Business

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has threatened legal action against National Rail in a dispute over its use of the terms “rover” and “ranger” for rail tickets, claiming they infringe on its Range Rover trademark.

The Indian-owned carmaker issued a cease-and-desist letter to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which manages the National Rail website, demanding the terms be removed. According to a memo seen by The Telegraph, train operators have now been told to strip references to “ranger” and “rover” from their sites.

The RDG has advised companies they may continue to market “ranger tickets” and “rover tickets” under amended names, and JLR has reportedly indicated it will not pursue further action against retailers who comply.

Rover tickets, which allow unlimited rail travel for a week, pre-date the Range Rover by more than a decade. British Rail introduced its first All-Line Rail Rover ticket in the 1950s, costing £15 for second class – equivalent to about £304 today. By comparison, a modern seven-day All-Line Rover second-class ticket is priced at £650.

The first Range Rover was not unveiled until 1970.

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said: “We are confident that our practices have always complied with intellectual property law and were happy to work with Jaguar Land Rover towards a resolution. After being made aware of a trademark query by JLR, we worked closely with them to make a minor change to how we describe our Ranger tickets and Rover tickets.”

National Rail and Jaguar Land Rover have been approached for comment.

The row comes as JLR faces wider scrutiny. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump claimed the company was in “absolute turmoil” following what he described as a “totally disastrous woke” rebrand. Trump criticised a recent advert featuring brightly dressed models, comparing it to “Bud Lite going woke”.

The company is also undergoing internal upheaval. In July, chief executive Adrian Mardell announced he would step down at the end of the year after more than 30 years at the firm. The business is in the midst of restructuring, with 500 UK management roles due to be cut as part of a voluntary redundancy programme.

JLR has committed to repositioning Jaguar as an electric-only luxury car brand from 2026, in what is regarded as one of the most transformative periods in its history.

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Jaguar Land Rover threatens legal action over National Rail’s use of ‘rover’ and ‘ranger’ ticket names

When AI Replaces the “Phone Juggle”

A friend of mine runs a dermatology clinic with two practitioners, a nurse, and a single front desk coordinator who juggles check-ins, insurance calls, and everything in between.

The clinic’s phone rang constantly, but most calls either went unanswered or got directed to voicemail.

When they asked me to help streamline their ops, the first thing we looked at was call volume. Over a six-week stretch, nearly 45 percent of inbound calls were going to voicemail. And of those, only a small handful ever turned into bookings.

The reason? No one had time to call people back.

We rolled out an AI answering service just for after-hours coverage, thinking it might help reduce the load a little. But within weeks, it was outperforming their daytime setup, confirming appointments, handling post-op FAQs, and flagging urgent messages for follow-up. The front desk was still busy, but it wasn’t buried anymore.

It was a clear reminder: when the right system is in place, AI doesn’t just fill gaps, it reclaims the entire channel.

6 Reasons Why AI Answering Services are a Game-Changer

It Reduces Missed Leads Instantly

AI answering tools don’t let calls ring out or go to voicemail. They pick up immediately, route based on logic you control, and capture the kind of basic information a human receptionist might forget under pressure. For teams without full-time coverage, or those overloaded during peak hours, it means fewer dropped leads and more opportunities actually making it into the funnel.

It Scales Without Adding Headcount

Traditional phone support scales linearly: more calls mean more people. AI breaks that model. Whether you’re getting five calls an hour or 50, the system doesn’t need lunch breaks, shift schedules, or performance reviews. This makes it especially valuable for small but growing teams who can’t afford to hire ahead of volume, but also can’t afford to miss revenue.

It Captures and Structures Useful Data

AI tools don’t just answer; they document. Every interaction can be transcribed, tagged, and stored complete with caller intent, timestamps, and actionable metadata. Whether it’s a new lead asking about services or a repeat customer looking for support, the conversation doesn’t disappear into a voicemail inbox. It becomes a structured record you can search, assign, and act on.

It Integrates Into the Tools You Already Use

The best AI answering platforms don’t sit in isolation. They plug into your CRM, your booking system, your helpdesk, or your internal comms tools. So, the moment a call ends, the right information lands in the right system. That means no more copying messages by hand or checking three systems to follow up on a single lead.

