BGC congratulates Paul Scully for taking Gambling Minister role

Last week, Paul Scully MP was appointed as Minister responsible for the betting and gaming industry. Consequently, the single industry body for UK betting and gaming, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), congratulated Scully for his recent appointment.

Michael Dugher, BGC's Chief Executive, commented in a statement released on October 28, 2022. He said: "On behalf of the 119,000 people whose jobs are supported by our members – from the high street to hospitality, from tourism to world-leading British tech – I'd like to congratulate both Paul Scully MP on his new role and Michelle Donelan MP on her re-appointment as Secretary of State for DCMS."

Besides Donelan and Scully, Dugher praised the efforts of Damian Collins MP. Collins was the gambling minister who had been leading the ongoing Gambling Review before going to the backbenches. On that topic, BGC's boss added: "I'd also like to pay tribute to Damian Collins MP, the widely respected outgoing minister who was leading on the Review, for his willingness to engage with the industry and understand the contribution we make to the economy."

Dugher pointed out that the BGC is ready to collaborate with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to find solutions that are proportionate and lead to meaningful changes. Additionally, he explained that ensuring safer gambling entertainment and enhancing protection for vulnerable groups remains a key priority for the BGC.

At the same time, Dugher acknowledged that there are 22.5 million gamblers in the country who are enjoying safe entertainment. With that in mind, the percentage of problem gambling in the UK is currently low by international standards. In fact, the rate decreased to 0.3%, down from 0.4% for the previous year.

Last but not least, BGC's boss outlined that the gambling industry supports workplaces and contributes with taxes. He pointed out that the regulated gambling industry "generates £4.5bn in taxes for the Treasury and contributes £7.7bn for the economy in gross value added."

The recent announcement comes on the heels of the Safer Gambling Week that took place between October 17 and October 23. The BGC deemed the Safer Gambling Week a success, considering that different safer gambling messages have generated a record 25 million impressions via multiple social media channels.

It was back in 2019 when the BGC was established. Currently, the Council represents more than 90% of the online betting and gaming operators, retail betting venues, as well as bingo and casino operators. Collaboration with operators to ensure safe entertainment remains a key goal for the Council which also seeks to raise trust in the industry.

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