The U.K. doesn’t currently have a gambling minister, and won’t have one until the results of the summer snap general election.
The election, set for July 4, will either return the Conservatives to power or hand the country to the Labor party for the first time in 14 years.
In the U.K., when an election is underway, Parliament dissolves and Members of Parliament campaign for election. The cabinet, including such officers as the prime minister, remain to oversee the government, including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Gambling Minister Stuart Andrew May 29 announced his resignation from parliament to his constituents on social media declaring “As of midnight tonight, parliament will dissolve and there will be no members of parliament until after the general election.”
He added, “As the constituency of Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough will no longer exist at this point, I am no longer a member of parliament. All the very best for the future to all of my former constituents.”
Andrew has been gambling minister since March 2023, a few weeks before the release of the Gambling Act white paper. The election creates a void as many policies called for by the white paper are in the process of being implemented. Some of this process will continue under the Gambling Commission—despite the election.
Some of the most important policies in the white paper that remain to be implemented are affordability checks, regulations for the design of e-games, increasing consumer choice in direct marketing and enhanced age verification for land-based casinos.
The U.K. Gambling Commission (UKGC) will soon begin a six-month pilot program for affordability checks. UKGC says it won’t impact customers but will rely on seamless data sharing.
“Light touch” financial vulnerability checks will be implemented in two phases, one beginning this August and the other in February 2025. Beginning early next year some game features will be banned and stricter age verification rules will be enforced.
DCMS will soon begin implementing the “Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy” regulations, including allowing debit cards to be used on slot machines for the first time.
The gaming sector faces some uncertainty associated with the election since polls show the likelihood of a Labor victory in July, which might lead to significant changes in the continuing reform of gaming regulations.
