The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the United Kingdom’s primary gambling industry lobby group, responded to the recommendations and findings of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report, published yesterday.
As CasinoGuardian already reported, the CMS Committee’s suggestions focused on various improvements to the Gambling White Paper, with particular attention paid to reducing the volume of betting adverts seen in stadiums during sports events.
Instead of completely prohibiting gambling advertising, the committee’s report suggested multiple areas for improvement, which the Government has two months to address.
Following the publication of the CMS Committee report, the BGC released its written statement covering its views on the issues in question and sharing its support.
A council spokesperson said the organization welcomed the report and “its findings which reject proposals for a blanket ban on advertising, sports sponsorship, and consumer promotions”. According to BGC, a total ban would not be beneficial for the UK’s favourite sports such as football and horseracing. Additionally, it would threaten the employment of many people and push consumers to the dangers of the unregulated gambling market.
BGC’s response to the CMS Committee’s report further underlined that the Government had previously stated research found no relation between exposure to gambling advertising and enhanced risk of developing problem gambling. However, both gambling advertisements and sponsorship agreements must adhere to strict regulatory standards, including prominently displayed safer gambling messaging, according to BGC.
Additionally, the Council shared its agreement with the calls for publishing the Sports Sponsorship Code “without further undue delay”. It would “further drive up standards”, as the BGC statement concluded.
BGC Expresses Support for the Other Recommendations of the Report
The BGC also agreed with many other recommendations contained in the freshly released report by the committee. The establishment of a new mandatory Ombudsman for the regulated gambling sector is yet another issue that the BGC supported.
Furthermore, the BGC statement welcomed the CMS Commitee’s view on the introduction of cashless payment methods for land-based casino gaming. While the option to pay with cash must be preserved, the industry could benefit from the introduction of cashless payment methods, according to the CMS Committee report.
The BGC’s statement also dwelled on the introduction of a statutory gambling levy on iGaming and betting operators to facilitate problem gambling research, which would replace the current system funded by voluntary donations.
Last but not least, the association voiced its approval of the introduction of enhanced spending checks. The BGC endorsed the committee’s suggestion that these financial risk assessments should be “minimally intrusive” and should not expose customers’ sensitive data to any risks. Additionally, they should not impair the gaming experience of individuals who bet responsibly and are not considered problem gamblers.
- Author
Daniel Williams
