Legislation

UK – Senet Group publishes five point pledge from British betting companies

By Phil - 7 November 2019

The Senet Group, has pulled together ten of the biggest betting groups in the UK, including Bet365, William Hill and Ladbrokes owner GVC, to sign up to ‘the most comprehensive set of measures to support the UK Gambling Commission’s national strategy to reduce gambling harms.’

The ten companies have drawn up a five point pledge, which will be independently monitored and publicly reported on. These are to prevent underage gambling and protect young people, increase support for treatment of gambling harm, strengthen and expand codes of practice for advertising and marketing, protect and empower customers and to promote a culture of safer gambling.

The Senet Group said the pledge will ‘raise standards in the sector, supporting the UK Gambling Commission’s work to make services safer and fairer ensuring, in particular, that responsible gambling messages are put to players with frequency and prominence.’

Peter Jackson, Chief Executive of Flutter Entertainment, which owns Paddy Power and Betfair, said: “These commitments are an important step forward for the sector in their own right and also signal a genuine desire to ensure that acting responsibly is at the heart of our businesses.”

One of the first actions announced is a four-year national program to educate young people, to be delivered by two charities, GamCare and the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust, and funded by a £10m grant from the industry.

The charities will work with young people, their families, and support workers to improve awareness and understanding of the risks associated with gambling. New codes of conduct will also be developed for direct and affiliate marketing, and sponsorship activities.

The other signatories to the commitments are Aspers, Caesars, Genting, Playtech, Rank Group and Sky Betting & Gaming, in a move that the industry admits represents an attempt to regulate itself before measures are imposed on it by government.

Caption: Flutter’s Peter Jackson