\u201cWe employ over 25,000 people, we have a high street presence in nearly every constituency in the land and pay UK taxes of circa \u00a355 million per annum,\u201d said the spokesman. “Of course we engage with politicians, we want to make sure that when decisions are taken that affect our 25,000 people, they are done from a position of knowledge.”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nPhilip Davies, MP for Shipley and benefactor of the bookmaker\u2019s largesse, said: “I am the elected chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Betting and Gaming, and a former bookmaker, so of course I meet with bookmakers.<\/p>\n
“It would be rather extraordinary if I didn’t.”<\/p>\n
Hammond Backing DCMS Review<\/strong><\/h2>\nMeanwhile, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (UK finance minister) Minister Philip Hammond has said he will stand by the results of the government\u2019s review, even they include a drastic slashing of the stakes on FOBTs.<\/p>\n
In a letter to Alan Smith, the Bishop of St Albans, a stanch opponent of the machines, Hammond denied reports that he had attempted to block the review in order to safeguard the \u00a3400 million ($518 million) per year they generate in taxes.<\/p>\n
He also denied a rift had formed between the Treasury and the department undertaking the review, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).<\/p>\n
\u201cRecent media reports on the status of the review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures are entirely without foundation,\u201d he wrote in the letter, which was seen by the Observer newspaper.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth I and my department fully support DCMS\u2019s work to ensure the UK\u2019s gambling regime continues to balance the needs of vulnerable people, consumers who gamble responsibly, and those who work in this sector,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As the UK government prepares to publish the results of an all-important regulatory review of the gambling industry next month, Ladbrokes Coral appeared at the top of a list of companies wining and dining the country\u2019s politicians. UK members of parliament are required to declare publically gifts of hospitality worth \u00a3300 ($389) or more, and, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":57751,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,13,61],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Ladbrokes Coral Criticized for Schmoozing With UK Politicians<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n