BETTING AND GAMING COUNCIL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – MAKING A DIFFERENCE

STANDARDS body the Betting and Gaming Council welcomed leading figures from politics, industry and the regulator to its AGM 2025, with the theme Making a Difference.

The summit, at the Institute of Civil Engineers in central London, was hosted by renowned broadcaster John Pienaar and heard from Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross, Shadow Secretary of State Stuart Andrew, plus Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes.

The strapline for this year’s AGM was Making a Difference, as BGC members seek to deliver the White Paper, raise standards and support the Government’s ambitious growth agenda.

Right now BGC members contribute £6.8bn to the economy, generate £4bn in tax while supporting 109,000 jobs.

Members also heard from BGC Chair Michael Dugher, and BGC CEO Grainne Hurst, as well as a host of industry leaders from across the BGC’s diverse and growing membership.

Grainne Hurst, BGC CEO, said: “Our theme for this year’s AGM could not be more fitting, as we look to make a difference across the board, for our sector, our members and the economy.

“We still have areas we need to work together on. We cannot allow anti-gambling prohibitionist campaigners to continually attack a hobby enjoyed by over 22.5m people each month.

“A hobby that is the beating heart of so many sports we all love, sports like horseracing, football and darts.

“But I hope today guests and members recognised, when we reflect on all that has been achieved since 2019, our sector is primed to respond and deliver.

“This is a sector which is now more responsive, more responsible, and better placed to meet the obstacles which will inevitably come.

“We do so confident in our place as one of this nation’s few genuine, global business success stories, delivering jobs and growth across the country.”

This year’s AGM was the first since last year’s General Election, which was won by Labour, who have since set out a bold vision for economic growth, which BGC members can help deliver.

Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross, told guests: “I've seen the value this sector brings, not just in tax receipts and jobs created, but as a leisure activity.

“You will know that the government is focused on economic growth, and I genuinely believe that a growing gambling sector is compatible with creating an even safer one.

“I want to be meeting with you, listening to you, and working with you to realise our shared vision of a better, safer gambling industry, and one that does contribute to the growth agenda.”

BGC Chair Michael Dugher, added: “Thanks to the work of the BGC, our industry has enhanced its reputation as a world leader, driven up standards across the board, and championed the sector through the rigours of a once in a generation review of gambling legislation.

“That work goes on, but we are better placed and better prepared for the future than ever before.”

Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes gave an update on the sector and stressed the importance of working together, saying: “We need to have a strong, productive, collaborative relationship, but based on an understanding of what our different requirements are.”

And Shadow Secretary of State Stuart Andrew, said: “Betting and gaming are integral parts of the UK’s world leading entertainment industry, and the contribution that you make as members of the Betting and Gaming Council is profound.

“Alongside generating that substantial economic value you also contribute to the well-being of our communities, ensuring that the betting and gaming industry operates responsibly and ethically, and the importance of the work of the Council as the standards body for the regulated betting and gaming industry cannot be overstated.”

The BGC represents over 90 per cent of the regulated betting and gaming sector in the UK, including bookmakers on hard-pressed high streets, the land-based casino sector and tech powerhouses in online betting and gaming.

Each month in Great Britain around 22.5m adults have a bet and the most recent NHS Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4 per cent of the adult population are problem gamblers.