BETTER CHANGE
Was it worth the wait? W
Better Change founder, Victoria Reed, welcomed the release of the white paper, but also recognises that it’s only the next step in working towards a new gambling act.
as it worth the wait? For around 18 months the gambling industry has been waiting with bated breath for the UK government to release its white paper following a call for evidence into the
review of the 2005 gambling act. It is safe to say that the ongoing delay due to changes of government (three prime ministers and several gambling ministers) raised the profile of the white paper well beyond what it was ever going to be able to deliver and the title of “High Stakes: Gambling Reform for the Digital Age” did nothing to try to subdue the hype. Despite this, Better Change (Gibraltar) Limited welcomed
the release of the white paper but we also recognise that this is only the next step in working towards a new gambling act. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has announced a series of consultations which will take part this summer. The outcomes of these it has already been suggested could take several months especially around the issue of financial risk assessments. There is no set stake amount in gambling
26 JULY 2023
where you can guarantee the safety of all your customers whilst also avoiding impacting the customer experience for the majority of players who gamble safely. Unlike alcohol where we have an established unit of alcohol and guidelines around safe levels of consumption, levels of spending in gambling are highly subjective. People have various financial commitments, dependants, there might be historic occurrences that would enhance or diminish someone’s disposable income. Because of this two people in the same area earning the same amount could have wildly varying financial positions. Therefore, the guidance given from the government of initial background checks for those who have a net loss of £125 within a month or £500 in a year, followed up by “a more detailed consideration of a customers financial position” for those who spend £1,000 in 24 hours or £2,000 in a 90 day period can only literally provide just that, “guidance” as to whether or not an operator should take action and interact or intervene with the customers gambling. It is my hope that as a result of the consultations operators will have clarity as to how they should act
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