Over the last few years, gambling addiction rates have been increasing in the UK, while local gambling operators have remained pretty much irresponsible to the gambling-related harm that affects customers. Even though the Government and competent regulatory authorities have been trying to implement stricter measures in order to tighten the control of the companies that have been violating responsible gambling regulations.
In an interview with ABC, one of the most popular people in the British sports betting industry, the co-founder of the Irish betting company Paddy Power Betfair, Stewart Kenny, has said that the fact that British gambling giants have done almost nothing to address the problem gambling made him resign from his position in the company. Mr Kenny shared he really wished to have been more proactive on gambling addiction and confessed that the local gambling sector was doing literally nothing, in his view, to address gambling addiction.
Mr Kenny left the gambling giant in 2016.
As mentioned above, problem gambling has become one of the most-discussed topics in the UK gambling sector, considering the fact that it is gambling addiction that is blamed for ruining not only people’s finances but their careers, personal lives, families and relationships.
Regulators and Charities Fail to Address Gambling-Related Harm
What is considered even worse is the fact gambling addiction rates are rising among underage individuals. According to data provided by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), children in the UK are the ones who are at the highest risk of getting hooked on gambling.
A recent report unveiled by the gambling regulatory body of the country found that the number of children who have been exposed at the risk of developing problem gambling behaviour in the UK has risen by more than 400% in the past couple of years.
Gambling operators have been blamed for their aggressive marketing campaigns and gambling adverts that target underage individuals. The increased presence of gambling advertising during live sports events broadcast on TV has been among the most dangerous trends to target under-18s and make them believe gambling is tightly related to sports.
As mentioned above, gambling operators in the UK have been blamed for not doing enough to address the issue. The leading British gambling companies have not been meeting their social responsibility obligations while their executives have been receiving literally millions of pounds. That is why charity organisations and anti-gambling campaigners have been calling for tighter measures to be imposed on such operators and higher taxes to be paid by gambling companies.
According to data provided by the UKGC, the leading gambling companies, including Paddy Power Betfair, bet365 and William Hill failed to make even the required 0.1% requisite payment in 2018. as a result, the largest gambling charity organisation in the country, GambleAware, got £400,000 less than its 2018 target.
- Author
Olivia Cole
