The Betting and Gambling Council (BGC) has said a push for safer gambling laws must go hand in hand with bookmakers’ sponsorship of a number of sports including football, racing, and darts.
The importance of safer gambling
BGC Chief Executive, Michael Dugher, highlighted the importance of safer gambling for his members: “BGC members are proud to provide financial support to sport in a variety of ways, but it’s also important that this goes hand in hand with our work on promoting safer gambling,” he said.
“Around 30 million people in Britain – half the population – enjoy a flutter, and the vast majority do so safely. As we wait for the government to publish its White Paper, I hope that promoting safer gambling continues to be an integral part of the betting and gaming industry’s commitment to supporting sport.”
It comes as the UK government is set to review the 2005 Gambling Act within the next year and a number of initiatives are put in place in a greater push for safer gambling laws in the country. In the past couple of years, for example, over 20% of television and radio adverts have focused on the subject, the £10 million Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Programme has been delivered by GamCare and the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust, and a brand-new code of conduct has been introduced for football clubs on social media to prevent posts linking to gambling websites.
The BGC
The BGC is, in the very simplest of terms, an industry body that represents the vast majority of retail, online, and casino operators in the country.
In recent years, bookmakers have sponsored a number of sporting events including the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase, Coral Welsh Grand National and William Hill World Darts Championship. This has formed a portion of the estimated £350 million paid by members of the BGC towards racing every year through sponsorship, levy, and media rights payments.
