Stephen Metcalfe backs England to win!
Stephen Metcalfe uses charity bet to spur England on to win World Cup.

This week South Basildon & East Thurrock Conservative Prospective Member of Parliament, Stephen Metcalfe visited his local Ladbrokes shop to learn more about the betting and gaming industry, the issues affecting the sector and its employees, and to take part in a charity bet.

Ladbrokes is the world’s largest retail bookmaker, with over 2,100 shops employing 14,000 people in the UK alone. However, the industry has suffered from increasing tax levels, under-regulated offshore competition and misperceptions held by many who may never have visited a betting shop.

During his visit, Stephen Metcalfe was shown the wide variety of betting and gaming activities available, met the staff and customers and asked questions about responsible gambling procedures and the company’s community and charitable work.

At the end of the visit, he was given a free £50 bet which was placed on England to win this year’s World Cup in South Africa. With odds of 5/1, the bet would win £300 if the Three Lions bring home the trophy, with winnings being donated to local charity St Luke’s Hospice

Stephen Metcalfe commented:
“It was extremely interesting to visit one of the Ladbrokes shops within my constituency to see how everything actually works. MPs regularly make decisions that impact upon this industry and its many jobs, so it is important that our judgements are well informed and based on factual information. I also wanted to learn about the procedures for dealing with underage or problem gambling, and was very impressed with what I found out. I am particularly grateful to Ladbrokes for offering me the free charity bet and I just hope that the pressure I have placed upon England doesn’t affect the team’s performance on the pitch this summer!”

Richard Royal, Head of Public Affairs at Ladbrokes said:
“It is important that the betting and gaming industry maintains an open and constructive dialogue with decision makers at all levels of government. We offer a lot of fun activities that many people enjoy but it is easy to forget that the industry also supports tens of thousands of jobs throughout the UK and makes a massive contribution to the economy.”

Posted 15/3/10

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