Northern Ireland urges action on gambling advertisements
The UK Government is being urged to take action on gambling advertising in Northern Ireland, where old laws cause different harm to vulnerable groups.Unlike the Republic...
Entain asks landlords to cut rent ahead of gambling venue re-opening
Entain has revealed that it has requested landlords to cut rent before the re-opening of the county’s gambling establishments and venues, after having faced a specifically detrimental year.
As of right now, the company operates more than 3,000 betting shops in about 30 countries, however this request has been directed solely to the landlords who have leases that will be expiring in the next two years.
The operator stated in its letter that a certain cut in rent would be helpful in alleviating the general operational costs for these betting shops as well as making sure that they stay operational, and being able to maintain the employment of the thousands of employees they currently have.
Despite the fact that betting shops have had a hard time with financial losses during the pandemic, mostly caused by the shutting down of retail shops throughout the entire year, the land-based industry has still been able to acquire support and help from the government.
The United Kingdom is still currently in its third national lockdown, and all high street betting shops will be allowed to open again on the 12th of April, then casinos will open on the 17th of May. Even though the BGC has requested conclusiveness on the schedule for the re-openings, the agency also accepted the government’s plan on extending the relief packages for the hospital and retail sectors, which will be helping out over 44,000 employees.
Michael Dugher, BGC’s Chief Executive, spoke against the Scottish and Welsh governments not long ago for their lack of action concerning the crisis that the gambling industry is currently faced with. He said:
“The UK Government’s backing for business stands in stark contrast to the refusal of the devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland to offer business rates relief to our members. This has sadly had a disproportionate impact on our smaller independent businesses, many of them family run, which have faced making staff redundant and an uncertain future.”
Dugher also criticized the Scottish government’s refusal to allow casinos and gambling establishments to open their doors at the same time as the other hospitality venues.
UKGC CEO celebrates cooperation with 500 operators
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) CEO Andrew Rhodes shared positive results from an operator working group program aimed at improving collaboration with gambling operators...
