UK operators hopeful of conducive relationship with Labour government

Several leading figures from UK operators have called for the Labour government to engage and collaborate effectively to deliver the changes laid out in the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review.

Speaking at the SBC Lisbon Summit, evoke CEO Per Widerström, Sky Betting and Gaming chief commercial officer (CCO) Steve Birch, MrQ CEO Savvas Fellas and BoyleSports CEO Vlad Kaltenieks all explained their hopes for continued engagement with the new adminstration, as well as the Gambling Commission.

With the white paper having been delivered in April 2023 and the subsequent Gambling Commission consultation periods, definitive and wide-ranging changes have yet to take place.

The pilot scheme for financial risk checks started last month – the headline shift from the white paper recommendations – while a £5 stake limit on online slots has been kicked into the long weeds until statutory regulations bring it into effect.

The previous Conservative government had hoped for the stake limit to be introduced by September.

But with Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour sweeping into power in July, and with more pressing issues in his in-tray, gambling reform has yet to have had much of an exploration.

The prime minister chose House of Lords member Baroness Twycross to lead on gambling policy within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It was a leftfield move as many expected Stephanie Peacock, the former shadow gambling minister, to retain her position in government.

Lady Twycross sat on a panel this week at the Labour conference in Liverpool titled ‘Bad money: the economics of gambling harm’, alongside West Bromwich MP Sarah Coombes and Dr James Noyes of the Social Market Foundation.

Labour’s manifesto included just 37 words on gambling reform and the panel suggested that following the path already laid out would be the most effective, rather than ripping up the white paper and starting again.

Below, EGR details the execs’ thoughts on both Labour and the Gambling Commission.

Steve Birch, Sky Betting and Gaming CCO

“We all want to do the same as the Labour government wants to do. We want to make sure that we are reducing gambling-related harm. We want a sustainable sector. We want to make sure that customers can come enjoy themselves where there’s betting and gaming. 

“Obviously, we’ve heard a lot about the white paper. We know what was in the white paper. Us Labour carry on and get on with actually implementing what’s been set out. We definitely want to move forward at a sensible rate or move forward with what’s been outlined. It’s no good to start to revisit things. We’ve got direction of travel. We need to keep going.”

Per Widerström, evoke CEO

Credit: David Woolfall

“We have the same common goal. It is still early days for the new government that came into power in July, and they definitely do have bigger challenges to cope within the short term versus our sector. But my team and I are very much hopeful for a productive engagement collaboration, as we saw with the previous government when it comes to addressing the opportunities and challenges that the sector has.”

Savvas Fellas, MrQ CEO

“ are a lot more open to dialogue. They’re a lot more mindful of what needs to be done and the challenges – they are listening more. 

“Personally, I have some fears that it’s not enough and that there has to be action that comes off the back of it. There’s no point listening if you’re then going to do something that goes against all the things that have been said by everyone. 

“But I appreciate that they are slightly trepidatious about listening too much. I get that the industry hasn’t helped itself historically, and we’re unravelling all of that and dealing with that.”

Vlad Kaltenieks, BoyleSports CEO

“There’s an opportunity and there’s a challenge. Challenges in terms of building that continuous engagement between the operators, the government and the Gambling Commission to make sure that we are looking pragmatically at creating a sustainable market and continuing building the success that the UK has had.

“And that requires really sitting down and going through the detail and being able to discuss that in an open forum, to be able to influence and make sure that whatever comes out of the other side of it is workable and benefits and achieves the premise of the .”

Sir Keir Starmer image credit: Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street CC BY 2.0