It Creates a Professional Experience on Every Call

Inconsistent phone experiences erode trust. One minute it’s a cheerful front desk staffer; the next it’s a rushed voicemail greeting. AI removes that variability. You control the script, the tone, and even the escalation logic. Ensuring that every caller, no matter when they reach out, gets a consistent, on-brand experience.

It Gives Founders and Ops Leads Their Time Back

Few things interrupt deep work like an unfiltered phone line. For founders, managers, or small team operators, AI answering becomes a filter, not just for noise, but for priorities. You don’t have to choose between ignoring a call and getting derailed by it. AI handles the triage so you can focus where it counts, knowing that urgent issues will still get through.

Top 3 Quick Picks: The Best AI Answering Tools Today

Rosie – Best for Appointment-Based Businesses

Syncs with booking calendars
HIPAA-friendly and secure
Built for service workflows

Ruby – Best for Hybrid Workflows

US-based live agents with AI-enhanced scripting
Seamless integrations with CRMs and calendars
Ideal for firms that prioritize empathy + professionalism

PlayAI – Best for Brand Voice Consistency

Multilingual voice options
Brand-safe scripting
Natural, human-sounding tone

Keep reading for the full breakdown of each tool and six clear reasons why the right AI answering service can transform your operations.

How to Choose the Right AI Answering Service

Assess Your Call Volume and Call Type

Not every business has the same phone footprint. Some get a high volume of quick, transactional calls, like scheduling or confirming appointments. Others get longer, complex inquiries that require lead qualification or detailed follow-up. Start by analyzing your call logs over a recent 4–6 week window.

How many calls are you getting? When do they come in? What percentage results in revenue-driving actions? Your ideal AI solution should be built around your real usage, not a generic model.

Prioritize Appointment Handling or Escalation Logic

If your calls frequently lead to bookings, consultations, or urgent service needs, your AI tool should be able to act, not just capture. Look for native or integrated calendar support (e.g. Google Calendar, Acuity, Jane), as well as conditional routing logic that escalates certain call types. For instance, a post-op concern from a patient should be routed differently than a new client inquiry. Good AI can tell the difference and push the right messages forward.

Look for Strong Human-AI Collaboration Options

Pure automation works, until it doesn’t. For high-stakes calls, complex customer histories, or clients who simply demand a live human, you’ll want an AI system that supports smart fallback. Some tools let you define when a live agent should step in, whether based on time of day, call topic, or customer profile. This hybrid model works well for law firms, agencies, and professional services where not every conversation can be fully scripted.

Audit the Branding and Caller Experience

Your phone line is still one of the most intimate brand touchpoints. Callers form impressions quickly, especially if they’re frustrated or anxious. That’s why voice tone, script polish, and conversational flow matter.

Some AI tools let you fine-tune how the assistant sounds, what words it uses, and how it handles multiple languages. If your business depends on reputation, brand affinity, or customer experience, don’t cut corners here.

Map Budget to Business Impact, Not Just Cost

It’s tempting to go with the lowest monthly rate, but AI answering delivers disproportionate value if configured right. Ask yourself: what’s the average value of a converted lead? How much time would you save weekly by not answering low-priority calls?

What would it cost to have a human do this 24/7? When framed correctly, many AI solutions pay for themselves by recapturing missed opportunities and giving teams back hours of productive time.

Evaluate Real-Time Support and Platform Stability

This system is going to be customer-facing, which means any downtime is public and costly. Ask vendors about their historical uptime, how they handle outages, and how fast you can update scripts or logic when your business needs change.

Some tools require support tickets for every change. Others offer no weekend support. Look for platforms that give you both control and reliability, especially if you’re in healthcare, legal, or any field where urgent calls are common.

The 6 Best AI Answering Services in 2025

Rosie – Best for Appointment-Based Businesses

Founded: 2024
Headquarters: Remote

Why Rosie is the best appointment-based AI answering tool:
Rosie is designed for businesses that depend on scheduled appointments, think clinics, salons, and studios. It integrates directly with leading booking platforms, handles confirmations and reschedules via SMS, and supports HIPAA-conscious workflows out of the box.

