Outcry from reformers as political upheaval delays white paper for a fourth time
Advisors tell outgoing Prime Minister that any new legislation would need to be ratified by his successor
The release of the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review has been delayed for a fourth time, much to the dismay of those pushing for an overhaul to the UK’s gambling laws.
The reason for delay is because outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson was advised that he could not pass any new policies or legislation as his time at Number 10 comes to an end.
Any new legislation or policy must be rubberstamped by Johnson’s successor. On Wednesday, the Online Safety Bill was dismissed for the very same reason.
The Conservative Party is currently running a leadership contest to select Johnson’s replacement, however the earliest a new Prime Minister would be revealed is 5 September.
The Gambling Act 2005 review was announced in 2019 when the Conservatives promised in their election manifesto to update the gambling laws after describing it as “analogue legislation in a digital age”.
Launched in December 2020, the review has since faced numerous delays owing to Covid-19 and changes of personnel as Gambling Minister.
Speaking on the delay, a spokesperson from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) said: “We are undertaking the most comprehensive review of gambling laws in 15 years to ensure they are fit for the digital age.
“As we have said all along, we will be publishing a white paper as part of a review of gambling legislation and are planning to do so as soon as possible.”
This comes after various statements over the last few months from the department claiming its release was “due in the coming weeks”.
The announcement was understandably met with consternation among pro-reform campaigners.
Iain Duncan Smith, who has been one of the more vocal advocates, had previously used the phrase “go to war” when asked how he would react to a watered-down white paper, yet he seemed to think that releasing it imminently would have been preferable to not doing so. .
He told The Guardian: “It [the white paper] wasn’t perfect, but I’d have accepted it because it’s an advance on where we’ve been.”
Zoë Osmond, the CEO of reform charity GambleAware was “deeply concerned”.
She suggested that the “combination of the growing cost of living, ongoing impact of the pandemic and rise of online gambling” further delays could create a “perfect storm” if the white paper is not pushed through.
Matt Zarb-Cousin, director of Clean Up Gambling, said: “Reform to our outdated gambling laws is well overdue and this review has gone on long enough already.
“Hopefully the next Prime Minister makes good on their party’s manifesto commitment and publishes the white paper as soon as possible,” he added.
A Betting and Gaming Council spokesperson said: “We welcome the government’s review and we strongly support many of the measures we expect to be in the forthcoming white paper. Indeed, we have campaigned for many of them.
“On behalf of the 119,000 people whose jobs depend on the regulated betting and gaming industry, we will of course study the white paper when it is published, consider the impact it might have, and respond accordingly.”
The UK Gambling Commission declined to comment.
MP Chris Philp, who was handling the review as the de facto Gambling Minister, departed his role as one of a number of Ministers to tender their resignation amid a government revolt, which triggered Johnson’s departure.
In his resignation letter, Philp confirmed the white paper was with Number 10 and was ready to be published.
He has since been succeeded by Damian Collins who is taking on the role in tandem with current position as Online Safety Minister and whose job it now is to ensure there are no further delays.