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Bar's and Gambling,
Whatever Next !
THE BHB has been accused of ignoring social responsibilities in calling on the Government to allow betting to take place in pubs and clubs.
Tom Kelly, director-general of the Betting Office Licensees’ Association, said yesterday that BHB chairman Peter Savill’s latest call to change the law,
using the United States and Australia as examples, overlooked vital social consequences.
Pointing out that the States and Australia have “different cultures, where different systems of betting apply”, Kelly drew attention to a study on gambling prevalence published last month.
He said: “The survey showed that the incidence of problem gamblers in Australia is three times higher than in Britain, and that’s a country which is held up by the BHB as a shining example of how
betting and alcohol can mix.”
The study, produced on behalf of GamCare, the national centre addressing the social impact of gambling, also revealed that Britain—with 0.6 to 0.8 per cent of problem gamblers as a proportion of the population—comes below the States in the international league table. The figure for Australia is 2.3 per cent.
Kelly added: “The report showed that, if anything, the UK legislation, which keeps betting and alcohol apart on licensed premises, has worked extremely well from the social aspect.”
Savill gave a foretaste of an issue the BHB will advance in its submission to the Home Office’s gambling review when he addressed the Racehorse Owners’ Association annual meeting on Friday.
He said: “How long are we going to say that betting and alcohol don’t mix, especially now we have new technology?
“If you are in a pub with a mobile phone, you can bet. If you are at home watching racing on TV, you can have a beer and a bet. And you can bet and drink on the racecourse.”
Kelly argued there was no evidence of support for the BHB plea from the pub industry, and that the BHB had not thought through the possible effect on betting shops, which would impact on racing.
“The introduction of the National Lottery cut turnover but had a far greater percentage effect on betting-shop profitability,” he said.
“It would take only a small percentage of turnover going into pubs and clubs—which would be more likely to go on sports betting and not horses—to wipe out thousands of small betting shops. And they provide racing with its shop window.
“Pub landlords are there to serve beer. They wouldn’t have the same incentive as a betting-shop manager to promote horseracing, especially not at current margins.”
Matrix
Whatever Next !
THE BHB has been accused of ignoring social responsibilities in calling on the Government to allow betting to take place in pubs and clubs.
Tom Kelly, director-general of the Betting Office Licensees’ Association, said yesterday that BHB chairman Peter Savill’s latest call to change the law,
using the United States and Australia as examples, overlooked vital social consequences.
Pointing out that the States and Australia have “different cultures, where different systems of betting apply”, Kelly drew attention to a study on gambling prevalence published last month.
He said: “The survey showed that the incidence of problem gamblers in Australia is three times higher than in Britain, and that’s a country which is held up by the BHB as a shining example of how
betting and alcohol can mix.”
The study, produced on behalf of GamCare, the national centre addressing the social impact of gambling, also revealed that Britain—with 0.6 to 0.8 per cent of problem gamblers as a proportion of the population—comes below the States in the international league table. The figure for Australia is 2.3 per cent.
Kelly added: “The report showed that, if anything, the UK legislation, which keeps betting and alcohol apart on licensed premises, has worked extremely well from the social aspect.”
Savill gave a foretaste of an issue the BHB will advance in its submission to the Home Office’s gambling review when he addressed the Racehorse Owners’ Association annual meeting on Friday.
He said: “How long are we going to say that betting and alcohol don’t mix, especially now we have new technology?
“If you are in a pub with a mobile phone, you can bet. If you are at home watching racing on TV, you can have a beer and a bet. And you can bet and drink on the racecourse.”
Kelly argued there was no evidence of support for the BHB plea from the pub industry, and that the BHB had not thought through the possible effect on betting shops, which would impact on racing.
“The introduction of the National Lottery cut turnover but had a far greater percentage effect on betting-shop profitability,” he said.
“It would take only a small percentage of turnover going into pubs and clubs—which would be more likely to go on sports betting and not horses—to wipe out thousands of small betting shops. And they provide racing with its shop window.
“Pub landlords are there to serve beer. They wouldn’t have the same incentive as a betting-shop manager to promote horseracing, especially not at current margins.”
Matrix
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