Dear constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about online gambling.
I recognise that gambling is for many people an enjoyable pastime, but equally that for many people it can become a serious problem. While we all want a healthy gambling industry that makes an important contribution to the economy, we must also do everything we can to protect those that use it from harm.
Operators providing gambling facilities to customers in Great Britain must be licensed by the Gambling Commission and comply with the conditions of their operating licences. In recent years, the Gambling Commission has also introduced a number of licence conditions specifically in relation to online gambling to ensure the protection of children and vulnerable people. In May 2019, the Gambling Commission introduced new age and identity verification rules to ensure operators verify customers’ age and identity details quickly and robustly. Furthermore, in 2020, the Government and Commission strengthened these protections further, including a ban on credit card gambling, making participation in the self-exclusion scheme GAMSTOP mandatory for online operators, as well as issuing new guidance for operators to address the potential for some customers to be at heightened risk during the Covid-19 period. For further information on GAMSTOP, please search: https://www.gamstop.co.uk/.
The Government recognises that it is increasingly apparent that the Gambling Act 2005 is an analogue law in a digital age. In December 2020, the Culture Secretary announced the launch of a major and wide-ranging review into the Act to ensure our gambling laws are fit for purpose, as committed to in the 2019 Conservative Manifesto. This review will examine online restrictions, marketing and the powers of the Gambling Commission. Furthermore, specifically in regard to online gambling, protections for online gamblers like stake and spend limits, advertising and promotional offers and whether extra protections for young adults are needed will also all be explored.
I appreciate that some people are concerned about the Gambling Commission’s consultation, which has now closed, specifically in regard to affordability checks. I want to stress that the proposals focus on more prescriptive requirements for operators to identify and intervene with customers who may be at risk of harm. This includes a specific process for assessing affordability and particular consideration will be given to the spending/loss threshold at which it might be proportionate to require operators to complete affordability checks.
Ahead of a full response over the summer, the Gambling Commission has recently published an update on the consultation which can be found here: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news/article/update-on-remote-cus…
For further information on the review is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-gambling-act-2….
Yours sincerely,
