The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) has stated there is “more to do” after a think tank report detailed declining support and confidence from the public toward its work to reduce and prevent gambling harms.
In an exclusive response to BonusFinder UK, the indsutry regulator was asked to comment on the findings of ‘Ending a Losing Streak’, a report commissioned on behalf of the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA).
CEGA tasked the think-tank ‘More In Common’ to gauge public opinion on gambling, addiction and regulation in the UK, with the contemporary British gambling market being worth around £16.8bn per year.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith endorses campaign to crack down on gambling ads
The public insights study on gambling policy included a foreword from Conservative peer, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who has put his name to the call for further measures against the gambling industry.
With the public detailing a feeling of being “bombarded by gambling promotions and under-protected from harms”, IDS underlined the scepticism toward the UKGC:
“Even those who gamble support a tougher stance on the industry, supporting moves to track expenditure and ensure limits on unaffordable losses”, said the senior Tory, a Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003.
“In fact, more gamblers want the sector to shrink than to grow. These findings directly contradict the gambling industry, which repeatedly claims to represent the views of gamblers when it demands looser regulation.
“Public faith in the institutions that are supposed to protect us from the harms of gambling has been eroded. Only a third of the wider public have any trust in the Gambling Commission to properly regulate the sector,” added Iain Duncan Smith.
The study from More In Common asserted that its purpose was to “bridge the gap between policymakers and the public by helping people in Westminster understand those voters who feel ignored or overlooked by those in power.”
Distinction between ‘harmless’ and ‘harmful’ gambling activity in the UK
In the extensive 53-page report, which was compiled with an accompanying data set, the Commission provides a top-level assessment of attitudes toward gambling, as well as drilling down into specific detail on concerns and how to reform the current market.
The report asserts the perception that gambling is everywhere, from high street betting shops, to television ads and sports sponsorships.
It was reported that 63% of respondents were said to have noticed more adverts and promotions, with many describing ‘bombardment’ similar to tobacco marketing, before it was prohibited more than two decades ago.
The detailed survey found that around 42% of the population gamble each week on the National Lottery, while 38% partake in sports betting; the latter being especially prevalent among the younger, male demographic.
Of these two betting forms, a distinction was made, with occasional lottery play described as ‘harmless‘ in contrast to ‘harmful‘ activity such as high-stakes online slots and games.
Ending a Losing Streak, the report authored by the Coalition to End Gambling Ads, went on to deliver a stark warning for the Gambling Commission.
It found “a deepening distrust in regulatory and charitable institutions working in harm reduction.
“Of concern, respondent segments expressed a decline in confidence that either the Gambling Commission or ‘industry-funded charities’ are effective in protecting or reducing harms.”
It also conveyed that, “Only one-third of Britons say they trust the Commission to regulate the sector properly, while half report little or no trust.”
The report further revealed that, “Programmes such as GambleAware, GamCare and even the Gambling Commission itself are seen by many Britons to be offering token gestures towards reducing and preventing rates of addiction, which fall far short of what is needed.”
UKGC response to CEGA report
When asked to respond to the findings and how it would seek to alleviate fears that the agency is not doing enough to prevent gambling-related harm and at-risk users, the UKGC exclusively told BonusFinder UK:
“We recognise that public trust must be earned and take concerns about gambling-related harm very seriously.
“Consumer protection is central to our work, and we have already delivered major reforms from the Gambling Act Review, including stronger age verification, safer game design, tighter controls on bonuses and marketing and new requirements for customers to set deposit limits before they gamble.”
The spokesperson continued: “We have introduced light-touch financial vulnerability checks, slowed online game speeds, banned autoplay and are piloting enhanced financial risk assessments for higher-spending customers, while proposing further protections in the land-based sector.
“We are also running one of the largest anti-illegal gambling operations globally, removing hundreds of thousands of illegal URLs and disrupting unlicensed operators targeting consumers in Great Britain.
“We know there is more to do and remain committed to using evidence and data to strengthen protections and ensure gambling in Great Britain is fair and safe“, concluded the Gambling Commission response.
