There is ‘no justification’ for online slot machine style games to have staking levels above £2, says a report from the Gambling Related Harm All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). The document, which is the result of a six-month inquiry into online gambling harms, calls for the government to ‘urgently introduce’ new gambling legislation with a focus on harm prevention.
The Gambling Commission also needs to improve its standards in the area of online gambling, the report adds, while banks should be given an ‘increased role’ in carrying out affordability checks. The use of credit cards should also be banned by online gambling sites, it says, to prevent people using debt to finance their gambling.
The sector needs to urgently adopt a ‘more responsible’ approach to advertising to protect vulnerable people and children, it continues, while the use of ‘VIP’ accounts and other inducements should also be restricted.
‘This report highlights the urgent need for a root and branch review of the regulation of online gambling,’ said APPG chair Carolyn Harris MP. ‘Stakes and prize limits online would be a major step forward in reducing the harm caused by the sector.’
See the December/January issue of DDN for a special eight-page supplement on gambling harms.