The second half of the day at the Betting and Gaming Council’s (BGC) 2025 Annual General Meeting saw Journalist and Broadcaster John Pienaar take to the stage as the host of two panels with industry experts.
The first, focused on using technology for good, saw GamProtect Chair and Gamesys Director Kane Purdy, Entain Customer Operations Director Brendan MacDonald and Playtech Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer Lauren Iannarone take to the stage.
The second, focused on investing in the gambling industry growth economy, saw conversation take place between Hippodrome Casino Executive Chairman Simon Thomas, Rank Group Director of Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations David Williams, Jenningsbet Managing Director Greg Knight and Entain Retail Director Joanne Moran.
Panel one: Using technology for good
Pienaar began the conversation by asking panellists to share their thoughts on tech and what it has done to support responsible betting. First going to MacDonald, he explained that, for Entain, tech allows them to act at scale. “The amount of protection we are able to deliver has been possible because of tech,” he said, noting that “one tech base underpins everything at Entain.” Tech allows Entain to interact with players 24/7, and interact with players they may not have been able to access previously.
Purdy spoke next, highlighting the power and change real-time data has brought to the gaming industry. In the past, data on both odds and players came late, be it a day or a week or a month. Now, cloud-based, real-time data allows access to information instantly, allowing for far faster intervention for at-risk players. Combine this with historic data, of which there will be decades worth for some operators, and the systems available to operators to keep players safe become all the more robust.
Iannarone opted for an alternative perspective, focused on the potential of AI and machine learning. For her, this technology can be used to detect at-risk behaviour in real-time, as well as implement widespread and efficient personalisation. It allows the right messages and intervention to get to players at the right time, she specified. Furthermore, such technology allows for further expansion and investment in research, with Playtech working with universities as well as non-profits in safer gambling and mental health.
There is community at our shops. It gets people out of the house – Entain Retail Director Joanne Moran
Returning to Pienaar, he turned to Purdy to discuss GamProtect. This is, essentially, a voluntary scheme that operators can sign up to that allows them to share data between one another. Specifically, when a player is excluded from one platform for high levels of problem gambling, flags will be sent to other operators in the network to make them aware, allowing them to also block the user.
Gambling Insider conducted an exclusive interview with Purdy at the GamProtect launch event.
While the scheme is currently voluntary, the mention of the scheme in the UK White Paper is pointing more and more towards its necessity. It’s not mandatory, “but the industry needs to show some maturity and sign up, because it is the right thing to do,” Purdy said.
This need for further integration was also echoed by MacDonald, who noted that, while there are seven major operators already signed up to the scheme, “it will only work if we all work together.”
Later, Pienaar changed gears to focus on the growth of tech. On this, Iannarone noted that, as technologies become more essential, so do the talents of those that understand them. “There is an opportunity to bring in a new generation of talent, across data science and AI,” she said. This will not just be from the private sector, though. There will be a huge demand from all markets. “Our sector will be competing with others, so we need to look appealing,” she explained.
Of course, a technology panel would not be complete without a deep-dive into the use case of AI. Chatbots were a point of conversation for both MacDonald and Purdy, with MacDonald noting how these bots can “create a non-judgemental environment” for players seeking advice. After all, the bots are not human – they are not able to judge, and instead can only provide objective suggestions. Players “can genuinely answer questions they wouldn’t want to ask another person, or the operator wouldn’t have time for.”
While some may say that the implementation of AI chatbots is harming the job market, that it could result in “40% job losses,” Purdy thought differently. In his eyes, this is not about losing jobs, but changing jobs, and bringing jobs back home. With AI running 24/7, chatbots can be used to talk to customers anytime and anywhere, while jobs in the UK can change towards tech resourcing and management. Businesses will not need international hubs – it can all be done from home.
Panel two: Investing in the gambling industry growth economy
Following a few final comments, Pienaar wrapped up the panel and brought on his next set of speakers; Hippodrome Casino Executive Chairman Simon Thomas, Rank Group Director of Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations David Williams, Jenningsbet Managing Director Greg Knight and Entain Retail Director Joanne Moran.
