British bookmakers received good news this weekend when a source close to Whitehall told the Daily Mail that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, would halt the ongoing review into B2 Gaming Machines, more commonly known as fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs). Having previously been delayed because of the snap election, the long awaited review of gaming machine stakes …
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William Hill hails revenue growth amid 11% drop in profits
William Hill has claimed wagering growth across all four of its divisions in the first half of 2017, although profit before interest and tax was 11% lower than the corresponding period in 2016. However, given that there was some revenue growth (3% to £837.0m) against last year’s figures which had been boosted from the Euro 2016 tournament, and adjusted operating …
Read More »FOBT research suggests simple stakes drop not effective in problem gambling battle
The responsible gambling charity GambleAware (formerly the Responsible Gambling Trust) has produced research which suggests that the so-called £50 journey actually saw players increase stakes around the new limit of £50 rather than meet the restrictions imposed for those wanting to bet at the higher £100 stakes limit. The £50 journey was introduced by the government and the UK Gambling Commission …
Read More »Bookmakers go on the offensive ahead of FOBT report
Britain’s bookmakers are demanding an urgent inquiry into a new report by the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) All- Party Parliamentary Group which is expected to call for a £2 per spin maximum stake to be imposed on all FOBTs when it is published this morning. The Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) has criticised the report as ‘deeply flawed’ and said …
Read More »Retail bookmaking could see profits slashed suggest analysts
The report from the gaming analysts at UBS which pulled the rug from under the share price of William Hill this week doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to the near-term future for the high-street bookmakers. The team at UBS suggest that retail operating profits could decrease by an average of 40 percent depending on what the upcoming Triennial …
Read More »David Clifton – Strengthening social responsibility (again)!
Clifton Davies co-founder David Clifton has a look at the increasing regulatory scrutiny on the gambling industry and warns there may be more to come. My “Licensing Expert” article last month posed the question whether a regulatory crackdown on gambling advertising was around the corner. We now know at least part of the answer. The Department for Culture Media & …
Read More »Parliamentary Betting & Gaming Group to look at Future of Gaming Machines
The Parliamentary All Party Betting & Gaming Group is to focus on gaming machines in the next installment of its ‘Future of Gambling Seminar Series’. Held on Monday 7 th June 2016, Future of Gaming Machines features speakers including BACTA CEO John White, IGT Senior Director for Europe Simon Dorsen, and John Appleton, Director of Electronic Leisure at Mitchells & Butler. Steve Donoughue, gambling consultant and Secretariat …
Read More »Bookmakers hope PAS masters real-time problem gambling analysis
UK bookmakers are to implement Player Awareness Systems (PAS) – a new initiative which helps people avoid gambling-related harm while using gaming machines in betting shops. PAS, which is being launched today by the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) at the Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) annual conference, has been developed using the RGT’s ground-breaking December 2014 research that showed it …
Read More »SG Gaming adapting WMS games for UK market
SG Gaming, part of the Scientifc Games Group, has released a variety of new B3 and Cat C titles to LBO customers in the UK. The new releases see the firm leverage further the games design expertise within the wider Scientific group as it looks to capitlises on already proven and popular game brands. The new releases include Spartacus, a …
Read More »Online performance boosts Gala Coral’s quarter
Gala Coral has bucked a trend by announcing good trading figures for the group’s third quarter period, ending 4 July. Net Revenue of £305.0m was 6% ahead of last year, and EBITDA of £65.7m was up 8%, boosted by continued growth in Online and Gala Retail. The figures are despite the £7.2m extra costs of gaming machines caused by an …
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