A group of Members of Parliament (MPs) has criticised the regulator of the British gambling industry, saying that the watchdog was trying to reduce problem gambling rates and was encouraging the Government to unveil special measures for the sector.
The latest report released by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on gambling-related harm has presented a number of controversial findings. As mentioned above, one of the key claims made by the Group was that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has been trying to impose extremely harsh measures on the gambling sector.
What has been found the most surprising about the long-awaited report was the fact that the publication made a complete u-turn from what was previously expected to be a critical and yet constructive overview of the country’s gambling industry and its major regulatory body. However, the conclusions of the all-party parliamentary group have sided mostly with the sector, and seem to be pretty much against everything that has been happening in the UK gambling industry over the past few years.
In its latest report, the all-party parliamentary group alleges that the gambling regulatory body of the British gambling sector has been intentionally trying to undermine the sector, as it has been constantly imposing stricter rules on something that has so far proved to be one of the best-working gambling industry models on a global scale. The claims have not been accepted by the UK Gambling Commission which has already faced criticism for being too forgiving on gambling.
APPG Claims UKGC Acts Outside of Its Regulatory Scope
Furthermore, the UK Gambling Commission also faced criticism as it has been accused of acting outside of its scope as a regulatory body as it was primarily focused on achieving results, such as a reduction of the country’s gambling addiction rates. The conclusion seems almost strange, considering the objective that was set out at the start and comments followed soon after the release of the report, with Conor McGinn, a MP from the Labour Party confirming for The Guardian that he was no longer part of the all-party parliamentary group. Although he once served as the group’s vice chairman, he has now distanced himself from the group and the newly-issued report.
According to the Members of Parliament who are also members of the all-party parliamentary group, the UK Gambling Commission needs to urgently change the way it administrates rules in the British gambling sector. The report makes unfavourable claims, comparing the watchdog to a bully that only seems willing to enforce stricter measures on the industry.
The UKGC, however, has argued that pleasing the gambling sector and the companies that operate in it has not been easy. Currently, the gambling regulatory body is in the process of reviewing the draft comments of the reports. It has shared that it considers the recent document an insult to similar statements made by the National Audit Office and the public accounts committee.
On the other hand, previously, the all-party parliamentary group has received criticism for accepting financial stimulus and gifts from the UK gambling sector, with some of the Group’s members appearing at events sponsored by gambling companies or accepting donations or hospitality gifts from such companies.
- Author
Daniel Williams
