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BGC Warns Permanent Industry Damage Following Delay in Casino Reopening
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has warned that the UK Government’s last-minute reversal of plans to allow casinos to reopen on August 1 has dealt a wrecking ball to the industry, from which it may never recover.
The casino sector employs more than 14,000 people across the UK in 125 casinos and a further 4000 in the supply chain. Casinos also paid over £300 million each year in tax before the lockdown.
With casinos across England forced to remain shuttered, the BGC warns that up to 6000 jobs may be permanently lost.
In a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak MP on July 31, BGC described the decision to keep casinos closed as “highly illogical, inconsistent and deeply damaging to those businesses and the thousands of staff they employ.”
BGC has also rejected the Prime Minister’s categorisation of casinos as “higher risk” during his Downing Street briefing. Casinos have spent weeks and invested millions of pounds to ensure their premises are covid-secure, with measures such as perspex screens, sanitisation equipment and sophisticated track and trace systems, as well as introducing strict social distancing measures and hygiene protocols.
BGC Chief Executive Michael Dugher said: “The Government are swinging a wrecking ball right through the middle of our industry and large scale job losses, which ought to be unnecessary and avoidable, now look inevitable unless ministers act fast.”
“Casinos are a small but fundamental part of our leisure, hospitality, entertainment and tourism industry. They employ over 14,000 people across the UK and indirectly support another 4,000 jobs in the supply sector, and last year casinos paid over £5.7 million in tax per week.
“The ongoing cost of remaining in a holding pattern to reopen is clearly not sustainable, with more jobs and livelihoods being put at risk with every last minute change and delay to reopening.
“The Job Retention Scheme has helped but our members will now be forced to pay National Insurance and pension contributions on top of salaries in August while they remain closed. As furlough payments are phased out, there will be no flexibility for casinos to adapt to the new working and leisure environment and I now fear that many thousands of jobs could be lost.
“We made the all necessary preparations for safe reopening and we were given the green light by Public Health England on the basis of the significant investment made by operators, and having been told by the Government themselves that casinos posed a ‘negligible’ risk compared with the tens of thousands of other places that they have been reopened.”
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WinSpirit Launches “Wish Express” — A Holiday Campaign Bringing Back the Magic of Dreams
This festive season, WinSpirit Casino has launched a heartwarming campaign called Wish Express — a New Year campaign that invites players to share their most genuine wishes, with one lucky dream set to be made real by WinSpirit itself.
Inspired by the childhood tradition of writing letters to Santa, this campaign turns nostalgia into an interactive community experience. Instead of mailing wishes to Lapland, participants can now send them aboard a virtual train — the Wish Express — and receive rewards simply for taking part.
Journey of wishes and rewards
The idea is simple yet full of holiday spirit. It brings back that familiar childhood feeling — when the world felt a little more magical, and every twinkle of a holiday light promised something wonderful was about to happen.
This campaign taps into that sense of wonder, inviting players to dream freely and feel the joy of small surprises along the way. Players share a personal wish through a special form, and every step along the way brings something special in return:
- 20 Free Spins just for sharing your wish.
- 50 Free Spins if your wish is featured on WinSpirit’s social channels.
- 100 Free Spins if the community picks your wish as the most inspiring.
And the highlight? One particularly heartfelt wish will be fulfilled in real life, turning a sincere online story into a true holiday miracle.
Celebrating sincerity
Beyond the bonuses, the project’s real goal is to remind players about the joy of believing — not in luck, but in kindness and possibility. Players, streamers, providers and media have already joined the initiative, turning it into a shared celebration of optimism and festive warmth.
Some of the wishes already shared are as heartwarming as they are diverse. One player dreams of a world where everyone does just one good deed a day. Another one wishes to reunite with a sibling they haven’t seen in years. And our partners? They’re dreaming too — from more smiles in 2026 to a future with four-day work weeks and more time to truly live.
WinSpirit invites everyone to take part — not only by sharing their own wish, but also by following the stories of others, discovering what the community dreams about, and voting for the most inspiring ones.
Through its warm storytelling and genuine tone, Wish Express feels less like a promotion and more like a celebration of shared dreams — a reminder that magic still exists when we choose to believe. What’s your wish — the one you’ve held onto for years? Share it with WinSpirit, and let’s see if this holiday season brings it to life.
Booming Games
Ho-Ho-Hold onto Your Wins! Booming Games Takes Festive Fun to the Next Level with Santa in Vegas!
Reading Time: < 1 minute
This holiday season, Santa’s traded in his sleigh for a private jet and touched down on the Vegas Strip! Santa in Vegas delivers festive fun and flashy riches in a vibrant 5×4 slot packed with luxurious symbols, glittering lights and that famous Booming Games excitement. Spin through jets, limos, watches and shimmering gifts as you chase down wild wins in the city that never sleeps.
