Senet Group, the responsible gambling body formed by a quartet of high street bookmakers, is to hand over all assets and responsibilities to the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), effective 8 April.This will see the BGC effectively become the driving force of industry efforts to raise standards and improve player protection across all products and channels.
Senet was first established in September 2014 by Ladbrokes, William Hill, Gala Coral and Paddy Power to develop a self-regulatory framework for leading operators and suppliers. It manages the Multi Operator Self Exclusion Scheme (MOSES) retail self-exclusion scheme, and came up with the “When the Fun Stops, Stop” message that was rolled out across the country.
“The collaborative ethos at the heart of the new Betting and Gaming Council now offers the opportunity to combine resources to deliver safer gambling initiatives at scale,” Senet Group chair Gillian Wilmot said. “It is vital that the industry is at the core of solutions to protect its customers.
“Senet’s role in bringing the industry together and leading initiatives to protect its customers and secure its own sustainable future has added significant value.”
Its membership significantly expanded beyond that initial four, and the group was the instigator of the package of safer gambling commitments developed through cross-sector collaboration, and ultimately announced by the BGC in November 2019.
This saw operators agree to five core commitments: to prevent underage gambling and protect young people, increase support for treatment of gambling harm, strengthen and expand codes of practice for advertising and marketing, protect and empower our customers, and promote a culture of safer gambling.
BGC chair Brigid Simmonds praised Senet Group for pioneering the cross-sector collaborative approach that ultimately led to the establishment of the council.
“I would like to thank the Senet board, headed by Gillian Wilmot, and the team led by Sarah Hanratty for their hard work, dedication and the legacy they leave through the Safer Gambling Commitments, which provide a roadmap for raising standards across our industry,” she said. “We look forward to building on that work.”
Once the BGC takes over Senet’s assets and responsibilities, MOSES is to become an independent entity, similar to the online self-exclusion system Gamstop.
Gamstop was originally owned by the Remote Gambling Association (RGA), a predecessor to the BGC, before ownership for its controlling body, the National Online Self Exclusion Scheme (NOSES) was transferred to its directors in September last year.
Gamstop has since become mandatory for all British licensees, from 31 March, with two operators currently under investigation by the Gambling Commission for failing to integrate with the system.
