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Ohio is concluding its first year of legalized sports betting with over $761 million in revenue generated so far in 2023. In July, the state chose to double the tax on betting revenue, raising the rates from 10% to 20%, resulting in a total of $99,453,727 in taxes collected.

The success of sports betting in Ohio can be attributed to the presence of numerous prominent professional and university sports teams in the state. The revenue exceeded the initial expectations of the legislative commission, which estimated about $31 million in taxes from sports betting.

However, the first year of sports betting in Ohio was marked by challenges and controversies. The men’s basketball coach of the Dayton Flyers, Anthony Grant, highlighted the emotional and mental impact of sports betting on players.

“When we have people that make it about themselves and attack kids because of their own agenda, it sickens me,” Grant said during a January press conference.

In response, Governor Mike DeWine signed a pioneering law in the U.S. in July to protect athletes. The new legislation allows the Ohio Casino Control Commission to ban individuals from placing bets if they threaten an athlete.

Additionally, Columbus announced the expansion of the Hollywood Casino area, aiming to transform the region into a tourist destination. The number of sportsbooks in the state is constantly increasing.

With about 20 operators currently in Ohio, this number is expected to grow by the end of next year. Most of the taxes collected are allocated to the general revenue fund for schools, while 2% are reserved to assist people struggling with gambling addiction and 0.5% of license fees are allocated to a veterans’ fund.

BMM Testlabs has appointed Sean Mason as Senior Director of Tribal Services, the company announced on Wednesday. Mason brings more than 20 years of industry experience working with tribal regulators and operators to the role.

BMM Testlabs Executive Vice President Travis Foley said: “BMM’s continued growth has allowed us to further expand our Tribal services team in North America. Sean joins BMM with over 20 years of experience in specialized technical and regulatory compliance training, as well as penetration testing for Tribal gaming operations.”

“Over his long tenure in the gaming industry, Sean has built strong relationships with regulators, and his leadership will generate more opportunities for our team to enhance our partnerships within the Tribal gaming sector.” 

Mason brings extensive experience in specialized technical and regulatory compliance training to BMM. Most recently, he served as a Cybersecurity and IT Auditor for Entain, one of the world’s largest sports betting and gaming groups.

Before that, as a Technical Compliance Engineer at BetMGM, he specialized in Tribal gaming, overseeing all regulatory technical matters relating to rules, regulations, technical standards, and minimum internal control standards.

The company added that Mason’s experience also includes serving as an IT Auditor for the National Indian Gaming Commission, representing the NIGC as a speaker to ensure that regulators throughout Tribal gaming properties had proper clarification on each regulation. He also worked for nearly 13 years as a Senior Development Representative at GLI, with a focus on field inspections. 

Mason said: “I am excited to join BMM’s Tribal services team during a time of record growth for the company. I look forward to contributing my knowledge of specialized technical compliance with Tribal regulators across North America, and to helping grow our partnerships and outreach with Tribal regulators and operators alike.” 

Mason earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic Engineering and Automated Manufacturing Technology from ITT Technical Institute. He is also a PECB Certified ISO/IEC Lead Auditor. 

iGaming content supplier Pragmatic Play has launched a new product, Lucky 6 Roulette, as part of its Live Casino portfolio. The release adds “a thrilling twist” to the classic casino roulette game.

The Live Casino game show maintains the familiar elements of Roulette, providing players with their favorite betting types, while introducing six Lucky Numbers with each game round.

After bets are closed, each Lucky Number is given a unique Lucky Multiplier between 50x to 2,088x the player’s bet, boosting the winning potential. Any players who have placed a straight-up bet on a winning Lucky Number will be awarded the Lucky Win with its assigned multiplier prize.

Lucky 6 Roulette joins Pragmatic Play’s suite of Live Casino games, which includes the recently released adventure-themed game show Treasure Island.

Irina Cornides

Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “Lucky 6 Roulette takes the excitement of live Roulette to the next level. It’s set in a stunning studio that serves up rich visuals to complement the premium elements of Roulette, while delivering players six chances to win boosted prizes with each game round.

“Pragmatic Play is always looking to offer new ways to enjoy Live Casino. Lucky 6 Roulette joins many other favorites in a portfolio that continues to power up new possibilities of play for operators and their players,” she added.

