In the midst of the ongoing debate for stricter gambling regulations, the Council for Betting and Gaming (CBG) is making a case for the significant number of Britons who gamble responsibly, urging authorities to acknowledge that not all punters end up on the losing side.
In the recent Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee discussion, Michael Dugher, CEO of CBG, placed the spotlight on the 22.5 million lawful gamblers in his presentation. «It’s important to recognise these individuals, who regularly enjoy a flutter, contribute to society by working diligently, paying taxes, and supporting their families,» Dugher said.
The dialogue was prompted by the White Paper issued by the government in April. The document proposed tighter controls in the gambling sector, including more rigorous expenditure checks, staking limits, and amendments to slot machine mechanics. These initiatives were introduced to safeguard the minority 0.3% of UK gamblers experiencing issues.
Further elaborating on the Council’s initiatives, Wes Himes, Executive Director of Standards and Innovation at CBG, said, «We are committed to introducing more precautionary measures. In the past three years, we’ve created 11 codes and over 80 significant measures, reinforcing regulatory compliance and legislative frameworks to foster a safer gambling environment.»
With a significant drop from 2017, the UK now boasts one of the world’s lowest rates of problem gambling at 0.3%. Concurrently, the gambling industry in the UK has made substantial contributions to the economy (£7.1bn or $9.3bn) and supported over 100,000 jobs.
Highlighting the dual effect, Himes stated, «While there’s been an increase in product usage, there’s a simultaneous decline in problem gambling rate.»
Moreover, the CBG has advocated for stricter regulations on social media advertising to protect younger demographics.