It is no news that United Kingdom is the global leader when it comes to regulated gambling, and so far in 2021 the trend has continued, with online sector as the leader due to the closures and restrictions of land-based casinos. At the same time, player protection is continuing to get better and better, as five casinos were handed fines.
Gambling companies contribute to the UK economy
Michael Dugher, chief executive officer of the Betting and Gambling Council, recently stated that members of the industry standards association contributed £7.7bn in gross value added to the UK economy in 2019.
“At a time of economic fears and huge pressures on public finances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the huge contribution betting and gaming makes to UK plc could not be more important,” he further explained. “However, it is vital that the government get those changes right and does nothing to put at risk the future jobs and tax take of a growing, world-leading British industry”, Dugher concluded.
In particular, online gaming sector is responsible for the increase in revenue, with live dealer casino niche as the most vibrant and lucrative part of it.
Yearly increase in problem gamblers seeking help
GambleAware, a leading UK organization that deals with problem gambling, has reported a year-on-year increase in players classified as problem gamblers seeking help, and the global pandemic seems to have influenced the rise.
The research found a statistically significant increase of 16.7% in players who reported that they have used any form of treatment, advice or support related to problem gambling in the past 12 months.
This isn’t necessarily a sign of increase in problem gambling, especially not with the small sample size, but is definitely a sign that the players are willing to seeking help more than they did before. Zoë Osmond, CEO of GambleAware, said: “It is encouraging to see a year-on-year increase in those classified as problem gamblers seeking help, especially during the pandemic. These results will be used to help inform GambleAware’s new commissioning strategy as we continue our work to increase provision of and access to services.”
Five local casinos fined
Five smaller UK land-based casinos were faced with fines in late March 2021 as they were found to have failed to follow social responsibility and anti-money laundering rules set by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) and therefore the Commission will even put their operating licences under review.
Clockfair and Shaftesbury Casino will both pay a £260,000 regulatory settlement, Les Croupiers Casino will pay£202,500, Double Diamond Gaming will pay £247,000 and A&S Leisure Group will receive a warning and pay a £377,340 fine.
Richard Watson, the commission’s executive director, said: “These failings were identified as part of our ongoing drive to raise standards across the whole gambling industry.
“Every single operator must ensure they are following rules that are in place to make gambling safer and prevent it being a source of crime.”
At the same time, online operator Casumo will pay a £6m fine and undergo extensive auditing after a Commission assessment revealed social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.
To conclude, the UK gambling sector seems to be moving in the right direction, as the industry grows due to the activity of online casinos and game developers, while at the same time the regulatory bodies and player help associations are making sure the players are protected.
