After years of delay, the British government is finally releasing its white paper on proposed reforms to the country’s gambling industry. While no one knows how big an impact the paper will actually have on UK-facing operators, the initial signs point towards modest changes to common business practices rather than very radical ones.
British Culture secretary Lucy Frazer gave some hints at the contents of the white paper in a recent editorial in the Times. Though the article covered a lot of ground, Frazer did reveal a few of the proposed changes that are in the white paper.
For starters, it appears that online slot limits will be a major part of the reforms. Frazer suggests that players under the age of 24 will be limited to £2 ($2.50 USD) spins, while players 25 and older will likely be limited to £25 ($31 USD) a spin.
Players who experience big losses over relatively short periods of time will also face additional scrutiny under the terms proposed in the white paper. Losses of £1,000 ($1,250 USD) a day, or £2,000 ($2500 USD) over 90 days will likely be queried about the sources of their funds.
According to Frazer’s article, the government is still a bit on the fence when it comes to how it wants to conduct affordability checks to weed out especially vulnerable players. While it seems as though the government is leaning towards additional checks on players losing £125 or more a day, that’s an issue that will be resolved at a later date.
Frazer summed up the limits of her ability to completely protect the vulnerable saying, “But one that also recognises that our regulations are not up to the task of protecting people in the age of the smartphone. There are blindspots in the system that are being exploited, keeping addicts addicted and disproportionately impacting some of our communities who are least able to afford it.”
The complete white paper is set for release later today.