Gambling Act 2005 Under The Revision- Is It Contemporary Enough for Digital Age?

Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) decided to launch a wide-ranging review of the Gambling Act 2005. The purpose of this major “investigation” is to ensure that the laws and guidelines from the mentioned Act are fitting for the digital age.

Among the major aspects to undergo changes is the increased age range for National Lottery, as well as online stake limits, gambling advertising, and age limit. Furthermore, the Gambling Commission’s role and powers will also be looked at, to get a better insight into how this particular branch of the industry has changed over the past 15 years.

Minister for Sport, Tourism, and Heritage Nigel Huddleston commented:

“We’re committed to protecting young people from gambling-related harm which is why we are raising the minimum age for the National Lottery. Patterns of play have changed since its inception, with a shift towards online games, and this change will help make sure the National Lottery, although already low-risk, is not a gateway to problem gambling.”

The Importance of Establishing the Right Regulatory Framework

Once the thorough revision is done, those findings will be used to improve customer protection and contribute to creating an even safer gambling environment.

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, Oliver Dowden, said:

“Whilst millions gamble responsibly, the Gambling Act is an analog law in a digital age. From an era of having a flutter in a high street bookmaker, casino, racecourse, or seaside pier, the industry has evolved at breakneck speed.”

One of the major accents of this comprehensive review will be tackling the problem of gambling to protect children and vulnerable people. It will also help those who already bet to do so in the well-regulated surrounding.

Dowden also added:

“This builds upon our clear track record of introducing tough measures to protect people from the risk of gambling harm – banning the use of credit cards, launching tighter age verification checks, and cutting the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals.”

Better Protection of Minors

As far as stated, the minimum age for playing the National Lottery will be raised from 16 to 18 from October 2021.

In September…

… the Government launched a call for evidence to take a closer look at young people’s experiences of loot boxes in video games. This investigation was commenced to look for any evidence of harm or connections to problem gambling.

On top of that, the review should also look at the evidence on the action consumers can take where they feel service providers have breached social responsibility requirements. Those include interventions in case a punter is showing clear signs of problematic play and improved protection of minors.

Some Measures Have Already Taken Place

The review of the Gambling Act 2005 will also consider the Gambling Commission’s powers and resources to ensure it can keep pace with the licensed sector. Also, it will explore whether GC is capable of tackling the black market.

Among other steps to enhance security…

…is the new set of rules for VIP clientele. To make sure there’s no malpractice, the operators are obliged to identify and intervene where people are at risk of harm. This includes regular affordability checks.

DCMS’s revision follows a range of measures recently introduced by the Government to protect consumers from the risk of gambling-caused issues. Some of those are decreasing the max stake on fixed-odds betting terminals and bringing in tighter age and identity checks for online gambling. IT also refers to credit card gambling prohibition and expanding national specialist through the NHS Long Term Plan.

Source:

“Government launches review to ensure gambling laws are fit for the digital age”, gov.uk, December 8, 2020.