Scotbet joins the Senet Group

Scotbet, the largest chain of independent betting shops in Scotland, has become the first new member of the Senet Group, the gambling self-regulatory body. It joins founder members William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral and Paddy Power in committing to abide by a code of conduct designed to meet high standards of social responsibility in gambling.

John Heaton, Chairman of Scotbet, said:

“We’ve always placed a high priority on promoting responsible gambling, so it seemed natural to join Senet as a mark of our commitment to that principle.

“In keeping with Senet’s rules, we have withdrawn all advertising of gaming machines from shop windows and will be devoting 20% of window advertising to responsible gambling messages. While most customers enjoy betting safely, it’s important that the industry plays its part in protecting vulnerable people. We look forward to working with Senet to achieve that goal.”

Wanda Goldwag, Chair of Senet Group, said:

“We’re delighted to have Scotbet on board. We now have about 90% of betting shops in Scotland signed up, which is good news for their customers and all those who want to see higher standards of responsible gambling.”

Membership of the Senet Group is open to all gambling operators. As a new member, Scotbet will be given a three-month ‘grace period’ to comply fully with all Senet commitments.

The Group is spending £2m this year on an advertising campaign using the hashtag #badbetty and music based on the song Bad Betty by RamJam. Its message is that betting more than you can afford, or betting when you’re getting angry or frustrated, is a ‘bad betty’ and you should think again. Its tagline is When The Fun Stops, Stop.