International Game Technology announced Monday that it has been recognized as a Top Employer in the U.S. and Canada by the Top Employers Institute, a global authority in recognizing excellence in people practices. This announcement follows the news that IGT Italy earned the Top Employer distinction earlier this year as well.

The Top Employers Institute also independently certified that IGT is an employer of choice, joining more than 2,100 organizations in more than 120 countries. 

“Earning the Top Employer distinction in the U.S., Canada and Italy is a significant achievement for IGT, as more than 70% of the company’s workforce resides in those three countries,” said Dorothy Costa, IGT Senior Vice President, People & Transformation. 

“The Top Employers Institute provides meaningful benchmarking data that will help IGT drive continuous improvement and provide a working environment where professional growth, inclusion and communication are paramount.”

Dorothy Costa, IGT Senior Vice President, People & Transformation

The company stated that to earn this achievement, IGT went through a “rigorous” application process and provided detailed responses to more than 225 questions pertaining to the company’s people strategy, which includes its commitment to sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and ethical operations.

The application process also encompassed IGT’s achievements in digitization, talent acquisition, professional and leadership development, well-being and performance management. 

After having its vote postponed once again, the Sports Betting Bill (PL 3626/23) was included as item 1 on the Agenda of the Semi-Presidential Ordinary Deliberative Session of the Senate this Wednesday, December 6, which is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. 

The decision to include the issue in the agenda was made by the president, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), who is accompanying the Brazilian delegation to COP 28 in the United Arab Emirates. On Wednesday, senators will be able to vote through the app and will not need to be in Brasília, which could guarantee the quorum necessary for a roll call vote.

Rodrigo Pacheco

The information was confirmed by the rapporteur of the bill that regulates online sports betting, senator Ângelo Coronel (PSD-BA), who told Arko Advice that the vote on the text should begin this Wednesday.

“The deadline is short, we only have until December 21 and we will put in a concentrated effort to pass this and other bills in the coming weeks,” the senator stated.

Angelo Coronel

The consultant also spoke to Adolfo Viana (PSDB-BA), the bill’s rapporteur in the Chamber of Deputies. If Coronel’s opinion is approved by the senators, the text will return to the Chamber and will be analyzed again by Viana.

The deputy pointed out that he intended to modify the tax rate established in the Senate opinion, in search of a middle ground – Coronel’s text taxes the turnover of betting companies at 12%, while the text approved in the House foresaw a rate of 18%, in addition to obliging the so-called foreign betting companies to have at least 20% of their capital in the hands of a Brazilian company.

Adolfo Viana

In the Senate, changes were introduced in the text approved by the Chamber of Deputies, so the bill will have to pass again through the Lower House. The postponement further tightens an extensive calendar of agendas to be voted on in Congress. The parliamentary recess begins on December 23.

Government interest

The Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, said on Thursday, November 30, that the economic team will ‘tenaciously’ pursue the goal of bringing the public accounts deficit to zero next year.

Fernando Haddad

“We are going to work until the last day to get all of this passed. We have the support of both the Speaker of the House and the Senate,” Haddad told reporters in Doha, Qatar, on a series of measures being debated in Congress to raise revenue, such as regulating federal incentives based on state subsidies, taxing sports betting and changing the JCP (interest on capital) mechanism.

He welcomed the progress of the measures in Congress. On Wednesday, November 29, the Federal Senate approved one of the minister’s main proposals to increase revenues until 2024. Senators approved the proposal to modify the tax levied on so-called exclusive funds (intended for high-income individuals in Brazil) and offshore funds (abroad). The government expects to raise BRL 20 billion reais (about $4 million) from the measure next year.

Deferral

Despite the presentation of Senator Angelo Coronel’s (PSD-BA) report in the plenary, the vote on PL 3626/23 was postponed last Wednesday, November 29.

Eduardo Girão

Opponents, led by Senator Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE), managed to delay the matter with points of order and last-minute amendments. According to the text’s detractors, it would open the way to the freedom of ‘virtual casinos without supervision’. Parliamentarians in favor of the proposal, however, pointed out that the measure does not create new types of gambling, but merely regulates a 2018 law (Law 13,756) and guarantees the government revenues from games already in operation.

Bill 2.234/22, which legalizes casino activities in tourist resorts, as well as hotels and river resorts, besides allowing gambling and bingo, will be discussed by the Senate CCJ this week. The rapporteur is Senator Irajá (PSD-TO), who issued a report favorable to the approval of the bill, rejecting only four amendments to the text.

