Latest News
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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Andy Phillips SportingRisk.com CBDO
Sporting Risk Rolls Out In-Play Pre-Canned Multis for Personalized BetBuilder Options
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4ThePlayer
4ThePlayer teams up with Entain for UK retail launch of player-favourite slots
feature. 3 Lucky Leprechauns has also emerged as a favorite among players, providing regular features and a vibrant, approachable experience that easily adapts to retail gaming.Chris Ash, Founder and Managing Director at 4ThePlayer, said: “Partnering with Entain to bring multiple 4ThePlayer titles into their UK retail estate is a key part of our retail strategy. 4 Fantastic Fish and 3 Lucky Leprechauns have both performed strongly online, particularly in the UK, making them a natural starting point for this exciting new project.”
Matt Stadius, Director of Retail Gaming at Entain, added: “4ThePlayer has built a strong reputation for creating engaging, player-focused content, and we’re pleased to be bringing titles such as 4 Fantastic Fish and 3 Lucky Leprechauns into our UK retail estate. Both games have already proven their appeal online, making them a good fit for our shop customers.”
The post 4ThePlayer teams up with Entain for UK retail launch of player-favourite slots appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Conferences
ICE Barcelona 2026 — Where the Next Gaming Revolution Begins
The launch: Two truly revolutionary games
Prepare to witness the huge reveal the industry will be talking about for years. For the first time, GoldenRace will unveil two groundbreaking, revolutionary games designed to capture new demographics, boost engagement across all channels, and deliver unprecedented revenue growth.
These games are set to be the new undisputed champions of the betting world. You must be at Stand 4D25 to be among the first to see them in action!
New RaceDay: Race it all!
What if your players could bet on all races at the same time? Introducing RaceDay, a brand-new multi-race product for retail and mobile that transforms engagement by allowing players to bet on up to six races of your choice, simultaneously, offering higher odds and increased betting volume.
You decide which of GoldenRace’s top-quality races—including Horses (in different formats), Greyhounds, Motorbikes, Karts and Trotting—are available.
- More bets: Players can now bet on up to six races concurrently, maximising their opportunities and increasing betting volume on your platform.
- New RaceDay market: Innovative combination bets across different competitions in one view help boost the odds and lead to more significant wins.
- Increased appeal: RaceDay delivers a premium user experience with live video, real-time scores, upcoming events, and a unique, customisable design.
- Anywhere reliability: Thanks to low-bandwidth optimisation, RaceDay offers seamless performance on both mobile and retail platforms.
New solutions: Supercharge your retail betting business!
- Non-stop action: Rotating Display
Say goodbye to static screens! Our brand-new Rotating Display feature is a game-changer for your brick-and-mortar business. It allows you to create a continuous, high-octane stream of content right on your shop screens, cycling through your favourite GoldenRace V5 products. Why you’ll love it: Save hardware, save money, and boost bets by keeping the content fresh and dynamic.
- Fast Ticket Checker: Eliminate waits, elevate winnings!
Our new Fast Ticket Checker feature brings instant clarity to your retail betting experience, allowing players to instantly know the status of their betting slips using their own mobile device via a QR code scan. The winning play: Solve congestion by freeing up cashiers to focus on sales while providing players with instant, real-time status updates directly from the server.
- Enhanced Jackpot Viewer
Our upgraded solution provides unparalleled flexibility for showcasing your biggest prizes. Boost capacity by displaying 3-4 Jackpots simultaneously and ensure seamless branding with new background colour configurations in the back office. This gives you complete control to present a professional, high-impact, and fully branded Jackpot experience.
A world of opportunity awaits at Stand 4D25
The post ICE Barcelona 2026 — Where the Next Gaming Revolution Begins appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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