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“Africa Safer Gambling Week will create a common continental platform. It’s more about cooperation, information sharing and agreement on important principles of consumer protection.”
Another aim is to raise awareness and Kesitilwe reveals the campaign has generated over a million online impressions which, in his view, demonstrates “a real appetite” for enhanced safer gambling efforts in Africa.
When asked what issue requires the most attention, Kesitilwe highlights underage gambling, especially as mobile penetration in Africa continues to soar.
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The proposal does not explicitly prohibit the display of betting brands on team jerseys, but some city councillors want to include this in the bill.
Clubs fear the measure will jeopardise revenue from betting company sponsorships. Corinthians (Esportes da Sorte), Palmeiras (Sportingbet), and São Paulo (Superbet) alone hold contracts worth BRL350 million annually with betting firms.
One concern is the measure might force clubs to host matches outside the city to maintain their advertising agreements.
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According to Done, such a tax rise would lead Betfred to close 495 of its shops within a year, resulting in the loss of 2,575 jobs and roughly £67 million in foregone tax revenue for the Exchequer.
Betfred has already shuttered 132 outlets this year, following last year’s RGD increase.
“We have tried hard to protect all our sites and the colleagues who work in them, but the combined impact of higher employer National Insurance contributions, wage inflation, increases in gambling taxes and wider economic uncertainty has left us with no choice,” said Chief Executive Jo Whittaker in a statement to iGB at the time the closures were announced.