UK Gambling ombudsman “hasn’t been ruled out” minister says

Progress has yet to be made on an initiative that was proposed in the British Gambling Act review.

UK.- The long‑delayed issue of a UK Gambling Ombudsman resurfaced in a parliamentary debate on gambling reform at Westminster this week. But while the government says the measure is still being considered, it didn’t sound like progress will be coming any time soon.

The issue was raised by Sir Iain Duncan Smith, chair of the All‑Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling Reform. He called for answers on why nothing had been done to create an Ombudsman to oversee gambling disputes since the measure was proposed in Gambling White Paper back in April 2023.

Some two years ago it was recommended very clearly that a gambling ombudsman should be set up. So far, across two Governments, nothing has happened on that,” he said.

In response, Ian Murray, the minister for creative industries, media and arts, said the proposal “hasn’t been ruled out” and that it was still seen as the “most effective way to deliver independent alternative dispute resolution.”

However, he suggested that such a move would be some time away. “Work on this is ongoing, but it will require primary legislation,” Murray said. “We are conscious of the need to put in place an appropriate mechanism as soon as possible. With all the other things that we want to do to try to bed this in, we are very conscious that the industry is having to deal with an awful lot of change at the moment, but it is still on the agenda.”

Government “not anti-gambling”

Murray also rejected suggestions from the Conservatives that the Labour government is “anti-gambling“ following the UK gambling tax rises announced last week.

He said: “As a government we made these choices in the budget to deliver increases in gambling duties to reflect the way in which the sector has gone but also to make sure we are supporting our public finances.”

He added: “It’s very clear with the budget changes that the government is not anti-gambling. I’ve set out some of the measures we have introduced in support of the sector through the budget. We’ve also sought to limit the impact on the high street and protect activities that are lower risk and have greater levels of employment, and we recognise the dangers posed by the illegal market for those in the regulated sector as well as those at risk of gambling-related harm.”

Call for stricter advertising rules and more local powers

The debate also saw the issue of gambling advertising resurface. Charlie Maynard, MP for Whitney, called for tougher restrictions, including on sponsorships, traditional marketing channels such as television and social media. He pointed to Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands as examples to follow.

Maynard also called for local councils to be granted greater authority over gambling licensing decisions. This idea has been championed by several local authorities, with Bristol being the latest to join the calls.

In April, 38 local authorities signed a letter calling for powers for local authorities to reject planning applications for gambling venues. In September, Labour suggested that such powers would be included in its Pride in Place programme. However, it’s not yet clear if the details of that proposal will be enough to placate local authorities.