Gala joins Senet Group

Senet Group now has eight members, after the UK self-regulatory body announced it is to be joined by Gala Leisure and Gala Interactive.

This is a significant move after Gala’s retail division was sold by Gala Coral to Caledonia Investments for £241m in December, in a deal which included 130 Gala Bingo clubs, though whether this was always going to form a clear part of Caledonia’s strategy is unclear.

Caledonia was not in a position to comment when contacted by Gambling Insider.

While Gala is the first bingo brand to join the body, Coral was one of the founding members, along with Paddy Power (which has since become Paddy Power Betfair), William Hill and Ladbrokes.

Scotbet and Sky Betting and Gaming have since joined, with Sky Bet currently being the only online-only operator to be involved.

Measures that members must adhere to include a self-imposed ban on advertising exclusive offers to new customers that include free bet and free-money sign-up offers before 9pm and the removal of advertising gaming machines in shop windows before 9pm.

A total of 20% of betting shop window advertisement space must be dedicated to promoting responsible gambling and the same goes for TV end frames, while 10% of space in press advertising must be dedicated to the same cause.

Ron Finlay was announced as having stepped down from the role of CEO of the Senet Group earlier this month.