MPs enraged at possible “watered down” Gambling Act 2005 review white paper

Gambling reform advocates in Parliament are readying “for war” after media reports suggested that the long awaited review of the Gambling Act 2005 could be watered down following opposition from UK operators and suppliers.

Gambling-Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group (GRHAPPG) chair Carolyn Harris and vice chair Iain Duncan-Smith voiced their disgust at media speculation which claims Premier League football clubs will not be forced to end gambling sponsorships, as the sport deals with the post Covid-19 fallout. Reports have also suggested the watered down legislation will see the demise of the additional compulsory levy on gambling operators.

Commenting on the reports, the former Conservative Party leader pulled no punches, suggesting he was ready to oppose any attempts to do so.  “I will go to war with the government on this. The evidence is clear about the damage problem gambling can cause. I will not compromise on the levy,” Duncan-Smith said.

It has been reported across numerous sources over the weekend including The Sunday Times and The Mirror that Number 10 will stop short of introducing a compulsory levy, instead favouring a “polluter pays” voluntary contribution to prevent increased taxes on the industry. The contribution is predicted to be introduced in order to fund addiction treatment and research.

However, The Mirror has suggested that talks are still ongoing as to whether the compulsory levy will be introduced.

Labour MP and long-time advocate of greater prohibition on gambling firms Carolyn Harris hit out at the potential developments.

“If this goes ahead it will be a missed opportunity to take the brave steps required to tackle gambling-related harm, which blights the lives of so many people in this country,” Harris said.

If the reports prove accurate, the reduced impact of regulatory changes could be a welcome boon to the sector, which is currently making preparations to deal with potential changes including the implementation of a mandatory stake limit across online gambling, and affordability checking of consumers as part of safer gambling measures.

In its recent Q1 2022 financial results, Flutter reported a £20m EBITDA hit arising from preparations to ensure compliance with the rumoured measures, while the Betting and Gaming Council has claimed as many as 3,000 jobs could be at risk as a result of proposed measures.

More than 16,000 responses have been received by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to the consultation into proposed changes which was launched last year. The review has been hit with numerous delays, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as various government reshuffles within DCMS.