It is easier than ever before to become addicted to gambling, and lives are being lost as a result. It’s time for action, writes Jamie Gillies.
It’s been a tumultuous year in British politics, with two leadership contests in the space of just a few months, after an outpouring of public anger about the transgressions of Boris Johnson.
To the politically disinterested, news of infighting, backbiting and chaos inside the corridors of power will have been a tiresome spectacle. Something to tut about with friends over a pint, before agreeing that politics is a mess. But, for campaigners agitating for positive change, the events of recent months have been a lot more disheartening.
Political chaos down south has had a devastating impact in the area of gambling law reform. The Tories pledged to fix outdated gambling laws in 2019, aware that they are no longer serving the British public well.
A white paper was promised to chart a path forward that puts the welfare of gamblers first, and makes betting companies more accountable. This white paper has been delayed repeatedly, and is still nowhere to be seen, despite it reportedly being ready for sign off by Boris Johnson when he was still in office. It appears to have left Number 10 with him.
This really matters for millions of people. Current UK legislation governing gambling, the Gambling Act 2005, is hopelessly out of date.
Since it was introduced, online betting has exploded, and punters can now have a flutter 24/7. Advertising is endemic – online, in apps, on TV, on radio. And this lax situation has been damaging.
We now see one gambling-related suicide every single day, A&E clinics overrun with distraught young men, an estimated 2.2 million people in the grip of addiction, or at risk. Suffering on a grand scale.
Those calling for reform aren’t asking for anything controversial
Despite all this, the government still appears to be swithering about what to do. Betting executives remind MPs that their industry raises around £3 billion every year for the Treasury, whilst offering them “perks”. Close to half of this money goes towards mitigating the damage the industry causes.
According to the UK Government’s own research, the annual economic burden of harmful gambling adds up to around £1.27 billion. This includes health harms (£961.3 million), homelessness (£62.8 million), suicide (£619.2 million) – and the list goes on.
A government that continues to fill its coffers with industry money while overlooking its negative effects is morally bankrupt
Does a fat cheque from gambling giants, operating in a practically unregulated market, really justify all this? A government that continues to fill its coffers with industry money while overlooking its negative effects is morally bankrupt.
Those calling for reform aren’t asking for anything controversial. They just want sensible curbs on companies that are operating without proper accountability, and which have failed to take steps to prevent their own abuses.
Politicians have a duty to protect the public. Big betting can no longer be allowed to run riot.
Limit betting companies like tobacco firms
One reasonable step suggested to government ministers is a mandatory levy on betting companies each year, to fund treatment for addiction and addiction research. At present, companies can donate voluntarily, but give well below what they can afford. It is not right that fat cats in charge of gambling companies take home hundreds of millions in bonuses each year, while those whose bank accounts they’ve pillaged suffer untold harm.
Companies that pollute the environment get fined heavily. Tobacco companies are taxed to the hilt. It’s time for betting giants to pay their dues.
Ministers will also need to think about measures that reduce the impact of adverts. Sport is saturated with gambling content, despite evidence that people who bet on sports are more likely to become addicted. Those struggling with problem gambling can’t attend a match, watch one on TV, or pick up a paper without being bombarded with ads.
There have also been troubling reports about gambling products being marketed to children – companies grooming the next generation of cash cows. Reasonable people can see that new rules and restraints are needed.
Gambling kills
Barely a day goes by without devastating headlines concerning gambling addiction. Bereaved mothers recently wrote the the prime minister calling for action.
It’s time for the government to follow through on promises made long ago, and do the right thing
Suggesting that “gambling kills” should be listed on every betting advert, they said: “Never, ever, were we, or our children, warned or educated about the risks of gambling, and how easy it is to become addicted”. Their stories are echoed in thousands of households, and will be in perpetuity, if things don’t change.
It’s time for the government to follow through on promises made long ago, and do the right thing. Allowing the status quo to continue is an inexcusable gamble with people’s lives.
Jamie Gillies is a campaigner and commentator based in the north-east of Scotland
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