Unlike generic voice bots, Rosie is trained specifically for service workflows where every missed call could mean a missed booking. It also offers contextual routing, allowing staff to focus on in-person care while Rosie handles the phone line with clarity and consistency.

Ruby – Best for Hybrid Workflows

Founded: 2003
Headquarters: Portland, OR

Blending real human receptionists with smart automation Ruby, creating a seamless hybrid call experience for businesses that rely on warmth, accuracy, and professionalism. Calls are answered by U.S.-based agents using AI-enhanced scripting and routing logic to deliver consistent, branded interactions.

Ruby supports calendar sync, lead capture, and conditional workflows, making it a strong choice for law firms, healthcare providers, and customer-facing service teams. It also integrates with tools like Clio, Salesforce, and HubSpot to ensure follow-ups are fast and informed.

PlayAI – Best for Brand Voice Consistency

Founded: 2019
Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA

Specializing in voice fidelity PlayAI. It offers advanced voice customization, multilingual capabilities, and support for tonal adjustments, allowing businesses to tune their AI receptionist to match their brand’s tone, language, and customer expectations.

Whether you’re a consumer brand that needs warmth and polish or a global agency requiring fluency across regions, PlayAI delivers a consistent caller experience. It’s a standout for teams where first impressions matter as much as response time.

Emitrr – Best for High-Churn Industries

Founded: 2019
Headquarters: New York, NY

Built for industries like real estate, home services, and healthcare sectors where call volume spikes, urgency is high, and teams can’t always stop to answer the phone. Emitrr‘s multi-channel system supports voice and SMS, enabling it to book appointments, send estimates, or reroute emergencies based on real-time context. It works well for field-based teams who need their phone lines managed without pulling people off jobs.

Nextiva – Best for All-In-One Communications

Founded: 2008
Headquarters: Scottsdale, AZ

Not just an answering service; Nextiva is a unified communications platform that includes VoIP, video, team messaging, and AI routing. For small teams scaling fast, it consolidates tools and simplifies the tech stack. Its AI answering function ties directly into your call flow and CRM logic, making it a fit for startups and small businesses that want professional-grade infrastructure without cobbling together multiple vendors.

Balto – Best for After-Hours Coverage

Founded: 2017
Headquarters: St Louis, MO

Helping businesses deliver smarter after-hours coverage by coaching agents live during calls is Balto. Instead of acting as a receptionist, Balto listens in real time and provides on-screen prompts to guide conversations, flag urgent issues, and ensure that nothing important slips through. It’s particularly useful for support, sales, or service teams who need quality control and performance coaching during non-peak or overflow periods.

Balto is ideal for businesses with call centers or live staff on rotation, where after-hours quality matters just as much as availability.

The Right Answer Doesn’t Wait for Voicemail

There’s a difference between having a phone line and actually using it to drive business. That’s where AI answering earns its keep. Whether you’re fielding appointment calls, high-volume leads, or customer follow-ups, the right system can reduce friction, capture data, and offload the work your team doesn’t have time for.

I’ve seen the shift firsthand: businesses that once saw the phone as a liability are now treating it like a growth channel. That only happens when AI stops being a backup plan and starts becoming part of the workflow.

Pick the tool that matches your business model, not just your budget. The right AI answering service doesn’t just cover calls; it gives your team back their focus and your customers back their time.

Read more:
2025’s Top 6 AI Answering Services (and Why AI Support is Essential)

Eli Lilly will raise the UK price of its Mounjaro weight-loss drug by up to 170% from September, after pressure from US President Donald Trump for pharmaceutical companies to increase overseas prices to help lower costs for American patients.

The US drugmaker said it was acting to address “pricing inconsistencies compared to other developed countries” and would align the UK list price more closely with the European average.

From 1 September, the price of a Mounjaro injection pen – containing four doses – will rise from between £92 and £122 to between £133 and £330, depending on dosage. The increase applies to private providers, which are likely to pass on higher costs to patients.

The move comes days after Mr Trump wrote to pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca and GSK, demanding they “negotiate harder with foreign freeloading nations” and ensure “increased revenues abroad are repatriated” to benefit US patients.

