A wide range of reviews regarding gambling laws were launched in 2020 that included the banning of sports sponsorships, limitations on online casino stakes among proposals to overhaul laws of gambling.
Gambling Laws Review: What’s Under Discussion?
Rushed changes in the regulation have chances of affecting the overall user experience creating unwanted opportunities in abundance for independent online casinos such as Non Stop Casino to lure the British to sign up against the Commission.
The Government in the UK has acknowledged that legal issues might arise due to the sudden expansion of the online casino industry and that was the main reason behind the introduction of the 2005 Gambling Act.
Stake Limits
The gambling industry regulator in the UK has considered putting limits on the number of money consumers can bet online. The chief executive of the Gambling Commission, Mr. Neil McArthur, had informed the parliamentary committee that limits to online stakes are to be considered.
Shares in the gambling companies had wiped about £1.3bn off the market value covering the major players of the sector. The MPs had called for a £2 per bet limit to the online slot games to control them according to the machines found at brick-and-mortar casinos.
Affordability Checks
2021 ended the Gambling Commission consultation period during which the common people were invited to lay their opinion on the betting regulator’s idea about enforcing assessments on affordability.
These checks were highly controversial in nature and centred around advertisements and promotions to which the sports fans are exposed.
The repercussions of these checks for online betting on football, horse racing, etc are directly faced by them due to their dependency on sponsorships.
Protecting and minimizing the vulnerable and addictive gamblers is one major positive outcome of these checks. The Gambling Commission in the UK has proposed that the gaming companies must carry out affordability checks on the punters mandatorily.
It is for the customers who live around £100 or €114 and more per month to limit their gambling activities in order to avoid harm.
Sports Sponsorship Ban
The entire gambling laws review which looks into reforming the Gambling Act of 2005 has also aimed at banning sports sponsorships of all sorts. It covers advertisements and marketing in order to curb sports sponsorship deals that focus on branding football jerseys.
Many football clubs in the UK Premier League top tier have gambling brands as the main sponsors. In the 2019-2020 season, these clubs earned approximately around $89 million or £69.6 million from jersey brandings.
In the second-tier Championship and English Football League or EFL, around 15 teams rely on these betting companies for sponsorships.
The EFL has released a statement insisting on the revenue generated from the casino gambling industry for the development of the clubs in order to avoid financial fallout, especially after the Covid19 situation.
However, curbing down these sponsorships is important in order to appeal to the wrong punters who are under addiction treatment or the underage group.
Addiction Treatment
Due to the successive lockdowns, there has been a surge in the spreading of online casino games and slot machines. It has also fueled the increase in revenue generation.
The main football sponsorships ban is also for protecting the problem gamblers and helping them with addiction treatment via schemes like Gamstop, Gamban. Incentives like free bets, VIP hospitality are a method of luring customers.
A study in the UK states in 2021 has found out that there are between 300,000 to 1.4m problem gamblers in the country and only 3% of them were receiving specialized help. The support and treatment services in the country lack funds and thus they are unable to reach out to the problem gamblers.
Testing Regime
The gambling review in the UK will include some major considerations containing the testing regime for new products. This would be welcomed by advocates for a tight regulation with strict controls.
The Department for Digital Culture Media and Sports or DCMS will review all the areas of gambling laws and emphasize its procedure in order to bring about positive changes in the UK.
Conclusion
Senior officials are considering gambling reform as a positive aspect that would be beneficial for the exploited mass. Reviewing the gambling law should be done considering all the evidence in order to bring balance between the protected and vulnerable punters while not ruining the entire fun and enjoyment of gambling.