Anger as White Paper delayed for the fourth time

The long-anticipated White Paper set to offer changes to the Gambling Act in the United Kingdom has been delayed once again, as the British government seeks to replace Boris Johnson, the recently fallen-from-grace prime minister. This is the fourth time the White Paper has been delayed to the dismay of anti-gambling campaigners who have repeatedly stressed the urgency of a swift re-regulation of the industry, arguing that human lives are lost due to the delays.

In a report, The Guardian said that internal struggles in the Conservative party are what has most likely caused the latest postponement. MPs who insist on a swift passage of the White Paper and Gambling Act reform, led by Ian Duncan Smith, were hoping that the new paper could be published next week, but this seems to be no longer possible, according to senior advisor David Canzini who said that until a new prime minister is elected.

Some MPs have accused Canzini of being too close to the gambling industry and thus getting in the way of the reform purposefully. None of the present predicament, though, can be attributed to anyone but Johnson’s antics which led to his downfall. Even former Minister of Gambling Chris Philp decided to step down over his disagreement with the former prime minister. Johnson announced his resignation on the same day.

Initial fears that the important piece of legislationwould be delayed have not materialized to the pain of many who have associated the lack of reform in gambling with the loss of loved ones. Some have suspected that gambling companies are actively lobbying to prevent more serious restrictions on an advertisement, betting limits, and affordability checks from passing through.

A spokesperson for Gambling With Lives said that tens of thousands more people stand to be harmed with some dying because of how slow the White Paper reform had been. Ian Duncan Smith said that he was disappointed with developments, but assured that as soon as a new prime minister is elected, they can expect to find him "sitting on their couch" until they sign the White Paper.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport recently elected Damian Collins to succeed Philp in helping steer the White Paper and ensure its successful passage. Yet, MPs within the department are also uneasy over who should take responsibility for the White Paper, leaving this to Philp’s successor instead.

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