Last week, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a reshuffling of the government arm responsible for gaming. Digital policy has been removed from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and placed under the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
According to the Daily Standard, Lucy Frazer will helm the former, replacing Michelle Donelon, who is now secretary of state of the DSIT. Frazer is the MP for Southeast Cambridgeshire.
It remains unknown if gaming will remain within the department that covers sport or move across to DSIT, or if Paul Scully, the minister responsible for gambling, will remain at the DCMS.
In January, Scully said a long-awaited government white paper on industry reform would be released “in the next few weeks.”
“I want to be clear though, that the white paper is not the final word on gambling reform,” he said. “It will be followed by consultations led by both DCMS and the Gambling Commission. I want the industry to stay engaged as policies are refined, finalized and implemented.
“We are putting the finishing touches to our white paper, making the final decisions and preparing for publication. We’re a matter of weeks away from you all seeing it, and then we can start the process of nailing down details and implementing reforms.”
The government officially launched the review of the 2005 Gambling Act in December 2020, with stake limits, the role of the Gambling Commission and new ad restrictions under review.