Entain is facing a fine in the Netherlands as the Dutch gaming authority, the Kansspelautoriteit, has levied a penalty of $3.26 million (EUR 3 million) on its BetEnt subsidiary, operating as BetCity, a company acquired by Entain in January.

This move by the Dutch regulatory body was in line with the country’s regulations related to money laundering and terrorism financing prevention.

As a major player in the sports betting and gambling space, Entain owns an array of recognized brands such as bwin, Coral, Ladbrokes, PartyPoker, and Sportingbet. This recent development involving BetEnt, however, has drawn attention to compliance issues and regulatory adherence.

The Dutch gaming authority highlighted the obligation for gambling providers to diligently monitor customer transactions, flagging and reporting any suspicious or abnormal activities to the Dutch financial intelligence unit 

“They must investigate who their clients are (identity check), which transactions they enter into and what their risk profile is in relation to the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing,” the authority stated.

Entain acknowledged AML and CFT failures, specifying that they occurred between December 2022 and February 2023. The Dutch regulator said it initially ordered BetEnt to follow guidelines in September 2022 after identifying specific violations, also providing instructions on how to correct the issues. However, the regulator continued to find deficiencies when investigating customer transactions.

“Following completion, Entain commenced implementing improvements to BetCity’s procedures and control frameworks, has fully co-operated with the KSA investigation and is committed to working with regulators in all its markets to ensure the highest standards of player protection,” Entain said in a statement.

Rank Group‘s Chief Financial Officer, Richard Harris, said at a capital markets event held Thursday that the company expects to get Grosvenor Casinos up to £7 million ($8.8 million) in revenue per week.

Harris said the push would happen “largely through activity that is within our control.” However, he conceded the figure is “before the benefits of the Gambling Act review” and before we the company makes any material changes to the property estate. “All-in, we expect to push the business well above £7 million per week in the medium term,” Harris added.

According to the company’s latest set of results, in the first quarter of 2023-24, revenue at Grosvenor venues was £84.2 million ($106.8 million). Continuing on the digital side, Harris said Rank sees an opportunity to grow digital revenue by 8%-12% in the next few years.

“The revenue growth, the operator leverage benefit, and the focus on efficiency will also lead to improved margins,” Harris explained. He also said Rank believes it can take Mecca from a loss of £5.8 million ($7.3 million) last year “to a double-digit operator profit in the medium term.”

Furthermore, Harris shared insight into Rank’s stance towards the proposals outlined in the Gambling Act review white paper, published back in April. He said the company had been “working through the various consultations.”

“We believe the overall outcome for the group is positive and, in particular, allows us to significantly modernize the casino proposition in the UK,” he explained.

Rank’s “main benefit” of the white paper was the increase in the amount of gaming machines allowed in casinos. “The vast majority of our casinos will benefit and we expect to broadly double the number of gaming machines in the Grosvenor estate,” he stated.

Harris added that benefits will also be felt in Rank’s UK bingo operations, due to the 80:20 rule being revised, which will allow businesses to offer a 50:50 ratio of Category B and C/D gaming machines. He further stated that electronic payments in casinos and bingo venues would allow Rank to “make the customer’s journey much simpler.”

However, the white paper’s proposals for maximum stake limits on online slots and the increase in statutory levy would hold disadvantages, Harris stipulated. “The most obvious downside of the review for Rank is the impact from the maximum staking limits for online slots,” he continued.

“In addition, there will be some costs associated with the increase in the statutory levy. This will be from the blanket 0.1% we pay today, to 0.4% for Grosvenor casinos and 1% for the UK digital business, both by 2027.”

On Wednesday, the UK Gambling Commission launched its second set of consultations on proposals from the Gambling Act review white paper, which will run for 12 weeks, implying a February 21, 2024 deadline. According to the Commission, this round will consult on removing the current requirement to contribute to Research, Prevention, and Treatment (RET). This will then be replaced with the levy.

Harris confirmed that Rank would begin the process of implementing the white paper’s measures “in the new year.” Optimizing the number of gaming machines in Grosvenor venues will take priority, “once the secondary legislation comes into force.”

