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Betting and Gaming Council Warn Further Tax Increases Will Hit Customers, Prevent Growth, Cost Jobs and Bolster Black Market Gambling
STANDARDS body the Betting and Gaming Council have warned further tax rises threaten to bolster the illegal gambling black market while undermining the regulated sector’s significant economic contributions.
Ahead of the Budget, new figures compiled by leading consultants EY confirm BGC members generate £6.8bn for the economy in Gross Value Added, raise a further £4bn in tax to the Treasury, while supporting 109,000 jobs.
The regulated betting and gaming sector supports the UK’s hard-pressed high streets through bookmakers, provides a vital pillar to the leisure and tourism sector through casinos, and a growing number of high value jobs in bases like Stoke, Leeds, Sunderland, Warrington, Nottingham and Newcastle Under Lyme.
They also pour millions into sports including horseracing, rugby league, football, snooker, darts and boxing.
But tax increases, combined with the impacts of last year’s White Paper on gambling reform, and the threat of the growing unsafe, unregulated gambling black market, could undermine that continued investment while threatening growth and jobs.
According to previous Government figures, the White Paper measures, many of which the BGC called for to raise standards, will cost the sector around £1bn.
While comparable markets in Europe which have increased taxes on regulated operators, have seen an immediate rise in black market gambling, which pays zero tax, does not contribute to sport and makes no effort on player protection, leading these markets to also have higher rates of problem gambling.
A recent study commissioned by the BGC found 1.5m Brits are annually staking up to £4.3bn on the illegal, unregulated gambling black market.
Meanwhile, the current economic headwinds – which are set to continue – have also hit customer’s pockets hard, including their financial freedom to spend on hobbies like betting.
BGC CEO Grainne Hurst said: “Our sector is at a crossroads as we seek to implement the measures contained in the White Paper and deliver a new era of stability and growth so we can continue making significant economic contributions to the country.
“After so many years of uncertainty, this sector needs stability to deliver sustainable investment, not further change which threatens to undo that contribution.
“Any new taxes now, at any scale, at this critical juncture risks undermining that good work while giving a leg-up to the lurking menace of the black market, which is ready to hoover up disaffected customers sensitive to any degrading of the offer they get in the regulated sector.
“Customers have been hit hard for years, with extreme pressure on the cash they have left in their pockets, once bills and taxes are paid, to enjoy their hobbies including having a flutter. We don’t want to see the pressure on working people ramped up.
“Regulated betting and gaming remains a hugely popular pastime in this country, enjoyed safely by the overwhelming majority, while our members are a Great British export and genuine global leaders, delivering enormous economic good in city centers, on high streets and in the growing online sector. That investment positively impacts other sectors too, with BGC members pouring millions into Britain’s world leading sports.
“We want to partner with Government to see the right, proportionate regulations, and a stable tax regime, which doesn’t hit customers, doesn’t raise the attraction of illegal operators, won’t risk jobs, but instead delivers on the Government’s new growth agenda.”
The White Paper – billed as a “once in a generation” moment for reform – announced measures including an Ombudsman to improve consumer redress, new online stake limits, modest casino modernisation plans and a new levy to fund Research Prevention and Treatment (RPT) services to tackle problem gambling and gambling related harm.
BGC members voluntarily donated over £170m to this work over the last four years – supporting a mature network of independent charity providers – including £50m last year alone.
The new statutory RPT Levy is expected to raise £100m a year when introduced.
BGC members also contribute around £100m a year to the Horserace Betting Levy to improve breeding, advance veterinary science in the sport and contribute to the wider improvement of horseracing.
The new research by EY also tracked trends in the sector, confirming Gross Gambling Yield from online betting and gaming has remained steady, while marking the significant pressures facing land-based bookmakers and casinos.
The number of casinos has fallen in recent years, from 156 in 2019 to 117 now, including the loss of five high-end casinos.
There are also currently 5870 bookmakers in the UK, with 2485 closures since 2019, a 28% reduction, prompted by regulatory changes and the lingering effects of the Covid pandemic.
The BGC has previously called on Government to introduce the modest but mission critical modernisation plans needed for the land-based sector to compete and offer the experience their customers expect.
The post Betting and Gaming Council Warn Further Tax Increases Will Hit Customers, Prevent Growth, Cost Jobs and Bolster Black Market Gambling appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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GGPoker Launches Exclusive Online Satellites To WSOP Circuit Bratislava
Live poker festival hosted at Card Casino Bratislava, Slovakia from August 1 through August 12
GGPoker, the World’s Biggest Poker Room, today announces the launch of online satellite tournaments for the WSOP-C Bratislava €1M-Guaranteed Main Event. This massive tournament headlines the upcoming WSOP Circuit Bratislava poker festival, which runs from August 1 through August 12 at Card Casino Bratislava and will be the sole WSOP-C stop in Slovakia this year.
