Lewis Pek Editor
Comment February 2020
It’s early days for the BGC, but is the grouping of every gaming
association into one entity the right move?
EDITORIAL G3 Magazine Editor Lewis Pek
lewis@gamingpublishing.co.uk +44 (0) 1942 879291 G3Newswire Editor Phil Martin
phil@gamingpublishing.co.uk +44 (0)7801 967714 Features Editor Karen Southall
karensouthall@gmail.com
The start of 2020 has been a tricky one for the UK gaming industry and the newly formed Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) in particular. It all began with an immediately infamous article in the UK national press that drew universal condemnation from Parliament.
The story concerned the streaming of FA Cup matches through betting Apps, which prompted the UK government to raise an “urgent question in the House,” something that’s usually reserved for national crises, the withdrawal of troops etc. MPs fell over themselves in a procession of declarations of outrage as the BGC swiftly announced its members had waived their exclusive rights. However, the own-goal had been scored and momentum was now building.
Within days, the UK Gambling Commission announced it was banning the use of credit cards across all gaming channels, which fanned the flames as opposed to quenching them. The statement from the BGC backed the measure, but the headlines in the papers and new channels had already shifted to the toxic nature of gaming companies plunging people into more debt. A situation that was compounded further as the NHS Mental Health Director lambasted the gaming industry for offering
International Reporter James Marrison Staff Reporter William Bolton
william@gamingpublishing.com Contributors Tomas Winter, David Lucchese, Max Wright, Charles Cohen, Stephen Turnbull, Christoph Zurucker-Burda, Tomas Staudacher, Amy Culora, John Kyriakides, Abby Kimber, Lucien Doban, Ross Parkhill, Jeremy Taylor
bettors incentives and promotions to play online and via mobile. The BGC swiftly responded with a reasoned argument and support for proper responsible gambling measures. Then came the Sunday Times with a ridiculous hysteria- fuelled story about gambling firms using a school-age education database to recruit under-age gamblers, as opposed to verifying that under-age players can’t gain access to gambling, which is its actual purpose.
Once again the BGC was called into action and in this case a robust claim against the veracity of the story was made. I think, thus far, the BGC has acted quickly and dealt with tricky situations with a well reasoned and qualified approach. It hasn’t had a great deal of impact, but then the frenzy of the national media’s coverage isn’t especially rational in the first place.
On the one hand, it’s great that the gambling industry in the UK has a unified voice to whom the press universally turns to direct its bile. However, in the past, when multiple associations represented individual gaming sectors, each issue raised didn’t tarnish the entire industry. It’s early days, but is the grouping of every gaming association into one entity the right move?
ADVERTISING Commercial Director John Slattery
john@gamingpublishing.co.uk +44 (0)7917 166471 Business Development Manager James Slattery
james@gamingpublishing.co.uk +44 (0)7814227219 Advertising Executive Alison Dronfield
alison@gamingpublishing.co.uk +44 (0)1204 410771
PRODUCTION Senior Designer Gareth Irwin Production Manager Paul Jolleys Subscriptions Manager Jennifer Pek
jennifer@gamingpublishing.co.uk Commercial Administrator Lisa Nichols
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