UK Bookies join forces to warn of gambling risks

By Bill Barber racingpost.com

A £2 MILLION television advertising campaign aimed at highlighting the potential risks of gambling is set to be launched on Friday with the backing of some of the biggest names in the betting industry.

The campaign, the first of its kind, was announced as the Senet Group – the industry watchdog set up by Coral, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and William Hill last autumn – was officially launched at a reception in London on Tuesday.

The group itself, named after an Egyptian game of chance and created in response to increasing public concern about gambling, as well as to raise and promote responsible gambling standards, also unveiled its board, which includes three members independent of the gambling industry.

The initiative was welcomed by Labour’s shadow spokesman for gambling Clive Efford, whose party has been highly critical of the betting industry in the past.

Senet Group initiatives, including the withdrawal of gaming machine adverts from betting shop windows, have already been introduced, while a new print advert campaign, carrying the slogan ‘When the fun stops, stop’, has been launched in the press.

The slogan also appears at the end of the two different television adverts aimed at the main target audience of young men, one featuring a man in a betting shop the other one betting at home.

William Hill chief executive James Henderson said of the campaign: “I think the adverts are at absolutely the right level to raise awareness.

“We are doing a number of things both individually and across the sector, so I think all this is going in the right direction in regards to responsible gambling.”

Efford welcomed the initiative and encouraged others from the industry to join the four founding members.

He said: “After the next general election I would be very keen to work with the organisation to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect vulnerable people because, as the industry seems to recognise, it’s in their interests to prevent people getting into difficulties, because that’s not a good image for gambling.

“We have a well-regulated industry in this country and as long as the industry takes a responsible approach to dealing with problem gambling then we can work together.”

Although Betfred have been mirroring the Senet Group’s policies, they have yet to join, and the group’s newly appointed chair and independent standards commissioner Wanda Goldwag said she would be making every effort to get other operators and other sectors on board.

Goldwag, a former managing director of British Airways Air Miles, is joined on the board by fellow independent directors Suzanne McCarthy, the UK’s Immigration Services Commissioner, and Gillian Wilmot, founder and chief executive of Board Mentoring.

William Hill’s David Steele and Coral’s Fiona Thorne will represent the betting industry.

The Senet Group is industry funded but Goldwag said: “We are going to be independent and if anyone thinks we are not going to be they have made a terrible mistake.”

She added: “Our role as independent people is to make sure we don’t have just four members at the end of this process. I can’t tell you whether I am going to sign someone up every week, every year or three years, but I am going to spend almost all of my time worrying about getting new members.”

Ladbrokes chief executive Richard Glynn also stressed the importance of getting others to join.

He said: “I’m glad we have been a major part, along with Hills, Coral and Paddy Power, in driving this but this isn’t a bookmakers’ initiative. This is something that has to go across the whole betting and gambling industry and now we have got some really strong independent commissioners I think this is just the beginning.”

Gala Coral chief executive Carl Leaver echoed that view, saying: “We have had many conversations now with other parts of the industry and I can’t implore them enough to get on board with the Senet Group and help broaden the church.

“The bookmakers don’t want to be the only members, we want it to be a broad church – that was always the vision and even more so today.”

When you read about the appetite for risk of the bookies on the various threads , this comes as no surprise.........if people stop betting there is not the hassle of having to cut their limits.........lol

Uk bookies are only interested in casino and gambling machines money Rob,sure this is just to smooth over some govt department or gambling commision thingy

You can call me an old cynic, but I always think asking bookmakers to promote responsible gambling is a bit like asking turkeys to put the case for having Christmas.

I did attend GA at one stage of my life but then Betfair became available and I tried to convince the person trying to get me help that it was the way to go :woohoo:

Steckenpferd wrote: You can call me an old cynic, but I always think asking bookmakers to promote responsible gambling is a bit like asking turkeys to put the case for having Christmas.

When i ran the shops in the UK all management needed to be up to speed with all gambling commision regulations to obtain licenses, most were problem gambling focussed.

Same a few months ago the big firms agreed to inform their customers that they can set loss limits etc etc

its all pish and for show,there is not a manager in the country that would be brave or daft enough to approach their punters asking if they want to stop gambling lol..

Plus they are expected to inform the police or their district manager if there is gambling going on from criminals etc, my friend had to refuse a local gangster £500 the other month because all he done was load the money on fobt machine and print of the winning ticket(money laundering) but they take the same guys dirty money when he places a grand on a soccer team etc

the only problem I have with gambling is you cant get on today for the 4th time in a week I was told you cant take an early price but you can have sp easier solution don't put early prices up if you don't want to fucking lay them