Eli Lilly said the UK had previously enjoyed prices “significantly below the European average” and that new clinical evidence supported the value of Mounjaro. The company added it had reached an agreement with the NHS “to ensure continued supply and patient access”, though NHS pricing remains confidential and is typically lower than private rates.

Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, is available through GPs on the NHS to patients with a BMI over 40 and at least four specified health conditions, including type 2 diabetes. Private eligibility starts at a BMI of 30.

The price rise is expected to fuel concerns of a broader wave of higher medicine costs in Britain following a recent UK-US trade agreement in which ministers agreed the NHS would review drug pricing in line with US concerns.

Sir Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, has previously said he supports “price equalisation” between countries, arguing that the US currently pays too much for medicines.

An NHS England spokesperson said the approved list price increase “will not affect NHS commissioning” of Mounjaro for eligible patients, but advised those with private prescriptions to check with their provider.

Read more:
UK prices for Mounjaro weight-loss jab to rise by up to 170% after Trump pressure on drugmakers

British small business owners are being urged to shed their modesty and celebrate their wins after new research found those who do enjoy significantly faster growth.

A study commissioned by accounting software firm Xero found that UK companies which actively marked milestones with staff saw average annual revenue growth of 30%, compared to just 19% for those that took a “keep calm and carry on” approach.

The survey of 2,300 companies across seven countries — including 300 in the UK — found British business owners were the least likely to celebrate success, with just 55% doing so compared to a global average of 71%.

Among those who chose not to mark achievements such as hitting sales targets or securing key clients, almost two-thirds (64%) said the idea had never crossed their minds.

By contrast, firms that did celebrate spent an average of £1,856 over the past year on activities ranging from ringing a sales bell and treating staff to drinks, to organising team trips. Two-thirds (65%) said it boosted motivation, while 57% said it reminded them why they started their business.

Laura Jackson, co-founder of London-based gourmet snack brand Popcorn Shed, said: “It feels very British to ‘keep calm and carry on’, and sometimes that means we don’t stop to acknowledge how far we’ve come. One of my biggest milestones was seeing our popcorn being eaten ‘in the wild’ at an outdoor film screening by someone I didn’t know. It was a really happy moment.”

Jesse Wilson, founder of fast-growing fruit beer brand Jubel, said celebrating people had a “hugely positive impact” on productivity and energy. “We have our ‘Jaftas’ — the Jubel Annual Flipping Talented awards — voted for by the team and presented on our annual ski trip to the Snowboxx Festival in Avoriaz. To say the team love it would be an understatement.”

When asked about their biggest milestones, 41% of UK founders cited the point at which they could pay themselves a wage, 38% said securing their first repeat customer, and 33% pointed to becoming profitable.

Kate Hayward, UK managing director at Xero, said: “It’s easy for small businesses to get caught up in the daily grind but they deserve to pause and give themselves a pat on the back every now and then.”

Richard Alvin, the awards director of the Business Champion Awards, agreed with the survey findings, saying:”British business awards are one of the best ways to do three things for your business; show that you have been recognised as being a leader in your respective field and boost your standing to prospective customers, get your team and external stakeholders external recognition to show that they are above their peers and reassure your current customers that they have the best in your sector in their supply chain”.

Read more:
UK small firms that celebrate success see faster growth, Xero study finds

British employees are unhappier in their jobs than workers in India, the Philippines and the US, according to new research that has reignited concerns about the UK’s flagging productivity.

A global survey of 70,000 employees by consultancy WorkL found UK staff reported higher levels of workplace anxiety and lower happiness than counterparts in countries including South Africa, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates, India and the Philippines.

Job satisfaction among British workers also ranked below that of employees in the US, India and the Philippines, with the UK scoring under the global average for overall workplace wellbeing — a measure that includes whether staff believe their employer cares about their happiness.

Lord Price, the former Waitrose boss who founded WorkL, said the findings help explain Britain’s long-running productivity problem.

“We know from extensive research that happier employees are more productive,” he said. “They give extra discretionary effort and take fewer sick days. Achieving a happier workforce should be seen as a strategic imperative for the UK economy.”

The results come just days after Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised to focus her next Budget on improving productivity. UK output per worker has consistently lagged behind other G7 nations, weighing on company profits and wage growth.

