British national daily newspaper The Guardian questions Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) chairman Neil Goulden’s integrity as he lobbied on behalf of gambling industry while the RGT conducted research into fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBT).
RGT, an independent charity in Britain devoted to minimizing gambling-related harm, launched the largest study of FOBTs in 2013.
The 1200-page study, written by Goulden and Richard Glynn, then chief executive of Ladbrokes, used data from the biggest betting shop chains, machine suppliers and interviews with 4,000 gamblers to determine what could be done to minimize harm. But the study does not recommend cutting the stake on what have been dubbed ‘crack cocaine’ machines.
Spokesperson from the Campaign for Fairer Gambling (CFG), which claims that the maximum FOBT £100 stake is harmful and calls for the max stake to be slashed to £2, said that the research did not focus on FOBTs and why they are addictive.
“Despite assurances from the Chair of the RGT Neil Goulden that this research would deliver “the whole truth” on the causal link between FOBTs and problem gambling, the RGT, a gambling industry controlled charity, instead decided to assess whether problem gamblers could be detected from data derived from machine play,” said CFG. “We are worried that the chair of the trust was busy devising lobbying strategies for the bookmakers to improve their image when this research was first announced. This needs to be looked at.”
Goulden defended the study and said that while it was funded by the industry, its research is independent of it.
“I had no involvement in setting the research questions nor did I have any involvement in the choice of researcher, the commissioning of the research, the presentation or the interpretation of the findings,” Goulden told The Guradian.
Goulden concurrently chaired RGT and the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) from 2012 through mid-2014. He also held other positions with gambling companies such as Gala Coral and Ladbrokes.
Glynn and UK Genting boss Peter Brooks are also on RGT’s board of trustees.
