The Betting and Gaming Council said 65% of surveyed gamblers would not provide bank statements or other financial information for gambling checks. The BGC warned that such checks could push customers towards illegal gambling; a UK Gambling Commission decision on the final approach is expected soon.
The survey and industry response add pressure to the UKGC’s pending decision on affordability checks.
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The Gambling Commission said identity-data errors at operators prevented some customers from matching credit-reference records during its financial risk assessment pilot. It identified incomplete or inaccurate details, including initials, nicknames and commercial addresses, and reminded operators that names, addresses and dates of birth must match before customers can gamble.
The Betting and Gaming Council said it wants to discuss sector taxation, regulation and illegal gambling with the UK Government. The trade body said financial-risk checks should rely on accurate data and warned that unresolved concerns could drive customers towards illegal platforms; it cited 109,000 jobs, £6.8bn in gross value added and about £4bn in annual tax contributions from the regulated sector.
The Betting and Gaming Council welcomed the appointment of Lisa Nandy as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The trade body's response follows the ministerial appointment.
The Betting and Gaming Council said the UK’s planned increase in Machine Games Duty to 25% could put nearly 9,000 jobs at risk and leave almost 1,000 betting shops and casinos facing closure or serious risk of closure, citing EY estimates. The council also cited more than 600 betting shops closed or set to close since the previous year’s budget and said over 11,000 online and retail jobs had been lost or put at risk. Its chief executive, Grainne Hurst, criticised the tax increase.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has criticised the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer's decision to raise Machine Games Duty (MGD) to 25%, the trade body said. The BGC said the increase would put almost 9,000 jobs at risk and leave almost 1,000 betting shops and casinos facing closure or serious risk of closure, according to estimates by EY cited by the council.
Chancellor John Healey announced that the UK will raise Machine Games Duty from 20% to 25%, according to the report. Healey said the increase would fund additional high-street support, while the small-business relief threshold will rise from £12,000 to £18,000. Industry groups warned that higher taxes could contribute to shop closures and job losses.
The United Kingdom will raise Machine Games Duty from 20% to 25%, Chancellor John Healey announced in the new budget. Healey said the additional tax revenue would provide greater support for high streets. Adult gaming centres and vape shops will be exempt from that relief, he said.