This spring, a white paper is expected to call into question the ongoing validity of the 2005 Gambling Act, and how the Government and other regulatory bodies must act to prevent the growth in harm caused by gambling.  

The news was welcomed by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), which has long been a campaigner for gambling reform.  

The publication commented: “This is welcome news: we now know far more about the damage done by gambling in the UK, including financial distress, relationship breakdown and suicide. But this knowledge will translate into meaningful action only if the new law recognises that the contemporary gambling landscape is a threat to public health.” 

The BMJ further provides the opinion that the gambling industry should have no say in setting responsible gambling guidelines, suggesting this represents a conflict of interests.  

The BMJ said: “We do not allow tobacco companies to design tobacco control policies, yet the gambling industry, through the organisations it funds, shapes our responses to the harms. A public health approach would learn from the growing research on commercial determinants of health and how concepts such as corporate social responsibility are often abused.” 

This latest news follows an increased drive from UK organisations to better understand problem gambling and the effects it can have on certain groups and demographics. In December 2020, GambleAware published a YouGov survey which found ethnic minorities are more likely to be negatively impacted by gambling. 

In January 2022, the RAF partnered with Swansea University to survey active personnel, finding that 2% were currently afflicted with problem gambling.  

Also last month, GambleAware launched its first-ever campaign aimed at women, with the objective of raising the awareness of gambling harm.