The executive also shared insights into the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on Rank’s performance, specifically in terms of bingo. He detailed that the group reduced the number of its clubs from 80 to 55 in the wake of the pandemic. “Bingo is a liquidity game,” he continued. “The more visits you get, the better the prize pools you can offer and the more attractive that is for our visitors. However, the reverse is also true.”

“Coming out of the pandemic, there was an oversupply of the number of clubs in the UK relative to the number of people playing bingo regularly. We recognized that and reduced the number of clubs in our estate from around 80 going into the pandemic, to 55 today,” he explained, adding that this was necessary to get Rank’s Mecca venues back to profitability.

Looking toward growth in other markets, Enric Monton, Rank’s International Managing Director, said Rank is estimated to go live in Portugal before the end of its financial year. “If everything goes as expected, we will be the first online bingo operator in Portugal. A country where the online market is still growing exceptionally fast,” Monton said.

As for Spain, one of its existing operating countries, Monton said Rank is comfortable in the market. “We are well positioned and we still have room to grow in casino and sports and also through innovative products such as live bingo.”

London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan is increasingly facing calls to fulfill his campaign promise to ban “harmful gambling advertisements” on Transport for London (TfL) amid growing concerns over the prevalence of gambling-related issues in the UK.

During his election campaign, in April 2021, Khan vowed to address the effects of gambling addiction, as online and mobile app gambling services were accused of using aggressive marketing strategies to lure customers.

In his manifesto, cited by Financial Times, Khan said: “Given the devastating way gambling addiction can destroy lives and families, I’ll instruct TfL to bring forward plans to extend the ban to harmful gambling advertisements on the network.”

At a recent committee meeting of the London Assembly, experts and politicians urged Khan to honor his pledge and consider a broader ban. Harj Gahley, from gambling support charity Red Card, suggested a complete ban on gambling-related ads on TfL. “It seems to be a Wild West with betting operators,” Gahley said. “One of [the solutions] is stopping it on TfL.”

Although Khan’s manifesto focused on ads deemed “harmful,” instead of a blanket ban, it remains unclear how this category would be defined. Dr. Tom Coffey, Khan’s senior advisor on health policy, explained that the administration had requested the government for a precise definition of harmful gambling to avoid legal challenges and unfairly penalizing potentially less harmful forms of gambling.

Caroline Russell, the leader of the Green Party in the assembly, said that Khan’s administration is “dancing on the head of a pin” about what constituted “harmful” gambling.

If passed, the TfL ban would add to the restrictions already in place on London’s public transport, which prohibit marketing products and services considered harmful such as high-fat, salt, and sugar foods and ads promoting unrealistic body images.

Gambling Commission data indicates an increase in online gaming involvement and a “significant increase” in the number of people at moderate risk of adverse consequences from gambling, rising to 1.3% in 2022 from 0.8% in the previous year.

The ease of signing up for gambling services through online and mobile apps, especially among young gamblers, influenced by celebrity marketing on social media and ad tracking and targeting techniques, has been questioned.

Local authorities also expressed frustration with their inability to limit the operations of sportsbooks in deprived areas, although councils can apply to prevent shops from opening by proving they could cause people to be harmed or a source of crime and disorder.

B2B sports betting startup Sparket has announced an investment from Metta World Peace, adding the former NBA champion and his team to its cap table. The move comes at a time when Sparkbet is experiencing growth, having launched with Red Rock Resorts in June on its STN Play iCasino platform, along with a string of recent partnership announcements.

Metta will be focused on helping Sparket expand its B2B pipeline through targeted introductions in the sports industry, including introductions to the Lakers and helping the company scale through his business connections.

The partnership is formally with Artest Management Group (AMG), the company founded and controlled by the former NBA champion. AMG has “a proven track record” of helping companies accelerate growth and drive incremental value, according to Sparket

Evan Fisher, co-founder and COO at Sparket, stated: “Beyond the obvious strategic value that Metta himself brings, we’ve had access to Metta’s AMG Board of Directors.

“Most notably, we have benefited from the opportunity to work with former Boost Mobile CEO and FreedomPop Founder Stephen Stokols, who is an AMG Director and has experience scaling and operating companies to billion-dollar valuations.”

Sparket is a customizable B2B platform that offers free-to-play and pay-to-play parimutuel betting on traditional sports and alternative events. Sparket’s platform can be integrated into other betting platforms, websites, and apps or act as a standalone white-label solution.

