UK gambling trade bodies call for more apprenticeships

UK gambling trade bodies have mentioned a need for more apprenticeships. This would help school leavers and graduates find their way into the sector. The proposal would give employers a way to turn training already taking place on the job into recognised qualifications.

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), Bacta and the Gambling Business Group discussed the idea at London’s Hippodrome Casino on 11 November. The panel formed part of a Better Change initiative ahead of Safer Gambling Week.

What has been done and what is needed?

Jack Naisbitt, is the BGC’s head of media and digital communications. He said member companies had expanded their compliance. They also increased safer gambling team sizes with regulatory demand growing at the speed they are. The panel also pointed to roles in data and technology. These are areas of the business that may be less visible to people considering a first job in the sector.

Naisbitt said employers needed more certainty over government policy if they want to commit to training over the longer term. Bacta commercial executive director Robert Gibb said there was also a more immediate question of how much businesses could afford to spend on staff for adult gaming centres.

Arcade operators flag pressure on training budgets

Gibb pointed to the planned rise in Machine Games Duty to 25%. There was also mention of the uncertainty around business rates relief for adult gaming centres. He said limits on what venues can charge customers to play left operators with less room to absorb rising costs. This could then affect investment in staff.

Gibb said he still saw a role for apprenticeships at businesses of different sizes. He also encouraged policymakers to visit venues and speak to employees directly. He argued that seeing how staff interact with customers would give them a better understanding of how the businesses operate.

Careers pitch comes with a warning on reputation

Gambling Business Group chief executive Peter Hannibal said apprenticeships could help challenge the perception that jobs in high street gambling venues offer little room for progression. He also acknowledged that the industry’s own decisions had contributed to its reputation.

Hannibal pointed to fixed-odds betting terminals. These had maximum stakes fall from £100 to £2 in 2019.

“We should have done something ourselves about £100 stake machines in betting shops, and we didn’t. So somebody did it for us.” – Peter Hannibal

His comments put the focus back on what employers can do themselves. The panel found several areas where gambling businesses could offer formal training. These ranged from customer-facing work to compliance and technology. For someone weighing up a first job in the sector, the practical questions are what qualification they could earn, where it could take them and which employers are prepared to offer a place.