Turmoil at No 10 signals further delays for gambling review
The upcoming gambling white paper appears to be put on hold once again, as Boris Johnson’s impending resignation dominates the political agenda and DCMS Minister for Tech and Digital Minister Chris Philp steps down.
In the latter’s resignation letter this morning, he said that the Gambling Review is currently “with No 10 at the moment for final approval”.
Philp added that the review currently contains “strong measures to protect people from the ravages of gambling addiction”, urging the government to deliver “in full and undiluted”.
Speaking at a DCMS committee meeting earlier this week, Philp suggested the focus of the review would be on online betting.
“The things that worry me the most as we think about the gambling White Paper are things like online slots and online casinos – the areas where people can get really heavily addicted to gambling,” Philp said. “But, that said, we do want to make sure it’s done safely.”
The landmark review of the Gambling Act 2005 was initially expected in the Spring, but has been delayed on multiple occasions, with the recent political turbulence spelling further delays.
Nonetheless, DCMS Under-Secretary Nigel Huddleston has reportedly pushed back against such suggestions and stated that the review is still set to be published “in the coming weeks”.
Nonetheless, the lack of clarity would leave a number of matters up in the air.
DCMS was notably expected to make a decision regarding gambling firm sponsorship in Premier League football.
According to reports from City PM, Premier League clubs were asked to back this voluntary ban on sponsorships.