UK MPs call for £2 online casino stake limit

A cross-party group of UK MPs have called for a £2 limit on online slot games following a six-month enquiry into gambling-related harm.

The report, carried out by the Gambling Related Harm All-Party Parliamentary Group (GRH APPG), recommends a ban on betting by credit card and restrictions on VIP accounts, as well as an investigation into non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) used by operators to silence problem gamblers.

The primary focus of the report is a £2 stake limit for online casino slots which mirrors restrictions placed on land-based fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) back in 2018.

The report reads: “Other than the operator objections, it is not at all clear to us why the Government and regulator are not looking at stake and deposit limits online.”

Carolyn Harris, chair of GRH APPG and Labour MP for Swansea East, grilled operator bosses in September and was equally critical of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and GambleAware.

Harris wrote: “This report highlights the urgent need for a root and branch review of the regulation of online gambling.

“Stakes and prize limits online would be a major step forward in reducing the harm caused by the sector.

“It is not at all clear why the Gambling Commission is not looking at this as a matter of urgency. It is an abdication of its responsibility as a regulator.

“There must be consistent and appropriate regulation of all forms of gambling. I also urge the Government to urgently review the provision of research, education and treatment in the sector.

“Gamble Aware are not effectively carrying out this function and it should immediately be brought into a public health setting,” she added.

https://twitter.com/tonyp_recovery/status/1191235807937486849?s=20

In response, GambleAware CEO Marc Etches said: “We welcome all evidenced-based comments about the charity’s work and we will carefully review the All Party Parliamentary Group’s interim report, before commenting on any specific recommendations.”

The UKGC told EGR Intel it was disappointed the report has been released before the regulator had been given a chance to give evidence to the APPG.

A Gambling Commission spokesperson said: “The report does not reflect our considerable action and progress on most of the areas of concern set out in the report and we look forward to being given the chance to outline that work to the APPG.

“We take tough enforcement action against anyone who doesn’t comply with the rules and will continue to tightly regulate the gambling industry.

“We recently carried out a comprehensive compliance review, involving 123 online casino operators, which resulted in 45 online operators being forced to submit an action plan to raise standards.

“A further 14 online operators were the subject of enforcement investigations which resulted in tough sanctions and this work continues.”

In August, UKGC CEO Neil McArthur told the BBC the regulator had no immediate plans to introduce online gambling stake limits.

UKGC CEO Neil McArthur

The industry has also pointed out it has sufficient data and existing measures in place that blanket limits would not be an effective method of reducing harm.

The report adds that new gambling legislation is “urgently required” and suggests an increased role for banks in relation to affordability checks.

The Gambling Related Harm APPG rebranded in January 2019 to focus on the online sector and many in the industry believe a digital clampdown has been well sign-posted.

Tag Media director Tom Galanis told EGR the publication of the report was a “damning indictment on the industry and its leading players”.

“Whilst they seem eminently capable of merging complex operational structures every six months, they remain entirely dysfunctional when it comes to organising and supporting a well-conceived lobbying effort,” Galanis said. “Too many people have sat on their hands for too long. If I was an investor, I’d have every tier-one CEO held in stocks of the mediaeval kind.

“A £2 limit on online casino stakes effectively ends regulated online casino gambling in the UK. The repercussions for businesses are obvious; the losses for the Exchequer are now a political irrelevance; the potential harm done to vulnerable customers via the black market is huge.”

Eilers & Krejcik Gaming analyst Alun Bowden echoed that sentiment, saying the warning signs had been showing for some time.

“Online casino and slots in particular is an incredibly vulnerable target and it’s imperative the industry response to this is both clear and honest about how it intends to mitigate any potential harms from the product. This is an emotive discussion as much as an evidence-based one and the industry has so far failed to speak convincingly in that language.”

https://twitter.com/gamblinglamb/status/1191293041765732353?s=20