UK operators to create 5K apprenticeships in support of Govt.'s labour initiative

Gambling firms under the standards body Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) in the UK have firmed a pledge to create 5,000 apprenticeships over the next five years.

The BGC, which represents betting shops, casinos and the online gaming sector, will launch its “Plan for Jobs” initiative in support of the Government’s own Plan For Jobs as the UK recovers from the pandemic and concerns about a possible labour shortage loom over the future.

The BGC’s plan aims at “setting out how the regulated industry plans to support the Government’s post-Covid recovery” by investing in young people and providing them with the skills required for a career in the sector, says a press statement.

We are today launching our #PlanForJobs, setting out how BGC members will play their part in the UK’s economic recovery by creating 5,000 apprenticeships over the next five years.

Here’s a short video on how the regulated industry will help Britain to build back better. pic.twitter.com/ApqvM8SHpm

— Betting and Gaming Council (@BetGameCouncil) September 6, 2021

“As the UK emerges from the pandemic, creating more good jobs and training for young people will be more important than ever before,” said Michael Dugher, chief executive of the BGC. “The Government’s own Plan for Jobs is a fantastic opportunity to create more apprenticeships and traineeships, tackle unemployment, increase productivity plus support British business overseas through Global Britain.”

In addition to members of the BGC vowing to create 5,000 apprenticeships in the industry between now and 2025, regulated operators are also signing up to the Government’s own Kick Start scheme to provide job opportunities for 16 to 24-year-olds on Universal Credit, as well as rolling out graduate recruitment schemes that would offer career paths “for young people straight from university.”

BCG members alone are estimated to support 119,000 jobs, directly employing 61,000 people and a further 58,000 in the supply chain. Nearly one-fifth of those employed in the industry are aged under 25, according to a report earlier this year. Moreover, they also generate £4.5 billion for the Treasure in tax and contributed £7.7 billion in gross value added to the UK economy in 2019.

“Young people have been hardest hit by the pandemic – this pledge is an important step in enabling them to be a part of the wider recovery,” added Dugher. “Betting and Gaming Council members are ready to play their part by giving young people –our country’s future– the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.”

The BGC’s announcement comes as the Government prepares to publish a White Paper on the review of the Gambling Act 2005, the basis for all current gambling regulation, it has been carrying out since last December.

A spokesman for the BGC told CNBC earlier this year that the body welcomes the review and the Government’s assurance that it will be an “evidence-led process,” while noting that the overall rate of problem gambling has been stable for 20 years at 0.5%, according to official data.

Among the main objectives of the review is to revise whether the 2005 act is fit for the digital age and the changing gambling landscape in the UK. As gambling companies have exponentially increased their presence in the mobile segment and the amount of time and money spent by customers in mobile gambling has also risen since the pandemic, the Gambling Review is expected to strike a balance between protecting the most vulnerable while assuring fair conditions for the industry.