British operators to pay charity levy

Land-based casino operators have agreed to pay a 0.1 percent levy of their annual gross gaming yield to charity.

UK.- The National Casino Forum (NCF), the British land-based casino operator’s trade asociation, has agreed that they will pay at least 0.1 percent of their annual gross gaming yield to charity. The decision will provide further transparency to an already existing policy of annual funding and will benefit the charity GambleAware.

The Forum has decided to change its membership terms in order to make sure every operator complies with the levy that will fund education, harm prevention and treatment services related to gambling addiction.

GambleAware will use the money to fulfill the National Responsible Gambling Strategy’s goals, an agreement between the government, the industry and the regulator in 2012.

NCF CEO Tracy Damestani celebrated an “historic” commitment and said: “The casino sector has always supported fundraising for research, education and treatment and casino operators are determined to go beyond both the letter and the spirt of the Act in their support for responsible and safer gambling. They want to ensure that research, education, prevention and treatment programmes are fully funded across the gambling industry.”

GambleAware chief executive Marc Etches added: “It is imperative that all businesses deriving a profit from commercial gambling in Britain support GambleAware in the delivery of the National Responsible Gambling Strategy. This initiative by NCF’s members will ensure transparency in relation to the casino sector’s funding of research, education and treatment and sets an important benchmark for others.”