At the end of last week I attended a black tie event with a difference, as a guest of gambling industry thinktank Ampersand Plus (of which I am a member). As you can see I decided to go large on the dress code (never knowingly underdressed!)

The event in question was the 2023 SBC Charity Boxing Championship. Now in its second year, this event, run in partnership with Oliver’s Wish Foundation, raised more than £130,000 for three very worthy charities:

  • SUDC UK seeks to raise awareness and understanding of SUDC (Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood) and funds research to help understand and prevent these unexplained deaths in future.
  • Cystic Fibrosis Trust supports those living with this genetic condition.
  • Chestnut Tree House is a children’s hospice serving families in Sussex and South East Hampshire.

What makes it different from other charity events? WHO was doing the boxing, that’s what! Each of the 6 bouts pitted industry figures against each other (this year including two women who put on quite a show) and by all accounts the contestants had been training for months beforehand. Each fighter was sponsored by an industry organisation (not necessarily the one they work for).

The boxing ring was set up smack bang in the middle of the Hilton Park Lane’s Grand Ballroom, surrounded by all the dinner tables accommodating around 500 industry guests. Two big screens ensured that those who weren’t sitting at ringside tables still had a good view of the fighting.

You may be wondering how just six bouts, each consisting of three rounds of boxing lasting just 2 minutes each, could be spun out to provide an entire evening of entertainment and raise so much money given that (contrary to what the layperson might expect from a gambling industry event) there was no betting on the results. Easy! In this industry, we really know how to put on a show!

  • An hour of drinks and networking beforehand.
  • Presentations from the charities explaining how the funds raised would be used.
  • Banter from the celebrity hosts, not to mention Natalie Pinkham’s (offstage) wardrobe malfunction which you can read all about on her Instagram account .
  • Each fighter making a super dramatic entrance to the soundtrack of their choice.
  • A very nice three course dinner with lots more drinks.
  • A raffle, auction and silent auction to raise even more money for the charities.
  • And an afterparty done as only the iGaming industry knows how.

I had a lovely evening and met several new and interesting people from other areas of the industry (one of the things that Ampersand Plus is all about) as well as catching up with some people I hadn’t seen for years.

Also, can I just say how happy it made me to see our much maligned industry raise such a significant sum of money for such worthy causes! Congratulations to the winners and huge kudos to all the fighters for taking part.