The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), a key requirements frame for the regulated UK making a bet and gaming enterprise, has introduced today, January 11, that Brigid Simmonds OBE will step down as Chairman on April 20, 2024. Following a choice through the BGC’s Executive Committee, which incorporates contributors from numerous sectors, it’s been showed that Michael Dugher, the present day Chief Executive of BGC, will anticipate the position of Chair from April 21, 2024.
Since its inception, the BGC has been at the leading edge of selling accountable igaming practices. In 2020, the Council dedicated to growing its contributions to Research, Education, and Treatment (RET) services, dedicating over £a hundred million to charities addressing playing–associated damage and trouble playing. This initiative underscores the BGC’s willpower to social duty in the igaming enterprise.
BGC contributors have additionally better their attention on more secure playing messaging throughout marketing and marketing platforms. They have pledged 20% in their TV, radio, and on-line marketing and marketing area to sell more secure playing messages and offer sources for the ones searching for help. Additionally, the implementation of the Whistle to Whistle ban has substantially decreased the publicity of younger humans to playing commercials at some point of stay sports activities events.
Further measures undertaken through the BGC consist of introducing cooling-off intervals on gaming machines, advocating the usage of more secure playing gear including timeouts and deposit limits, and implementing new ID and age verification exams. The BGC has additionally carried out a code of behavior limiting soccer golf equipment from the usage of social media, famous a number of the youth, for direct advertising associated with making a bet odds and sites.
The BGC has been instrumental in advocating for numerous measures protected withinside the Government’s White Paper. These consist of frictionless better spending exams on-line, organising a brand new Ombudsman for patron redress, and advancing modest but critical modernization plans for the land-primarily based totally on line casino sector, at the side of obligatory RET contributions. Currently, the BGC is engaged in 8 consultations and sixty two workstreams, participating with contributors, the government, and regulators to raise enterprise requirements.
The BGC’s contribution to the financial system is substantial, assisting over 110,000 jobs, generating £7.1 billion for the financial system, and contributing £4.2 billion in taxes to fund important public services. BGC contributors are essential to numerous sectors, consisting of making a bet stores on excessive streets, the hospitality, leisure, and tourism industries thru land-primarily based totally casinos and bingo, and on-line gaming thru main era firms.
The recruitment method for a brand new CEO will begin immediately, led through an outside recruitment company, marking a brand new bankruptcy withinside the BGC’s adventure to influence the igaming enterprise in the direction of better requirements and accountable growth.
Michael Dugher, Chief Executive, BGC said: “I would love to pay tribute to Brigid for all of the high-quality paintings she has finished on the BGC. She has made a large contribution at some point of her 4 and a 1/2 of years as Chairman, launching the employer and bringing collectively the exceptional sectors. She has additionally led a extrade programme throughout the enterprise that has visible a continuing attention on elevating requirements on more secure playing. Brigid is a excessive-integrity chief who’s rightly held in massive regard, now no longer simply withinside the making a bet and gaming enterprise, however throughout such a lot of different industries and sectors, and throughout the political divide.
“Together with a brand new CEO withinside the Spring, I appearance ahead as Chair to constructing on that success – persevering with and intensifying the paintings of extrade on requirements, talking up for the tens of lots of ladies and men who paintings withinside the enterprise, and making sure that the hundreds of thousands of those who revel in a everyday wager can accomplish that enjoyably and safely.”
Brigid Simmonds OBE, outgoing Chairman, commented: “It has been a privilege to play my component withinside the improvement of the BGC given that its formation in 2019 and it’s been an honour to symbolize the 110,000 humans whose jobs depend on the regulated making a bet and gaming enterprise.
“I even have very well loved operating with our contributors, huge and small, to elevate requirements, create a lifestyle of more secure gaming and construct public and institutional accept as true with in our world-magnificence enterprise.
“I would love to thank the Executive Committee, colleagues, contributors, charities and stakeholders, who’ve supported me and labored very difficult to supply all the achievements of which the BGC is rightly proud.
“Since the BGC became established, it has labored with contributors to seriously improve requirements throughout the regulated making a bet and gaming sector, whilst operating carefully with Government at the wide-ranging bundle of balanced, proportionate and powerful reforms, contained withinside the White Paper.”