Figures from the Resolution Foundation earlier this year showed UK productivity fell 0.5% between 2019 and 2024, compared with a 9.1% rise in the US over the same period. Public sector productivity remains 4.2% below pre-pandemic levels, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), although there was a 2.7% year-on-year increase in the first quarter of 2025.

Lord Price also warned about the rising number of people leaving the workforce since the pandemic, citing burnout, poor health and inflexible working arrangements as key drivers.

“By rethinking how, when and where work is done, we can draw more people into fulfilling employment, retain valuable skills and unlock economic growth,” he said. “This isn’t just good for individuals — it’s part of the solution to one of the UK’s most pressing economic challenges.”

Read more:
UK workers rank among the world’s most miserable, survey finds

The UK’s entertainment scene is a whirlwind of creativity, with businesses racing to capture audiences in a crowded market. From music festivals to digital platforms, clever marketing fuels growth and engagement.

Guides like https://www.thebrexitparty.org/ spotlight platforms with irresistible deals, blending seamlessly with the sector’s vibrant marketing playbook. These innovative strategies, powered by tech and consumer insights, are reshaping how entertainment businesses hook their audiences.

Data-Driven Personalization Wins Hearts

Smart data analytics is changing the game for entertainment marketing. By digging into what customers love—say, their go-to music or gaming preferences—businesses craft offers that hit home. Think tailored gig ticket discounts or custom bonuses on digital platforms. AI makes these promotions feel personal, keeping fans and players coming back for more, whether at a live show or online.

Mobile Apps Keep Audiences in the Loop

Mobile tech is a marketing superstar. Apps ping users with instant deals, like last-minute comedy club tickets or bar specials. Digital platforms match this energy, pushing time-sensitive bonuses through slick mobile interfaces. This on-the-go access keeps audiences plugged into the action, ensuring they never miss a hot offer, whether for a concert or an interactive game.

Gamification Sparks Excitement

Gamification adds a fun twist to marketing. Venues like comedy clubs reward regulars with points for visits, building loyalty. Digital platforms keep up, tossing in spins or bonus rounds to spice things up. This playful vibe, whether at a local theatre or an online gaming site, hooks users and keeps them engaged, making every interaction feel like a win.

Social Media Fuels the Buzz

Social media is a marketing powerhouse for entertainment. Businesses lean on Instagram or TikTok for viral campaigns, like influencer-backed festival promos. Digital platforms run targeted ads for bonuses, reaching the right crowd at the right time. These efforts create a buzz, pulling people into live events or online experiences with equal excitement.

Partnerships Amplify Reach

Collaborations are a marketing goldmine. Entertainment businesses team up with brands—think beer companies sponsoring music gigs—for exclusive deals. Digital platforms partner with payment providers to offer seamless bonuses, adding value. These cross-promotions broaden audiences, creating fresh opportunities for fans to dive into both live and virtual entertainment.

Security Builds Trust in Promotions

Trust is the backbone of any great offer. Entertainment businesses use SSL encryption to secure ticket sales or dining deals, keeping customers confident. Digital platforms lean on biometrics and blockchain to protect bonus transactions. This airtight security lets fans and players embrace promotions—whether for a club night or online gaming—without a second thought.

Event-Driven Promotions Build Community

Events are at the heart of entertainment marketing. Pop-up gigs or exclusive bar nights, tied to special deals, draw crowds and spark connection. Digital platforms echo this with limited-time offers that pull users into shared experiences. These community-focused promotions, whether in a venue or online, keep the UK’s entertainment scene vibrant and inclusive.

Keeping Promotions Responsible

Responsible marketing matters. Venues spell out clear terms for their offers, steering clear of confusion. Digital platforms provide tools like spending limits, backed by advice from BeGambleAware, a UK leader in responsible gambling. These steps ensure fans enjoy promotions—whether at a festival or online—while staying in control of their spending.

The Future of Entertainment Marketing

The future is electric for entertainment marketing. Augmented reality could soon bring interactive ads, like virtual previews of shows. AI will sharpen personalization, crafting offers that feel tailor-made. Blockchain might streamline loyalty programs, ensuring transparency. These innovations will keep the UK’s entertainment sector buzzing, captivating audiences with fresh, forward-thinking strategies.

