Shipley Member of Parliament Philip Davies urged the British Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport to include changes in the white paper on gambling that would allow brick-and-mortar casinos to extend credit to their patrons. As it came to light, the Tory politician lobbied with the newly appointed culture minister Lucy Frazer on behalf of Mayfair’s Les Ambassadeurs Club after being hosted by the luxurious casino in late January. In February, the Shipley MP wrote a letter to Frazer calling for the changes, and the measure was subsequently included in the recently published gambling white paper. The new reforms generally aim to impose further restrictions on the online gambling sector while loosening the requirements for brick-and-mortar operators.
Frazer, who was responsible for overseeing the gambling law reforms at the time, was asked to introduce an amendment that would enable landbased gambling operators like Les Ambassadeurs to provide credit to wealthy customers playing at the high-limit tables, including foreign high-rollers. The Tory politician allegedly stressed in his letter that Les Ambassadeurs was the only brick-and-mortar casino to pitch in 1% of its gross gaming revenue to GambleAware, an organisation that provides counselling and treatment to problem gamblers across the country. His letter to the culture minister came to light as a result of a freedom of information request submitted by the non-profit company the Good Law Project.
Davis Is a Longtime Advocate for the Gambling Industry
Representatives of the luxury club and casino in the British capital confirmed that MP Davies was indeed entertained by Les Ambassadeurs where he enjoyed a fine-dining meal on January 25th. British law currently does not require Members of Parliament to declare hospitality valued at £300 or less. The operator also confirmed it had provided the politician with details on the credit issue to enable him to better inform his letter. Following these revelations, Philip Davies MP admitted to local media he had sent the letter to the culture minister because he himself believed the luxury casino should be permitted to extend credit to its patrons. According to the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, Davies has not received any payment from the Mayfair-based gambling operator.
The Conservative politician has long been a proponent of the gambling industry and was previously paid £50,000 for the advisory services he provided to Entain, the owner of major brands like Ladbrokes, Coral, and bwin. In addition to this amount, Philip Davies accepted approximately £14,713 in the form of freebies from horse racing and sports wagering companies over the past couple of years. This included attending major sporting events like the Ascot races and cricket Test games.
Davies recently became a co-chair of the Parliamentary All-Party Betting & Gaming Group which acts as a mediator between the UK government and the local gambling industry. Tory politician Scott Benton, who previously co-chaired the group, was suspended by the Conservative Party. As Casino Guardian wrote, Benton, MP for Blackpool South, faces a second formal investigation on behalf of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards after he was captured on camera offering to lobby on behalf of gambling operators in exchange for payment. Current Parliamentary rules prohibit MPs from lobbying for money.
- Author
Daniel Williams
