The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC), Andrew Rhodes, said that the government is still committed to reforming gambling, despite the Gambling Act review being constantly delayed.
Commenting during a video interview with Racing TV, Rhodes said that the UKGC has continued to cooperate with the government.
While Rhodes emphasised that the government made it clear that action must be taken, he also hinted that the new gambling legislation will include affordability checks.
The UKGC CEO also suggested that the White Paper’s focus would be on players who lose more money than they make, or those who spend a lot in a short amount of time.
In the interview, Rhodes went on to explain that the UKGC had provided evidence such as statistical research and analysis that includes player behaviour and how problem gambling affects players.
For more information on how to tackle problem gambling, we invite you to read our Responsible Gambling page.
Doubt over the Gambling Act document
In October 2022, iGaming news website iGB reported that the Gambling Act white paper was back on track to be published.
The document’s publication followed a consultation which took place in December 2020, making up the first part of the Gambling Act review.
The document, which was meant to be published in July 2022, was delayed due to a number of UK government resignations, including that of former UK Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson.
While Liz Truss was elected as the UK’s PM in September 2022, her resignation 45 days later cast more doubt over the publication of this important document.
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