A study commissioned by the Betting and Gambling Council has found that two thirds of bettors believe that gambling limits would drive some people to unregulated gambling.
The study, carried out by YouGov, found that in addition to the headline figure, 64% of participants thought that spending limits would increase problem gambling rates. About 70% of people stated that they would not be comfortable with letting wagering companies carry out affordability checks.
The chief executive officer of the Betting and Gambling Council, Michael Dugher stated that the Gambling Council should seriously consider reviewing the study before making major decisions on the upcoming UK gambling white paper.
The BGC strongly supports the ongoing review of the gambling industry’s laws, as it is an opportunity for the industry to get safer for the players. Our ministers have always moved forward with an evidence-first approach when it comes to our industry, thus these findings need to be considered before introducing arbitrary affordability checks and other barriers to entry to the regulated side of the industry, as the unregulated one has none at all. The government needs to carefully tweak the laws in a way to protect those who are more vulnerable while simultaneously not driving average players to the black market.
remarked Michael Dugher.
