The Liberal Democratic party has called for credit cards to be banned from gambling transactions in the UK in order to tackle spreading problem gambling among British people.
The party has made a promise to deal with the problem as part of which an increasing number of people get into debt as they are using their credit cards to fund a compulsive gambling habit. Under the proposed policy by the Liberal Democrats, the UK Government could block the online gambling sites and land-based bookmakers’ outlets from accepting credit cards as payments for their customers’ accounts or individual bets. Debit card payments, however, would still be available.
As Casino Guardian has previously reported, some experts have shared their concern that the use of credit cards to place bets could be a contributing factor for the increase of gambling addiction rates among British adults. Using credit cards to gamble could be dangerous because some gamblers do not know when to stop and literally gamble with money they do not have.
The spokesperson on culture of the Liberal Democratic Party, Layla Moran, said for a local media that problem gambling often has a negative effect on the lives of thousands of people across the country.
Protection of Vulnerable and Underage Individuals against Gambling-Related Harm Should Be a Paramount Priority
As explained by the Liberal Democrats, many vulnerable people fall victim to gambling which drags them further into debt as their compulsive gambling habits deteriorate. The party claims that the Conservative Government has neglected the problem. The spokesperson of the Liberal Democratic party said that they Government almost had to be forced to support the initiative aimed at reduction of the maximum betting stake allowed at controversial fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) and had been hardly interested in protecting the most vulnerable members of society any more.
Ms Moran further noted that the Liberal Democrats are ready to take decisive action in order to tackle problem gambling.
The party has set the protection of the vulnerable and underage local residents from the possible negative impact that gambling could have on them and their finance, health and well-being. It has proposed a compulsory levy to be imposed on gambling operators, with the proceeds set to be used for problem gambling prevention, education and treatment.
The Liberal Democrats have also suggested that new curbs should be imposed on gambling advertising. The establishment of the figure of an independent ombudsman to resolve disputes within the sector and between the authorities and the gambling industry has also been among the proposals unveiled by the party and its supporters.
Of course, gambling operators have also been backed by lobbyists. The supporters of the sector have pointed out that the British gambling industry currently supports around 100,000 jobs in the country. They have also blamed the Government for the stricter regulatory regime that has lately been imposed on the sector, as well as for the crackdown measures that the authorities unveiled this spring, cutting the maximum betting stake on the FOBTs from £100 to £2.
- Author
Daniel Williams
