The UK gambling reform has been long-awaited. After several years of delays, discussions and protests, the government White Paper on gambling reform is slated to finally be published in the next few weeks.
What’s Happening at the Moment?
On 7th December 2022 Gambling Minister Paul Scully spoke at the annual Gamble Aware conference. Scully is the fifth minister to work on the gambling reform white paper, as ongoing controversies have rocked parliament and forced several shake-ups of roles within the government. However, it’s likely that Paul Scully may finally be the person to release the White Paper, taking a massive step forward for gambling reform.
The UK gambling reform has been considered a poison chalice for many years and after the fourth delay to the White Paper, many critics called the government’s actions inexcusable. Humanitarian charity Care argued that many more lives will have been lost due to gambling-related harm than could have been prevented by implementing changes sooner and as such are calling for the whitepaper details to be announced as soon as possible.
Why Has The Whitepaper Been So Delayed?
Gambling sites across the UK have been preparing for gambling reform for over a year but the white paper has been delayed on multiple occasions with numerous reasons given for the delays.
Delays were originally caused by disagreements on the contents of the reform. The White Paper was then pushed back multiple times due to the emerging health crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. Just as the UK settled back into normal life, the paper was delayed yet again – this time the result of chaos in the Conservative party. The White Paper was reportedly ready to be signed off before Boris Johnson’s exit, and the cycle of new Prime Ministers and cabinet shake-ups has only delayed the release even further.
What Does Paul Scully Have to Say About It?
In Scully’s speech at the Gamble Aware conference, the Gambling Minister seemed concerned with towing the party line and not upsetting anyone. The minister started with a carefully worded statement, keen to point out that reform wouldn’t be a matter of balancing competing interests. “Addiction or problem gambling as a health issue are essential considerations,” the minister said, before adding “but we also have to make sure that regulation is fair and proportionate and works for the large number of people who gamble without experiencing harm”. “These aren’t incompatible aims – if gambling is to be a pastime that people can enjoy, it must not be dangerous or exploitative”.
What will the White Paper include?
Scully’s speech was more of a reassurance to frustrated campaigners that the White Paper was on the way, and didn’t include details on what could be included. He simply promised that it was due to be published “in the next few weeks”, although some sources have said it may be delayed until early 2023.
Despite not giving any details, some speculation on what will be included has caused gambling companies to share their concerns, urging the government to issue a balanced White Paper.
One potential new regulation could see compulsory affordability checks introduced and the idea of this has already been protested by the British Gambling Commission chief executive Michael Dugher. He argued “Our members pump billions into the economy, support the Treasury with more billions and support more than 100,000 jobs. However, this contribution is never guaranteed. This industry needs to thrive if it is to maintain its status as a world leader”, before asking ministers to reconsider to ensure that any updated regulations are fair, balanced and introduced on an evidence-led basis.
Of course, everyone involved in researching and putting together the whitepaper has been reasonably tight-lipped about what it could contain, which has left the rumour mill turning pretty hard. It is likely that we’ll see changes in online gambling but it is thought that even things like the way gambling can be advertised and events can be sponsored could see a bit of a shake-up too.
A Change in Advertising Rules
One of the most likely updates that will come from the Gambling Reform will relate to advertising. In Scully’s speech he mentioned that the country’s laws needed to be “fit for a digital age”, implying that they aren’t currently.
Currently, there isn’t any specific legislation regarding social media advertising. This has been a point of intense discussion between campaigners and the government, with many arguing that it’s too easy to target underage and vulnerable individuals. Rules still focus on TV, radio and print advertising and there have been very few updates since the original Gambling Act was introduced in 2005.
Some updates to advertising regulations have already been implemented ahead of the White Paper being published. The guidance was reworded to be stricter, ensuring that any advertising wouldn’t feature youth culture or appeal to young people – a step up from the original wording that stated adverts “shouldn’t be of particular appeal to young people”.
Will The Whitepaper Actually Ever Go Ahead?
With delays since the very first discussions towards the end of 2020, it is easy to get disheartened and assume it won’t ever be released. However, with so much time and effort having gone into creating the document, it is unlikely the Government will want that to go to waste. Those within the industry are keen to have the details announced sooner rather than later. Most accept that there will be changes coming that will affect how they can operate within the gambling industry and would rather know what these are and be able to act on them rather than listen to rumours and wonder what is going to happen.
With so much controversy surrounding the long-awaited White Paper, it’s almost understandable that Scully has avoided discussing any details. For now, campaigners on both sides of the argument are left to speculate until it’s finally published – be that before Christmas or in the new year.
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