House of Lords returns to debate on gambling and young people
The House of Lords returned once again to the debate on gambling harms, this time focusing the discussion on the young people perceived to be at risk from online gaming and targeted advertising.
Betfred reportedly making moves to enter AGC market
Betfred is reportedly looking to enter the AGC sector after announcing it would close 132 betting shops and shed 600 jobs on 31 July following higher taxes imposed this year, with sources suggesting the company has now acquired a small AGC operation.
Plans submitted to turn the abandoned Pleasure Island theme park into a “Center Parcs by the sea”
Long-awaited plans for the future of the abandoned Pleasure Island theme park site in Cleethorpes have now been submitted to North East Lincolnshire Council, with £70m set to be invested in redeveloping the site as “Center Parcs by the sea.”
Rays of Sunshine ‘wish’ children help open Funstation’s Volcano Falls adventure golf venue in Leeds
Rays of Sunshine was delighted to help officially open Funstation’s latest Volcano Falls adventure golf location at Leeds’ White Rose Shopping Centre, where wish families joined the celebrations and the charity received a generous £2,000 donation.
“3 carpenters, 2 plumbers, 2 electricians, 2 floor layers, 2 painters and decorators, a roofing company, and a marketing company’: Jenningsbet highlights who else gets hit by MGD rise
Warning that higher taxes would threaten jobs and investment, Jenningsbet CEO Greg Knight has criticised proposals to double Machine Games Duty on high street operators. And it’s not just the gambling industry that’s impacted – it’s the entire local economy.
Public inquiry into plans for rides at Blackpool’s South Pier commences
A public inquiry into Blackpool Council’s rejection of two new rides at the South Pier is being heard at Layton Methodist Church hall this week, with Blackpool Pier Company claiming the local authority has been “disingenuous” in refusing proposals while operating their own attractions on the seafront.
Plans for 24-hour Mega Slots Casino in Stourbridge rejected
Dudley Council has rejected plans submitted by Pots of Gold Amusements to convert a greengrocer in Stourbridge into a 24-hour AGC.
New bingo hall approved for Larne town centre
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has approved plans for a new bingo hall and AGC in Larne, occupying a vacant unit at Murrayfield Shopping Centre formerly occupied by Poundland.
Bournemouth named top “quintessentially British” seaside town in latest ranking
A new ranking of “quintessentially British” seaside resorts has been published by insurance provider GJW Direct, which puts Bournemouth in the top spot above Brighton and Southend thanks to its profusion of pubs, arcades, chippies and ice cream stands, as well as its famous pier and balmy temperatures.
DCMS names its new director of gambling: high on ranking but low on industry knowledge, Emma Floyd seems up for the challenge
It is the most senior civil servant role in the gambling arena, and the most important bureaucratic office for the industry. But Emma Floyd, a highly skilled civil servant, has been thrown into the most febrile political territorial zone without the life-saving paddle of key experience of the industry she will serve. Floyd follows a long line of officials handed the gambling mantle without the knowledge, but encouragingly, she fully gets the need for balance. And boy is she going to need it when she starts dealing with the Gambling Commission.