The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on gambling-related harm has announced that it will roll out an inquiry into the UK Government’s White Paper on gambling. The major objective of the inquiry will be checking whether the Government has the right ideas and ability to implement the necessary measures as soon as possible.
As revealed by the group, its inquiry seeks to analyse and assess the measures announced by the Government as part of its White Paper on gambling and set out recommendations for the lawmakers. Apart from that, the All-Party Parliamentary Group is trying to hold the Government accountable for the implementation of the planned reforms, saying that they need to be rolled out in a timely manner. Furthermore, the group also seeks to make sure that UK lawmakers prioritise their commitments to bring the planned changes to life and also that the country’s gambling regulator – the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) – is granted the powers it needs to oversee the enforcement of the measures.
The idea of bringing UK gambling regulations into the digital age has been supported by the APPG, which has already praised the commitments made by the Government in some key areas of gambling regulation.
At the time when it made the announcement of its inquiry, the All-Party Parliamentary Group welcomed the calls on gambling companies to invest more time, efforts, and money into customer protection, especially when it comes to keeping their at-risk and younger customers away from harm by not allowing them access so-called Category D machines. The group further welcomed the commitment made by the Gambling Commission to consult on mandating participation in a gambling harm prevention system implemented by a large number of operators and the proposed talks regarding the planned update of some online gambling products’ design rules.
Mandatory deposit limits, stake limits, a review of free bets and bonuses, as well as the planned introduction of a mandatory levy have been among the White Paper measures that earned the approval of the APPG, along with the idea of providing the country’s gambling regulator with more powers over the sector. According to the group, however, the Government could consider the implementation of further restrictions in terms of gambling advertising in an effort to protect vulnerable audiences across the UK from potential gambling-related harm.
APPG Insists on Further Restrictions on the UK Gambling Sector to Protect Vulnerable People
Carolyn Harris MP, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group, welcomed many of the proposals on behalf of her team and praised local lawmakers for their efforts. Still, she said there is much more work that has to be done.
The aforementioned inquiry aims to bring further evidence and analysis data to the Government as a result of the important consultation phase and, by doing so, help the lawmakers literally save lives. As revealed by the APPG, evidence and submissions will be accepted as part of the inquiry by July 11th. In the meantime, the group will continue to observe areas of potential harm, even the ones that have been included in the Government’s review of the sector.
In its announcement, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on gambling harm reiterated the priorities voted by its members, such as the implementation of more effective affordability checks, the enforcement of so-called “duty of care” aimed at mitigation of gambling-related harm, the implementation of skate and speed of play limits for online gambling services, some changes of high-roller schemes, as well as regulation of loot boxes and in-game items offered in video games.
According to the members of APPG, new gambling products need to be additionally tested for potential harm, with their classification upgraded to ensure maximum protection for consumers. They also insist on the introduction of a statutory levy over the sector to provide problem gambling education, research and treatment programmes with additional funding. The organisation shared hopes that the UK Government will eventually suspend direct marketing and gambling sponsorship deals for sports, and will introduce a problem gambling treatment system headed by the National Health Service (NHS).
- Author
Daniel Williams