In wrapping up, innovative marketing is the pulse of the UK’s entertainment sector. Data-driven personalization, mobile apps, and gamification create engaging experiences, while secure systems and responsible practices build trust. From live events to digital platforms, these strategies drive connection and excitement. As tech evolves, the sector will keep pushing boundaries, delivering unforgettable experiences with every new campaign.

Read more:
Innovative Marketing Strategies in the UK’s Entertainment Sector

The UK’s bioethanol industry is facing collapse after the government confirmed it will not offer a rescue package to the country’s two biggest producers.

Hull-based Vivergo Fuels and Ensus in Redcar, Teesside, had warned they would be forced to shut down following a US-UK trade deal that removed a 19% tariff on ethanol imports from America, allowing up to 1.4bn litres to enter tariff-free – equivalent to the size of the UK market.

Both firms say the agreement has left them commercially unviable, threatening 270 direct jobs and thousands more in the wider supply chain, as well as the UK’s capacity to produce low-carbon fuels.

Associated British Foods (ABF), owner of Vivergo, called the decision “deeply regrettable” and accused ministers of abandoning a “key national asset”. The company said it had submitted a plan to return the plant to profitability and warned the loss of production would send clean energy jobs overseas.

“This plant should always have been profitable under the right regulatory environment, as similar plants in Western Europe demonstrate,” the firm said.

The German-owned Ensus plant, which has also been approached for comment, produces bioethanol from wheat and accounts for 30% of the UK’s commercial carbon dioxide supply — used in soft drinks, healthcare and nuclear industries. The sector is also a major buyer of British wheat, supporting domestic agriculture.

A government spokesperson said it had engaged with both companies “to understand the financial challenges they have faced over the past decade” but concluded direct funding “would not provide value for the taxpayer or solve the long-term problems the industry faces”.

It added: “We recognise this is a difficult time for the workers and their families and will work with trade unions, local partners and the companies to support those affected.”

Industry sources say delays in the rollout of higher bioethanol blends, such as E10 petrol, have also undermined UK producers. The government has committed to ensuring 10% of aviation fuel comes from sustainable sources, including bioethanol, by 2030.

Ministers said they would continue to work on measures to secure the resilience of the CO₂ supply chain.

Read more:
UK bioethanol industry on brink as government rejects rescue deals

Shein’s UK sales surged by nearly a third last year to reach £2bn, delivering a major profit boost for the Chinese-founded fast-fashion retailer as it tightens its grip on the British clothing market.

Newly filed accounts for Shein Distribution UK Ltd show sales rose 32.3% to £2.05bn in 2024, with pre-tax profit jumping 57% to £38.3m from £24.4m in 2023. The company now commands a 3.1% share of the UK clothing and footwear market, up 0.7 percentage points, making it the country’s sixth-largest clothing retailer.

Shein, which is headquartered in Singapore, has built its appeal around ultra-low prices and an ever-changing range of products, from clothing to kitchenware. Its rapid design-to-delivery model keeps pace with fast-changing trends, a strategy that has proved especially popular among younger shoppers.

Louise Deglise-Favre, senior apparel analyst at GlobalData, said the brand’s combination of aggressive pricing and trend-led variety allowed it to “retain its position as the UK’s sixth largest clothing and footwear retailer” in 2024. She added that Shein could overtake Sports Direct to break into the top five this year as cost-conscious consumers continue to hunt for affordable fashion.

However, that momentum could face headwinds if the UK follows the US in scrapping its “de minimis” exemption for low-value imports — a rule that allows goods worth under £135 to enter without import duties. In the US, where former president Donald Trump removed a similar tax break, Shein has already raised prices.

Critics say the exemption lets low-cost platforms such as Shein and rival Temu undercut British high street retailers. The UK government has launched a review of the policy.

Beyond its e-commerce dominance, Shein has been testing physical retail formats, opening offices in King’s Cross and Manchester last year, hosting a Liverpool pop-up store, and running a Christmas bus tour across 12 UK cities.

The UK division now employs 91 people, most focused on market expertise, with women making up 68 of the workforce and holding two of the firm’s director roles.

