The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) revealed that 71% of the UK public (or seven in 10 people) believe that the Government’s health messaging would not be effective at ensuring problem gambling prevention. At the same time, 47% of the public believes that suspending popular promotions, such as so-called free bets, would not help the authorities tackle gambling addiction rates in the county.
The survey, which was commissioned by the Betting and Gaming Council and carried out by YouGov, has come at a time when the UK Government is preparing to finalise new regulations for the gambling and betting sector.
As recently reported by Casino Guardian, anti-gambling campaigners have praised both measures, describing them as the right tools to prevent problem gambling. For the time being, the trade body of the regulated gambling industry in the UK confirmed that only 0.3% of the adult population finds it difficult to control their gambling habits, with the figure representing a decline from the 0.4% registered in the previous year.
Although anti-gambling groups have been glad to see the measures aimed at tackling gambling-related harm, only around 3% of the British public believes that the enforcement of compulsory health warnings on gambling products would be actually effective, while 8% of the country’s adult residents think suspending so-called free bets would have a positive effect when it comes to prevention of spreading gambling addiction.
Gambling Participation in the UK Increases but Problem Gambling Rates Remain Low
Michael Dugher, chief executive officer of the Betting and Gaming Council, revealed that approximately 22.5 million adult Brits purchase lottery tickets, place bets in casinos, play bingo, play games or place sports wagers online. He confirmed that problem gambling rates in the country have remained low and have declined even more, but the anti-gambling lobby is still seeking the implementation of tougher measures that would only put more stigma on individuals who see gambling as a harmless pastime.
According to Mr Dugher, stricter measures may be meant to do good but would only push punters away from the regulated sector to the unlicensed and unregulated black market. He further noted that the figures on the black gambling sector have recently doubled, and the amount placed as bets is worth billions of pounds.
The boss of the British regulated sector explained that gambling should not be treated like tobacco, which has been among the health issues that have been increasingly targeted by campaigns aimed at tackling the associated harm. Apart from that, he reminded that the regulated gambling and betting sector of the UK, which includes the members of the BGC, currently supports more than one hundred thousand jobs across the country, and at the same time generates billions in taxes.
The regulated gambling sector in the UK has been calling for a compulsory, non-statutory figure – an ombudsman – to be established as a measure to improve customer redress. The industry has also supported the proposal for the implementation of enhanced spending checks aimed at identifying individuals showing signs of gambling addiction. The regulated gambling sector in the UK has already taken stricter measures against extensive gambling advertising as part of an effort to prevent young from being exposed to gambling companies’ adverts on social media channels.
- Author
Daniel Williams
