Ten MPs accept Euro football tickets from betting firms

Ten MPs accepted tickets to Euro 2020 football matches from betting companies, the latest register of MPs' financial interests has revealed.

Eight Conservatives and two Labour MPs were gifted tickets worth between £1,537.60 and £3,457.

It comes at a time when the government is reviewing gambling laws including looking at introducing spend limits.

MPs are required to declare gifts or hospitality which could influence their words or actions as an MP.

Research carried out by the BBC in 2017, found that sport and betting companies top the list of donors treating MPs to gifts and hospitality.

Four Conservatives - Stuart Andrew, Ben Bradley, Chris Heaton-Harris and Graham Stuart - and Labour's shadow whip Mark Tami received tickets worth £1,961 to the England v Germany game from Power Leisure Bookmakers.

Labour's shadow education minister Toby Perkins plus four Conservatives - Scott Benton, Philip Davies, Esther McVey and Laurence Robertson received tickets to the England v Denmark match from Entain Holdings at a value of £3,457 each.

Mr Benton, Mr Davies, and Ms McVey also received £1,100 tickets to Wimbledon from the same company.

Mr Benton was also gifted a £1,537.60 ticket to see England v Czech Republic from the Gamesys Group and hospitality worth £1,400 from the Betting and Gaming Council.

Adding up the football, tennis and horse racing, the Blackpool South MP received nearly £7,500 worth of tickets from the gambling industry.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, director of Clean Up Gambling said "While the government reviews our gambling laws, it's no surprise to see the betting industry on a charm offensive.

"Thankfully the vast majority of MPs are in favour of gambling reform, but legislators should think twice about accepting hospitality from a sector that derives the majority of its profits from people experiencing harm."

As part of its review of the Gambling Act, the UK government is considering whether to ban gambling sponsorship in football.

It is also looking at putting limits on spend limits and introducing protections for online gamblers.