BGC welcomes Labour government’s focus on grassroots sport

The Betting and Gaming Council has highlighted its members’ support for sports.

UK.- The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has welcomed the new UK government’s plan to improve access to sports for working-class communities. BGC chairman Michael Dugher, a former Labour MP, praised the directive outlined by the new DCMS Secretary of State, Lisa Nandy, to prioritise “support for the grassroots as a visible symbol that those young people matter to us and that sport has the power to transform lives in every part of Britain.”

Dugher said the lobby group understood the common bonds sports have with working-class communities, noting that BGC members had provided support to sports such as rugby league, darts, snooker and lower league football.

He said: “Although some middle-class bores at The Times and The Guardian may look down their noses at it, regulated betting and sport have always enjoyed a symbiotic relationship. Sport has always shared a common heritage with betting, which has long been a part of working-class culture for many people.”

Dugher highlighted the work of Betfred as the principal partner of Rugby League (Betfred Super League, Championship, and Challenge Cup and as official partner of the England Rugby League team). “Without the support of Fred Done, Rugby League just couldn’t survive in its current form,” Dugher said. He also noted that the English Football League (EFL) receives £40m a year from Sky Bet and that Entain, Flutter, and bet365 had launched funding schemes promoting grassroots sports.

He added: “Our members get involved because these are not just sports teams and clubs, they are part of the cultural fabric of communities, providing identity and heritage as well as crucial opportunities to youngsters. This is particularly true for working-class communities and the sports they love, despite the more than a hint of snobbery that sometimes defines the attitude of anti-gambling prohibitionists.

“I have no doubt that Lisa Nandy gets this. Like she says, this is ‘personal’ to her. She undoubtedly and rightly will want to see more done from the betting industry to continue to raise standards on safer gambling. But she knows how important sports like rugby league are to places like her own constituency in Wigan. She has long championed grassroots sport – including what happened to nearby Bury Football Club – and she has been a strong supporter of the Tote, based in her constituency.”