No 'social ill' with betting, says head of gaming lobby

The boss of the UK's main betting and gaming lobby group has told MPs there is no "social ill with gambling" and warned against raising taxes on the sector in the November budget.

- Simon Goodley

Grainne Hurst, the chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, repeatedly made the statement to parliament's Treasury select committee yesterday. She also claimed that higher taxes would result in thousands of job losses and push punters into using hidden market services.

Hurst made the comments as part of the gambling industry's lobbying against calls to increase taxes on the sector - including on products thought to be the most risky for creating problem gamblers, such as online casinos and the betting machines that fill high street adult gaming centres.