In lieu of recent events, including cases of suicide and a string of scandals within the gambling industry, the UK is set to face serious gambling reform. Downing Street is at the forefront of addressing these issues. Boris Johnson and his advisers have long been pressuring the state for more sweeping changes within the gambling industry, and a review of a gambling legislation is underway. Gambling, online gambling specifically, has undeniably seen a rise in the past few months. Technology has made it easier than ever for gamblers to visit popular online casinos such as Happyluke and make bets from anywhere in the world.
In response to the proliferation of online gambling, calls for legislative reform have grown stronger than ever. While the Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) is set to begin reviews this autumn, reports speculate that Boris Johnson and some of his closest advisers will be heavily involved as well. Dominic Cummings and Munira Mirza in particular are keen on overhauling the 2005 Gambling Act. The policy, under Tony Blair, introduced liberalized policies which gave the UK one of the most relaxed regulation laws among countries with major economies.
The last review of gambling legislation was conducted in 2001 by the Bank of England’s Alan Budd, whose resulting policy aimed at balancing an individual’s economic freedom with the government’s duty of social protection. However, given the digital boom, these reforms were not ready to accommodate rapid technological change within the economy, the finance industry, and the gambling industry. It will be necessary for future reforms to consider the virtual sphere in policymaking.
Gambling in the UK is out of control
Pro-gambling entities have voiced concern over these prospective reforms, highlighting gambling’s economic contribution. Those advocating for reform are also concerned that because the DCMS itself benefits from gambling’s contributions to sports broadcasting, adequate changes will not be met.
Pressure from reform advocates has highlighted the near-daily news of scandal within the gambling industry. Money laundering and severe effects on people’s mental health are only a few of the reasons brought up in discussion. At its core, the betting industry encourages excessive spending, and in the worst of cases, exploits those most vulnerable to gambling’s glamorous lures.
Gambling has become such a visible part of the country’s culture and economy, with media being littered with references to gambling, as well as gateways to the high rolling lifestyle. Gambling addiction has posed serious problems for an alarming amount of the population, calling into question when and how the state can intervene with personal freedom considering the immense financial and personal harm a staggering number of citizens are facing.
According to researchers, about half a million problem gamblers are affected by debt caused by out of control betting habits. Some of the most troubling cases are tinged by depression, broken families, and even suicide. A more in-depth study of casino operations shows how companies treat and benefit from gambling addicts.
On the corporate level, scandals such as the use of VIP schemes and exclusive streaming to betting giants highlight just how much of the industry’s practices go unrecognized and unregulated. Outrage for such cases has led to calls from across parties for serious regulatory reform.
Has the state failed gambling addicts?
The suicide of 24-year-old Jack Ritchie from Sheffield has prompted an inquest into the state’s alleged contribution to the tragedy with their negligence of gambling addicts’ rehabilitation. Sheffield senior coroner David Urpeth will investigate not only the physical circumstances leading to Ritchie’s death but how his gambling addiction was treated by facilities in the UK. The investigation will also look into whether or not Ritchie, as well as other gamblers, were sufficiently warned of the dangers of their activity.
Ritchie’s gambling addiction began when he was 17 years old, which makes it alarming to consider how gambling accessibility has perhaps become accessible even to minors. The inquest will study what medical treatment was available to Ritchie, and what gambling regulations were in place when he began to get addicted.
The case of Jack Ritchie is unfortunately only one of many cases of gambling-related suicides. These tragedies enforce the need for stronger regulatory policies that address the current conditions, as it is clear that previous laws were not equipped to accommodate the gambling industry’s rapidly changing landscape.
