Top Five pledge poses big challenge for small firms

Comments by David Clifton feature in two separate articles in this month’s iGaming Times.

The first article (entitled “Top Five pledge poses big challenge for small firms”), is on pages 2 & 3. David is quoted at various points within an article that takes its cue from our website posting in July 2019 entitled “Smaller operators should take note of the big 5’s problem gambling funding announcement” in which we reported that five of the UK’s leading betting and gaming companies – William Hill, Bet365, GVC, Flutter (formerly known as Paddy Power Betfair) and Sky Betting & Gaming – have agreed a package of safer gambling measures and a ten-fold increase in funding for problem gambling treatment.

We subsequently reported on 2 August 2019 regarding the announcement by GVC that the same five companies have asked British peer, Lord Chadlington, a vocal campaigner on safer gambling, to chair an independent committee that will recommend how best to administer the funds that these companies will provide.

The second article (entitled “A Stitch in Time? – David Clifton: Why small operators should take note of Big Five pledge”) is on page 31 (and is also available online here). It is a “comment” piece, in which David addresses the following questions:

  • So far only the big five firms in the UK market have pledged one percent of GGY to research and treatment. But how does this affect smaller firms?
  • What would it take for the one percent figure to become mandatory for the entire UK market – and when might this happen?
  • Could this be enough to stave off further tightening of rules in the UK?
  • Which other regulations do you think operators are particularly keen to prevent?

Both articles can be downloaded below.

Download article PDF: iGaming Times - August 2019