UK gambling companies raise social contributions
The UK's top five gambling companies are making a voluntary commitment to significantly raise their charity donations tenfold by 2023. These giants include Bet365, SkyBet, William Hill, Paddy Power Betfair (Flutter Entertainment), and Ladbrokes Coral (GVC). The total donation will amount to around £66 million, which will mainly contribute toward player protection, research, and treatment of problem gambling. The companies aim to combat gambling-related issues incrementally.
This decision comes after increasing scrutiny from the public and the government regarding the operators' growing marketing and sponsorship investments. The expenditure on these activities seems much higher than their social efforts. Hence, the representations from these five companies have confirmed they've been in talks with the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) about this increase in social contributions.
The commitment made by the five providers is represented by Peter Jackson, the Managing Director of Flutter Entertainment. He emphasized the companies' pledge to prioritize responsible gaming and highlighted that the "whistle-to-whistle" ban on gambling advertisements has been a good start. This regulation, established in 2018, prohibits gambling advertisements during live sports events, specifically targeting betting offers. The operators want to ensure a substantial increase in the prevention of gambling-related harm with maintaining a safe gaming environment as their top priority.
Starting from now, around £6.6 million will flow monthly into the GambleAware charity's coffers. The long-term goal of the five companies is to generate at least £100 million over the next four years to promote player protection. To achieve this, they plan to collaborate closely with the DCMS and the National Health Service (NHS). It's reported that this funding will help increase therapy services for problem gamblers exponentially.
The British Culture Secretary, Jeremy Wright from the Conservative Party, is applauding this decision, arguing that it will spur a "huge increase in treatment services," benefiting the entire sector. However, he warns that the government could introduce a compulsory levy if the voluntary levies don't produce the desired results. He also reiterates the importance of being transparent about charity contributions.
Tom Watson, Labour MP, is still insisting on an ombudsman for the gambling sector. He has called for a "complete overhaul" of the British gambling industry, as the UK Gambling Act is considered outdated in the context of the digital age. In response to this, the British gambling associations, the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) and the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB), announced their merger in July. The two associations plan to merge and create a new British gambling association, known as the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), to establish a unified voice for the gambling industry.
The companies have also pledged to pay more attention to transparency and "safer" advertising messages going forward, particularly for children and young people. They plan to monitor ad content more thoroughly and employ modern technologies to prevent transmission of ads to problematic players. Additionally, they aim to cease broadcasting web ads on TV during the day, aligning with the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that has previously imposed restrictions on the operators' controversial advertising. The future of the British gambling market is expected to unfold gradually.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
