UK Gambling Minister says review to be published in "coming weeks"; Gov. looking at Australia's ads policy

UK Gambling Minister Paul Scully confirmed the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport is keen to publish the long-delayed Gambling Act Review “in the coming weeks” at the GambleAware annual conference. Additionally, Scully noted his Department is aware of the changes introduced in Australia – which mandate specific taglines in gambling advertising – and is considering these developments and others “very closely.”

The Gambling Act Review is set to act as a wide-ranging look at the evidence on gambling and the UK’s regulatory framework, with a commitment to make sure regulation is fit for the digital age. The DCMS is tasked with leading gambling policy and regulation, including fighting issues such as addiction and problem gambling, which Scully labeled “essential considerations.”

The new Gambling Minister, who was appointed to the role in late October, said the department is seeking to make sure regulation is “fair and proportionate,” also working for the large number of people who gamble without experiencing harm. He noted the country is currently in “a good position,” with most gambling done in the licensed sector, where operators have to comply with the UK Gambling Commission rules in order to keep their licenses.

But the gambling landscape is different from that in 2005, when regulation was last passed. The explosion of iGaming means people can now access a wider range of products whenever and wherever they are, which calls for protections able to respond “quickly.” Thus, Scully is calling for a framework where people who start experiencing difficulties can be spotted early, with the DCMS working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to achieve that goal.

The last Health Survey for England found that 246,000 people were considered problem gamblers, with a further 1.6 million at risk of suffering harm. “Our review of the Gambling Act will take action to help prevent these harms, with targeted, proportionate and effective reform,” said the Minister, while warning the issue “cannot be tackled by working in isolation.”

The issue requires collaboration, communication and consistency at different levels to ensure the right protections are in place, said Scully, highlighting the causes of gambling harm are complex to address. While individual circumstances, environmental and other health factors play a role, the approach also needs “to look at the products and the practices.”

The gambling review – the most thorough since the 2005 Act – has been delayed a number of times during the last year amid political turmoil in the UK. While Scully said it is in the Department’s interest to publish it “as soon as we can,” he also said the CMS needs to make sure it gets it right, meaning a precise date is still uncertain.

In the meantime, the Government has moved to introduce new regulations, including a ban on credit cards for gambling; a policy to make online slot games safer by design; strengthening rules on how operators must identify harm; and tightening restrictions on the provision of VIP schemes.

The UKGC’s enforcement activity also saw changes, and in the past year alone, operators paid out over £45 million over regulatory failures. In comparison, during the whole of the 2016/17 financial year, the regulatory fines amounted to £1.7 million.

“The Review is an opportunity to build on these changes, and do more to make sure we have the right protections for the digital age,” said the Minister. “To tackle gambling harms effectively we must understand the problem and tailor our solutions. We need to take both wide-ranging action, and targeted and proportionate action, where and when each is  appropriate.”

The Government is analyzing what is most effective when it comes to communicating the potential harms of gambling. Scully highlighted the DCMS is looking at changes in Australia - which mandate specific taglines in gambling advertising that warn gaming is a high-risk activity - and is considering these developments and others “very closely.”

Elsewhere in his speech, the Minister tackled problem gambling treatment, noting the commitment to establish up to 15 specialist NHS clinics by 23/24 is “progressing well.” Scully said he “fully supports” the work of GambleAware and GamCare to help integrate their services with those of the NHS, including in primary care settings.