Brigid Simmonds OBE is Chairman of the Betting and Gaming Council.
This month’s by-election in Wakefield was always going to be hugely significant, but after the last few days in Westminster, the scrutiny is only set to intensify.
When the polls do finally open on June 23, regulatory reforms of the betting and gaming industry are unlikely to be the deciding factor for most voters, not with so many other pressing issues occupying minds.
But ask those same voters how they feel about plans emerging from Westminster to overhaul rules governing their hobby and it is immediately clear the debate triggers passionate reactions.
Because this is an issue which goes to the heart of the expected role and reach of government – a government that is very quickly having to rearrange its priorities to win back the trust of voters and its own MPs.
Much is presumed about how ordinary people feel about betting and gaming, but the BGC went and found out, hiring respected research agency Public First to conduct focus groups in so-called Red Wall seats, including Wakefield.
Their findings are stark – especially when it comes to perceived government interference on how grown-ups should be allowed to spend their money.
When confronted with suggestions Ministers are looking to introduce blanket affordability checks, forcing punters to provide personal documents to prove they could afford to bet money they have already paid tax on, there was nothing short of outrage.
“It’s removing all forms of self-responsibility whatsoever. That’s just somebody dictating to you about your money. It’s a bad idea,” said one focus group member, a male retail assistant from Wakefield. In Wolverhampton, a female council worker added:
“I’m shocked to be honest, it sounds like something from a big brother style country. We can’t seriously be doing this sort of stuff in a free country.”
“The Government shouldn’t be sticking their noses in. I should be allowed to do what I please with my money,” said one male factory worker from Doncaster.
These reactions aren’t just a passionate defence of an individual’s right to do as they choose, they are also a response to fears of the Government overreach, what many term the nanny state. It is this that drives a wedge between MPs and voters, and which fuels the disconnect between Westminster and the rest of the country.
A female shop assistant from Blackpool, added: “It’s making a mockery of people and their ability to just be grown-ups. We don’t need telling how to live our lives – it’s completely too far for me.”
“I don’t think politicians live in the real world. I don’t think they have a clue what people like us do”, said a female community assistant from Stoke. Another Stoke panel member added: “None of them actually go to the bingo or casino on a Friday do they?”
Betting is hugely popular; 22.5m people enjoy a flutter once a month, while around 17.5 million people visit a casino each year and over two million visit bingo halls.
It is clear for the overwhelming majority, visiting a bookmaker, casino or bingo hall is akin to visiting a pub or restaurant with friends, an inherently social activity. That provoked another emotion identified by the research: the anger many felt at the patronising way many spoke about their hobby as if it were ‘problematic.’
They see it everywhere: sneering newspaper editorials; some MPs’ obvious antipathy to something they simply do not do themselves; health campaigners increasingly shrill denunciation of a something they clearly believe is seedy and should be discouraged.
They do grown adults a disservice. This research is clear: just like the BGC, voters want proportionate measures that protect vulnerable players, but do not spoil the enjoyment of the vast majority who bet safety.
A male driver from Wakefield, said:
“I know what I want to spend and I know what I can afford – I’m not daft. I know what I’ll put on. There might be days like a big horse race or something and I’ll do extra but I’ve usually saved up for that.”
Another man, in his 30s from Durham, added: “I usually spend a set amount every month on betting. We set it aside and that’s all I do.”
At the BGC we have always known the popularity of betting. But this study exposes the weight of feeling ministers will confront if industry reforms reach beyond what voters deem proportionate.
When voters go to the polls in Wakefield, they may not be thinking about betting and gaming, but they certainly will be thinking about the role of government, and where it should and should not be intervening. This week has brought that reality into sharp relief.
This study illuminates something else: that there is a gulf between the views of the recreational punter and those deciding the future of the regulated betting and gaming industry.
And when it comes to a sector enjoyed by 22.5 million, that is supporting 119,000 jobs and raising £4.5bn in taxes, ministers would do well to pay heed to this community worker, who will be placing her vote in Wakefield this month, and ensure the decisions they take are closing that gulf, not widening it:
“I don’t think politicians live in the real world. I don’t think they have a clue what people like us do. And I don’t think they care, quite frankly. I think they like to be seen, to be actively aware of what’s going on. But I think when it comes down to it, I don’t really think they have a clue or care.”