As the head of the Treasury Select Committee claims to be ‘flabbergasted’ at the evidence provided by Grainne Hurst, the Betting and Gaming Council chief executive provides a robust and empirically based explanation of the industry arguing that a hike in taxes risks up to 40,000 jobs and undoing years of progress in establishing a culture of responsible gambling.
The head of the Betting and Gaming Council has defended its members’ record on social responsibility after MPs claims that gambling causes social harm.
BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst told the Treasury Select Committee that while a small number of people experience gambling-related problems, it was misleading to suggest the industry itself creates harm.
“I think there are people who will have problems with their gambling, but that is 0.4 percent of the population,” Hurst said. “But I don’t think it’s right to categorise the gambling industry as creating social harms.”
Hurst stressed that Britain’s regulated sector already takes a leading role in consumer protection, pointing to deposit limits and mandatory funding for research, education and treatment. “The vast majority of the 22.5 million people who enjoy a bet each month do so safely and responsibly,” she said.
In a statement, Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Dame Meg Hillier MP, said: “While I accept parts of the gambling industry make an economic and cultural contribution to the UK, I am frankly flabbergasted that representatives from the betting sector could not accept that certain forms of gambling, such as highly addictive online casino games, cause social harm for some people. I don’t believe that is a defensible position.”
The BGC said that betting is a mainstream, heavily regulated entertainment enjoyed safely by millions. It argued that members support 110,000 jobs, contribute £7.1 billion to the UK economy and generate £4.2 billion in taxes each year.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has proposed raising £3.2 billion annually by hiking gambling taxes – a move backed by former prime minister Gordon Brown. But BGC-commissioned analysis warns such a move could push customers towards unsafe, unregulated black-market websites, put up to 40,000 UK jobs at risk and undo years of progress in establishing a culture of responsible betting and gaming.
Fighting back
Grainne Hurst said……. “I think there are people who will have problems with their gambling, but that is 0.4 percent of the population. But I don’t think it’s right to categorise the gambling industry as creating social harms…
