Donald Trump’s recent visit to Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas signalled a positive change for many hospitality and casino workers in the country. Now, the UK gambling industry has followed suit with Baroness Twycross’ visit to the largest casino in the country, the Hippodrome Casino in London. Naturally, this has sparked much discussion as her visit brings up important talking points on land-based gambling regulations and its role in the entertainment sector, with iGaming gaining more daily traction.
For example, online gambling has introduced even more ways to access their platforms, one being telegram casino, which allows punters access to casino games through social media and messaging apps. This brings up the question of how land-based and digital gambling should be balanced, and how the Baroness’ visit may mean a shift in the UK entertainment sector.
What Was The Purpose of Baroness Twycross’ Visit?
As the Minister of Gambling, Baroness Twycross’ visit to Hippodrome Casino was an effort to review gambling legislation, understand the inner workings of the casino, and, of course, show the general public that active changes are being made. To further breakdown her visit, she:
- Made note of how the casino operates to understand the business workflow from sectors such as customer satisfaction & engagement to the security measures put in place
- Met and discussed gambling politics and the current state of said topic with casino staff, management, executives, and business partners
- Evaluated the ways the casino sets out to protect punters and ensure responsible gambling through the self-exclusion programs, protection tools, and resources the casino put in place
- Found out how the casino is using its profit and revenue returns to inject back into the economy which can be done through employment, drawing in more tourists, and keeping up with tax requirements
- Assessed the technological advancements being put in place to improve player experiences, such as the use of biometrics, cashless gambling, and smart table technology to eliminate any risk of cheating.
Hippodrome Casino
To further understand the significance of Baroness Twycross’ visit, it is important to understand just how important Hippodrome Casino is in the UK’s economy along with its impressive background. The casino stands as a landmark in London, with the building itself having been around for 125 years, and the casino for more than a decade. Some other interesting facts include:
- While the casino was opened in 2012, the Hippodrome building first served as a theatre when it had its grand opening back in 1900 and has since evolved, seeing multiple other ventures including music halls.
- The Hippodrome Casino is the largest in the UK, and naturally, attracts many tourists each year to see its magnificence making for a valuable asset where tourism is concerned.
- Although it is known for its gambling facilities, the Hippodrome Casino actually offers an array of other entertainment options such as live performances, fine dining, and amazing social events
- Lastly, the casino positions itself as one of the best in the country because it cares about its players, and has introduced an array of measures to ensure responsible gambling, including partnering with organizations that offer relevant resources.
Current UK Casino Regulations
With the highest regulated gambling sectors in the world, it comes as no surprise that the industry is under constant scrutiny from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), and often faces bouts of discussion to reform its current policies and other regulations. These include:
- Strict Player Protection
As mentioned above, the Hippodrome has put many measures in place to ensure player safety and responsible gambling, with this regulation being a requirement for all UK casinos. To maintain this, there are multiple steps required, such as:
- Strict player affordability checks
- Strict advertising restrictions surrounding gambling
- Age verification and self-exclusion tools
- High-risk player monitoring
- Potential Land-Based Casino Reforms
In 2005, the Gambling Act was reviewed to ensure it is keeping up with changes, and in turn, ensuring updated regulations, which is consistently done through:
- Monitoring online gambling versus brick-and-mortar casinos
- Tracking tax adjustments between online & land-based casinos
- Evaluating licensing models
- Balancing Economic Growth
While it is important for the UKGC to maintain its strict approach when it comes to gambling regulations, it is still important to bring in new business and investments to grow the economy. To keep this balance, they:
- Fund gambling awareness campaigns, and support casinos that ensure player safety
- Fund addiction support services
- Explore technological solutions such as AI-driven monitoring systems
What Does This Mean for UK Land-Based Casinos?
With iGaming rapidly growing, challenging the need for land-based casinos, Baroness Twycross‘ visit to Hippodrome Casino emphasizes the importance of keeping land-based gambling relevant. This means keeping up with technological advancements to remain competitive while still upholding the relevant regulations and restrictions going forward.
For example, land-based casinos may start implementing hybrid models to modernize player experiences, which means introducing digital elements such as live-streamed table games and loyalty programs. Furthermore, running sustainability initiatives can help attract all kinds of audiences and showcase the casino’s care for the environment.
There is also a growing demand for sustainable development and digital marketing – and this is where promotion experts come in. For example, Redhead Digital Agency, which specializes in digital marketing strategies for iGaming projects, helps gambling brands strengthen their presence both online and offline, finding a balance between attracting new audiences and meeting industry requirements.
Where Will This Leave UK Gambling in Future?
Baroness Twycross’ visit to Hippodrome Casino represents the ever-changing state of the gambling landscape, and the effort being made to ensure UK gambling (both online and land-based) remains competitive. Of course, there is a delicate balance that needs to be maintained between upholding the strict gambling regulations and ensuring economic growth, however, the current success of this sector proves that there is hope moving forward on the lengths that can be reached. This visit served as a pivotal moment for the gambling sector and is sure to influence other countries going forward.
