Casino Bingo UK News

Source : Manchestereveningnews.co.uk

THE nation’s renewed appetite for gambling has allowed RMS PR to cash in with a new six-figure account.

Staff from the Altrincham agency have been hired to promote The UK Bet Show 2007, which will be held at the Birmingham NEC in September.

The event – which comes as debate rages about Manchester’s supercasino – is expected to attract over 200 of the gaming and betting industry’s biggest names as well as 25,000 visitors.

The show is being organised by north west entrepreneur Julian Bewley, managing director of Fifth Street Events, who has over 10 years’ experience arranging national leisure, sporting and education events.

He said: “The gaming and betting markets are among the fastest growing in the country and show little sign of slowing down.

“It is essential businesses and organisations can effectively interact with consumers to understand their attitudes and habits.

“The UK Bet Show will provide a new platform on which to achieve this, enabling companies to successfully develop and market products and services tailored to audience demands.

“We consulted a number of agencies and picked RMS PR because of their unrivalled network of contacts and excellent knowledge of the gaming and betting industries.

“Their input has already secured support from a range of key stakeholders including politicians, sponsors, the media and punters.”

RMS PR has developed a two-tiered communications campaign including a regional road show tour.

Andy Poole, who is heading up the account, said: “The popularity of gaming and betting in the UK is booming, and while consumer interest is escalating, so are expectations and opinions.

“Therefore, everything about the PR campaign needs to be carefully planned and acutely delivered for it to be a success.

“We’ll be focusing on tackling social issues surrounding gambling and achieving transparency with potential exhibitors and consumers.

“The road show tour will take The UK Bet Show to the people on the street and enable them to sample a little bit of Las Vegas.”

The UK Bet Show will be split into four themed areas – a seminar theatre, live stage, poker zone and sports bar.

It will cover all types of gaming and betting including online, casino, sports, interactive, lotto, bingo and financial.

Visitors will be able to find out more about all the different types of games and bets available in the UK, how to play them and about responsible gambling.

From Casino-Bingo.co.uk – UK Online Free Bets /

Source: thisismoney.co.uk

A new 50% tax on the profits of larger casinos will reverse years of favourable treatment for the gambling trade.

Industry analysts are now predicting a huge slump in investment in new and existing sites and said Britain’s first super-casino in Manchester could end up looking ‘more like a big shed full of gaming machines’ than a Las Vegas-style palace.

Casino operators reacted with dismay, claiming the Chancellor’s crackdown will undermine the economic regeneration which other ministers have used to justify a huge expansion in casinos.

Mr Brown, who was raised as a Presbyterian – a church which fiercely opposed gambling – also announced a 15% tax level for on-line gambling operators. Betting and poker website bosses have already indicated they will never relocate to Britain if faced with such taxes, since foreign countries allow them to operate with low or zero duty levels.

Since Mr Brown’s tax grab looks set to keep all operators away, it has made a nonsense of the Government’s efforts to introduce tougher rules to regulate the fast-expanding online gaming sector. Tessa Jowell had hoped to make Britain the capital of internet gaming, attracting websites to base themselves here. That ambition now appears to be holed below the waterline.

The industry had expected the Chancellor to offer a generous tax level to lure operators back to the UK but he has taken the opposite approach, effectively banishing website operators.

Currently UK casino ‘yields’ – their takings minus the winnings they pay out – are taxed in bands ranging from 2.5per cent for the first £500,000 up to 40% over £ 5million. The Chancellor has axed the lower bands completely and casinos will now pay taxes starting at 15% rising to 50% on any yeld over £10million.

The Treasury predicts the changes will bring in almost £100million extra in taxes over three years, with the new top rate ensuring ‘that this vibrant sector continues to make a fair contribution to tax receipts.’

Gaming analyst Warwick Bartlett said: ‘The 50% band seems to indicate the Government is altering its stance on gambling. It won’t bring in a huge amount of tax but it effectively puts a cap on capital investment in casinos.’

From Casino-Bingo.co.uk – 1 Casino Guide – The Complete Gambling Guide in Britain /