Betting and gambling APPG closes following white paper publication
Pro-industry cross-party body to launch informal network to maintain links to sector with ad hoc meetings
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for betting and gambling is set to close officially following the publication of the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review.
The body, which has been a strong supporter of the industry and included some firebrand MPs, will shut down and be replaced by an informal network.
The new network will be used to establish ad hoc meetings and discussion concerning the sector outside of the formal APPG structure.
Current APPG members include industry supporter Philip Davies and Blackpool South MP Scott Benton.
Benton is currently under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in relation to a sting operation in which he promised to lobby on behalf of a fake gambling company.
Benton has since had the whip removed and is presently serving as an Independent MP, rather than a Conservative member.
In a statement, the APPG said: “With the publication of the government’s gambling review and the consultations it has launched into various aspects of its implementation, gambling remains an important political issue, as well as an important part of the UK economy.
“The group is very grateful for the engagement of those in the industry and associated industries over many years.
“We would like to thank all of the parliamentarians who have taken time to be involved over the years, especially chairs and officers past and present, we thank them for their invaluable contribution,” the statement concluded.
The APPG for betting and gambling is survived by the APPG for gambling-related harm, which includes prominent lobbying MPs Carolyn Harris, Ronnie Cowan and Sir Iain Duncan Smith.