This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Gambling companies have defied calls to stamp out sexism at an industry conference, with guests being entertained by pole dancers and a Playboy-themed show, and hostesses claiming to have been harassed and propositioned.

The ICE Totally Gaming conference, held at London’s Excel centre, drew a warning earlier this week from the UK gambling regulator. The Gambling Commission’s chief executive, Sarah Harrison, threatened to boycott the event, at which she said women were “expected to wear nothing more than swimsuits”.

Less than 24 hours later, the gaming software company Microgaming kicked off the conference with a Playboy-themed dance show, celebrating the release of a gambling game based on the glamour magazine.

Another gambling company, Endorphina, hosted a popular stand at which pole dancers entertained a mostly male audience, some of whom filmed the show on their phones and had pictures taken with the women. The dancers, who wore high heels, fishnet stockings and lingerie, performed in front of a screen featuring words such as “provocative” and “sensual”.

One woman at another stand, who said she had been hired as a hostess on a daily rate of £100, said, “Somebody asked me yesterday how much I would charge”, indicating that the request referred to sex.



She said the event was the “closest thing to the Presidents Club dinner” that she had worked at – a reference to the now-defunct men-only event attended by politicians, businessmen and celebrities, at which hostesses were allegedly groped and propositioned.

Asked what her job was at the gaming conference, she replied: “Just stand there.”



Two other women, wearing thongs and body paint, said they had been provided by a hostess agency to work alongside 250-300 women from at least six agencies. They said they had experienced unwanted physical contact from men at the conference.

“There are guys who try and touch you when you’re getting your picture taken with them,” said one. “You’ve just got to deal with it and say, ‘Get off me.’”

UK gambling regulator calls on industry to stamp out sexism Read more

A pair of hostesses handing out leaflets said the men working with them at the event “treat us like princesses”. But they added that women signed up to different agencies were expected to go to greater lengths.

“Some of the girls are in fetish gear with collars ... over the other side it’s more underwear and stuff,” said one, adding that hostesses were paid anything between £8 and £15 an hour.

At another stand, two Czech models said they “sometimes” experienced sexually inappropriate behaviour, but they declined to talk about it or say which agency they worked for, because they had signed non-disclosure agreements.

Several gambling industry sources who had attended the event in the past said it had been toned down.

PR stunts of F1 and gambling industry are hardly sharp end of feminism | Marina Hyde Read more

The conference also included a small stand hosted by the All-In Diversity Project, which describes itself as an “industry-driven initiative to benchmark diversity, equality and inclusion for the global betting and gaming sector”.

There was nobody at the stall when the Guardian passed by several times, but it featured a blackboard inviting people to add to the phrase “The way to equality is ... ”. Underneath that phrase someone had written “less promo girls”.

Most of the people seated at the tables behind the exhibition stands, where conference visitors met to discuss business and drum up trade, were men in suits. But the stands were mostly fronted by scantily-clad hostesses in themed costumes, some of whom told the Guardian they had been hired for the day from professional model and hostess agencies.

Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk

On Monday, Harrison warned that the Gambling Commission would boycott the ICE Totally Gaming conference if it did not stamp out sexism. She told companies attending the conference to be aware of the potential for a “significant stain on the industry’s reputation”.

“This is an industry where we have a number of talented, powerful and successful women,” Harrison said in a speech on the eve of the event. “Yet from walking around the exhibition you wouldn’t know this.

“Instead you saw men representing their companies wearing expensive tailored suits whilst their female colleagues were expected to wear nothing more than swimsuits. I say, bring this to an end now.

“And to go further, any future participation by the Gambling Commission in events like this will depend on there being change.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A promotions model at Ice Totally Gaming event at excel. Photograph: Rob Davies/The Guardian

The European Casino Association and Clarion Gaming, which organises the ICE conference, wrote an open letter to exhibitors earlier this week, urging them to be aware of potential allegations of sexism “in the spirit of the 21st century”.

Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, accused the gambling industry of being ignorant and called on bosses to show some “moral leadership” and stop the objectification of women. “The gambling industry claims to be responsible but this sexist and chauvinistic behaviour has the evident approval of the men at the top.”

He added: “After the Presidents Club scandal, you’d expect even the most unreconstructed businesses to realise they should stop treating women as objects - but it seems this industry is ignorant enough not to clean up its act. It’s about time gambling industry CEOs started showing some moral leadership and put a stop to this.”

Labour MP Carolyn Harris also called for an end to the hostess culture: “I’m very disappointed that we have not learned the lesson of the President Club debacle. It is never acceptable for any woman to be exploited in this way and I had hoped that we had left all this seedy voyeurism in the dark past where it belongs. We really must move on from this unacceptable behaviour and stop treating women as objects”

Clarion, the event’s organiser, said in a statement: “ICE London has been working with the European Casino Association to encourage respectful representation of women on exhibition stands. This programme started in 2016 and will continue.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Games marketed at Ice Totally Gaming event at excel. Photograph: Rob Davies/The Guardian

The company added: “ICE London has featured educational initiatives on diversity and inclusion organised in partnership with Global Gaming Women, an organisation that delivers programmes that support, inspire and influence the development of women in the gaming and lottery industries.”

The Guardian contacted Microgaming and Endorphina for comment. At the time of publication neither had responded.



Evidence of sexism at the largest gambling industry conference in the world emerged amid fierce debate about the use of women to provide hospitality at events.



Formula One recently replaced its “grid girls”, employed to hold signs displaying sponsor logos and driver names, with “grid kids” – aspiring young drivers.

Darts events have also moved to end the use of “walk-on girls”, who were hired to escort players to the oche.