(2005-03-01)
UNITED KINGDOM – As reported by the UK Evening Standard: "The Mail on Sunday today exposes the extraordinary campaign mounted by Britain's biggest bookmaker to ensure that its interests were protected in the controversial Gambling Bill.
"Leaked documents show that senior executives from Ladbrokes planned a campaign of meetings, briefings and corporate jollies with Government Ministers, officials and influential MPs during the run-up to the Bill's publication.
"Among those targeted in the leaked 'battleplan' by lobbyists LLM are Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, her deputy Richard Caborn, and Elliot Grant, head of gambling at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
"Executives from the firm also planned to meet William Perrin, Downing Street's adviser on gambling issues, at a lavish dinner staged at the Park Lane Hotel in June 2004.
"…A key aim of the lobbying campaign was to ensure that there were no moves to crack down on controversial Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) - which offer punters the chance to stake up to £100 a hand on virtual roulette games and gives pay-outs of up to £500.
"…A Ladbrokes spokesman said: 'Over several years, following the advent of the proposed Gambling Bill, there has been a great deal of active political lobbying between ourselves and government.
"'It is part of the normal democratic lobbying process. We will not go into what were private meetings.'…"