UK MPs propose ban on gambling ads
A group of more than 50 politicians has proposed an overhaul of UK gambling laws including a ban on advertising.
UK.- A group of more than 50 MPs and peers will publish a report today calling for radical changes in UK gambling law, including a total ban on gambling advertising and an end to VIP schemes.
They also call for a £2 stake limit for online slots and controls on gaming design.
Following a year gathering evidence, the All-Party Group on Gambling-Related Harm (APPG) has published its final report, which calls for a major overhaul of the 2005 Gambling Act.
The group has made 30 recommendations including:
-A complete ban on gambling ads, both on television and online – though it recognises tight restrictions like those to be introduced in Spain could be adopted as an alternative to a complete ban.
-A ban on VIP schemes and inducements to bet.
-Limiting stakes on online slot machines to £2 in line with high street fixed-odds betting terminals.
-Controls over the design of gambling games, for example reducing the spin speed on roulette wheels and eliminating free spins, turbo spins or reel stop play.
-Independently conducted affordability checks on players.
-The creation of a new ombudsman to resolve disputes.
-A permanent ban on reverse withdrawals, which were halted during the current Covid-19 pandemic.
-Restrictions on in-play sports betting to venues and telephone betting only.
The group’s report also criticises the UK regulator, the Gambling Commission, as “not fit for purpose.”
The APPG succeeded in its previous campaigns for a ban on credit card betting and stricter limits on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), which were introduced last April.
