BGC chair insists white paper delay won’t stop trade body raising standards

Brigid Simmonds, chair of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), has stated that the trade body will continue to improve industry standards by working with social media platforms and search companies to better protect players.

Writing for Conservative Home, Simmonds said that while it is regrettable parliament has gone into recess without the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review being published, the BGC will carry on its work as it wants Britain to carry on boasting “a truly world-class betting and gaming industry”.

Simmonds said that at the heart of its work is the determination to build a culture of safer gambling while preventing customers from using unlicensed options.

“We don’t want to do anything that inadvertently drives any of the 22.5 million adults who enjoy a bet each month away from the regulated industry and into the arms of the unsafe, unregulated, and growing black market online.”

“These are issues that still need to be tackled, but that has not stopped the BGC from forging ahead with our own work to maintain world-beating standards, especially on safer gambling.”

Simmonds said that besides improving advertising standards and the modernisation concerns, its members committed to contributing more than £100m towards research, education and treatment programmes to tackle problem gambling.

“This contribution makes a real difference, giving excellent charities the funding security they need to plan ahead.”

She also said its members have provided £10m in funding for a Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Programme, delivered to children, teachers and youth workers across the UK by leading charities YGAM and GamCare.

Simmonds also said that its members enforced a credit card ban on products and new codes on VIP schemes which resulted in thousands of accounts being closed.

A new game design was also introduced to slot machines to help players understand game characteristics and remove features that could lead to problematic play.

“The white paper must be delivered swiftly to ensure the industry, which supports almost 120,000 jobs and raises £4.5bn for the Treasury, is placed on a sure footing for a sustainable future.

“But whatever happens in Westminster, and whoever is PM, you can be assured, the goal and purpose of the BGC will not change. We know what we need to achieve, and that work to raise standards goes on,” Simmonds concluded.