The company stated that for Metta, AMG and Stokols, the partnership crystallized as they saw Sparket’s “unique positioning” in the market and growth potential.

“We’re excited to help build The Social Betwork,” said Metta World Peace. “The Sparket team has an amazing vision for democratizing live event wagering and with AMG’s support I think we can bring this company to great heights.”

Betting services supplier SIS (Sports Information Services) has strengthened its long-standing partnership with Inspired Entertainment. The deal will introduce five newly upgraded products to enhance SIS’ 49’s offerings for improved virtual horse and greyhound racing.

The integration with 49’s content will allow bettors in betting shops across the UK and Ireland to access improved graphics and race simulations, with races from Portman Park, Sprint Valley, Steepledowns, Brushwood, and Millersfield being featured. Additionally, all historical results and form for all races will continue to be available on 49s.co.uk.

“Inspired’s customized 49’s branding and content will provide a truly enhanced and immersive experience for operators and bettors,” said SIS in a press statement. “This latest agreement furthers our partnership with Inspired. With 49’s being the first brand to launch Inspired’s virtual products over 20 years ago, the relationship is set to be enhanced by providing cutting-edge content experiences.”

SIS-owned 49’s has experienced significant growth in the last year, says the company, with new platform and customer partnerships going live to provide access to a high-quality portfolio of live number draw products, which includes 49’s twice daily draw, 39’s, and Fast 15’s.

For its part, Inspired delivers a comprehensive portfolio of content, technology, hardware, and services for regulated gaming, betting, lottery, social, and leisure operators across land-based and mobile channels across 35 jurisdictions around the globe.

Jessica Mills, Head of Product Proposition at SIS, said: “We have enjoyed a fantastic partnership with Inspired, and we are thrilled to take this to the next level by enhancing our virtual product offering in thousands of betting shops.

“We take great pride in delivering outstanding content to bettors, and this will significantly improve the experiences across our virtual horse and greyhound racing content.”

Steve Rogers, Chief Commercial Officer of Virtual Sports at Inspired Entertainment, added: “The relationship we have with SIS has gone from strength to strength, spanning over two decades, and we are delighted to deliver the next phase of our partnership. The roll-out of more innovative virtual content for audiences will result in increased engagement with our products.”

Casino gaming provider Euro Games Technology (EGT) has won three prizes at this year’s edition of the Balkan Entertainment & Gaming Expo (BEGE) Awards competition. At a ceremony held at Club Black and White at Grand Hotel Millennium in Sofia on 21st November, the Bulgarian manufacturer of gaming equipment received awards in the ‘Supplier of the Year’ and ‘Jackpot Concept of the Year’ categories, while the company’s CEO, Vladimir Dokov, was acknowledged as ‘Executive of the year.’

Dokov said: “This award is an honor to me. It is proof that when working with dedication, enthusiasm, and with a team of ambitious and creative professionals who carry innovation in their DNA, you can accomplish even the boldest business projects.”

EGT noted that it received the ‘Supplier of the Year’ award because of the large number of installations of its products during the past year and the company’s overall contribution to the development of the gaming industry not only in Bulgaria and the region “but also on a global level.”

EGT CEO Vladimir Dokov

The Bulgarian manufacturer noted that it won the ‘Jackpot Concept of the Year’ award owing to its latest jackpot solutions in its portfolio, Supreme Combo Link and Ultra Tap Link. “Both of them stand out with fascinating games with beautiful design and original concepts, offering players numerous bonuses and chances of winning, thus elevating their gaming experience to the next level,” the company said. 

“The BEGE Awards competition is a benchmark for achievements of the companies in the gaming industry and we are proud that EGT has been honored with all these prizes this year”, said Dokov. “They are an inspiration and incentive for us to keep on striving for excellence.”

The awards ceremony took place within the framework of the BEGE expo, which ran from November 22nd to 23rd, where the company had one of the largest stands at the event and an impressive product selection that “captivated the visitors’ attention”

NorthStar Gaming announced Wednesday that it has entered into a partnership with BettorView. The agreement is expected to enable NorthStar, which owns and operates the NorthStar Bets casino and sportsbook platform, to engage with consumers in restaurants and bars across the Canadian province of Ontario.

