Today, the UK Culture Secretary has launched a major and long-awaited review of the country’s gambling legislation in order to make sure that the laws are suitable to regulate the sector in the digital age we have been into.
As part of the call for evidence, the Government will review not only the existing online gambling restrictions and some issues associated with marketing and advertising across the sector but also the powers of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), as the industry has gone through a lot of changes over the past 15 years.
On the other hand, campaigners have been calling for better protection to be ensured for people who gamble online, including some stake and spend limits. Operators’ advertising practices and promotional offers are also to be reviewed, with campaigners having also called on the Government to consider unveiling some special protection measures for young adults.
As the UK Government has revealed, the review findings will be used to inform any changes to the Gambling Act 2005 in order to make sure that the country’s regulation provides customer protection and allows people to gamble safely. The review is also set to look at the evidence regarding the action local consumers can take in case they think gambling companies have violated some social responsibility requirements.
The Government Has Been Having a Tough Stance on Gambling Sector in Recent Years
The Government revealed that the call for evidence that will take place as part of its review of the country’s gambling laws will run for 16 weeks and is set to close on March 31st, 2021.
The authorities have also revealed they plan some changes regarding the minimum age for participation in the National Lottery draws. The UK Government has joined forces with Camelot UK and the gambling regulatory body of the country to roll out the new age limit across the products of the National Lottery as soon as possible. It is planned to be in place by October 2021 at the latest. In addition, the National Lottery will no longer be able to sell its products online to 16- and 17-year-olds as of April 2021.
The UK Government has also published its response to the report regarding the Social and Economic Impact the local gambling sector issued by the Select Committee of the House of Lords.
In his emailed statement, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said that the Gambling Act 2005 is an analogue piece of legislation in a digital age, which is exactly it is unfit to serve all of its purposes, considering the rising popularity of online gambling offered by market giants such as Flutter Entertainment, bet365, William Hill, etc.
In the last couple of years, the UK Government has taken a stricter stance regarding the sector. The use of credit cards for gambling transactions has already been banned, with the authorities also tightening age verification checks. In recent years, the Government also made one of the most major changes in the industry by reducing the maximum betting stakes allowed on high-street fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs).
- Author
Olivia Cole
