Ten MPs Given Euro Tickets by Bookies
Ten MPs accepted tickets to Euro 2020 matches gifted to them by betting firms, according to the latest register of MPs’ financial interests. The register revealed that eight Conservative and two Labor ministers received tickets worth up to £3,457. The news has been met with some controversy, as the government is in the midst of reviewing its gambling laws.
MP for Blackpool South Scott Benton accepted gifts and hospitality worth £7,500 from the gambling industry.
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Free Tickets for Euro 2020 and Wimbledon
Members of Parliament are legally required to declare any gifts or hospitality that they receive that could influence their actions or opinions as MPs. According to research conducted by the BBC in 2017, betting and gaming firms are amongst the top donors supplying MPs with gifts and hospitality.
Newly published additions to the register of MPs’ financial interests have revealed how a number of MPs received lucrative tickets to recent Euro 2020 matches. Four Conservative MPs were given tickets worth £1,961 to attend the England vs Germany match from betting firm Power Leisure. Those MPs were Ben Bradley, Stuart Andrew, Graham Stuart, Chris Heaton-Harris, as well as Labor’s shadow whip Mark Tami.
Entain Holdings, the operator behind high-street bookies Ladbrokes and Coral, also gave out tickets to the England vs Denmark match, worth £3,457 each. The four Conservatives that received those gifts were Esther McVey, Laurence Robertson, Philip Davies and Scott Benton, alongside Labor’s shadow education minister Toby Perkins.
Some of those MPs accepted more than just those highly sought-after tickets to the Euro 2020 semi-finals. Scott Benton, Philip Davies and Esther McVey also accepted tickets to Wimbledon from Entain, worth £1,100 each.
Out of the ten MPs, Scott Benton MP for Blackpool South accepted the most in gifts and hospitality from the gambling industry. In addition to his Euro 2020 and Wimbledon tickets, he was also given a ticket to the England vs Czech Republic match worth £1,537.60. That ticket came from the Gamesys Group, an operator known best for its Jackpotjoy and Rainbow Riches online casinos.
Benton was also gifted hospitality at Royal Ascot from the Betting and Gaming Council worth £1,400. The BGC is an industry body that represents the interests of the UK’s bookmakers, casinos and online operators, with a view to raising standards. That brings Benton’s total received gifts and hospitality from the gambling industry to £7,500.
Benton Caught in Twitter Row
Benton also hit the headlines last week for “fat-shaming” a local councilor on Twitter. Blackpool’s Labor councilor David Colldash compared Benton’s acceptance of free football tickets from gambling firms to being like him accepting a free pasty. Benton then told Colldash, who also works as a nurse, that he looked like he’s accepted more than one free pasty.
The remark has been widely condemned, but Benton, who co-chairs a parliamentary group on eating disorders, denies that he was “fat-shaming” the councilor. He has maintained that the tweet was intended in a light-hearted way. The row has drawn more attention than Benton would have liked to the amount he has accepted from gambling firms though.
Colldash also raised the point that shortly after receiving the gifts and hospitality, Benton had called on the Government to allow a new super casino in Blackpool. Benton and MP for Rossendale and Darwen Jake Berry have suggested that a Las Vegas style super casino could regenerate the town.
Previous plans to build sixteen casinos around England were proposed in 2007, but were defeated in the House of Lords. In a debate at Westminster Hall at the beginning of July, Benton raised the prospect of a new super casino, suggesting that it would create more jobs and offer a boost for the town’s tourism. Benton added:
“I have visited a number of casinos, including the ones in my constituency. Casinos bring many benefits to local communities. Casinos also make a substantial contribution to the Treasury.”
However, while there is support for the building of a new super casino in Blackpool, concerns have been raised about whether it is still a good idea. Labor councilor Tony Williams said that excitement for such a project has died down, as gambling increasingly takes place online.
Concern Over Influence
The MPs listed in the latest register of MPs’ financial interests for receiving gifts and hospitality have been criticized by MPs and campaigners. Benton has already made a public case in favor of gambling after benefiting from industry gifts, and there are concerns that other MPs could be influenced in the same way.
The government is currently undertaking a review of its 2005 Gambling Act, which has remained largely unchanged since its introduction. The main aim of the review is to bring laws up to date with the digital age, as most gambling now takes place online.
Other big changes are also on the cards, including a ban on gambling sponsorship in football. The issue of football shirt sponsorships has become one of the most contentious arguments around gambling, and it has been reported that the Prime Minister would support a ban. Many clubs are already reconsidering their sponsorship deals in order to distance themselves from the industry.
According to director of Clean Up Gambling Matt Zarb-Cousin, it is no surprise that the gambling industry is on the charm offensive. He says that while most MPs are in favor of gambling reform, they should think twice about accepting hospitality from the sector.
So far, no MPs have declared tickets for the Euro 2020 final, in which England lost to Italy on penalties. It is likely that gifted entry and hospitality for that event will be declared during the next publication of MP’s registered interests.
Labor MP Charlotte Nichols was criticized for accepting a ticket to attend England vs Denmark from Heineken, after she tweeted a selfie of herself and Conservative MP Mike Woods at the match. Football fans are particularly upset over the high cost and difficult process of getting tickets for Euro 2020 matches, while celebrities and members of the government have been allowed to enjoy corporate hospitality.
