SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Industry stakeholders are reminded that they have only one week to return submissions of evidence (deadline Friday 6 September) to the Select Committee researching the ‘social and economic impacts of the gambling industry’ on UK society.
Announced this July, the House of Lords established a Select Committee seeking to gain ‘research insights and valuable facts’ on the UK gambling sector and its impact on individuals affected by gambling disorders.
The Select Committee is led by Lord Grade of Yarmouth, who leading the inquiry underlined the need for concrete evidence from a wide range of organisations, aiding future policy development on gambling, improving standards and regulatory oversight for the sectors diverse stakeholders.
Calling for greater evidence, the Committee seeks to assess a number of factors that may have been undermined by a ‘lack of accurate estimates of the extent of the problem’.
Within its remit, the inquiry will review ‘the current state of the UK gambling industry’ and its contribution towards research, education, and the treatment of problem gamblers.
The Committee’s call for evidence seeks insights on key criteria related to governing UK gambling, which include whether Gambling Act 2005 has achieved the aim of ‘preventing gambling from becoming a crime or disorder’.
Further assessments will be made on whether UK gambling laws need to be updated to reflect significant changes in technology, and whether licensed operators have a legal duty of care towards their customers.
