Calling a need to redress the balance “a priority,” Scully feels this balance is vital in setting out “a vision for the sector.” 

While regulations are important, Scully says he’s “aware of how important the entertainment sector is in boosting the economy of a local area. The entertainment sector is a massive part of this, creating jobs and attracting tourism.” 

What’s more, Scully highlighted the importance of online gaming in driving “high-skilled tech jobs across the country,” and commended operators’ “commitment to apprenticeships” in the online sphere.  

But high revenues with strong tax returns are not the only positive of the industry, according to Scully – it’s as simple as the enjoyment players get “in spending money on a leisure product that they enjoy.” 

It’s drawing a line between this enjoyment and the potential for gambling harm that may follow which must be redressed, according to Scully, who hopes the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s (DCMS’) latest act review can help define this line for players who encounter problems. 

“Some players go on to suffer real and serious harm, and in extreme cases, go on to take their own life. To be blunt, there are still too many failings happening. Some customers continue to slip through protections and are allowed, or even encouraged, to spend too much,” Scully noted.  

He called on the ASA and Gambling Commission “to continue improving regulations” in the future, to ensure future problem gamblers do not slip through the net. 

Despite these shortcomings, Scully finished by commending “the actions operators are taking to address this risk.”