New voice for Britain’s retail betting sector

Perhaps in part motivated by the need for a more cohesive approach in reacting to the public furore over Fixed Odds Betting Machines this year (see previous  reports), two industry veterans have formed a new retail betting business interest body.

Former BACTA National President Nick Harding and experienced industry exec Peter Hannibal are the men behind the Gambling Business Group, serving as chairman and CEO respectively.

Hannibal described the function of the new entity this week, saying: “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.”

So far 50 companies have subscribed to the GBG, representative of almost all the retail betting verticals.

Hannibal says that one of the GBG’s strengths is its 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,” he said, adding that the GBG goals include 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.

Hannibal claims that Gambling Business Group member companies employ in excess of 100,000 people 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.

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