Are crime and gambling related? UK Commission will investigate

Every time it seems as though life couldn’t get any tougher for the UK-facing gambling in industry, life gets tougher for the UK-facing gambling industry. After enduring massive reductions to stakes for fixed-odds betting terminals and increased regulatory scrutiny, UK operators must now brace themselves for the Howard League for Penal Reform’s Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling.
The Howard League is tasked with investigating, “patterns of crime linked to problem gambling, and the societal harms that connect the two.” That’s a big mandate that could spell big trouble for all UK operators, whether they’re playing by the rules or not.
According to a report on SBC News, the commission will be made up of 15 members. Those members include only one representative of the gambling industry, Andrew Black, co-founder of Betfair. The remaining members are academics and lawyers.
Lord Goldsmith QC, Chair of the Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling outlined the group’s efforts saying, “Concern about harmful gambling activity has been growing for some time, but this is the first commission to focus specifically on the relationship between problem gambling and crime. Our commission will seek to establish what the links are; what impact they have on communities and wider society; and, crucially, what steps could be taken to reduce crime and make people safer.”
Not surprisingly, the Howard Commission received the full support of UK Gambling Commission Executive Director Tim Smith who said, “We support the Howard League’s evidence-based and comprehensive approach and anticipate that the recommendations from the Commission will help us make better and faster progress in delivering the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms.”
The group’s report is expected to be ready in about three years.