Gambling Act White Paper Expected in the Following Weeks
Despite early worries that the document would be postponed until next year or abandoned entirely, the Gambling Act white paper is reportedly back on schedule to be released in the upcoming weeks.
White paper on the Gambling Act is expected in the following weeks.
Despite early worries that the document would be postponed until next year or abandoned entirely, the Gambling Act white paper is reportedly back on schedule to be released in the upcoming weeks.
After a preliminary survey that served as the first phase of a more extensive Gambling Act review over two years ago, the white paper has now been anticipated for more than a year. However, there have been several delays, many of which are related to staffing changes at the Gambling Commission and in the government.
Several resignations from the cabinet, including that of the minister in charge of the review, Chris Philp, unexpectedly cast doubt on the document's readiness for release in July. The paper was delayed until Liz Truss assumed the position of prime minister after Boris Johnson, who had already declared his resignation shortly after Philp's resignation, announced his own resignation.
But concerns over the document's future emerged with Truss in Downing Street. According to a report in The Guardian, the Truss administration planned to eliminate a number of regulatory regulations, and it was "rumoured" that the Gambling Act Review would be one of them. Analyst Dan Waugh warned that, should this happen, the Gambling Commission will impose reforms on its own.
According to statements made by DCMS minister Michelle Donelan, a story published last week in the Daily Mail suggested that the review would be delayed until 2023. Betting and Gaming Council chief executive Michael Dugher – delivering a speech during an industry event– said he expected the review this year but offered a publication timeline "by Christmas".
However, iGB is aware that the white paper on the Gambling Act is expected to be released far sooner than either of those dates, most likely within the next several weeks. The report of a delay until 2023, according to a source with knowledge of the matter, was also called "misleading."
Details of the rules that may be examined were also included in reports from earlier this year. A moderate affordability cap of £125 per month was included in a leaked early edition of the white paper, with stricter checks applied to players who lost £2,000 in three months.
