Gambling Commission issues Senet Group warning
New self-regulatory body must not infringe on laws already enforced by the regulator
The newly-formed Senet Group must continue to adhere to current laws and measures already put in place by parliament and the regulator, Great Britain’s Gambling Commission has said.
Yesterday, four of the UK’s largest bookmakers announced the formation of a new self-regulatory body established to clamp down on irresponsible gambling advertising and improve the industry’s public image.
As well as signing up to a pre-watershed ban on free bet advertising, Ladbrokes, William Hill, Paddy Power and Coral all agreed for the Senet Group to have the power to name and issue fines to bookmakers found to be flouting its own rules.
This led some to question how the group’s powers would mesh with the Gambling Commission’s current role in enforcing the Gambling Act. And the regulator said any powers enforced by the Senet Group would have to work in tandem with current regulation.
“[The Senet Group’s role] has to take place against the backdrop of the law set by Parliament, the suite of licence conditions and codes of practice developed and enforced by the Gambling Commission, and the collected advice and good practice already collected and disseminated to the industry, across all aspects of gambling and applicable to all operators,” the Commission said.
Meanwhile MP and minister for sport and tourism Helen Grant publicly backed the Senet Group’s formation yesterday, stating that she was “encouraged” by the announcement and “pleased with [the] industry’s pro-activity”.