If you think that the UK ban on video betting terminal wagers over £2 was bad news for the UK-facing gambing industry, you’ll want to step away when you hear what the All Party Parliamentary Group has in mind. The cross-party group of parliamentarians wants some major reforms to UK gambling and they may just get what they want.
The group of over 50 MP’s tasked themselves with overhauling the 2005 Gambling Act and acting on the wave of support for protecting problem gamblers from themselves that’s been sweeping the UK. Their recommendation are, to the eye of anyone in the gambling business, a bit on the extreme side. For example, the group would like to see a complete ban on both televised and internet gambling ads. They’d also like to see the end of VIP programs, along with independent affordability checks to insure punters can really gamble. And, finally, they’d really like to never see another wager over £2 on a slot machine.
The Scottish National party’s Ronnie Cowan, who is a member of the group told the Guardian, “They [gambling firms] have shown time and again that they will not effectively self-regulate. Urgent change is needed to stop this industry riding roughshod over people’s lives.”
A spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council responded to the proposal saying, We are committed to making more changes and driving up safer gambling standards further and we look forward to working with the government on their forthcoming review.
“It’s important that those who claim not to be anti-gambling or prohibitionist do not drive customers to offshore, black market, illegal operators that don’t have any safeguards, rather than in our current heavily regulated industry that supports over 100,000 jobs and pays over £3bn in tax.”
AS of this writing, the group’s recommendations remain just that. But, given their influential status, that situation could change dramatically.