Tag Archives: Lord Foster of Bath

EPIC calls for ‘critical’ UK legislation of loot boxes

SBC News EPIC calls for ‘critical’ UK legislation of loot boxes

EPIC Risk Management has cited an ‘apparent’ convergence between video games and gambling in the form of loot boxes, calling for greater restrictions on the controversial assets.  The gambling harm prevention consultancy organisation has argued in favour of a ban on sales of the products to under-18s as well as improved education for parents and guardians.  Prohibition of loot box …

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GambleAware reiterates calls for mandatory gambling harm levy

Zoe Osmund, GambleAware

GambleAware has repeated its calls for the introduction of a mandatory levy to support gambling harm prevention and treatment, ahead of the publication of the Gambling Act review White Paper. The problem gambling prevention organisation has argued for a levy of 1% as a licensing condition for betting firms wishing to operate in the UK, something which the group claims …

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Lib Dem peer calls for gambling reforms ‘as quickly as possible’

SBC News Lib Dem peer calls for gambling reforms ‘as quickly as possible’

Lord Foster, a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords, has reiterated calls for reform to the UK’s gambling industry ahead of the Gambling Act review judgement. As reported by BBC News, the long-time gambling reform advocate has argued that the UK government has taken long-enough – having ‘delayed and dithered’ in the Lord’s own words – to overhaul …

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Winning Post: Better Informed but None the Wiser…

SBC News Winning Post: Better Informed but None the Wiser…

Regulus Partners reviews the keynote speeches of DCMS under-secretary Chris Philip and UKGC Interim CEO Andrew Rhodes delivered at the 2021 GambleAware Conference. Whilst leadership can take some comfort on the regulators’ grounded approach to governing the sector, UK gambling remains none the wiser on the outcome of its generational review. Last week, the Government bestowed the early Christmas gift …

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Whittingdale backs DCMS’ evidence-led approach against APPG criticism

SBC News Whittingdale backs DCMS’ evidence-led approach against APPG criticism

John Whittingdale MP, the DCMS Minister overseeing the 2005 Gambling Act review, has responded to a letter from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Related Harm (GRH APPG) calling on the government to ‘act in an informed way’ on gambling advertising. Sent on 5 July, the letter concerned a parliamentary discussion held on 25 May, during which Whittingdale responded to …

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PGR asserts betting industry profits ‘will exceed financial costs’ of reforms

SBC News PGR asserts betting industry profits ‘will exceed financial costs’ of reforms

Peers for Gambling Reform (PGR) has published the findings of its latest report, arguing that an overhaul of UK gambling laws would likely have positive societal outcomes on employment, tax revenue and employee earnings. NERA was commissioned to undertake an ‘economic assessment’ of recommended industry reforms that have been suggested as part of the government’s generational review of the 2005 …

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Winning Post: Q4 betting margins… Feeling lucky?

betting margins

Regulus Partners kicks off 2021 by analysing how the pent-up demand for sports betting from Covid restricted consumers enlarged betting’s Q4 margins, as well as the House of Lords’ deep interest in the Gambling Act’s review…   In the depths of the first wave of lockdowns, online sports betting was among the beleaguered sectors of the gambling industry, lacking key …

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DCMS to pull trigger on Gambling Act review next week

SBC News DCMS to pull trigger on Gambling Act review next week

The Guardian has reported that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) will officially launch its review of the ‘2005 Gambling Act’ next week – undertaking the biggest reform of the UK betting sector since the ‘Blair Era’.  The review, which was marked as a 2019 General Election pledge by PM Boris Johnson, will review all current gambling …

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Lord Foster takes charge of ‘Peers for Gambling Reform’ group

SBC News Lord Foster takes charge of ‘Peers for Gambling Reform’ group

A group of peers within the House of Lords will undertake a review of gambling industry safeguards, duties and customer protections, seeking to inform the government about urgent changes to gambling regulation. ‘Peers for Gambling Reform’ (PGR) will be Chaired by Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat). Vice Chairs of the Group will include Lord Smith of Hindhead (Conservative), Baroness …

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