UK Gambling Commission discusses next batch of White Paper consultations

Tim Miller, executive director of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), said the regulator plans to amalgamate responses from the first set of white paper consultations with a second batch scheduled for early winter.

Speaking at the Regulating the Game Conference, Miller said: “The consultations close on 18 October 2023 as I’ve said, but I can’t tell you how quickly we’ll be able to read and review all those responses and then pull together our own response on what comes next. We will continue to work at pace, but as we’ve said before since the White Paper was published, we are focused on getting it right.

"More haste, less speed remains the aim. And that’s important because we are already moving forward to launch another batch of consultations in early winter. Although not yet finalized, I can tell you that this tranche will contain important opportunities for people to have your say on proposals.”

Addressing an international audience, Miller said that the UKGC has already garnered more than 1,800 responses for its four summer consultations.

“We know that pulling together substantive and constructive submissions for gambling operators as well as researchers and others takes time and resources. Especially whilst potentially working with the Commission on the results of the last round of consultations," he added.

"But we think moving at this pace is achievable - and vitally - allows us to balance the implementation of the White Paper recommendations with the needs of others whose views we want as part of those consultations."

The Gambling White Paper consultations, which began in July, look at a number of issues, including how to conduct financial risk checks for problem gambling and at what level stake limits should be set for people playing online slot games. Outdated rules that “restrict casinos and bingo halls” will also be looked at as part of the process.

“The White Paper has over 60 areas of work and at the Gambling Commission we are clear this will likely take a number of years to fully complete. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make rapid progress in a number of key areas and as many of you will already be aware of, that’s exactly what we’ve been doing over the Summer,” Miller said.

Elsewhere in his speech, Miller also said the UKGC will launch the Gambling Survey of Great Britain early next year. “When it’s fully rolled out it will be the largest survey of its type anywhere in the world and will become the new gold standard for participation and prevalence data in Great Britain, with updated questions for the digital age and predictable, regular data for study,” he stated.