The Prime Minister has been urged to take “quick, effective action” to safeguard vulnerable people from gambling harms.
The Christian Institute’s director has written to Andy Burnham, calling for reform to restrict advertising, protect children from exposure to gambling products and to reduce the stake limit for all online gambling.
Ciarán Kelly told the Prime Minister: “Christians have always championed the vulnerable. Gambling is one of the ways in which vulnerable people can be exploited.”
Describing it as a “scourge on society”, he said the “gambling industry profits by making false promises of easy money to those who are desperate to escape poverty” and that it “disproportionately exploits those suffering from poor mental health”.
An estimated 1.3 million British adults were classed as ‘problem gamblers’ last year, according to the Gambling Commission. Its research also found the most deprived 20% of England is nearly four times more likely to have severe gambling problems than the richest 20%.
The letter said “the pervasiveness of gambling advertising in modern Britain is disturbing”, pointing to marketing which presents winnings as within reach. It also called its proliferation in sport as “endemic”, despite some voluntary restrictions on Premier League front-of-shirt adverts.
Kelly said that “children are being groomed to gamble” through the use of so-called loot boxes in games, mimicking gambling as players pay real money to unlock random rewards, which companies should be held accountable for. He also warned of games which look “colourful [and] family-friendly”.
Urging the government to go further with creating dedicated legislation, Kelly called for the maximum stakes which are in place for slot games to be extended to all of online gambling.
It comes after the government announced councils are to be given powers to stop bookmakers and adult gaming venues taking over high streets, scrapping existing rules which limit local authorities’ ability to refuse those shops.
A new minister responsible for gambling policy was appointed on Wednesday. Vicky Foxcroft MP has previously signalled support for a ban on advertising during live sport.