take that online excitement they ’ ve created that works on a screen and do it live , adding in the casino environment to see if it ’ ll be even better . So far so good !”
Future Shock
When asked how Brexit has impacted the gaming industry in the U . K ., Thomas says it ’ s too soon to tell .
“ Brexit ’ s not a one- or two-year project ,” he explains . “ It ’ s 20 , 30 , 40 years . The potential positives are obvious . We get control of our regulations and we get control of our borders . The negatives are equally obvious that the European community will try to punish England and make it as hard as it can , because it doesn ’ t want other countries to leave Europe . And the Brexit effect was confused by Covid , which was all happening more or less at the same time .
“ There are some real opportunities with Brexit as well as negatives like the logistical challenges of delivering goods to and from Europe . But it hasn ’ t really affected tourism , and when the U . K . offers tax-free shopping to tourists again , it will be the only place in Europe that the 258 million people in the Schengen block can go to for tax-free shopping .”
Many of the forthcoming changes in U . K . gaming regulations are introducing regulations onto online casinos to address concerns on problem gambling . Thomas says the land-based casinos in England have always had strong regulations .
“ The statistics worldwide say that problem gambling is relatively small , but let ’ s be realistic ,” he explains . “ It ’ s a small number of people that are harmed a lot . So it ’ s important . And it needs dealt with in a mature and balanced manner . There is a small part of the population with issues , but a huge part of the population to really enjoy the gambling pastime without a problem , and their needs are important as well .
“ In the U . K . we take responsible gambling seriously ; we always have . We ’ ve got problem gambling help and chat lines ; we have self-exclusion schemes , we have strong regulations and a strong regulator . We have all sorts of counseling available . The staff training and level of supervision is very comprehensive . We need to deal with the negatives and expand on the positives .”
He points to the U . K . problem gambling helpline , run by GamCare , as one of the main resources for problem gamblers .
“ GamCare has been operating it for over 20 years . And it ’ s actually expanded recently to add a Netline as well because the youth these days don ’ t actually speak on phones . They send messages . The Netline has recently overtaken the helpline . If there isn ’ t a Netline in the States , then that ’ s definitely something that should be developed . It ’ s very valuable .
“ I was a trustee of GamCare for 12 years and was quite involved in the setting up of all of the helplines and systems . If people are in distress , it is important that there is somewhere they can go to and be directed into help or counseling .” Thomas is coy about whether he would be interested in opening other
Hippodrome casinos .
“ There are no new casino licenses in the U . K ., and in any case only a couple of cities I would be interested in , and I would love to have a go at a couple of them ,” he says . “ But I must be realistic . Two things — one , I ’ m having an awful lot of fun with the Hippodrome . It takes up a massive amount of my time , and we ’ ve still got lots to do and lots of opportunities , particularly with the regulatory changes that are going to allow us to do more .
“ The second thing is the way licensing works in the U . K . Casino licenses are limited to whatever city issued them , and there are no new ones . So , take Manchester for example . If you get a license in Manchester , you can only use it in Manchester . There may be a dormant license there , but it will be owned by one of the major operators who will already have other sites in Manchester . The chances of them selling me a dormant license cheaply when they ’ ve already got existing sites is very small because they ’ ll know full well that I ’ d disrupt the market .
“ But I ’ ll never say never . We are always looking , but in the meantime I am having a lot of fun with the Hippodrome !”
To view and hear a podcast of this interview with Simon Thomas , visit GGBMagazine . com .
26 Global Gaming Business MARCH 2024