WSOP-C Gold Ring & €1,000,000 Guaranteed
The WSOP-C Bratislava Main Event features a €1,500 buy-in, and the winning player will take home a coveted WSOP Circuit gold ring in addition to the largest slice of the €1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Players do not need big bankrolls to begin their journey to WSOP Circuit Bratislava. GGPoker qualifiers start at just €1, so a modest investment could win a ticket for the series’ headline event—and maybe even lead to a deep run and that prestigious ring!
Satellites From €1
GGPoker players can qualify via three stages:
- €1 Step leading to
- €15 Step leading to
- €150 Final Phase Satellite
Players can buy in directly to any stage, and each €150 Final Phase Satellite guarantees at least three tickets to the €1,500 Main Event.
“The chance to qualify for the WSOP-C Bratislava Main Event for just €1 is hard to resist,” said Paul Burke, Head of PR at GGPoker. “With GGPoker’s online satellites, you can secure your seat from home and then make the trip to Bratislava for the live stages. We’re thrilled to bring this marquee tournament to Slovakia’s capital for the first time, putting world-class poker on players’ doorstep.”
Satellites are already available in the GGPoker tournament lobby, and the poker community can follow updates from the live festival on WSOP.com and Card Casino Bratislava’s social channels.
To ensure that WSOP Circuit Bratislava players enjoy the best experience possible, the festival will use the new WSOP+ application, which makes event registration, player tracking, and content sharing easier than ever before.
The post GGPoker Launches Exclusive Online Satellites To WSOP Circuit Bratislava appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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GoldenRace’s Social Crash, the feature of engagement
GoldenRace, the leading B2B provider of award-winning Virtual Sports and betting solutions, has announced a major innovation in its Crash Games: a new in-game live chat feature designed to transform solo gaming into shared, interactive experiences.
Crash games have long been synonymous with speed, intensity and instant gratification – but they’ve traditionally lacked a social element. Now, GoldenRace is changing that with a feature that brings real-time interaction to online casinos, turning every session into a community-driven event.
“We wanted to recreate what retail betting has delivered for centuries – a truly social experience – but adapted for the online casinos,” said Martin Wachter, CEO & Founder of GoldenRace. “We’re giving operators the tools to engage more players, build stronger communities and maximise one of the industry’s fastest-growing verticals.”
Research consistently shows that social presence significantly boosts player retention, session duration and brand loyalty – especially among younger audiences who expect interactive, connected experiences.
The new functionality enables a live chat with preset messages, emoji reactions and instant cash-out sharing directly within the game interface. Every interaction is tied to a visible username, allowing players to see and respond to one another’s actions as they happen. Even with the chatbox packed, floating messages and emojis ensure no moment goes unnoticed.
From an operational perspective, the feature is seamless to integrate and manage. All settings are controlled directly from the back office, with no additional technical effort required.
The upgrade is now live across GoldenRace’s most popular Crash titles:
- Meteoroid,
- Fire Crash,
- Jet Escape,
- Boom Ball Juggle
- Danfo Crash.
The post GoldenRace’s Social Crash, the feature of engagement appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Vibra Mines: The Classic Minesweeper Transforms into an Explosive Game of Prizes and Strategy
Keep clicking to uncover stars and boost your winnings… but one wrong move could blow up the game.
Vibra Gaming, the leading game and platform developer for the LatAm market, presents Vibra Mines, a modern and vibrant take on the legendary Minesweeper, where every decision can lead to huge multipliers and guaranteed excitement.
The game unfolds on a configurable grid (3×3, 5×5, 7×7, or 9×9) with hidden tiles. Players can choose how much to bet and how many bombs will be on the board decisions that directly influence the risk level and potential rewards. To win, players click on tiles to reveal stars, increasing their bet multiplier. At any moment, they can choose to cash out and walk away before a bomb is revealed.
The game also includes innovative mechanics that take the excitement to another level. By choosing the number of hidden bombs on the board, players can adjust the difficulty and boost their prize multiplier as the round progresses. Additionally, if a heart appears after triggering a bomb, the game grants an extra life, allowing the player to continue without ending the round. This unique mechanic adds an extra layer of thrill and strategy, as only one extra life can be obtained per round.
Sebastián Caden, Marketing Manager at Vibra Gaming, comments: “With Vibra Mines, we wanted to go back to basics: a simple yet captivating mechanic. It’s a game where intuition and strategy are key, and where every player can choose their own level of risk. We know it’s going to generate huge excitement among players throughout the region.”
The post Vibra Mines: The Classic Minesweeper Transforms into an Explosive Game of Prizes and Strategy appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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