DCMS set to explore gambling regulation
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Lawmakers have agreed to launch an examination of how the government intends to re-regulate gambling and in particular, the Gambling Act 2005. A new committee operating under the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) will now look into the regulation of gambling and see if the people tasked with the publication of a new White Paper are in fact following all recommendations and addressing all issues raised.
The committee will further seek to ensure that any new laws will make sure that consumers and children are protected from gambling-related harm. The DCMS is following up on concerns by a number of officials, including the Public Accounts Committee, National Audit Office and House of Lord Committee who have all called for more action to prevent problem gambling.
DCMS Committee member Juliet Elliott has welcomed the opportunity to have a closer look at the processes that have bound the White Paper and reviewing process. Elliott insisted that regulation is struggling to keep pace which is putting vulnerable people at an ever greater risk of becoming addicted to or suffering from problem gambling.
"The DCMS Committee’s inquiry will look at the scale of gambling-related harm in the UK, what the Government should do about it and how a regulatory regime can best adapt to new forms of online gambling, based both in and outside the UK," Elliott said.
While the review of gambling laws completed in 2021, the White Paper which will set the parameters of the re-regulated market has been delayed on multiple occasions. The DCMS Committee will seek to investigate what progress the government has made and whether it is addressing all issues raised during the reviewing process adequately.
Ultimately, the Committee wants to ensure that any changes to gambling laws in the country will reflect the changes in the gambling industrylandscape that happened over the past years, not least because of significant advancements in technology. The DCMS Committee will need to provide written evidence by February 10, 2023, and address five main points.
Those have to do with the scale of gambling-related harm in the UK, outline the key priorities in the White Paper, determine what the term "gambling" should cover and whether a regulator can actually keep up with the rapid pace of change in the industry brought on by technological advancements.
Another matter is how the government intends to deal with online gambling companies that are based outside the UK.