By leveraging the capabilities of the BettorView solution – which provides in-venue screen technology, brand ambassador activations and digital content marketing to sports fans – NorthStar hopes to further expand player acquisition across both sports wagering and online casino in a “frictionless and convenient” manner.

“Partnering with BettorView will fuel growth and expansion of the NorthStar Bets player base, while also increasing brand awareness amongst priority audiences,” said Michael Moskowitz, Chair and CEO of NorthStar Gaming. “The restaurant and bar space is a great sector to reach target consumers who have a high propensity to wager and are often watching live sports and games in a social environment.”

As BettorView’s first Canadian iGaming partner, NorthStar will be able to build brand awareness, drive consumer engagement and strengthen its presence in both restaurant and bar environments, the company said in a press statement.

“NorthStar is the ideal partner for us to initiate our entry into Canada with our technology,” said Javier Vargas, CEO, BettorView. “Our technology allows our gaming and venue partners to customize and localize content so that it fully resonates for sports fans, while also educating them on sports betting and responsible gambling in general.

“As a Canadian-owned gaming brand with deep Ontario roots, NorthStar shares our appreciation for authentically reaching Ontario sports fans, and we’re proud to partner with them,” added Vargas.

BettorView reaches consumers through a propriety plug-and-play solution that serves sports betting content to venues through its patented technology. The solution optimizes and customizes the consumer experience to ensure guests receive relevant sports and sports wagering information, leading them to spend more time on the platform.

Almost two weeks since the decree that modifies the Regulations of the Federal Law of Gaming and Sweepstakes went into effect, establishing that no new permits will be granted nor will those in force be renewed for the operation of slot machines in casinos and gaming halls, representatives of the Mexican gambling industry are preparing legal resources to defend their activity.

According to the President of the Association of Permit Holders, Operators, and Suppliers of the Entertainment and Gaming Industry in Mexico (Aieja), Miguel Angel Ochoa, they will confront the measure with two different strategies.

“At this moment, the two actions are the issue of the Amparo, on the one hand; and the issue of the promotion of a Federal Law on Gaming and Sweepstakes,” he said.

Ochoa explained that slot machines represent 85% of the business. Therefore, the idea will be to fight the new regulation by means of an amparo appeal, as reported by the news portal El CEO.

Among the criticisms made by the industry to the new regulation, is that although it was opened to public consultation during the previous months, the National Commission for Regulatory Improvement (Conamer) ignored the comments.

In the process of reviewing the proposed regulation, industry representatives reproached that these measures would limit gaming and even end up driving customers away from the gaming halls. In turn, they cited comments from casino workers themselves, who insinuated that, seeing their jobs at risk, their alternative would be to join the informal gaming industry. Besides, they warned that the slot machine manufacturers would withdraw their investments from the country as they did not see any future in the business.

Therefore, the head of the Aieja indicated that they will bet on judicialization to avoid in the medium term the closing of businesses.

He also pointed out that, although the new measure will not have immediate effects, in the next five years most of the casinos, whose permits expire between 2028 and 2033, will be affected. While the totality of the permits will not be renewed after 2038.

The decree also contemplates that the Ministry of the Interior, to which the General Directorate of Gaming and Sweepstakes is attached, will issue new guidelines regarding the manner of determining the payment of “aprovechamientos”, a fee paid by permit holders to the Federation for the use of their permit.

Modification of the law

On the other hand, the players of the gaming industry will bet on reaching an agreement to modify the Federal Gaming and Sweepstakes Law that regulates the sector, which dates back to 1947.

“Back then there were no gaming machines, no internet, no cell phones. So, the regulation, and these modifications are working on a really obsolete law. The intention is to work on a new bill,” said Ochoa.

Furthermore, he stated that the industry has been in contact with the Ministry of the Interior, as well as with the legislators so that a new regulation can be discussed as of February 2024, during the last session of the current Congress.

“I believe that if we achieve a new Federal Gaming Law that provides certainty and peace of mind, then surely we will not have a problem. If not, we have the amparos that will allow us to negotiate the renewal of the permits,” Ochoa added.

British standards body Betting and Gaming Council has urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to rethink what it terms a ‘stealth tax’ on land-based casinos, which was confirmed in the Autumn Statement, a government document featuring economic forecasts and tax spending proposals.

