2022 has already been an interesting one for the British gambling industry. The UK Gambling Commission have been busy issuing fines and setting new rules for online sites. Soon the UK government will be publishing details of their plans for amending the Gambling Act 2005.
Just what the government has planned isn’t known at present. The past year or so has seen them gathering evidence that will help them decide just how to deal with the UK gambling industry. One thing does look certain though and that is not many members of the British casino industry are looking forward to what will be announced, informed BritishGambler, an online casino and betting portal writing about UK gambling companies and their offers.
The 2005 legislation has been described as “outdated” and change is long overdue. One key reason for this is the way in which the industry has changed. Online gaming has changed the way in which people gamble.
17 years ago, gamblers wanting to bet on the latest sporting events had to go to their local bookmakers. They weren’t open all day and the number of matches you could bet on was nowhere near what they are today. You certainly weren’t up in the early hours betting in-play on South American football matches.
As the years have passed, the ability to go online and bet on sport or play casino games has arrived. There have always been fears about responsible gambling but these have intensified in recent years. The pandemic gave people more time at home and land-based venues were often closed. That proved to be good news for the online gambling industry.
There are many areas in which the legislation is likely to be changed. A lot of criticism has been aimed at gambling companies for the sheer number of advertisements that can be seen. Recently it was announced that footballers and reality tv stars are to be banned from gambling advertisements. It’s believed that they are used to coax younger players into becoming gamblers.
There are also concerns about the sponsoring of sports teams by gambling companies. The fear is that this promotes gambling and leads to more people being attracted to sites. In the past, members of the tobacco industry were banned from sponsoring sport and that could well happen in the UK to gambling companies.
It’s how those customers who are at risk of gambling harm, or already suffering it, are treated that is of great concern. Fines totalling millions of pounds have been given out by the UK Gambling Commission in recent months.
They have just issued new rules that will come into force later this year. These tell gambling companies to swiftly act against customers who are becoming at risk. Possible legislation could see more checks on the finances of customers to see if they can afford to gamble the amounts that they are wagering.
It will be interesting to see just what the government has in store for gambling companies. In an industry that has changed so much since the 2005 Act was passed, a new set of laws does seem to be required.