One party of parliamentarians in the United Kingdom has called on the nation’s government to start working on implementing a series of measures that would be aimed at transforming the United Kingdom’s thriving online gambling and gaming market. According to several reports by local and international news outlets including the iGamingBusiness.com online news domain, over thirty recommendations for revamp of the nation’s iGaming market were already submitted by the Gambling Related Harm All-Party Parliamentary Group.
This cross-party group of parliamentarians instigated their own investigation into the state of the United Kingdom’s online gaming and gambling industry. The investigation lasted for almost one year and during this time, the group heard from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission’s members as well as ministers, stakeholders, and other parties and individuals working in the industry.
Advocating Immediate Bans on iGaming Advertisements
According to one report released by the iGamingBusiness.com online news domain, the Gambling Related Harm All-Party Parliamentary Group’s eight-member body is one of the major advocates for immediate bans on iGaming-related advertisements. The eight-member body of the organization has justified this particular approach by saying that such actions taken would significantly reduce the commonness of all sorts of iGaming-related dangers and harms.
Also revealed by iGamingBusiness.com, the same panel has also called on the United Kingdom government to accept this proposed prohibition and implement it beyond those regular iGaming advertisement channels into other areas such as football console games and similar which usually feature related branding. Furthermore, the Gambling Related Harm All-Party Parliamentary Group suggested that the nation could introduce iGaming advertising controls that are similar to those which are already integrated into the Spanish iGaming market.
Proposed Revision of Online Gaming Bonuses and Other Incentives
It was also reported by several local news outlets that the eight-member body of the Gambling Related Harm All-Party Parliamentary Group also called on the nation’s Prime Minister Mr. Johnson to initiate an immediate review of the online gaming bonuses and other incentives offered by the UK-focused online gaming operators.
Furthermore, the Gambling Related Harm All-Party Parliamentary Group called for similar inquiries and subsequent prohibitions of frequently problematic VIP programs. According to the eight-member body, those VIP schemes or programs have been already cited as major factors related to regulatory penalties which were issued by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission to a number of iGaming operators.
The organization’s official statement reads that VIP schemes offered by online gaming and gambling operators in the United Kingdom boost profits while at the same time the United Kingdom Gambling Commission has examined the dependence of the iGaming industry on high-roller, VIP customers. It was also revealed that one iGaming operator has taken over eighty-three percent of all deposits from only two percent of its VIP scheme customers.
The cross-party group in the United Kingdom has also cited online slots, roulette, and in-game betting as rather problematic online gambling and betting products before it urged the nation’s government to start a vital review into these games. The review proposed by the organization will revolve around how these particular games are tested, how they are regulated, and how they are classified in relation to their addictiveness.
Lastly, the Gambling Related Harm All-Party Parliamentary Group advised the nation’s government to follow the steps taken by Australia which means banning reverse withdrawals, always displaying accurate information regarding winning odds on all games, and removing turbo spins on slot games for immediate speed reductions.
