Two Major UK Gambling Organizations Work on Merger

British media is following on a lead that suggests that, following on reprimanding they received from their industry peers, the two largest gambling sector organizations in the UK are about to merge.

The groups in question are Remote Gambling Association (RGA) and the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB), which were both under considerable fire for their failures in opposing the government crackdown of fixed-odds betting terminals.

ABB was heavily criticizing the UK Government's decision on exerting restrictions and reducing the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals from £100 to £2.

Answers Lie in Politics

The driving force behind their looming unification is the desire to form a more powerful lobbying group. Sources close to these events state that the recently posted job openings for a CEO and a chairman suggest that the tie-up is imminent.

The ad, placed through Ellwood Atfield recruitment firm, wrote that it seeks a Chair and a CEO to lead “the largest and most prominent organisation representing the gambling industry,” changing perceptions of the industry at a public and political level.”

This would form by far the biggest organization in British gambling...

...that will be dubbed, NEWCO, according to reports. Recruits for the said roles would be acting as “the industry’s advocate with key opinion formers at the most senior level across the Government, media and the wider industry”...

...whereas the Chair would “build and maintain trust in the gambling industry, both within the industry itself and with external stakeholders.”

ABB's Chief Executive, Malcolm George, explained the motive behind this merger by remarking that gambling industry, and especially its stakeholders, have the right to “fair PR and news narrative about the industry as a business.”

British Shape-shifting

Great Britain is in the middle of a public discussion led by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission that will precede the upcoming regulatory alterations whose key role will be to redefine safe and responsible gambling.

It will focus on three crucial questions: users' interactions, alternative dispute resolution and betting blocking software. Operators, betting companies, gaming brands as well as customers and other interested groups will equally partake in the discussion.

Also entering a new phase are identity checkups and customer verification...

...which will take on a radical new form beginning on May 7th, as per UKGC's directives.

Novel processes and restrictions that will precede clients' money withdrawals as well as mechanisms that should provide better protection to gambling consumers who manifest problem-gambling issues are going to be a part of this first wave of changes due to occur over following three years.

Source:

“The RGA and ABB plans merger”, europeangaming.eu, February 26, 2019.

“Rumoured RGA and ABB Merger Seeks to Alter Industry Perceptions”, sbcnews.co.uk, February 25, 2019.