Review of Gambling Act

The Gambling Act in its current form is outdated and in need of a major overhaul. I hope that the forthcoming review is not watered down to placate the gambling lobby or fails to properly address gambling-related harm.

There is a long list of changes that are required to make the act fit for the digital world that we live in today, and it’s clear that online gambling must be effectively regulated to protect the public.

The review must be wide-ranging not just in rhetoric, but in action. 

I urge the Secretary of State to use this review to address the growing gambling threats facing children and it must work hard to tackle them being viewed as future gamblers. The UK government should look to explore steps to remove aspects of games that normalise gambling and end advertisements.

Meanwhile, funding for research, support and education should not come directly from the industry. The UK government must step up to the challenge.

Big changes are desperately needed, and anything less will be a dereliction of duty to protect people across the UK from the impact of gambling-related harm – which has pushed many into hardship and debt.