BGC warns UK ministers against ban on free bets and promotions

The Betting and Gaming Council is urging UK ministers against a ban on free bet promotions. The trade body called on officials to consider responsible bettors when deciding whether or not to prohibit free bets and promotions, as the BGC warns such a move could cause a shift to the unregulated market.

The BGC’s renewed push against a potential free bets ban follows the release of a YouGov survey on behalf of the trade body that shows 82% of punters believe betting companies should be allowed to offer such promotions to their customers. Meanwhile, 54% think banning promotions would likely drive punters to black market sites that do offer promotions.

The survey results come as thousands of UK punters flock to Cheltenham Festival, one of the major events on the horse racing calendar. Around 274,000 will attend Cheltenham, with an estimated £1 billion ($1.2 billion) to be staked across four days of racing. But the BGC’s push against a free bets ban also comes as campaigners call for heavy restrictions or outright bans on promotional offers to be included in the UK government’s upcoming gaming reforms.

Michael Dugher, CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “This survey reinforces what anyone who knows anything about betting already understands - that betting customers, just like consumers of any other product, value offers like small free bets which are subject to strict controls and restrictions to protect the vulnerable.

“Banning or severely restricting free bets would be another attack on the punter, it degrades the customer experience and it also hurts business – and that jeopardises jobs.”

Me in the ⁦@DailyMirror⁩ today #CheltenhamFestival https://t.co/lu2l6pfvn5

— Michael Dugher (@MichaelDugher) March 15, 2023

“The market for betting is hyper-competitive with most customers using a number of different operators. Banning or severely restricting free bets would be another attack on the punter, it degrades the customer experience, and it also hurts business and that jeopardizes jobs,” Dugher further stated.

Expected to be published within weeks, the UK government gambling reforms could lead to a hike in black market activity if too strict, the BGC warns. A recent survey of RacingTV members showed that nearly 80% of respondents stated they would not want to see measures such as mandatory limits imposed by bookmakers on how much punters can spend.

Another recent study, also quoted by the BGC, further found the numbers using black market sites has doubled in recent years from 210,000 to 460,000, and the money staked “is in the billions.” For the trade body, harsher restrictions could further fuel this unregulated market.

“If promotions are restricted or banned, there’s only one place punters will go, that’s the growing, unsafe, unregulated gambling black market,” Dugher added. “Ministers should consider the millions of responsible punters enjoying a bet during Cheltenham and not bring in draconian measures in a weak attempt to further placate the tiny minority of anti-gambling prohibitionists.”