UK Gambling Commission Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes has highlighted the challenge of finding the right balance for the industry as it navigates the Gambling Act Review.
During his speech at ICE London 2024, Rhodes defined the governance of UK gambling as being in “constant motion” and “like a wave, with peaks and troughs between tightening regulation to minimise the risks of harm and to maintain a fair market, through to unrestrained consumer choice and industry innovation”.
He stated: “Gambling then never stands still. Through innovation, changes in regulation and of course consumer behaviour itself, the eco-system of gambling is, if not in constant flux, at least always changing as each of us look to change the balance to better suit how we think it should be.”
With the UK being a mature market with 22.5 million – 44 per cent of the adult population – gambling in one form or another each year, the UKGC Chief Executive acknowledged the duty of protecting “the small proportion of people who do experience problems”, which is “hundreds of thousands of people”.
Rhodes mentioned that any regulator’s goal should be for “safe, fair and crime-free gambling, which still allows for consumer choice and innovation in the market”.
For the UKGC, this means correctly implementing the Gambling Act Review to ensure a smooth process for all, while also protecting those who need help.
Regarding financial risk checks, Rhodes mentioned that a sensible implementation approach will be taken, such as phased implementation and the use of pilots, to make sure that it is introduced correctly.
He added that the UKGC hopes to publish the next steps on financial risk checks and other consultation topics from last summer in the coming weeks. An independent review of the Gambling Survey of Great Britain will be also published this month.
“When it comes to getting the balance right, the White Paper makes clear there is work to do, in terms of preventing gambling harms and minimising risk,” noted Rhodes.
“But neither does it radically shut down industry’s ability to innovate or to compete with each other. And crucially it calls for more powers and resources for my team at the commission to both keep the legitimate market safe and fair but to also take further action against illegal online gambling.”
Rhodes concluded: “Getting the balance right is important and keeping that balance is a job that’s never done.”