Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive of the UK Gambling Commission, has stated that the next phase of gambling white paper consultations will focus on the land-based sector.
Speaking at the Bingo Association Annual General Meeting 2024, Rhodes mentioned that the third consultation period will arrive later this year, likely this summer.
No specific start date for the consultation was provided by the Chief Executive, as he stated that “this work is not operating in a vacuum and so the exact timings will to some extent be dependent on other work elsewhere”.
Alongside the UKGC, white paper consultations are also being conducted by the UK government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport, working in tandem with the commission to establish the right future direction of the UK gambling market.
“I think this is a fair point to reflect on the strength of our collaboration with our sponsoring department, DCMS, and we will continue to do so,” commented Rhodes.
“Given the range of issues that DCMS has also consulted on it is important that the implementation of changes is done in a managed and coordinated way. So we are working closely with our colleagues in the department to finalise the publication dates for next steps on all of these white paper proposals.”
Notably, Rhodes highlighted the work DCMS is doing regarding the statutory levy and responding to its consultation period, to which he said the UKGC is committed to providing its support.
The Chief Executive stated: “The Gambling Commission remains committed to working with the government, operators and everyone in the Research, Treatment and Prevention sectors to make this work. And that is important.
“When the government sets out the timetable for the introduction of the levy, everyone will need to pull together to get it established. It will be important to provide certainty for the people up and down the country who rely on those services as well as for the organisations and charities that provide them.”
Over the past few months, GambleAware and GamCare have spotlighted just how important it is for the UK statutory levy to be implemented correctly, making sure that gambling harms treatment and services are still provided to those who need it without disruption.