UK govt urges operators to promote safe gambling

British Culture Minister asks operators to ramp up efforts to prevent problem gambling during the Coronavirus crisis.

UK.- The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has urged the gambling sector to focus efforts into tackling any heightened risk related to problem Gambling during the Coronavirus lockdown.

UK Culture Minister, Nigel Huddleston, said the department requested regular intelligence from the industry on patterns of gambling during the Coronavirus outbreak, including how operators are managing the risk of problem gambling and what more companies can do to promote safer gambling messaging during the current crisis.

Huddleston has written to the chief executives of five leading online gambling operators such as Bet365, GVC, Skybet, William Hill and Flutter – and the trade body the Betting and Gaming Council – to ask for regular and comprehensive internal data around online gambling habits as a result of the ongoing lockdown measures.

He also reminded operators of their responsibilities and encouraged extra steps to protect players at this time of heightened risk.