In June 2020, the five largest members of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) pledged to donate £100 million to support research, education, and treatment related to gambling harms.
Although they initially intended to donate £100 million from June 2020 to July 2024, Bet365, Entain, Evoke, and Flutter Entertainment collectively donated £122.5 million, exceeding the initial amount.
They committed additional funds to support the "Youth Gambling Harm Prevention Programme" worth £10 million. Implemented by YGAM and GamCare, it has benefited over two million young people aged 11 to 19 so far.
Other BGC members and UK licensees donate an additional £10 million annually, bringing the total industry funding for gambling harm prevention and treatment to £172.5 million.
BGC: Gambling Harm Actions Supported by Substantial Funding
Wes Himes, Executive Director of Standards and Innovation at BGC, stated: "These figures show that our actions are supported by substantial funding and are making a real impact."
Himes noted that members have no say in the use of the funds, and donations for research, prevention, and treatment are provided by institutions approved by the Gambling Commission.
He added: "For BGC and our members, the priority is to ensure that these funds reach the charities making outstanding contributions in prevention and treatment, and fund genuinely independent, evidence-led research."
"As we move forward, this significant investment will continue, highlighting the industry's unparalleled commitment to responsible gambling and gaming."
BGC Calls for Statutory Levy Again
Despite BGC members' voluntary contributions, the association still advocates for a statutory levy to fund gambling harm prevention.
In last year's highly anticipated white paper, the government proposed a new mandatory statutory levy. It stated that this tax would be paid by operators to the Gambling Commission to fund RPT gambling harms.
However, recent changes in the government have raised concerns that this plan might be delayed or even shelved.
Overall, the UK Gambling Commission supports the statutory levy, but expresses concerns about how the proposed system might affect the industry.
The initial proposal stipulates a tax of 0.4% on total gambling revenue. The UK Gambling Commission states that this is an unreasonable charge for independent gambling companies, potentially threatening their future.
Therefore, it is urgently hoping that the new government will reconsider the earlier plans.
Himes stated: "While voluntary taxation has already brought record-breaking funds, the Mumbai Regulatory Commission supports replacing the current plan with a mandatory taxation plan, but the implementation of the new plan must ensure the future financial security of the third sector, as the third sector's work is outstanding."
BGC Donors Reflect Changes in the UK Gambling Industry
When commitments were made in 2020, the industry's five giants included Bet365, GVC Holdings, Paddy Power Betfair, Sky Betting and Gaming, and William Hill.
Bet365 is the only company that has remained unchanged, while other companies have changed since making the commitments.
Paddy Power Betfair and SkyBet are part of Flutter Entertainment, while GVC was renamed Entain at the end of 2020.
Meanwhile, 888 acquired William Hill's non-US assets in July 2022 and renamed the expanded business as Evoke this year.
