Industry companies form Gambling Business Group

A new gambling focused trade organisation has emerged from the old Business in Sport & Leisure (BISL) association. The Gambling Business Group (GBG) launched last week in London and already boasts a membership of 50 comprising many of the most influential organisations in gaming.

GBG, which encompasses Pub, Bingo, AGC, FEC, Online, LBO and Casino sectors, is headed up by former BACTA National President Nick Harding as its Chairman and respected senior gaming executive Peter Hannibal as CEO. The subscription-based organisation has different membership rates based on annual turnover and embraces a broad spectrum of companies from multi-national PLC’s through to SME’s.

Hannibal said: “Our objective is to provide a strategic voice for gaming in the UK in a way in which individual trade associations are unable due to their remit, which, by definition, has to be very specific.  We are complementary to trade associations and many of our members subscribe to their own trade groups across gaming and various professions working for gaming companies.”

He added: “One of our unique strengths is the ability to talk about all machine types, high stake and low stake gaming and across all sectors. We have already held some extremely useful and productive meetings with the Gambling Commission and we are committed to contributing to a more open and progressive dialogue with our regulators.  The GBG membership is clear about the very real challenges which lie ahead and the need to engage with key stakeholders in a positive way.

“The objectives for the Gambling Business Group are purposely concentrated on improving the business environment for its members, which includes engaging with government thinking, helping to shape the political agenda and protecting the long term future of the companies and people working within the Industry. Key areas of focus are regulation and legislation, government policy and of course social responsibility.”

Gambling Business Group member companies employ in excess of 100,000 in the UK, have a combined machine estate of over 150,000 and a majority share of new machines sold in the UK during 2013.