- Dr MP calls for a new Gambling
Act to shift to a public health approach to tackling problem
gambling, moving oversight of the gambling sector to the
Department for Health and Social Care
- She also proposes significant restrictions on gambling
advertising and the removal of the most harmful gambling products
from the market
A new Fabian Society pamphlet by Dr MP, released today, calls on
the government to radically rethink regulation of the British
gambling sector.
The pamphlet, Where's the Harm? A public health approach to
gambling, funded by the Coalition to
End Gambling Advertising, outlines the hidden costs
of gambling to British society.
The Gambling Act 2005 ushered in a much-liberalised regime for
gambling. Prior to the Gambling Act, licensing authorities had
wide scope to deny granting licences to new operators. Casinos
and bingo halls had to operate as members' clubs, with a 24-hour
delay between people gaining membership and being able to gamble.
Other restrictions included limits on the types of games, the
number of machines, the size of stakes and on the possible
winnings operators could offer. Advertising of gambling was
highly restricted and only allowed for football pools, bingo, the
National Lottery, and other licensed lotteries.
The 2005 Act treated gambling as a leisure activity like any
other, and included provisions to promote consumer choice in a
competitive gambling market. Gambling operators were allowed to
advertise across all media in Great Britain, subject to codes set
by the Advertising Standards Authority.
Twenty years on, the latest figures suggest that around 1.3
million people may classify as experiencing ‘problem gambling'.
Changing methodology makes direct comparison difficult, but this
latest data reveals a scale of harm up to five times higher than
previously estimated.
Harms from gambling extend beyond the individual. They impact
partners, children, family, and friends. It is estimated that an
additional six people are affected by every one person
experiencing ‘problem' gambling. In Great Britain, around 2.5 per
cent of the population report severe impacts from someone else's
gambling.
Cooper also challenges the economic case for maintaining a
liberalised gambling regime, highlighting the public health costs
of gambling disorder and the opportunity cost of diverting
discretionary spending away from other sectors, such as retail
and hospitality.
The pamphlet argues that the government should prioritise a range
of measures, including overhauling advertising, marketing and
sponsorship; prohibiting the most harmful products and practices;
shifting oversight of gambling to the health ministry; and
setting out a timetable for a new Gambling Act.
Pamphlet author, Dr MP said:
“Gambling harm is a significant public health problem affecting
far too many individuals, their children, partners, employers and
our communities. When commercial products cause widespread harm,
they need to be treated as a public health matter. Gambling harm
is a systemic failure, not a personal one and we need to rethink
our approach to its oversight.”
ENDS
Notes
- The report is online at: https://fabians.org.uk/publication/wheres-the-harm/
-
Where's the Harm? A public health approach to
gambling is written by Dr MP and published by the
Fabian Society. It was edited by Iggy Wood.
