BGC CONGRATULATES DAME CAROLINE DINENAGE ON HER RE-ELECTION AS CHAIR OF THE CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT SELECT COMMITTEE

The Betting and Gaming Council has congratulated Dame Caroline Dinenage MP on her re-election as Chair of the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee.

The Gosport MP, who previously served as Chair in the previous Parliament, was re-elected unopposed earlier this week.

Other select committee members will be confirmed in due course.

Grainne Hurst, CEO, BGC said: “On behalf of our members, the 110,000 people whose jobs rely on the regulated betting and gaming industry, and the 22.5 million people who enjoy a bet each month, I’d like to congratulate Caroline on her re-election as Chair of the Committee.

“ I’m delighted that Caroline will continue to bring her wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for the sector to this critical role in Westminster and we look forward to working with her and the team on the Committee.

“From high streets to hospitality, from tourism to tech, our members generate £4.2bn in taxes for the Treasury and contribute £7.1bn to the wider economy.

"The BGC and our members remain committed to implementing changes outlined in the White Paper, ensuring those measures get the balance right between protecting the vulnerable, while allowing the vast majority of punters who enjoy betting responsibly to continue doing so without unnecessary intrusion.”

BGC members make huge economic investments across the nation, with nearly two thirds of industry supported jobs based outside London, including nearly 20,000 in the West Midlands alone.

BGC members have founded tech powerhouses in places like Stoke where bet365 are based and Flutter in Leeds, and support Britain’s hard pressed high streets through betting shops, as well as the hospitality and tourism sector, through casinos.

They also provide some of the country’s most popular sport with vital funding, from the grassroots to the elite level.

The Sky Bet sponsored English Football League and its clubs receive £40m, William Hill sponsors the Scottish Professional Football League, while a host of other BGC members from Betway to Kindred are supporting football and other sports.

Meanwhile, horseracing receives £350m, and snooker, darts and rugby league – which is currently sponsored by Betfred - receive more than £12.5m.

The most recent NHS Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4 per cent of the adult population are problem gamblers.

The regulated betting and gaming industry is determined to promote safer gaming, unlike the unsafe and growing online black market, which has none of the safeguards strictly employed by BGC members.