BGC Welcomes Government Investment in Grassroot Sports

STANDARDS body the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has welcomed the UK Government’s recent announcements to spend £400m boosting grassroots sport and its new Modern Industrial Strategy.

The investment in grassroots sport is part of a wider £900m package of “transformational” cash backing which will also create a pipeline of major sporting events in the UK, including Euro 28, the 2026 European Athletics Championships and start stages of the men’s and women’s Tour de France in 2027.

BGC members are already major contributors to grassroots sport, through Entain’s Pitching In and Flutter’s Cash for Clubs, plus sponsorship deals which support sports including horse racing, darts, rugby league and snooker.

BGC CEO Grainne Hurst said: “As long-time committed supporters of grassroots sports through investment, charity partnerships and sponsorship deals, we are delighted to see the Government commit more cash to unite communities and inspire people to take up sport.

“We absolutely agree with DCMS Secretary of State Lisa Nandy, sport tells our national story in a way like no other, and thanks to this funding alongside the money invested by BGC members, we are creating and improving new ways for tomorrow’s sporting heroes to train and take part in sport.”

Pitching In is an Entain initiative to support and develop grassroots sport in the UK, helping non-league clubs improve their facilities and providing a platform for aspiring athletes to chase their dreams.

The multi-million-pound, multi-year investment programme is working with Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern League clubs, known as the Trident Leagues, to champion their achievements and tell their stories.

Meanwhile Flutter’s Cash4Clubs, has donated £6.5m since 2008 in small grants to grassroots sports and community clubs across Ireland and the UK, particularly in areas of need.

More widely, BGC members are huge financial supporters of sport. According to a report by EY commissioned by the BGC, horseracing benefits to the tune of £350m annually, while the English Football League and its clubs receive £40m, and snooker, darts and rugby league receive more than £12.5m.

Meanwhile, in a separate announcement the Government launched its new Modern Industrial Strategy, which included a commitment to an internationally competitive tax regime to promote the UK as a prime destination for business and growth, plus a renewed focus on the creative industries.

The BGC has repeatedly urged the Government not to raise taxes on betting and gaming amid a new online tax consultation.

BGC CEO Grainne Hurst said: “We welcome this boost for creative industries, but the BGC would have welcomed more focus on the leisure and tourism sector. The land-based betting and gaming sector, including our world leading casinos, are a pillar of the UK economy, and are generating growth across the nation’s towns and cities. They deserve continued Government support,” she added.

“We also welcome the Government’s commitments to a tax regime that supports its growth ambitions. We have been clear, any tax rises on our sector will not boost growth, but will force people to the growing unsafe gambling black market.”