MPs slam current strategy; call for Gambling Act review following expert consultations

The health and social care committee has requested a review of the Gambling Act in a letter sent to the government’s department of health and social care. 

Totalling six pages, the message comprises several recommendations and measures that could improve player safety in the gambling industry. This follows crucial meetings held throughout April - as the committee sought to attain a better understanding of gambling harm in modern society. 

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Gambling advertising is one major point of focus within the letter. Led by committee chair, MP Layla Moran, the group cite that 80% of the population are exposed to gambling content each week. In turn, it is proposed that pre-watershed gambling material be restricted beyond its current scope and that advertisements refrain from catering to young people.

Moreover, the committee suggests limiting the “frequency and kinds of promotions” that may encourage individuals to gamble. Stronger laws on sports-related marketing - including sports teams and event-based deals - have also been mooted. 

According to the committee’s recommendations, these rules should align with social media regulations. 

In a damning statement against the office for health improvement and disparities (OHID), the committee said: “We do not see how OHID can effectively develop a strategy to prevent gambling-related harms without considering the regulation of advertising and broader commercial practices of the sector.”

Specifically, the committee recommends that “regulation should reflect the fact that some forms of gambling are more harmful than others, taking a risk-based approach that subjects the most addictive and dangerous products to tighter control. This should happen alongside regulation that focuses on protecting vulnerable people.”

This follows recent quotes from the OHID, in which the body explained that gambling advertising is “slightly out of the scope of the levy” and shall therefore stand as a minor factor when developing fresh regulatory frameworks. 

The letter also invites the government to integrate improved suicide prevention strategies and undertake comprehensive investigations into gambling-related deaths. During the committee’s dialogue with Gambling with Lives, the charity explained that “most gambling deaths are not properly investigated” due to a lack of awareness among coroners. 

Speaking directly to those in power on this subject, the health and social care committee said: “We ask that the Government set out what steps it will be taking to raise awareness of gambling suicide amongst coroners and others involved in the investigation of sudden deaths, including what training will be provided.”

Going hand-in-hand with the issue of suicide prevention are concerns appertaining to the treatment of gambling harm. The closure of NHS England means that no single body is responsible for approving specialist help services - and the committee urges the government to provide clearer guidance on this matter.

Land-based gambling establishments came under fire, too - as Moran’s team argues that the number of in-person betting shops and casinos in “areas of high deprivation” challenges resource-limited local authorities who cannot adequately battle planning applications.

In a bid to devise fairer groundwork for land-based and online gambling, the letter concludes with a recommendation to review the Gambling Act: 

“We believe that the Government should review the Gambling Act to ensure that the current legislative framework gives all agencies the power and responsibilities needed to deliver a total system response.”