Peter Hannibal, Chief Executive of the Gambling Business Group, is acutely alert to the uncertainty that the current political upheaval brings. “I think the land based gambling industry will be watching proceedings with the same sense of alarm as every other business sector in the country. True, we have our own very specific issues with a Gambling Act Review that’s heading into its eighth year and is effectively driving our sector back to the beginning of this century rather than looking forward to a progressive new framework,” he told Coinslot.
“But, every one of our membership and those of all our trade group colleagues, are businesses first and foremost, many are traditional family businesses and international companies investing in the UK. And they are struggling to drive their local economies because of the failure of central government to manage a clear strategy for growth and development.”
And, like the soon to be anointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Hannibal said it straight: “You cannot tax businesses on the high street into growth. You cannot over-regulate businesses into growth. And you cannot drive an economy to growth through policy of emotion over policy led by evidence.”
And there was a direct message to the Burnham project with regard to the new government’s gambling policy: “Licenced Gambling is currently the most highly regulated sector on the high street, answerable to the regulatory control of both the Gambling Commission and the local authorities. Every business pays into an annual levy totalling £100m plus for protective measures for players and every business pays local and central taxes to keep their high streets alive. And all the while, the number of gambling operators on UK high streets has declined to their lowest level in decades.If this pattern continues, the high street will be decimated and players will move to unlicensed online sites where there is no protection at all. We need a progressive approach: one that will protect our businesses, our high streets, our employees and our players. That is the progressive framework needed for growth.”
And Hannibal was quick to add a positive note: “The legitimate, regulated land based industry is so important to the high street economy. And there is so much it can do to revive our towns and their prosperity. The industry wants to be part of the conversation and the collaboration – and it’s being blocked out. We need to do more ourselves in raising the profile of the excellent service and customer care that the legitimate land-based businesses provide, in many cases far better than the businesses that we sit alongside on those high streets. And if they are not playing machines and bingo with us Mr Burnham, where would you prefer them to be playing?”
Originally published on Coinslot on June 29, 2026. Republished with permission.