600,000 problem gamblers in UK?
Gamblers are losing more money in Great Britain; in 2015, personal gambling losses rose 12 percent over 2014, according to figures cited by the Christian Science Monitor. And the number of problem gamblers in the country has been estimated at 600,000.
Now newly elected Prime Minister Theresa May is looking for a government review of the industry, along with Sports Minister Tracey Crouch, who says the government must protect “the young and vulnerable” from “the risk of gambling-related harm.”
Not surprisingly, fixed-odds betting terminals are causing the most alarm. The machines, which allow gamblers to lose £100 pounds (US$122) every 20 seconds, have been called the “crack cocaine” of betting.
The UK Gambling Commission reports that average gambling losses per household in Britain are now about £500 (US$612) per year, and gamblers in search of counseling increased 24 percent between 2014 and 2015.
Meanwhile, in October a new version of the commission’s License Conditions and Codes of Practice went into force, according to the UKGC’s website. “The changes are aimed primarily at upholding the first licensing objective, which is to prevent gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime,” the website stated.
The new requirements require licensees to assess their risks of money laundering and operators to report incidents of “irregular or suspicious betting.”
