MPs received almost £225,000 in wages and gifts from gambling industry
Audit from The Guardian reveals extent to which lawmakers are courted by operators and trade bodies ahead of Gambling Act 2005 review
UK politicians have taken almost £225,000 in wages and gifts from the gambling industry since August 2020, according to an audit from The Guardian.
The audit found 28 MPs had been beneficiaries of the gambling industry over the past 14 months, made up of 19 Conservatives and nine Labour members.
A significant proportion of the near £225,000 kitty found its way to Conservative MPs Philip Davies and Laurence Robertson with the pair both being paid a wage from Entain and the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), respectively.
Davies was paid £49,980 for advising Entain on safer gambling and customer service and received hospitality worth a combined £8,695 from the London-listed operator, Flutter, Gamesys and the BGC.
Robertson received £24,000 from the BGC for his advisory role while also accepting tickets worth £9,307 from Entain, Flutter and the BGC.
Entain spent nearly £41,000 on hospitality for MPs over the summer while the BGC spent £20,405.
All hospitality and salaries paid to MPs were declared to the register of members’ interest in line with parliamentary rules.
The audit comes ahead of the review of the Gambling Act 2005 and increased debate of the legislation in the House of Commons, with questions posed over impartiality of MPs after accepting gifts from the industry.
According to The Guardian, of the 13 MPs who benefited from the BGC’s hospitality, three spoke out in support of the industry within days of being entertained.
In the summer, Conservative MP Scott Benton said many people would be “concerned about some of the Gambling Commission’s proposals on affordability” just hours before receiving a ticket to the Euro 2020 semi-final between England and Denmark, worth £3,457, courtesy of Entain.
Labour MP John Spellar also spoke out in support of the industry during the same debate in which Benton raised his points.
Spellar said: “Is there not an urgent need to recognise this industry’s importance for the Treasury, but also for the wider ecosystem that makes Britain a desirable destination?”
The MP for Warley had received hospitality packages from both Flutter and the BGC.
According to the audit, Benton has received hospitality tickets worth £7,495 making him the MP with the third highest renumeration package from the industry, behind Davies and Robertson.
An Entain spokesperson said: “Any political engagement we conduct is always in line with the registers of members’ interest. As a sports betting and interactive entertainment company, we are proud of the role we play in supporting grassroots and elite sports both in the UK and internationally.”
A BGC spokesperson added: “Any hospitality is consistent with the parliamentary rules and is fully declared and transparent.”