Simon Thomas Executive Chairman, Hippodrome Casino


The EDP is an extraordinary programme - genuinely life- changing for the people who attend it. It isn’t a dry set of lectures about gambling regulation and P&Ls, but a thought- leadership course that forces you to step back and think about who you are as a leader and what kind of industry you want to build. Across the week we touched on everything from mental strength and decision-making under pressure to issues like modern slavery, organisational culture and the wider “fun economy”. It’s challenging, uncomfortable in the right ways and mind-broadening. You leave with a far deeper sense of the value of what our sector provides for millions of customers who choose to spend their leisure time with us - and of the responsibility that comes with that. In my presentation I focused on the need for our industry to stand up for our customers and for ourselves, and not allow the debate to be captured entirely by a narrow public-health narrative that only talks about costs and ignores the many benefits. We must be honest about harm, absolutely, but we must also defend the right of adults to play, and insist on evidence-based policy rather than ideology. That’s why the ECA’s scholarship programme is so important. It opens the door to future leaders who might never otherwise access this level of development, and it creates an alumni network across Europe that can think clearly, act responsibly and speak up for a sustainable, customer-focused casino industry.


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