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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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Former DAZN executive joins as the safer gambling consultancy scales internationally from Manchester.
EPIC Global Solutions has appointed Chetan Pandya as Managing Director, the company said on 5 May 2026. The Manchester-based gambling-harm prevention consultancy said the hire is part of its next phase of international growth.
Pandya joins from DAZN, where he held senior leadership roles. EPIC said the appointment is intended to help scale operations and expand its role with organisations in “high-risk sectors,” including sport, gambling, and education.
Chetan Pandya, Managing Director at EPIC Global Solutions, said: “EPIC operates in a space that is becoming increasingly critical to the future of global sport and gambling. The opportunity to help shape how organisations approach prevention, responsibility, and long-term sustainability at scale is incredibly compelling. I’m excited to be joining at such a pivotal moment in the company’s journey.”
Paul Buck, CEO of EPIC Global Solutions, added: “This is a significant moment for EPIC. Chetan brings the experience, leadership, and global perspective we need as we continue to grow and evolve. Our ambition is clear – to be the trusted partner to the world’s leading organisations in player protection, and this appointment strengthens our ability to deliver on that.”
EPIC said it is expanding its presence in North America and internationally, alongside the development of scalable and digitally-enabled solutions to support organisations across multiple markets.
The post EPIC Global Solutions names Chetan Pandya as Managing Director appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Manchester-based gambling-harm prevention consultancy says the hire supports expansion in North America and other markets.
EPIC Global Solutions has appointed Chetan Pandya as Managing Director, the Manchester-based gambling-harm prevention consultancy said on 5 May 2026.
Pandya joins from DAZN, where he held senior leadership roles. EPIC said the appointment is intended to support its next phase of international growth and to scale its operations as regulatory scrutiny increases and operators expand into new markets.
“EPIC operates in a space that is becoming increasingly critical to the future of global sport and gambling. The opportunity to help shape how organisations approach prevention, responsibility, and long-term sustainability at scale is incredibly compelling. I’m excited to be joining at such a pivotal moment in the company’s journey,” Pandya said.
CEO Paul Buck said the hire strengthens EPIC’s leadership as it expands its presence in North America and develops “scalable and digitally-enabled solutions” to support partners across multiple jurisdictions. “This is a significant moment for EPIC. Chetan brings the experience, leadership, and global perspective we need as we continue to grow and evolve. Our ambition is clear – to be the trusted partner to the world’s leading organisations in player protection, and this appointment strengthens our ability to deliver on that,” Buck added.
The post EPIC Global Solutions names Chetan Pandya as Managing Director appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Inaugural StreamRollers Top 100 Casino Influencer Awards were held May 2 at SAHARA Las Vegas and livestreamed globally.
StreamRollers has announced its Top 100 Casino Influencers of 2026 following the inaugural StreamRollers Top 100 Casino Influencer Awards, held May 2 at SAHARA Las Vegas in Nevada. The company said the event brought together casino content creators, gaming executives and media for a formal gala.
Former Nevada State Attorney General George Chanos presented the awards. “Nevada continues to lead in gaming and innovation,” said Chanos. “This new wave of creators represents the next evolution of how audiences engage with Las Vegas and gambling entertainment.”
StreamRollers listed its top 10 ranked influencers as:
- Raja Richter (The Big Jackpot),
- Vegas Matt,
- Lady Luck HQ,
- Brian Christopher Slots,
- NG Slot,
- D Lucky Experience,
- Mr. Hand Pay,
- Pompsie,
- Xposed
- and PokerMetarb.
The company said the full Top 100 list has been published on its Instagram account.
The company positioned the awards as a marker of the growing creator economy around casino content, which it said spans platforms including YouTube, Twitch and Instagram. StreamRollers said the awards event was livestreamed via StreamRollers.com and noted its platform is currently in beta with an official launch planned.
David Wang, Founder of StreamRollers, commented: “Casino influencers aren’t just playing games—they’re redefining how millions experience Las Vegas and gambling entertainment from their screens. This event is about recognizing the creators leading that transformation.”
The post StreamRollers names Top 100 casino influencers after Las Vegas awards gala appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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