Dominic Mansour criticizes tax increases and regulatory framework in the UK

Dominic Mansour, CEO of Buzz Bingo, criticized the recent tax hikes in the United Kingdom and the implementation of Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs), describing elements of the regulatory regime as "naive" and a "complete mess." During the EGR Power Seat podcast, Mansour remarked that the remote gaming tax increase to 40% has been "a significant blow," partially offset by the removal of the bingo tax in April, forcing the operator to curtail its investment in the UK.

Fiscal Impact and Regulations

Mansour underscored his frustration with the situation, pointing to the Netherlands as a negative example where tax increases pushed the market beyond the Laffer Curve, thereby reducing overall revenues. He also opined that FRAs inconsistently penalize customers. "It’s strange to think that intelligent, informed people make decisions while ignoring the evidence," he commented.

Direct Customer Feedback

The CEO also praised the value of feedback collected directly from customers. In a club in Glasgow, players repeatedly checked the battery icons on tablets, revealing that the devices did not last through an entire session. This contradicted the company’s data. In Poole, a customer’s complaint about their device "disconnecting from the network again" exposed a broader Wi-Fi failure in 92 clubs, the fix for which cost millions.

Mansfield's Conclusions

"You have to see it to believe it," Mansour concluded regarding the direct perceptions of operators in the field. These observations highlight the importance of listening to and responding to actual customer experiences to improve service and identify issues that internal data might overlook.

The full episode is available to EGR subscribers.