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A group of UK MPs have signed an early day motion (EDM) calling on the government to “act swiftly” to implement the gambling reform white paper recommendations.
The EDM was tabled on September 2 and states: “That this House notes with concern that the most recent regulations on gambling are from the Gambling Act 2005; considers the need for further affordability checks, levies and advertising limits following the rise of online gambling since 2005; and calls on the Government to act swiftly to implement the recommendations of the Gambling Reform White Paper 2023.”
EDMs put on record individual MPs' views and can also highlight campaigns. The number of signatures on the EDM can indicate its level of parliamentary support, although the government is not bound to act in any way as a result of the motion.
The motion has been signed by seven MPs, indicating it has six sponsors, at the time of writing.
The MPs that have signed the motion come from several political parties, showing a level of cross-party support, including the Labour Party, which is currently in charge of the UK government, the Green Party, the Democratic Unionist Party and independent MPs.
Labour MP Kate Osborne, who signed the motion on September 5, said in a social media post: “We need further affordability checks to ensure no one can gamble more than their means allow.”
A spokesperson for the Gambling Commission told Vixio: “We are progressing with all of our commitments connected with the Gambling Act Review.
“This includes, for example, bringing into effect changes to support effective age verification in land-based premises and the light touch financial vulnerability checks at the higher threshold. Both of these came into effect at the end of August. We are also progressing the pilot of financial risk assessments.”
New Trade Group Boss
Elsewhere, UK industry trade group the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has welcomed its new CEO, Grainne Hurst, who officially took up her role on Monday (September 9).
Hurst said: “There is a huge amount of work ahead of us, not least delivering and implementing the outstanding proposals outlined in last year’s White Paper, many of which our members called for.
“That includes a statutory levy to address problem gambling and related harms, an Ombudsman for improved consumer redress, online financial risk checks carefully targeted on those at risk, new stake limits for online slots, a Sports Sponsorship Code, plus mission-critical modernisation proposals for the land-based casino sector."
