The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has welcomed the recently unveiled figures confirming the fact that gambling addiction rates in the UK have remained historically low. As Casino Guardian reported last week, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) reported that its latest research found problem gambling rates to have remained as low as 0.2% in the year to June 2022, which is the lowest gambling addiction rate registered in the country over the past few years.
The figures were released amid the expected White Paper from the UK Government’s review of the country’s Gambling Act 2005, which has already been delayed on a number of occasions.
The gambling regulatory body of the UK shared that the 0.2% figure is down from 0.4% registered in the previous year, and remains the same as the annual figures that were last published in April 2022. When it comes to gambling among women, in particular, the rate has remained at 0.1%, which the trade body of the UK legal gambling sector noted is low by international standards.
The CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council – Michael Dugher – noted that the newly-released figures came as further evidence of the positive progress that local businesses had made in terms of problem gambling. He also explained that the latest gambling addiction rates reported by the UK Gambling Commission were actually law by international standards after falling. According to Mr Dugher, the large variety of initiatives taken by licensed gambling operators across the country, such as different safer gambling tools, had helped keep the problem gambling rates as low as 0.2%.
About 22.5 Million British Adults Gamble in the UK Regularly
The boss of the UK gambling industry’s trade body noted that, currently, about 22.5 million British adults gamble on a monthly basis, with the majority of them doing so in a responsible and safe manner. However, Mr Dugher also explained that some gamblers suffer from disorders that make it impossible for them to control their gambling habits. This is exactly why the BGC’s efforts to raise standards across the country’s gambling industry would continue, in contrast to the dangers posed by gambling with unregulated and unsafe companies operating on the black market online.
Mr Dugher shared that the latest gambling addiction figures would seriously hurt the claims of some anti-gambling campaigners who overstate the actual issues in the sector. He also explained that the White Paper, which is expected to be issued by the Government as a result of its review of the UK Gambling Act 2005, would unveil a new opportunity to initiate further changes in the sector. According to the BGC’s boss, the new Government should put evidence first and should seek to carefully target restrictions and special measures on gambling addicts and people at risk across the country.
Michael Dugher believes that is essential that neither the Government nor the industry itself does anything that would scare the 22.5 million regular gamblers away from the regulated industry and direct them to the unregulated and unsafe gambling services available on the online gambling market.
- Author
Daniel Williams
