Agenda item

The Chairman introduced the report and advised Members that the Government had recently announced a further delay on the publication of the Gambling Reform White Paper.  The White Paper was originally due to be published in Spring 2022 but had faced four delays including the

resignation of the then Gambling Minister on 7 July 2022 and the subsequent change in Prime Minister.

The Scrutiny Research Officer presented his update and gave a synopsis of the review’s progress to date.   Alleged proposals in relation to the content of the first draft of the White Paper were released and these included:

Affordability

·       A requirement for ‘passive’ automatic background affordability assessments

·       A net loss of £125 a month or £500 in a year triggering automatic restrictions

·       Affordability assessments to be conducted by established credit agencies

·       Potential for mandatory deposit limits

Stake Limits

·       ‘Smart stake’ limit of between £2 to £5 for online slots

·       Customers who wish to stake more would need to pass further checks

Free Bets and Bonuses

·       A potential ban on VIP schemes ran by betting companies

·       This could include schemes such as free bets based on a customer’s spend or losses.

The Government also announced in July 2022 that loot boxes would not be contained within the scope of UK gambling regulation.

With so many unknowns still on the table, the Panel were asked to consider holding the review in abeyance until the White Paper had been published and Members could then hold informed discussions about potential implications for the Council and its residents following sight of the content.

Members debated the suggestion and acknowledged that the review could not progress satisfactorily until more detail was known.  Disappointment was expressed that the Government had seen fit to remove loot boxes from their gambling reform proposals and felt that a lack of regulation in respect of this particular gambling format would fail to protect younger people from possible harm in the future. 

The Service Manager for Scrutiny and Democratic Services spoke about how the Council was often left to pick up the pieces for individuals (and families) subjected to gambling addiction in the form of housing and homelessness issues, anti-social behaviour problems, debt complications and employment difficulties.  He suggested that the Panel might wish to understand and evaluate the scale of the problem in Ashfield and how the Council might want to address this.

Education was also an important issue for tackling gambling addiction at an earlier stage, as evidence was showing that people were becoming victims to gambling addiction at a far younger age mainly through modern betting platforms on smart phones, gaming devices and television.

The discussion also touched upon how the Panel could start to address the issue whilst waiting for publication of the White Paper.  It was agreed that a clear and instructive signposting page on the Council’s website in respect of help and support for people struggling with a gambling addiction would be a good starting point.

RESOLVED that

a)    it be agreed to hold the Gambling Harm review in abeyance until the Gambling Reform White Paper is published by Government;

b)    an interim recommendation be submitted to Cabinet requesting that the Council looks to providing a page on its website providing signposting details for help and support to those struggling with gambling addiction.