UK Gambling White Paper Expected to Impose Affordability Checks

The paper will include proposals for mandatory affordability checks and stake limits for online slot bets, as well as a compulsory levy on gambling firms to fund addiction treatment and research.

New UK Regulations to Introduce Gambling Limits and Compulsory Levy on Firms

Under the new regulations, gamblers who lose £1,000 in 24 hours or £2,000 over 90 days will face checks to ensure they can afford their losses. It is not yet clear how these checks will be carried out. The rise of smartphones has made gambling more accessible than ever, with the internet providing constant access to gambling options, according to Frazer.

The white paper has been delayed four times since Oliver Dowden, then culture secretary, announced a review of gambling laws in 2020. The government’s solution has been crafted by three different culture secretaries and three prime ministers, but Frazer believes she has a proposal suitable for the digital age, BBC News reported.

The proposed compulsory levy on gambling firms is expected to be 1% of net revenue and could raise £140 million ($174.6 million) a year for education, treatment, and research. The money raised would be used to pay for addiction treatment and research, but it is not yet clear how the funding will be managed.

The white paper is also expected to relax some rules on land-based casinos to level the playing field between physical and online betting. For example, smaller casinos currently have limits on how many machines they can have, but the number is expected to increase from 20 to 80.

Lawmakers Applaud New Regulations but Campaigners Say More Needs to Be Done

Parliamentarians who have pushed for reform have expressed strong support for the new regulations. Lord Foster, the chairman of Peers for Gambling Reform, described the regulations as a crucial step in the right direction. Meanwhile, Iain Duncan Smith, the vice chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling-Related Harm and a Conservative MP, stated that the regulations will be used to hold the government accountable and ensure that they are put into effect quickly.

However, some campaigners are disappointed that there will not be much change around advertising and marketing, which they feel is now endemic in sports. Annie Ashton, whose husband Luke killed himself in 2021 after struggling with a gambling addiction, said that any changes should be focused on stopping suicides and gambling harm.

Michael Dugher, the chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, stated that the industry had collaborated closely with the government to guarantee that the reforms are balanced, proportionate, and effective. Additionally, he remarked that the alterations must safeguard jobs and the economic contributions of the regulated industry.

The government is determined to protect those most at risk of gambling-related harm, including young and vulnerable people. The NHS has expanded its gambling-specific services in recent years, and the plan is to use some of the money raised from the new levy for NHS treatment in the future.