UK Calls for More Regulation in Gambling
The UK government has been stringent as far as online gambling is concerned. Specifically, the government is working towards ensuring that there is order in the TV gambling advertising and sponsorship deals which involve gambling. This has caused a lot of public debate and controversy among various actors who are worried about the adverse effects of such activities to the society. Recently, there has been an increase in gambling advertising in the different sports which are shared live on TV.
Specifically, gambling involving football matches has increased over time which is causing alarm among many citizens. The authorities and charity organizations have expressed their worries that if this trend is not checked, it can lead to more harm in the long run. Perhaps the most vulnerable people are underage UK residents. If underage individuals are allowed to grow in an environment which is characterized by a lot of gambling, this might turn to be normal to them. Resultantly, they might embrace gambling from their young age and refrain from engaging in any meaningful economic activities in the future. This needs to be checked.
Most of the gambling companies in the United Kingdom have requested the government to come up with strict rules concerning gambling advertising. This is meant to protect the underage individuals and other vulnerable people in the society from the excessive consumption of this content. According to them, gambling advertising during the day needs to be abolished to protect the future of the young generation. Additionally, the sponsorship agreement signed between the various gambling firms and football clubs need to be abolished. Most of these campaigners are targeting the deals signed by these firms with the English Premier League which has millions of fans not only in the United Kingdom but also across the world.
Perhaps it is worth noting that is not new to the UK. Many nations across the world have made a lot of efforts to tackle this vice by imposing strict rules on all gambling activities which happen over the internet. The UK has made tremendous steps in this field. It has the best regulatory regime in the areas of gambling. Through the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), many gambling operators are now paying taxes, and their operations are under the scrutiny of this regulatory body. The body has done a great job in regulating both the online and offline gambling operators where more than 90% of the gambling operators are operating under its regulations.
However, there is a debate whether the calls for stricter regulation will make an impact in the industry. It is worth noting that there are nine gambling firms which took part in EPL sponsorship for the year 2018/2019. The shocking part is that eighth of these firms are from Asia. Most of the nations where these firms come from do not allow gambling advertising meaning that they are taking advantage of the UK regime. Thus it will be challenging for the UK to force them into following strict regulations. Additionally, it will be hard for the government to efficiently regulating the online gambling market.
