Britain to spell out tougher gambling rules to curb spike in online betting

After months of delay, the British government is ready to publish its new proposals to crack down on gambling in the country on Thursday. The proposals have been shelved several times earlier.

British media reports indicate that the new steps by the government will include banning under-25 year olds from betting more than 2 pounds per spin online, as well as forcing gambling joints to rigidly scrutinise the financial resilience of punters.

The white paper, now delayed many times, will also include plans to introduce a tax on betting firms to fund help for problem gamblers, the Sun newspaper reported earlier this month.

The changes will mark the biggest overhaul in the 14-billion-pound industry since the Gambling Act in 2005, which had hoped to bring down problem gambling rates. But gambling habits have changed drastically since then, with an exponential rise in online betting in tandem with the growing popularity and usage of smartphones.

Britain’s opposition Labour Party has said gambling regulations have not kept pace with the change in habits.

“The government’s gambling policy has been beset by chaos, infighting and delay,” Labour’s culture spokesperson Lucy Powell said. “There is broad consensus in parliament that we need to update analogue gambling regulation so it is fit for the digital age. … We will work to ensure that gambling laws are urgently updated.”

Over the last few years, Covid-19 lockdowns also played their part in the rise in gambling, evident in the sharp increase in profits at gambling companies, including the owner of Ladbrokes and Coral brands, Entain, and the Dublin-based company behind Paddy Power and Betfair, Flutter Entertainment, during the pandemic.

The Gambling Commission, which regulates the UK market, has estimated that the overall headline problem gambling rate was statistically stable at 0.2% in the year to December 2022. Charities have claimed the rates are higher.

Earlier this month the Premier League said its clubs had collectively agreed to stop featuring gambling sponsorships on the front of soccer kits from the 2026-27 season.

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