Gambling Act Review

On 8th December 2020, the Government published their response to the House of Lords Gambling Industry Committee Report: Social and Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry.

They also announced on the same day the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (who are responsible for overseeing Gambling in the UK) announced a Review of the Gambling Act 2005 Terms of Reference and Call for Evidence.

The Government stated aims is to ensure that all those “who choose to gamble in Great Britain to be able to do so in a safe way”. The Government wish to see up to date legislation and protections for the sector, with a strong regulator with the powers and resources needed to oversee a responsible industry that offers customer choice, protects players, provides employment, and contributes to the economy.

The Objectives for the Review are:

• A review of the Gambling Act (2005) to ensure the regulatory framework can protect children and vulnerable people, prevent gambling related crime, and keep gambling fair and open in the digital age. Through this Review, the government’s aims to:

o Examine whether changes are needed to the system of gambling regulation in Great Britain to reflect changes to the gambling landscape since 2005, particularly due to technological advances
o Ensure there is an appropriate balance between consumer freedoms and choice on the one hand, and prevention of harm to vulnerable groups and wider communities on the other
o Make sure customers are suitably protected whenever and wherever they are gambling, and that there is an equitable approach to the regulation of the online and the land based industries.

There has been a call for evidence which can be found here; the Government pose 45 questions which can be answered by emailing replies to the questions in a document format like PDF or Microsoft Word by midnight on Wednesday 31st March 2021. Evidence can be submitted until the deadline via email to gamblingactreview@dcms.gov.uk.