BGC rows with APPG over RET funding pledge
Trade body CEO Michael Dugher defends industry record on funding as campaigners question contribution
Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) CEO Michael Dugher has defended industry funding pledges for research, education and treatment (RET) programmes after the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group called for a statutory levy.
Responding to a tweet from the APPG, the BGC chief criticised the “anti-gambling” group and lobbying firm Interel for suggesting the industry does not contribute enough to help combat problem gambling.
Thank you to Interel, the paid lobbyists for the anti-gambling APPG, for sharing the letter from @BrigidSimmonds which confirms @BetGameCouncil members stand by the commitments announced last June to deliver additional £100m funding for research, education & treatment by 2024. https://t.co/UJt0eC520w
— Michael Dugher (@MichaelDugher) January 13, 2021
The rebuke came after the APPG questioned pledges made by bet365, Entain, Flutter Entertainment and William Hill to increase voluntary funding from 0.1% to 0.25% of gross gambling yield (GGY) up to the end of the current financial year.
This 0.25% will increase to 0.5% during 2021/22, 0.75% in 2022/23 and then finally 1% of GGY in 2024.
The pledge forms part of pre-existing commitments made in 2019 by the UK’s five biggest operators (now four) to contribute £100m towards RET by the end of 2024.
In a letter featured in the tweet, BGC chairman Brigid Simmonds said she was “absolutely clear” the pledge would be fulfilled within this time period.
However, the APPG cited the “bumper profits” generated by the quartet over the last year, suggesting the operators could afford to contribute more via a statutory levy.
The operator quartet enjoyed mixed financial fortunes throughout 2020 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Responding to the tweet, Dugher reiterated that the operators would deliver on the £100m funding pledge but would not be drawn on the need for a statutory levy.
In its own letter to the APPG, GambleAware, which administers the £100m of funding, confirmed the current estimates of minimum funding available over the four years was £75m and short of the initial pledge.
However, the charity confirmed payment of the outstanding £25m balance would be spread evenly between April 2021 and March 2024 due to the current uncertainties around the economic impact of the pandemic.
“Payments will be made directly by each of the four companies to GambleAware and details will be published on the charity’s website on a quarterly basis as is the case for all donations,” GambleAware wrote.
“Donations received from the four companies in the first three quarters of the fundraising year ending 31 March 2021 currently total £2.2m, with further contributions expected in the fourth quarter thus ensuring the pledge of £5m is achieved,” the charity added.