The UK government has revealed a range of new gambling reforms to tackle online addiction. The measures, including a new statutory levy on large firms, maximum stakes for online slot machines, and checks to protect vulnerable customers, were laid out by Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer in the government’s gambling white paper.
Details of the Reforms
The white paper will see companies required to fund more research, education, and treatment into addiction. It will also force firms to step up their checks to protect vulnerable customers. Affordability checks will be implemented to prevent punters from making unaffordable or harmful losses. The government also plans to limit online slot games to stakes between £2 and £15, subject to consultation. The white paper will also address the issue of advertising, which often lures problem gamblers back to online companies with free bets, and the Gambling Commission will consult on ensuring bonus offers do not exacerbate harm.
Response from Labour and Charities
Shadow minister Alex Davies-Jones responded by criticising the delay in the publication of the white paper, but welcomed the measures as a move in the right direction. However, she called for more clarity on the proposed levy on gambling firms and the strengthening of the gambling regulator. The charity Gambling With Lives also welcomed the white paper but expressed concern that much of it would be pushed to consultation, leading to further delays.
Background and Figures
The UK government has been under pressure to act following several cases in which people have taken their lives due to gambling addiction. According to the Gambling Commission, around 138,000 people could be problem gamblers, with around 1.3 million people engaged in moderate or low-risk gambling. Last year, the parents of Jack Ritchie, 24, accused the government of being “asleep at the wheel” in their failure to regulate an industry they described as “predatory” and “parasitic”. A landmark inquest into his suicide found that regulation, NHS treatment, and government warnings about the dangers of gambling were “woefully inadequate”. The NHS has seen a 50% increase in referrals for gambling addiction treatment compared to the previous year.
The UK government’s new gambling white paper aims to protect vulnerable customers and limit online addiction through a range of measures, including a new statutory levy, maximum stakes for online slot machines, and affordability checks. However, there are concerns that the measures may be delayed due to further consultation, and more clarity is needed on the proposed levy and regulator strengthening. Despite this, the measures have been welcomed by charities and industry figures as a proactive change that will lead to a better future for the UK gambling sector.
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