For many, gambling can be entertaining, but I recognise that it can also become a serious problem. In the new digital landscape, work is needed to get the balance right between protecting consumer freedoms and protecting people from harm.
The Gambling White Paper strikes this balance, proposing the most comprehensive reforms to the gambling sector since the Gambling Act 2005. Responding to the risks of online gambling, measures include: new stake limits for online slots games, associated with large losses and long sessions; background checks to protect those most at risk; plus rules to prevent bonus offers including free bets from harming vulnerable people.
There are proposals to increase protections for young people, who can be particularly vulnerable to gambling harms. This includes closing loopholes so that under-18s cannot gamble online, or via fruit machines which pay out cash.
Gambling industry regulatory systems will be strengthened so that they work in consumers’ interests. The Gambling Commission will get increased powers to tackle black market operators. A new non-statutory ombudsman will be created to deal with disputes where a customer suffers losses due to an operator breaching their social responsibility requirements.
I understand that the Government is working closely with the Gambling Commission and others to bring the measures from the White Paper into force as quickly as possible.
These proposals build on existing protections. The Gambling Commission has introduced rules to ensure operators robustly verify customers’ age and identity. Furthermore, in 2020, the Government and Commission bolstered protections, including banning credit card gambling and making participation in the self-exclusion scheme GAMSTOP mandatory for online operators.