Casino Operators in UK Lament Gambling Act at Parliamentary Seminar

Executives from leading casino operators in the UK spoke at the Future of Casinos seminar in Westminster, England. They looked quite unified on wishing to see an improvement to the Gambling Act that regulates UK casinos.

Key Points Highlighted by Executives from UK Casino Operators at the Seminar

This was the third seminar hosted by the Parliamentary All Party Betting & Gaming Group. Four industry executives gave individual speeches followed by a questions and answer session. The key points raised by the speakers include:

• UK casino operators are not happy with the three-tier structure that controls machines in casinos
• Casinos established under the terms of the Gambling Act 1968 are restricted to a maximum of 20 gaming machines
• Casinos in the European countries earn more revenues from slot machines than UK casinos
• The idea of amending the casino tax system to bring it in line with other jurisdictions

Mark Jones, Grosvenor Casinos Managing Director, said over the past five years, casino attendances increased by 3.6 million, but that more than three-quarters of that increase has come from London. 80% of the growth come from the Hippodrome in Leicester Square and Aspers in Stratford. Mr. Jones also expressed his discontent about the three-tier format that controls casino machines, under the terms of the Gambling Act 2005. He also said that tourists and investors cannot believe that they have a three-tiered system and don’t know what to expect for a night out.

Hippodrome CEO Simon Thomas, said casinos in Europe earn much more from slot machines than UK casinos. All major European casino countries earn 90% of their revenue from slots. In Spain is 40%, 55% in the Netherlands, 70% in Germany, 80% in France, whereas it’s 15% in the UK. In 2006, the UK Gambling Commission increased the number of slot machines from 10 to 20 per casino.

The Ritz Club CEO, Roger Marris, outlined the change of casino tax system to make it correspond with other controls. He further added by saying Barcelona has a higher duty rate for national gamblers and a lower duty rate for international gamblers. He concluded by saying they want to expand the international audience they are trying to reach.

Hippodrome CEO Simon Thomas answers the question posed by the Gambling Insider

In the Q & A session, after being asked by the Gambling Insider how UK casinos are intending on attracting millennials, Mr. Thomas answered by saying they are not allowed to offer an electronic random number generator. Millennials want to have a good night out there and want to eat steak, watch cabaret, and gamble at the tables willingly.