With the release of the highly anticipated White Paper today, gambling-related companies have begun responding to the range of proposals in the document.
At the start of the House of Commons hearing, Lucy Frazer, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “Gambling is a hugely popular past time and one that has been part of our British life for centuries.
“But with the advent of the smartphone, gambling has been transformed.
“Today, in 2023, it is positively unrecognisable from when the Gambling Act was introduced in 2005.”
The White Paper addressed how the online iGaming market had transformed the gambling industry, with the original Act no longer being suitable to address the changing landscape.
For example, a limit may be introduced on how much a player can stake on each online slots spin.
Jamie Walters, CEO of QiH Group, said: “We welcome the moves to provide greater protection to under 25s in terms of stake/deposit limits.
“Our digital focus and data-driven approach to marketing means we can and have been excluding this group from our activity for a number of years now.”
Walters continued: “The Government’s decision not to make changes to white labels arrangements is very welcome to those of us operating fully compliant white labels.”
Another key feature of the paper was the ban on gambling companies being shown on the front of shirts.
Iain Duncan Smith, MP, said: “I welcome this because this is at least a start. I think it’s a positive start, I think most of the recommendations made by the all-party group are in here and I welcome that as well.
“On advertising and children, I simply want to say to her, not far enough.”
Michael Dugher, CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “We welcome the decision to reject proposals from anti-gambling prohibitionists for blanket, low level and intrusive affordability checks, as well as their calls for bans on advertising, sports sponsorship and consumer promotions, which would harm our best-loved sports like horseracing and football, threaten jobs and drive customers to the growing unsafe, unregulated gambling black market online.
“These proposed measures will mean significant change but hopefully much-needed regulatory stability to ensure our members can focus entirely on delivering for customers."
