The long-awaited UK Government’s White Paper is set to be published by the end of the week, reports claim.
Campaigners, who have insisted on making the regulation of the sector fit for the digital age, remain hopeful that the planned reform will include plans for obligatory affordability checks, as well as the introduction of a statutory levy on gambling operators that would provide additional funding for education, research, prevention and treatment of gambling addiction. They also hope to see stakes for online slot games reduced in a way matching the stakes available for slot machines available in brick-and-mortar venues.
Apart from that, campaigners have urged the authorities to suspend gambling advertising and gambling sponsorship agreements with professional sports clubs, with the English Premier League (EPL) having already announced a voluntary ban on gambling sponsorships that would have any gambling firm logos removed from the front of match-day shirts. The EPL has also revealed that it had joined forces with other sports leagues to work on a new gambling sponsorship code.
As previously reported, the ongoing gambling review was launched by the UK Government in December 2020 but the publication of the subsequent White Paper has been delayed repeatedly following a succession of ministerial changes and political crisis in the country.
Reportedly, ministers from the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), including culture secretary Lucy Frazer and gambling minister Stuart Andrews, are set to answer questions in the House of Commons on April 27th. The rumour has it that the Government may have scheduled the official release of the much-awaited White Paper for the same day.
Online Gambling Stakes Curbs among the Planned Reforms in the UK Government’s White Paper
According to reports, the new White Paper will unveil some restrictions for online gambling, while rules for land-based casinos are set to be relaxed under the plans that the UK Government is set to announce any day now.
People familiar with the matter shared that Ministers will consider the implementation of a “polluter pays” tax on the gambling sector, with a consultation on making it obligatory for large gambling operators to pay 1% of any profits they generate. The Government’s plans to introduce maximum stakes of between £2 and £5 for slot machines available online have been diluted. Reports say there will be a £2 limit on online slots for people under 25 years of age, and a £15 limit for the ones who are older than that. Currently, there are no curbs on online gambling stakes.
According to reports, Ministers are also set to announce “light-touch” checks for individuals who gamble online. As previously reported, they have been considering the implementation of enhanced checks for people who spend significant sums on gambling. However, it remains unclear whether such checks would be implemented.
Online gambling operators will also be required to remove some of their games’ features that are believed to boost the level of risk for their customers to suffer gambling-related harm. Lawmakers are set to consult on imposing some limits on online gambling advertising that targets customers who are most vulnerable.
On the other hand, local lawmakers seem to be inclined to relax the rules for land-based casinos. It is rumoured that under the plans, some smaller casinos that have been able to install only 20 slot machines will now be able to install up to 80. High-end casinos could be provided with the chance to offer credit to affluent overseas patrons as part of an effort to attract more high-roller customers. Furthermore, the UK Government plans to reduce regulatory burdens on casinos, in order to make it easier for them to gain planning permission.
- Author
Daniel Williams
