Researchers have been discussing the potential impact of the UK Government’s White Paper and the ongoing changes in Britain’s regulated gambling sector on the planned overhaul of Australia’s gambling regulation.
As Casino Guardian previously reported, UK Government published its White Paper of the Gambling Act review late in April 2023, following much delay and anticipation. The White Paper features proposals for some considerable changes to the country’s gambling market to make sure that the British gambling laws are suitable to regulate the sector in the digital age.
The Government has unveiled plans to bring some alterations to the Gambling Act 2005 and make sure that local users would be well-protected against potential gambling-related harm following the implementation and some restrictions and strategic guidelines for gambling companies that offer their services online.
Recently, researchers have taken the upcoming changes to the UK gambling sector into account and suggested that the country’s historical gambling overhaul may impact other markets, as well. According to Professor Sally Gainsbury, the director of the Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic at the University of Sydney, it is now clear to the whole world that the UK gambling market will change.
Certain UK Gambling Market Changes Could Be Suitable for Other Jurisdictions, Experts Say
The Australian Government has been also seeking to improve its gambling regulations, too. According to Professor Gainsbury, the changes in the UK can affect the future of the Australian gambling market, although she did not provide further detail on the expected extent of that impact. Further discussion on the matter is set to take place by the end of the week. Some researchers believe that the recently unveiled changes in the UK could trigger similar ones in Australia, although the exact extent of the overhaul remains in the hand of local lawmakers.
Recently, Professor Gainsbury, along with Washington State University’s Assistant Professor Kahlil Philander, discussed the issue in a webinar with Tim Miller and Ben Haden, the executive director for research and policy and the director of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), respectively.
At the time when the webinar took place, Mr Haden noted that the UK gambling market and the local competent regulators and authorities were going through “a testing phase” to shift to a new methodology that is set to be called the Gambling Survey for Great Britain. According to the UKGC director, the data gathered as a result of the survey is set to have a positive impact on the entire country, as it will help it better understand consumer behaviour and gambling-related harm.
The UK gambling watchdog’s executive director for research and policy, on the other hand, shared that the Government’s White Paper suggests multiple changes should be brought to the country’s regulated gambling market. Mr Miller explained that some of the changes were pretty specific as they have to match the exact needs of the local gambling industry and take into account the views of both stakeholders and consumers, but he also noted that these changes may be applicable to other jurisdictions across the world, too.
As mentioned above, discussions on the matter are expected to continue on June 1st, 2023. Professor Gainsbury, Assistant Professor Philander, along with Mr Miller and Mr Haden, are set to meet attain and speak on the topic, discussing the different aspects of the proposed changes within the UK Government’s White Paper on gambling and how the gathered evidence can be helpful in the planned overhaul of the gambling market.
- Author
Daniel Williams