I’m in fun, I’m in socialisation. And an important part of that is not being harmed – it’s a small part, but it’s an important part – Hippodrome Casino Executive Chairman Simon Thomas
The conversation began with one on the economy. Specifically, where gaming fits on the high street. For Thomas, the value of the Hippodrome was an easy sell; in his view, it is the best in London, combining dining with theatre (mentioning Magic Mike for the first time of many during the panel), with players actively saving up and travelling abroad to visit.
Good to know: The Hippodrome Casino won the Global Gaming Awards EMEA 2025 Casino of the Year
Not all gaming locations are the Hippodrome Casino, however. Yet the high street betting shop provides another form of economic contribution. From a betting shop perspective, Entain “will contribute a lot as a top 20 taxpayer,” said Moran, noting that, across retail, tech and other departments, it employs over 40,000 people. “We empower a community,” she said. “There is community at our shops. It gets people out of the house.”
The betting shop as a builder of community was echoed by Knight. Focusing specifically on a recently opened Jenningsbet branch, the shop was built in an abandoned property, with the operator spending £250,000 ($315,477) to get it to running standards. This not only paid labourers, but brought a new revenue source to the high street from a spot that previously generated nothing. Furthermore, Knight added, the location was able to hire an 18-year-old for their first job, providing training and skills for future work. “That is growth in action,” Knight stated.
The industry needs to think again about giving the greyhound industry the money it needs – Jenningsbet Managing Director Greg Knight
But growth is a two-way street, he said. Operators want to grow but, as they are taxed more, and more money is put on the line, it puts into question just how worth the risk expansion is. “It’s marrying the delivery with growth with the dialogue with government,” Williams added.
Returning to the place of casinos as a staple of the high street, Thomas admitted that, while the casino offers a safe place for players 24/7, the retail world, gambling or otherwise, is in decline. People aren’t purchasing good anymore – they seek experiences. “I’m in fun, I’m in socialisation. And an important part of that is not being harmed – it’s a small part, but it’s an important part,” said Thomas. “When you think, you can go to London’s best bars, best theatre experiences like Magic Mike, all while being safe within a casino – it's a heady experience.”
Thomas added that new social media, like TikTok, are particularly powerful tools. It is the largest platform for Magic Mike (three strikes, Simon!), but despite this, word-of-mouth remains the most critical outreach strategy.
Towards the end of the panel, Pienaar put a rather poignant question to the panellists: “If you could press a red button and change one piece of regulation, what would it be?”
Williams began by calling out blanket approaches to regulation, emphasising the importance of tailoring regulation to the needs and nuances of each sector. Regulation should prevent harm, but not impede the majority of players.
For Moran, the issue sat with stability. Entain has “gone through a lot of scrutiny and has implemented new policies. Now we need some stability in that,” she said, adding that, in retail specifically, “we need to create a frictionless journey. We need to not pester them and drive them away.”
However, it was Knight who provided one of the most passionate responses to the question. “The ultimate regulation is banning,” he began, before pointing specifically to the recent Welsh government greyhound ban and the “ripple effect” this may cause. “The people against greyhound racing; we know who they are. They are well educated and well-funded,” he said, adding that, once they win this, the next sector of the agenda will be greyhound racing in the UK. In retail betting shops, it is a significant part of revenues, and “If we don’t fight it, no one else will.”
Good to know: We spoke with retiring Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) CEO Mark Bird on the future of greyhound racing following the New Zealand shutdown in the H1 2025 edition of Gambling Insider’s Sports Betting Focus
Knight recounted a conversation he had with the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), where it went through a presentation with all the points campaigners were using against the market. According to Knight, the GBGB asked if Jenningsbet could pay more to a ‘defense budget’ for the market, and while some paid, a lot allegedly said “we already pay enough.”
“If you have the ear of a CEO of a major company, consider them to rethink. After UK greyhounds it will be jump racing. I guarantee it,” Knight said in closing. “The industry needs to think again about giving the greyhound industry the money it needs.”
