BGC CEO Hurst calls the 'falsehoods' about the UK gambling industry in the mainstream media 'lies'.

Grainne Hurst, the CEO of BGC, claims that the trade group is doing everything it can to fight against what she thinks is anti-gambling news in the mainstream media.
Grainne Hurst is the CEO of BGC.
Grainne Hurst, the CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), thinks that the organisation has an important job to do in correcting false ideas about gambling that are spread by the UK media.

Hurst told iGB this week that the way the public and national media see gambling is one of her "biggest bugbears." She thinks it gives anti-gambling lobbyists a voice, even if they will never change their opinions.

Hurst says, "I do think that there is still a slight misconception about the industry among the broader public, which is something that the BGC is working really hard to change."

She thinks that one of the BGC's main goals is to use facts to offset the negative media coverage and let the public know what the real situation of the gambling industry is.

Hurst says, "There are many things we can do."

"It's incredibly important for the BGC to have the evidence to rebut some of the myths, misconceptions, and inaccuracies that you read in the media from time to time.

"But secondly, you should listen to your customers and ask them what they think about the myth that is going about at that time. I believe the BGC has a huge job to do, and we're putting in a lot of effort to do that.

Hurst argues the sector should do more to enhance its image.
But she thinks the industry should do more to change how people in the UK think about gambling in a bad way.

She talks about big improvements in protecting players and encouraging responsible gambling, especially after the review of the Gambling Act and the white paper that came out after it.

Hurst says, "We've come a long way, but there's still more we can do." "It's frustrating because I know how responsible and proactive the industry is."

"But we all know that kind of good news doesn't sell most of the time." So, it's critical for us to include that good news narrative in our daily communications, which we've been doing and will keep doing to show off the fantastic things that the industry is doing and has done.

How will the money from the required levy be used?
Hurst thinks that the BGC has become the official voice of the UK gambling industry, and it will keep doing this by talking to outside groups like the government and the Gambling Commission.

Hurst is worried about the new required levy that was put in place this year after being suggested in a white paper from 2023.

She is worried that the money might not be utilised to pay for research and education that fights gambling, which would be bad for people who are already suffering from gambling problems.

"I think it's very important that we keep leading the way in education and awareness, even if we can't do it through the mandatory levy. But with the new system, a lot of it is now out of our hands, so we need to be aware and careful that it's being delivered."

Another worry is the idea of tax harmonisation.
The government recently announced intentions to change the way online gambling taxes are collected. This is another thing that Hurst, the BGC, and the rest of the UK sector are worried about.

At the moment, there are three different tax rates for internet betting in the UK. Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) takes 21% of profits from operators, General Betting Duty (GBD) takes 15% of profits, and Pool Betting Duty (PBD) takes 15% of net stake receipts.

The government's latest plan will combine the three rates into one. People who have a stake in the business are worried that the rate will go up to 21% in all areas.

A recent YouGov poll found that over two-thirds of the people who bet said they would go to unlicensed operators if the gambling tax went up.

Hurst agrees with those worries. She thinks that the BGC's biggest issue in the next six months will be to fight those plans.

Hurst goes on to explain, "We have been very vocal about saying [the single tax rate] would be hugely self-defeating, as it wouldn't achieve the government's aims of trying to raise more money, which I think is the bottom line." "It will be really bad for the customer offer and will also make the black market bigger.

"And [the tax change would] make it much harder for really important British sports, like horse racing, rugby league, darts, and snooker, to get support."

Hurst became the CEO of BGC in September of last year. Before that, he had worked for Entain for six and a half years as the group's director of corporate affairs.

The industry has gone through a lot of change and uncertainty in the past year while she has been in charge of the BGC. This is mostly because the white paper reforms are all happening at once.

Media attention, especially on issues like advertising and taxes, has made things much harder for the UK sector.