The British government has been forced to give the local gambling industry two more weeks to consider the range of statutory changes proposed by the Gambling Act Review White Paper.

After more than two years of delay and speculation, the Conservative Party administration of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak published the results of its review into the regulations of the Gambling Act of 2005 in April, encompassing proposals to introduce a range of new affordability checks, stake limits and advertising restrictions alongside a mandatory levy to help fund research, education and treatment (RET) programs.

Fresh Cutoff

The land-based and online gambling industry of the United Kingdom was subsequently asked to submit its feedback on these propositions in advance of a September 20 deadline but was later given until October 4 owing to an admission from the nation’s Gambling Commission regulator that it had incorrectly calculated an important problem gambling rate.

Important Information

Such a quotient is one of the long-established indicators the Gambling Commission utilizes so as to measure the effectiveness of local operator’s responsible gambling initiatives. This grade also allows the national regulator to calculate which verticals present more of a danger to those who may be at risk of developing a gambling addiction.

Main Mistake

The consultation published by the government in April following consultation with the Gambling Commission claimed that the gambling addiction rate for slot players aged 16 to 24 stood at 1.5%, which was considerably higher than the nationwide 0.02% figure for all forms of gambling. However, this high percentage was later found to apply only to male punters with the all-inclusive tally sitting at 0.8%, which was 0.2% less than the findings of a 2018 survey from the National Health Service.

In asking for more time to prepare its reactions to the envisioned Gambling Act of 2005 alterations, the British industry furthermore pointed out that the country’s overall gambling addiction rate had been reduced from 0.04% in 2018 to stand at 0.02% in 2021.

Plebiscite Potential

The gambling scene of the United Kingdom could soon undergo even more upheaval as the nation is set to hold a general election sometime next year. Some analysts believe that the Labour Party of Sir Keir Starmer could subsequently romp to victory and possibly decide to completely scrap the sector’s planned overhaul in favor of a more light-touch approach.