Tory MP: Gambling Commission has taken a “heavy-handed approach”

Conservative MP Craig Whittaker has claimed the Gambling Commission (GC) has taken a “heavy-handed approach” to its remit following the publication of the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review.

Writing for ConservativeHome, the former deputy chief whip argued the regulator “at times strays beyond the boundaries set for [it]” in his opine against the GC.

Whittaker follows a host of fellow MPs in penning opinion pieces for ConservativeHome in recent months as pressure mounts on the GC over affordability checks.

Whittaker has received payment from the Betting and Gaming Council previously, including £5,000 for two seminars earlier this year.

The MP for Calder Valley noted that while the white paper had laid out the measures, the document favoured so-called “frictionless checks” which have yet to be implemented.

Whittaker said: “The white paper balances the important duty to protect gamblers from harm without infringing on the rights of individuals to spend their money how they choose, or taking a heavy-handed approach with the UK’s important betting and gaming industry.

“On the issue of affordability checks for customers, the white paper favoured frictionless checks over the idea of intrusive submission of pay slips or other types of personal documents.

“So, why has the Gambling Commission just consulted on a form of affordability checks that many say would almost inevitably lead to customers being forced to submit their payslips to gambling operators?” he added.

Whittaker proceeded to point towards an ongoing consultation by the Department of Business and Trade into “smart regulation” as vitally important to ensure regulators have a “balanced and fair approach to their work”.

The consultation, which kicked off with a policy paper in May, is currently exploring how to only use “regulation where necessary, and ensuring its design and use is both proportionate and future-proof”.

On the gambling sector, Whittaker remarked: “The Gambling Commission has many more consultations left to run as it assists ministers in implementing the white paper.

“But, the burden is on them to make sure that the regulations they draft and consult on are strictly within the spirit and intentions of the white paper as laid out by elected ministers.

“If not, the consequences for our economy could be profound. We cannot afford to miss out on responsible economic growth which could be unlocked through a proper partnership between this industry and its regulator,” he concluded.

A GC spokesperson said: “We would like to make it clear that all our Gambling Act review consultations are shared with DCMS before publication and we receive confirmation that they are in line with both the spirit and wording of the white paper.”