Gambling Act 2005 reform changes likely in 2022
DCMS director Ben Dean tight-lipped over policy changes as sport and gambling department strives for “flexible and future-proof” regulation
Changes implemented as a result of the UK government’s Gambling Act 2005 review may not come to fruition until 2022, it has been revealed.
Speaking at a Westminster Policy Forum event entitled ‘The future for gambling regulation’, DCMS sport and gambling department director Ben Dean suggested the timeframe would allow all views on potential changes to the legislation to be heard.
“The intention of the review is to take a step back and take the widest possible look at the whole system of regulation,” Dean explained.
“We are trying to get that balance between respecting consumer freedom and choice on one hand, and prevention of harm to individuals and the wider community on the other,” he added.
A government consultation on wholesale reform of the country’s gambling industry is currently underway, having been launched in December 2020.
Dean also revealed that high-level roundtable meetings were being held behind closed doors, between representatives from the industry, the Gambling Commission (UKGC) and individuals with lived experience of gambling-related harm.
It is understood the government will release a white paper before the end of 2021 on the review once these sessions and responses have finished and been collated.
The DCMS department director acknowledged these changes were unlikely to occur before 2022, citing the precedent of the department’s previous consultation into loot boxes in video games, which received more than 30,000 responses from a broad range of contributors.
The Gambling Act 2005 review has already caused public tension between the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the UKGC and MPs from the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG).
It has also been the subject of fevered speculation throughout the industry, as ending gambling sponsorships, a ban on advertising and the implementation of strict stake limits have all been rumoured.
However, Dean remained tight-lipped over any probable policy changes.
Acknowledging the disparity in opinion among the sector, Dean said: “There are many areas of disagreement on how to achieve this but the thing we can all agree on is that new technologies really have transformed the gambling ecosystem and clearly the wider economy as a whole.
“Clearly further change is going to happen as technology continues to advance.
“It’s essential that we make sure we have a flexible and future-proof regulation that can adapt as needed and protect against future risks while capitalising on the opportunity and allowing developments to also happen,” he added.