The long-awaited U.K. White Paper on reforms to the Gambling Act of 2005 is coming soon, although there will be delays, says Lucy Frazer, the third Culture Secretary in a year.
Frazer, who became Secretary of the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) at the beginning of February, spoke to last week’s Gambling with Lives forum.
Of the gambling reforms the industry is waiting for, she said: “I also wanted to say that I know it must be very frustrating to have yet another ministerial team leading the government’s work on gambling, and I know that you might be worried about further delays to the white paper.”
She continued, “So let me reassure you that white paper is an absolute priority for me, and for the prime minister, and we are committed to publishing it soon.” She declined to stipulate what the definition of “soon” is. She said that she wants “to give these issues justice and take some time.”
As Secretary of DCMS Frazer would have a dominant hand in the final draft of the White Paper, which has been pending for more than two years. It was kicked way down the road last summer when the U.K. had three prime ministers—and changes in regime—in as many months.
At the forum she noted that she has spent several weeks in talks with industry stakeholders. In its report, Casino.org pointed out that most of them were from the anti-gambling side, citing this comment: “And of course you know very well, gambling doesn’t just destroy the lives of the gamblers themselves, it has a devastating impact on their loved ones,” as an indication that tougher regulations are in the wings.
iGaming Business reported that Frazer highlighted the pernicious role of enticements. She has been educating herself on this subject by reading the House of Lords’ Gambling Harm Time for Action and by attending the Lived Experience Advisory Council.
She said, “I heard some really moving stories and I am struck by how diverse their experiences were. One person had lost over £1m. Another never bet more than £1 on a spin. She added, “One young man had started gambling at the age of eleven. Many tried to self-exclude but found the enticements drawing them back in just too difficult.”
Whatever proposals DCMS unveils would still require feedback before being finalized.
New regulations probably won’t be forthcoming before the government returns in May from a break that will begin at the end of March.
The new regulations, hanging like a Sword of Damocles over the industry, come as the U.K. market is giving signs of slowing down. An example: Flutter both reported an increase in revenue coupled with a post-tax loss of £305 million ($365.51 million).
