Gambling Commission “keen to hear workable alternatives” on land-based gambling reforms
Executive director Tim Miller spoke at the Bingo Association’s AGM.
UK.- The Gambling Commission’s executive director Tim Miller has provided an update on land-based gambling reforms in a speech to the Bingo Association’s AGM. He announced that the deadline for the ongoing consultation on the matter has been pushed back from May 20 until June 3 to allow stakeholders more time to provide feedback.
Miller said: “This will give more time for those impacted or interested to make submissions, provide data and give us the information we need to get to the right outcomes.”
Bingo arcades and gaming halls currently have a so-called “80/20 rule,” which dictates the amount of gaming machines of different classes. The rule means that 80 per cent of gaming machines must be category C or D, which have stakes of £1 and 10p and prizes of £100 and £10 respectively. Only 20 per cent can be B3 machines, which can offer higher stakes of £2 and prizes of £500. There had been a proposal to relax this rule.
“Our intention was to arrive at a package of proposals that protects vulnerable people, ensures consumers can make informed decisions about their gambling and recognises the need to minimise the impact on consumers who are not experiencing difficulty in managing their gambling safely,” Miller said.
“We do however remain keen to hear workable alternatives to our proposals. But we also need to be clear. The starting point for alternatives should aim to achieve the same policy objectives. There is no going backwards when it comes to consumer safety here.”
Meanwhile, all eyes are on the possible restructuring of government departments, which could cause more delay in the implementation of reforms. It’s been reported that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which oversees gambling policy, may be abolished.
