Betting and Gaming Council defends the existence of responsible gamblers
According to the BGC, problem gambling rates stand at just 0.3%.
While the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) welcomes the White Paper and its reforms, it urges the committee to remember that not all gamblers in the UK experience harm.
During the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee meeting on Tuesday, BGC CEO Michael Dugher entered in the 22.5 million responsible bettors as part of his evidence.
Dugher said: “I want to just begin by talking about a group of people whose voice has been occasionally lost in this whole Gambling White Paper process and that is the 22.5 million people who enjoy a bet on a regular basis.
“They’re also people who work hard, pay their taxes, look after their families and it’s what they choose to do with their money.”
This was in response to the White Paper that was published by the Government back in April, which outlined a number of reforms and guidelines to make for stricter regulation in the gambling industry.
These included enhanced spending checks, stake limits and slot game mechanic adjustments. The reform was pushed forward to try and protect the 0.3% of problem gamblers in the UK.
Wes Himes, Executive Director of Standards and Innovation at BGC, added: “We work tirelessly to try to bring in more measures. We’ve developed 11 codes over the last three years, over 80 substantial measures, which sit on top of regulation and legislation in order to create that safer gambling culture.
“They have nearly halved since 2017 to 0.3% today – one of the lowest problem gambling rates internationally.”
In the UK alone, the gambling industry contributes £7.1bn ($9.3bn) to the economy and supports over 100,000 jobs.
Himes continued: “So even though there has been a rise in the enjoyment of the product, there has also been a reduction in the problem gambling rate during that same time.”
The BGC has also requested that stricter measures are taken against social media advertising, in a move try and protect young people.
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