Under measures announced by the Treasury, Gaming Duty Bands applied to U.K. casinos have been frozen again and will not rise with inflation, effectively creating a £5 million ($6.3 million) annual tax increase across BGC’s land-based casino members, says the body.

The industry was expecting the freeze, initially announced in March, to be lifted, providing support to a sector the body describes as grappling with rising wages, energy costs, and high inflation.

As per BGC, UK casinos employ more than 10,000 people catering to over 16 million customer visits every year, contributing £300 million ($378 million) annually in taxes and an estimated £800 million ($1 billion) a year Gross Value Added to the economy.

However, the BGC says some casinos have faced challenges recovering from the pandemic amid current economic difficulties, leading to closures and job cuts. The UK had 160 casinos in 2005, but the number has decreased to 117 in 2023.

Recent months have seen the closure of four casinos, including the Genting-owned Crockfords in Mayfair, the country’s oldest casino. In 2019, the casino industry employed 13,600 people, but the current count has decreased to under 10,200, marking a 25% reduction, BGC said.

“Freezing Gaming Duty Bands is a stealth tax, which has the potential to slow recovery and weaken future growth. Removing it would have provided a welcome boost for the land-based casino sector at a crucial time. Instead, the decision to maintain the status quo represents a missed opportunity for companies ready and able to generate jobs and investment across the country,” BGC CEO Michael Dugher said.

The body expressed support for the government’s gambling White Paper, particularly concerning casino reform, noting it is working closely with the government on the issue. The White Paper encompasses proposals on affordability checks, sports betting, and machine numbers. 

However, the BGC warns that changes “must not risk driving customers to the unsafe, unregulated gambling black market” where betting numbers have reportedly doubled in recent years.

“Right now casinos, which play such a vital role in the tourism and hospitality sector, are waiting for the modest but mission-critical policy changes announced in the White Paper. It seems short-sighted to maintain this stealth tax while failing to make changes that will allow casinos to hire and grow. The BGC urges a re-think so Gaming Duty Bands can be moved with inflation at the next opportunity,” Dugher said.

As per the organization, the freeze on Gaming Duty Bands is expected to cost casinos £25 million ($31.5 million) over the next five years. BGC members combined contribute £7.1 billion ($8.9 billion) to the economy, and generate £4.2 billion ($5.2 billion) in tax while supporting 110,000 jobs, the body says.

The Chancellor, in the autumn statement, also announced the government’s intention to initiate consultations on consolidating remote gambling into a single tax, as opposed to the existing three-tax framework.

Chancellor Hunt’s plan involves the government consulting “shortly” on proposed changes to the structure of remote gambling taxation, defining it as “gambling offered over the internet, telephone, TV, and radio.”

The consultation aims to explore the elimination of the current three-tax structure, which comprises remote gaming duty, general betting duty, and pool betting duty.

Jeremy Hunt, the British politician serving as the chancellor of the Exchequer, said the government will soon consult on bringing remote gambling under one tax, as opposed to the three-tax structure currently in place. The announcement was made during the Autumn Statement, which is a government document featuring economic forecasts and tax spending proposals.

Hunt said that the government will consult “shortly” on proposals to change the structure of remote gambling taxation. The plan defines remote gambling as being “gambling offered over the internet, telephone, TV and radio.” The consultation would discuss getting rid of the three-tax structure, which is made up of remote gaming duty, general betting duty, and pool betting duty.

For the 2022-2023 tax year, remote gaming duty sits at 21% of remote gaming profits. General betting duty is 15% of net stake receipts, which is comparable to the gross profits from bookmaking; and pool betting duty is 15% of pool betting receipts.

The upcoming consultation has been announced amid the backdrop of the Gambling Act review white paper fallout. The document, which came out in April this year, outlines how gambling will be regulated in the UK in the digital age. The white paper proposals are being considered by the GB Gambling Commission, whic opened its consultation process on the proposals in July.

This first round looked at financial risk and vulnerability, online game design, enhancing consumer choice on direct marketing, and improving age verification at land-based venues; and closed in October. Mandy Gill, director of compliance at the Commission, said that over 3,000 submissions were made in total.

The next round of consultations will consider seven topics over 12 weeks. According to Tim Miller, Executive Director of policy at the Commission, it is set to close in February or March. The next round will consider the possibility of opting in for online bonuses and other offers, as well as how penalties are worked out.