John O’Reilly calls for UK gambling review to “rewrite historical flaws”
The CEO of Rank Group, John O’Reilly, has given a detailed opinion on the UK government’s current review of gambling legislation.
UK.- John O’Reilly, CEO of Rank Group, has said the UK government’s current review of gambling legislation should “rewrite the industry’s historical flaws” but should not “turn back the clock” to an age of intolerance of gambling.
Delivering a keynote speech at the conference Reputation Matters: UK Gambling’s Future at Stake, O’Reilly said amendments to the 2005 Gambling Act were necessary but called for a logical approach.
He said: “The 2005 Act was stimulated by a desire on the part of those that initiated the review to sensibly liberalise what were then archaic gambling regulations that dated back to the 1960s. Today’s question is whether the gambling act review will result in a modernisation for the digital age or might it turn back the clock to an age of disapproval or intolerance of gambling.”
He warned against the review “being moved away from the logic which underpinned the 2005 review, that positioned gambling as a legitimate activity that needed to be appropriately regulated to protect children and ensure fairness”. He also defended the 2005 Gambling Act and said it had laid the ground for industry reforms.
He said: “I don’t entirely accept the criticism that the 2005 Act was analogue for the digital age. Following the 2005 Act, safer gambling became part of the lexicon, though clearly not as visible as it is today. The Act created the Gambling Commission, replacing the Gaming Board for land-based incumbents and creating a first-time regulator for the rest of the sector.”
He suggested, however, that the Gambling Commission’s mandate had changed, and that “industry sector expertise has been swept away,” with an emphasis now on “tightening regulations and taking enforcement actions on operators for breaching regulations and guidance”.
He added: “We need to stand-up for the consumer that enjoys betting and gaming. Those millions of customers, whose moderate voice has been lost amidst rabid extremes. We need to take pride in the jobs we create and the taxes we pay and those consumers we entertain.
“We can lift our chins, learn from the past and lean into the future of what is a brilliant industry in which to be involved in.”
Rank Group is the owner of the Grosvenor Casino and Mecca Bingo brands. In August, O’Reilly called on the British government to radically overhaul legislation for land-based gambling venues as part of its review of the gambling legislation.
While the government’s review of the 2005 Gambling Act is expected to largely concentrate on rules for online gaming, Rank called for an equal balance between the land-based and digital sectors to create a level playing field and safeguard UK consumers.