Shein has faced mounting scrutiny over working conditions in its supply chain and the environmental impact of its business model. Amnesty International UK’s economic affairs programme director, Peter Frankental, said: “No company doing business in the UK should be allowed to play fast and loose with human rights anywhere in their global supply chains. If the UK believes that labour standards matter, regulations need to be in place to hold companies such as Shein accountable.”

In June 2024, Shein filed initial paperwork towards a potential listing on the London Stock Exchange.

Read more:
Shein’s UK sales hit £2bn as fast-fashion giant eyes Sports Direct’s top-five spot

Read more:
Engage Global Audiences: Multilingual Voiceovers Made Simple

The past six years have seen plenty of consultation take place over possible gambling reform in the UK. At present, there are two evidence-gathering periods taking place that could have serious implications for the UK’s gambling industry.

It was in the lead up to the 2019 General Election that the Conservative Government pledged to reform the gambling industry. The last Gambling Act had come into force in 2005 and the growth of online betting has changed everything since then.

After being re-elected, there was talk aplenty over the next few years. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) gathered evidence but the subject was well down the to-do list in Downing Street. The pandemic took place and while that rightly took precedence, it also saw an increase in online gambling as players were unable to access land-based venues during lockdowns.

Then came all the chaos in Downing Street to delay matters further. The gambling now was betting on who the next Prime Minister would be and who’d win the next General Election. 2023 finally saw a White Paper on gambling reform published. It suggested several measures, mostly aimed at the online side of the industry. Rather than immediate action following, there was yet more consultation.

Labour agreed with most of what had been included in the White Paper. When taking power last year, more talking rather than action took place. 2025 has finally seen stricter regulation begin to take place.

Those who campaign against gambling have long been critical of online slot games. Just as had been the case with the fixed-odds machines in High Street betting shops, huge losses were taking place in a short period of time. They had their maximum stakes slashed and it led to some shop closures and redundancies.

Slotsplay a key role in the success of these 20 online casinos. New maximum stakes have been introduced with 18-24 year-olds now only able to stake a maximum £2 per spin and £5 for older players. This year has also seen a mandatory levy placed on licensed UK gambling companies. Funds raised will be put towards researching gambling harm and treating those having difficulties with how they gamble.

For several years, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Gambling Reform has been calling for changes to how the industry is regulated. It now has a new chair, former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan-Smith MP.

His clear view is that “more needs to be done” to ensure that a regulatory framework is in place that “is fit for the digital age” and protects players from suffering gambling harm. Duncan-Smith feels that the inquiry will “play a crucial role in shaping our recommendations to the government.”

Eager to see further regulation introduced, the APPG have launched an inquiry. This is currently gathering yet more evidence with a deadline of September 12. They want to examine how suitable current policies and regulations are. Other areas include how effective the UKGC is and what progress has been made on the measures listed in the 2023 White Paper.

A growing problem for gambling companies around the world is the amount of tax they are being asked to pay. Rates have been on the increase in the USA and there is the possibility the same could take place in the UK.

Companies have already had to cope with Labour’s National Insurance Tax rise. Now proposals have been released that will see a new tax system introduced for the UK gambling industry. Currently, there is a three-tier system but the plans are for just one tax to be charged and the gambling industry fears this will see a rise to at least 21% of profits.

Consultation is taking place at present with those in the industry able to put across their views on any changes. Already there has been opposition to any increase and there are concerns that an increase will cause major problems for both the gambling and horse racing industries.

The Betting and Gaming Council has “completely rejected” the proposals and are concerned about how an increase would hit its members and possibly see jobs lost. It could also lead to gamblers leaving the licensed gambling market. Instead, they would play on the unlicensed black market which is unregulated and offers considerably lower levels of customer protection.

Former Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for a tax increase. Revenue earned could be used to battle the problem of child poverty in the UK. He believes that “fairer gambling taxes” could see £3.2 billion raised.

It’s always awkward for former Chancellors to make suggestions on future policies. The former Chancellor does not want to be seen to be acting like a “backseat driver” but believes setting a higher tax rate for the gambling industry is a “straightforward budget choice.”

With further regulation also on the horizon, the coming months are going to cause concern for the UK gambling industry.

Read more:
How Will Current Consultations Affect the UK Gambling Industry?