CARE "ready for Rishi" to curb big betting

CARE has urged Rishi Sunak to deliver on promised gambling reforms as it emerges more young people than ever have a problem habit.

New data from the Gambling Commission shows more than 1 in 100 people aged 16 to 24 (1.4%) are problem gamblers – a three-fold increase on a year ago (0.4%). The overall problem gambling rate in the UK is 0.3%. The Commission also noted a significant growth in online gambling.

The UK Government has come under sustained fire for delaying plans to overhaul severely outdated gambling laws, last changed in 2005. A whitepaper was promised by the Conservative party in 2019 but has been passed from one Prime Minister to the next.

Christian Action Research and Education (CARE) has urged Ministers to enact tougher regulation of gambling and do more to help those experiencing harms. Responding to the new figures Tim Cairns, a Senior Policy Officer at the charity, said Rishi Sunak has a moral duty to act.

Mr Cairns commented:

“With a new Prime Minister in post the government has the opportunity to implement gambling reforms that will meaningful, substantial and effective. It is time for the Government to help people who find themselves in the grip of gambling. Before Rishi Sunak even walked into Downing Street, the gambling industry were calling on him to water down the proposed reforms.

“While the gambling industry would like to focus on the tax revenue they raise for the exchequer, they do not admit the devastation their industry wreaks on society, which costs more than a billion to the taxpayer and more in terms of individual experience. Every single day in the UK one person takes their own life because of the effects of gambling harm.

“The last reform of gambling was implemented in 2005. Since that reform, gambling online has become more advanced, advertising now saturates TV sports, and more families are left devastated by the effects of gambling harm. It is time for policy change and for the industry to be effectively regulated and people who have fallen into addiction given the help they need.”

Mr Cairns added:

“Gambling is addictive by design. Gambling companies need people to lose, and they make it easier for addicted people to simply hand over their cash. In 2021, a study by the Centre for Social Justice found money from people with gambling addiction makes up 25% of the gambling industry's profits. It is not in the interests of the gambling industry for people to stop.

“People who watch football on TV are bombarded with gambling adverts. More than 300 impressions of gambling companies are shown on screen during the average Premier League match. An industry this harmful should not be allowed to have such unrestricted access to TV advertising. The government must immediately reform the system and hold gambling to account.

“Gambling companies have been repeatedly fined for breaking the law as it currently stands. Whether it is contacting people who have opted out of gambling with promotions, or using their logo in kids colouring competitions, the gambling industry places profits over people. We are ready for Rishi Sunak to act in the best interests of the country rather than the gambling companies.”

ENDS

Christian Action Research and Education (CARE) provides analysis of social policy from a Christian perspective. For more information or to request an interview, contact jamie.gillies@care.org.uk