The Gambling Business Group, which is actively involved in the current consultation process of the gambling review white paper, is planning to raise the issue further within the DCMS, the government department that oversees gambling policy, as well as the department for business and trade.”
The influential trade body the Gambling Business Group, must also be applied across the business customer spectrum where the mainstream high street banks have repeatedly refused to provide banking facilities to gaming and gambling businesses – and have been doing so for many years.
“Almost 25 million people in this country gamble regularly – and safely – as part of their leisure and entertainment experience. The banking system seems to think this pastime is immoral and illegal. It is neither and this financial blockade must be reversed.”
The body is calling on the government and financial ombudsman to force British banks to provide banking services to all businesses in the industry from the smallest high street FEC to the largest multi-media gaming groups – all of whom have been legitimately licensed by the Gambling Commission.
Chief executive Peter Hannibal stated: “The so-called principle of many banks not to accept banking applications from gaming and gambling businesses is fast becoming a restriction on trade for a broad-based industry that drives somewhere in the region of £5-10 billion through the UK economy. The majority of high street banks have closed their doors on thousands of businesses in our sector – many citing ethical rather than economic reasons.”
