The Future of Betting Shops

The Future of Betting Shops

The Future of Betting ShopsTuesday 26th April 2016, 4pm-6pm, Dining Room A, Palace of Westminster

London, England, April, 2016– The Officers of the Parliamentary All Party Betting & Gaming Group have been enormously gratified by the success of their first seminar, The Future of Online Gambling and are now looking forward to the highly anticipated next seminar, The Future of Betting Shops, to be held on Tuesday 26th April 2016. The speakers will be Malcolm George, CEO, Association of British Bookmakers (ABB), Andrew Lyman, Director of Group Regulatory Affairs, William Hill and John Heaton, Chairman, Scotbet. Steve Donoughue, gambling consultant and Secretariat of the All Party Betting & Gaming Group said:

British betting shops have recently had a very rough time politically. While some of the mud-slinging has been arguably warranted, much of it has been unfair and in some cases down right un-truthful. I am that certain that all Parliamentarians are only interested in the facts and are willing to come and listen and debate the evidence. We hope that our seminar can provide a platform for the industry to explain what they are up to now and what they see is the future for the cornerstone of the British gambling industry, the betting shop.

For the first time the Parliamentary All Party Betting & Gaming Group is allowing the invited guests from the industry to attend its meetings and join with the Captains of their industry in the debating what the future of gambling in Britain is. If you wish to attend one of the seminars please contact the Secretariat of the APBGG, Steve Donoughue at [email protected]. Malcolm George, CEO of the Association of British Bookmakers and key speaker stated:

‘Gambling has always been a popular British leisure pastime and betting shops continue to provide the safest environment in which to place a bet. As the number of betting shops in the UK continues to decline, the future of the betting shop as a community hub on the high street is increasingly at risk. Like any other retailer on the high street, betting shop operators must show that they are able to adapt to changing customer demand and compete with other forms of gambling. The ABB is delighted to contribute to this important debate at a time when our members continue to develop and enhance the responsible gambling measures in place across the retail betting estate.

The mission statement of the Parliamentary All Party Betting & Gaming Group is ‘To act as a forum for the discussion of issues concerning betting and gaming in the UK’. This seminar series is aimed specifically at providing the platform for an educated and informed exchange of views and issues.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Steve Donoughue at 0207 502 2067 or email at [email protected].

Information about the Parliamentary All Party Betting & Gaming Group can be found at www.apbgg.org and http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/betting-and-gaming.htm

The schedule for the Seminar Series is:

The Future of Online Gambling

Tuesday 19th April 2016, 1.30pm-3.30pm, Macmillan Suite, Portcullis House

• Clive Hawkswood, CEO, Remote Gambling Association (RGA)

• Anthony Werkman, Director of Marketing & Operations, Betway

• Richard Flint, CEO, Sky Betting & Gaming

The Future of Betting Shops

Tuesday 26th April 2016, 4pm-6pm, Dining Room A, Palace of Westminster

• Malcolm George, CEO, Association of British Bookmakers (ABB)

• Andrew Lyman, Director of Group Regulatory Affairs, William Hill

• John Heaton, Chairman, Scotbet

The Future of Casinos

Monday 23rd May 2016, 3.30pm-5.30pm, Macmillan Suite, Portcullis House

• Simon Thomas, CEO, Hippodrome Casino

• Richard Noble, COO, Aspers Casino

• Henry Birch, CEO, Rank Group

The Future of Gaming Machines

Tuesday 7th June 2016, 4pm-6pm, Churchill Room, Palace of Westminster

• John White, CEO, British Amusement and Catering Trades Association (BACTA)

• Simon Dorsen, Senior Director for Europe, IGT

• TBC

The Future of Research, Education & Treatment into Problem Gambling

Tuesday 5th July 2016, 4pm-6pm, Churchill Room, Palace of Westminster

• Marc Etches, CEO, Responsible Gambling Trust

• Lee Willows, CEO, YGAM (Young Gamblers Education Trust)

• Elaine Smethurst, Managing Director, Gordon Moody Association

• Wanda Goldwag, Chair, Senet Group

This is not an official publication of the House of Commons or the House of Lords. It has not been approved by either House or its committees. Groups are informal groups of Members of Both Houses with a common interest in particular issues. The views expressed in this document are those of the Group alone.