INSIGHT - PERCEPTION & PUBLIC IMAGE
David Clifton, IAGA Member
David Clifton is an active long-time member of the International Association of Gaming Advisors. He is also a very well-known as a speaker on gambling, licensing and associated regulatory matters at industry conferences throughout the world.
The criticism of the gambling industry in the mainstream media became particularly acute during lockdown. Why was that?
A substantial reason why criticism in mainstream media became particularly acute during lockdown can be attributed to the doomsayers who predicted that, with so many people furloughed at home supposedly with nothing better to do, there would be a massive increase not only in gambling activity per se but also in problem gambling rates. Neither turned out to be the case.
Recent Gambling Commission statistics show that, whilst there was a small increase in online gambling participation over the period of Covid-19 restrictions in Great Britain, overall participation in gambling declined. Crucially, the overall problem gambling rate has remained “statistically stable” (to quote the Commission) at 0.4 per cent of the adult population, whilst the moderate risk rate has “decreased significantly” to 0.7 per cent (in the year to June 2021) compared with 1.4 per cent (in the year to June 2020).
Tat is particularly worthy of note given that recent research has shown that most online gambling in Great Britain now takes place via mobile phones at home.
P48 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
Why do you think that gambling gets such a bad press, especially now?
As has been proved by well-publicised stories of personal tragedy related to disordered gambling, the potential for participants in gambling (particularly when conducted online) to suffer harm unless effective player protection measures are implemented by operators presents an understandable area of concern.
Recent evidence that some highly engaged gamblers who play a range of products are now likely to spend more time and money gambling has compounded that concern. However, one can’t help but conclude that some of the criticisms of the industry presently being made by a vocal minority (including parliamentarians, public health lobbyists and religious leaders) go further than that and stem not from a solid evidence base but instead from firmly-held moral convictions, amounting instead to an attack on the activity of gambling itself.
With a Government White Paper on reform of Great Britain’s gambling legislation expected by the end of this year, it is these criticisms that have attracted greater attention in certain sections of the national media.
The industry has taken many steps to improve player protection measures. Yet we seem to hear very little about them outside of the specialised gambling media. Why is that?
It has often been said that “bad news sells better than good news”. In support of this, research findings have proved the existence of a ‘negativity bias,’ stemming from people’s hunger to read and remember bad news stories rather than neutral or positive stories. Te conditioning of journalists and editors to reflect this in their publications may well explain why good news stories such as undoubted improvements in player protection measures have not been thought to make compelling headlines.
The Culture Secretary has launched a major and wide-ranging review of gambling laws. What steps can the industry take in the public arena to prevent government overreach? What steps can the industry take to try and get a more balanced debate in the media?
Tis represents a considerable challenge for the industry, given that the Government Review is so wide-ranging. However, one of the key objectives behind that Review is to “ensure there is an appropriate balance between consumer freedoms and choice on the one hand, and prevention of harm to vulnerable groups
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