With the third U.K. prime minister this year ensconced at 10 Downing Street, the country’s gaming industry is calling on Rishi Sunak to issue the Gambling Act white paper that has been delayed over and over. But it is cautiously advising the government to not spoil “the enjoyment of the overwhelming majority of punters who bet safely and responsibly.”
Michael Dugher, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, noted that the new premier represents a constituency that includes a racecourse, and that he understands the importance of the industry.
“The BGC warmly welcomes the appointment of Rishi Sunak,” he said. “As the Catterick MP, Rishi has always shown himself to be a very strong supporter of British horse racing and he knows only too well the symbiotic relationship between the regulated betting industry and racing.”
He added, “We also hope the new administration makes speedy progress on a sensible, proportionate and carefully targeted gambling white paper, one that helps to further drive up standards and protect the vulnerable, while safeguarding jobs, investment and sport.”
Last week Rishi Sunak replaced Liz Truss, who had replaced Boris Johnson, all within the span of a few months. Truss’ tenure lasted just 44 days.
Dugher added that the new prime minister had served as chancellor, and understands how the gaming sector contributes to the economy and the treasury. “BGC members contribute £7.7 billion to the UK economy, including £4.5 billion in tax, as well as sustaining nearly 120,000 jobs—something our new PM and his team fully understand from their time running the Treasury, ” he said.
Dugher added, “As well as racing, we also provide vital support to many other sports like lower league football, rugby league, snooker and darts. We stand by ready to help our new prime minister rebuild and grow our economy in every part of the UK.”
The gaming industry has been waiting for the reform of the Gambling Act of 2005 since 2020, when the government began a review of the law. The initial consultation closed March 2021 but the chaos caused by the changes in government have delayed the issuing of the paper. Its publication had been anticipated this fall when Truss’s government fell.
Some continuity is guaranteed, since Michelle Donelan will retain her job as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which oversees the gaming sector. She was appointed last month by Truss. She will lead the review of the Gambling Act.
The minister in charge of the actual gambling policy, Damian Collins, is stepping down as the under-secretary of state for tech and the digital economy by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), even though he was expected to remain in the position. He first took the job in July when the first wave of resignations started objecting to the administration of Boris Johnson. He survived the ascension of Truss, but couldn’t get beyond Sunak.
“It has been a real pleasure to work with the team at the DCMS to take forward the Online Safety Bill and other measures to strengthen our digital economy,” Collins said in a Twitter post. “I will now continue to support these efforts in parliament from the backbenches.”
The importance of the gaming sector to U.K.’s economy has begun to grow, according to the most recent statistics issued by the U.K. Gambling Commission (ULGC). Total retail and land-based casino betting and gaming rose 27 percent over the previous month. This was based on a telephone survey of 4,018 adults.
Participation in online gaming also rose, by 27 percent over the same year. This continues a “long-term trend” that the commission has recorded for the past year. Nevertheless, overall participation hasn’t reached pre-Covid levels.
However, an uptick in the use of the online National Lottery was observed.
According to a statement by the commission: “Latest data for 2022 indicates that people are starting to return to in-person activities including bingo, horse and dog racing, however, current in-person participation rates remain below pre-pandemic levels.” It added, “There have been differences observed by age group in terms of those returning to in-person activities, with the in-person participation rate for 16 to 24 year olds closest to their pre-pandemic rate.”
The latest statistics point toward “steady growth, like many other sectors,” said the statement.
The survey indicated that 42.9 percent of those who took it took part in some form of gaming in the past month, with 25.8 percent saying they participated in online gaming during the same period.
The rate of problem gaming remains stable at 0.3 percent, which is comparable to last year, and below the 0.6 percent during the depths of the pandemic.
