SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Publishing its party manifesto today, Labour confirms that it will sanction for a new ‘Gambling Act’, should it win the UK General Election on 12 December.
Presenting the ’Real Change manifesto’, party leader Jeremy Corbyn stated that a new Gambling Act was required to overhaul betting advertising, making UK gambling legislation ‘fit for the digital age’.
Beyond advertising, a new Gambling Act would include establishing ‘gambling limits’ and introducing a direct levy on operators funding UK problem gambling support networks.
Corbyn’s short statement on gambling supports the introduction of ‘mechanisms for consumer compensation’, a dynamic first broached by former Labour Deputy Tom Watson, who had called for the UK gambling industry to be overseen by a civic ombudsman monitoring consumer engagements.
Elsewhere Corbyn highlights concerns on the accessibility, pricing and funding of football, as the Labour Party commits to ‘examining the state of the game’.
“In football, the professional game has become divided between the extremes of the very rich and the very poor with clubs in Bury and Bolton
facing collapse” – Jeremy Corbyn states.
Labour would sanction a review of football governance and regulations, focusing on ownership rules, the funding of clubs, treatment of supporters and further community dynamics.
“We will review the ‘fit and proper person test’ for club owners and directors and ensure that supporters’ trusts have a proper role so that the professional game is properly run for all its fans and all its clubs.”
A Labour government would ‘legislate for accredited football supporter trusts’, which would be able to purchase communal shares and appoint or remove ‘at least two club directors’.
Mirroring Lib Dem pledges, Labour supports regulating ‘safe standing in stadiums’ and states that it will enforce for a proportion of Premier League TV rights to be allocated towards developing football grassroots initiatives.
Corbyn ends the manifesto’s segment on sports by confirming that the ICC Cricket World Cup will be added to the crown jewel sporting
events that are broadcast free-to-air.
