Lawmakers may be planning on lenient changes to gambling laws

UK lawmakers may opt for lenient gambling re-regulation, two years after the country embarked on the ambitious and gargantuan task of achieving a modernized framework for its gambling industry.

A new report has surfaced by The Sunday Times, in which the publication argues that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) may "cave" to industry pressure and offer a "watered-down" version of the original measures that were expected to be applied to the industry in the upcoming white paper.

This is at odds with the "draconian measures" previously advertised by legislators and reviewers of the existing Gambling Act which dates to 2005 and has been deemed largely obsolete because it fails to account for the proliferation of online and digital gambling.

There has been a lot of talk about what those new measures may be, but some of them may include severance of ties between gambling firms and sports clubs, the imposition of a mandatory levy for all gambling brands, and the introduction of online betting limits on slots.

But if The Sunday Times is correct and its sources are on point, at least one of the proposed measures will have to go – the mandatory levy championed by GambleAware.

The organization argues that voluntary contributions are not entirely fair since some companies are paying much more than others. GambleAware argues that an additional £140 million could be added to tax contributions that go directly to stamping out problem gambling in the country.

But even this news is surrounded by a lot of speculation. The main point in the report is that the gambling industry may be shown "leniency." Whether this is true remains to be seen as a draft of the white paper is yet to be published.

In the meantime, the Betting and Gaming Council CEO Michael Dugher has been busy arguing back against critics who said that lobbyists and government officials have cozied up together. The Guardian, another respected media publication, run several articles on government officials and policymakers who have received gifts from betting and gambling companies.

Dugher has reminded those pushing for specific gambling changes that the gambling industry pays £4.5 billion in tax, and it offers at least 119,000 jobs. Meanwhile, public opinion may somewhat support more lenient gambling measures.

Some 65% of all adults in the United Kingdom believe that imposing limitations on their betting limits may push many people into black markets. The UK Gambling Commission reaffirmed Andrew Rhodes as the permanent chief executive for the regulator as the watchdog continues to fight for higher standards in the industry and has promised a zero-tolerance policy on offenders.

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