act 2005 (including a reduction in the maximum stakes …

Publishing its Q3 trading update (period ending 29 October), FTSE-listed sports betting group Ladbrokes Coral Plc continues to record a strong digital momentum, offsetting the year decline of its UK retail betting division. Closing in on its first full-year of post-merger operations, Ladbrokes Coral reports improved Q3 group net revenues of 3%, primarily driven by a 12% net revenue uplift …

Updating the market this morning, the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has opened a ’12-week consultation period for proposals on ‘changes to gaming machines and social responsibility requirements across the UK gambling sector’. The three Parliamentary Secretaries leading the government’s triennial industry review; Karen Bradley (Head of DCMS), Tracey Crouch (UK Sports Minister) and Lord Ashton …

UK newspapers The Times and The Guardian have reported that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will seek to open a further ‘12-week consultation period’ for its ongoing review of FOBTs wagering levels. At present, it appears that DCMS will delay its judgement on whether to reduce FOBTs wagering from £100 max-bet to the reported options of £50, …

As the long awaited triennial review of gaming machines stakes and prizes looms, it’s seemingly becoming increasingly likely that the result will be a crippling clampdown on the maximum stakes on fixed-odds-betting-terminals (FOBTs). Since the introduction of the Gambling Act in 2005, the political maelstrom that has engulfed FOBTs has inevitably intensified the levels of tension, and decreased the levels …