UK

Watch again: GambleAware Annual Conference 2024

If you missed yesterday’s GambleAware Annual Conference, you can watch the whole seven hours here. Or jump to the bits that interest you. Highlights include Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross explaining the next steps with the RET Levy and threatening new measures on advertising; and Gambling Commission Executive Director Tim Miller making a plea for industry…

Read more

Gambling Commission issues rallying call for greater collaboration 

Gambling Commission Executive Director Tim Miller used his speech at the GambleAware conference in London to encourage collaboration between all parts of the gambling ecosystem, while chastising those who sow division and misuse statistics for political gain. Miller was speaking at GambleAware’s annual conference, which brought together the player protection community to discuss the outcome…

Read more

UK levy reaction: From triumph to despair

Campaigners claimed levy doesn’t go far enough, while treatment providers are concerned at the lack of a prevention commissioner, and independence remains a key concern “Of all the policies set out in the previous government’s white paper, this is the most significant and ill-considered,” Regulus Partners’ Dan Waugh told the Player Protection Hub. “It effectively…

Read more

Gambling Commission Chair Marcus Boyle to step down

The UK Gambling Commission has announced that Marcus Boyle will step down as Chair at the end of January next year.

With his term set to conclude on 31 January 2025, the UKGC thanked Boyle for his service as Chair in a statement on its website.

He has held the role of Chair at the Commission since 5 September 2021 when he took over from Bill Moyes, who was appointed to the position in 2017. Boyle’s term as Chair was initially set to expire on 4 September 2026.

The UKGC said that Boyle has led the Commission over the past three years as changes have occurred in the UK gambling industry and to its regulations.

These changes include the awarding of the fourth National Lottery licence, the ongoing Gambling Act Review and White Paper implementations and the recruitment of a new Board of Commissioners.

In addition, the Commission stated it is “in a strong position and with a clearly defined path forward” following the April 2024 publication of its Corporate Strategy 2024 to 2027, expl..

Read more

Andrew Rhodes: UK gambling industry is entering a new era

It’s been a long year for the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), marked by a variety of regulatory implementations and a deepened focus on fostering better support for operators. However, work is just picking up pace, with 2024 laying the foundations of what will be a more mature and refined UK market in the coming years.  This was…

Read more

UKGC: Gambling Harms Action Lab can help ‘identify new ways to reduce gambling harms’

Tim Miller, Executive Director at the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), has stated that the Gambling Harms Action Lab will help collaborative efforts “to develop and improve existing practice and identify new ways to reduce gambling harms”.

A Money and Mental Health Policy Institute initiative, the Gambling Harms Action Lab is a three-year programme that will see the institute work with current account providers to improve gambling support for their customers. The initiative was launched at an event hosted by the institute on 5 November, with Miller speaking at the event.

The UKGC Director noted that the Action Lab will help to bring structure and focus to collaborative gambling harm support efforts between Money and Mental Health, the UKGC and the financial services industry.

Miller said: “I am delighted to be here for the launch of the Gambling Harms Action Lab. A few years ago Helen and I met in a coffee shop to talk about the potential positive role that the financial services ind..

Read more

New policy paper calls on banks to be the frontline of intervention on gambling harms

British banks and financial institutions can help fill ‘gaps in support’ related to the treatment and intervention of those exposed to gambling-related harms.

This recommendation has been put forward in a policy paper by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI), which explores the “role of financial services in tackling gambling-related harms.”

Established in 2016 by Martin Lewis (CBE), the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, MMHPI seeks to provide new expertise on financial policy to improve public well-being.

As detailed, “The policy paper examines gambling harms in Britain and the role of current account providers in supporting the launch of a new programme of work.”

Banks have a unique visibility of threats

Of particular relevance to the treatment and intervention of gambling harms, banks and financial institutions have a ‘unique visibility’ into individuals’ spending habits, enabling them to identify potentially harmful gambling behaviours and intervene early to mi..

Read more

GamCare cuts Safer Gambling team after failing to find buyer

GamCare will stop providing its safer gambling service by the end of 2024 after failing to find an alternative home for the service. The resultant restructuring has meant a number of safer gambling professionals have left the organisation and are seeking employment elsewhere. In a statement released today, the organisation announced: “GamCare’s Board decided in…

Read more

UK’s Betting and Gaming Council launches Code Handbook

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has published its first Code Handbook, as it looks to give a more in depth guide on raising standards in the UK betting industry,  A trio of codes have become part of License Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) for members. These measures have already been implemented across the sector. At the…

Read more