Look out for the Santa Collect feature in the base game: Red Santa collects Coin symbols to trigger the Coin Collection bonus, while Golden Santa gathers Scatter symbols to randomly trigger the coveted Free Spins feature.
Trigger the Free Spins bonus and experience the exciting symbol upgrade feature. With every spin, low-paying symbols can be eliminated and high-paying symbols can be upgraded, boosting your chances for bigger and brighter wins!
The excitement peaks in the Gift Spin, a guaranteed spin at the end of Free Spins where every Wild you’ve collected during Free Spins is dropped onto the reels in a powerful finale, with up to 20 Wilds unleashed for explosive win potential.
With seasonal cheer, golden glamour and a sleigh-full of win potential, Santa in Vegas brings you the ultimate Christmas party on the Strip. Time to jingle all the way to jackpot city!
Play Santa in Vegas now!
“Santa in Vegas is all about turning up the holiday cheer with a Vegas twist,” said Craig Asling, Director of Games at Booming Games.
“We’ve mixed bright visuals, exciting features and plenty of win potential to deliver a game that’s both festive and full of fun, it’s Christmas with a touch of Vegas sparkle.”
The post Ho-Ho-Hold onto Your Wins! Booming Games Takes Festive Fun to the Next Level with Santa in Vegas! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
2025 Global Regulatory Awards
Vixio Announces Winners for the 2025 Global Regulatory Awards
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Vixio, a leading provider of regulatory intelligence solutions, unveiled its 2025 Global Regulatory Awards (GRAs) winners last night during an event in London.
More than 300 industry leaders, regulatory experts, and esteemed professionals of the global gambling industry attended the prestigious event. The independently judged GRAs recognise and celebrate the achievements of individuals, teams, and organisations in the gambling industry who have excelled in compliance, corporate social responsibility, and safer gambling.
The ninth annual awards ceremony recognised winners across 22 categories.
Notable winners on the evening included Playtech, Casino Guru, and Kambi.
Vixio also recognised outstanding individuals, such as Bill Curtis of DraftKings, named Compliance Professional of the Year, Corinne Valletta of Betsson Group, awarded Chief Compliance Officer of the Year, and Wes Himes, who was recognised with the Special Award for Compliance Lifetime Achievement.
“Thank you to everyone who joined us at last night’s Global Regulatory Awards in London,” stated Mike Woolfrey, CEO of Vixio. “This year has seen significant regulatory change across the industry, making the quality of entries even more impressive. Our independent judges did a fantastic job in selecting the winners, who truly represent the highest standards in regulatory compliance. Congratulations to all, and we look forward to welcoming you to the 10th annual Global Regulatory Awards next year!”
Awards were presented by category sponsors: Docaposte, DraftKings, eCOGRA, Gaming Associates and White Bullet.
The award evening was associate-sponsored by: Greentube, San Manuel Tribal Gaming Commission, Scientific Games, and Soft2Bet.
The 2026 Global Regulatory Awards presentation will celebrate the 10th annual GRA event and is set to take place on November 18th, returning to the historic Grand Connaught Rooms in Central London.
The official 2025 winners are as follows:
AML or MLR Professional of the Year
Eleni Panagiotopoulou, SOFTSWISS
Award for Commitment to Compliance by a Supplier
GeoComply
Award for Commitment to Compliance by an Operator
Tipico Games
Chief Compliance Officer of the Year
Corinne Valletta, Betsson Group
Compliance Innovator of the Year
Sharp Vision
Compliance Lifetime Achievement Special Award
Wes Himes
Compliance Professional of the Year
Bill Curtis, DraftKings
Compliance Rising Star Special Award
Medisha Moodley, Games Global
Compliance Team of the Year
Playtech
Head of Regulatory Affairs or Government Relations of the Year
Devon Dalbock, GLI
Legal Team of the Year
Kambi
Marketing Compliance Team of the Year
Catena Media
Outstanding Contribution to Safer Gambling
Casino Guru
Outstanding Contribution to Sports Betting Integrity
ALTENAR
Outstanding Individual Contribution to Safer Gambling
Dr. Michael Auer, Neccton
Payment Service or Solution Provider of the Year
Paysafe
RegTech Provider of the Year
Mindway AI
Regulatory Initiative of the Year
Gambling Regulatory Authority (URHH SK)
Regulatory Law Firm of the Year
Bird & Bird
Regulatory Lawyer or In-House Counsel of the Year
Behnam Dayanim, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Responsible Gambling Service or Solution Provider of the Year
BetBlocker
Testing Service or Solution Provider of the Year
BMM Innovation Group
The post Vixio Announces Winners for the 2025 Global Regulatory Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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