Gambling Minister wants white paper “out of the door”
Paul Scully says long-overdue document on changes to UK’s gambling laws will be published in the “next few weeks”
Gambling Minister Paul Scully has stated that he wants the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review “out of the door” but could not confirm a specific date.
Scully appeared on the BBC’s Politics Live programme yesterday and towards the end of the show he was asked when the government would publish the long-awaited paper.
He said: “All I can say is it’s going to be in the next few weeks and I’ll tell you for why: I have just left a meeting with Gambling with Lives and other people who have been badly affected by this [gambling] and I want to make sure I get it absolutely right.”
When Scully was probed by his fellow guests on whether the “next few weeks” means the white paper will arrive before Christmas, he responded: “Depends on how you define that.”
Scully is the fifth minister in charge of the white paper and took over the mantle from Damian Collins in October. It has been nearly three years since the government launched its review to make gambling regulation “fit for the digital age”.
Recent reports have stated that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is directly involved in the publication of the white paper and has already given the go-ahead for a number of recommendations before the document goes out for consultation.
Sunak is reportedly set to approve maximum stake limits for online slots of between £2 and £5 and for operators to have to carry out “non-intrusive” affordability checks on customers.
It is also thought the white paper will require an independent ombudsman to be established to deal with disputes customers have with online firms. There will also be more stringent age-verification checks to prevent underage gambling.
VIP programmes and football shirt sponsorship deals look set to remain in place.