Association warns more needs to be done to guarantee gambling law success

Business in Sport and Leisure (BSL) has warned more remains to be done to guarantee Britain’s new gambling laws are a success.

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the BSL, which represents Ladbrokes, William Hill and Coral, said: “There’s a lot still to be done to reduce the administrative burden on operators. However, compared with last year’s licensing act, lines of communication are good and we are having regular conversations with the Gambling Commission and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.”

Earlier this year the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) was lambasted in two independent reports for its handling of the 2003 Licensing Act.

Simmonds said the fact the majority of venues would simply be transferring into the new system should avoid the pandemonium experienced by licensing authorities around the new drink laws last year.

DCMS is, however, pushing ahead with the requirement to advertise “new licences”, which proved costly and bureaucratic as part of the new alcohol laws.

• The British Beer & Pub Association also wants to see the payout limit on fruit machines in pubs to be raised from £25 to £35, when the act comes into force next September.

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By Chris Druce

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