UKGC Calls For Development of New National Strategy

Britain's gambling regulatory body, United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) has called for contributions for a new National Responsible Gambling Strategy that will be replacing the old one once it expires in March 2019. The strategy's key aim and purpose is to reduce gambling harms.

The Commission has identified five priority areas that all the parties and bodies they will be collaborating with are encouraged to provide views on.

The discussion on a new national strategy has been opened on December 4th and will be closing on February 15th next year.

Taking Responsibilities

Part of the discussion will be proposed amendments to “LCCP requirements on gambling businesses to contribute to research, prevention and treatment.” This will be a formal consultation under Section 24 of 2005's Gambling Act.

It is further noted that “successful delivery of the strategy will require collective effort and engagement from a wide range of stakeholders.” The Commission wants “as many people and organisations as possible to have a voice in shaping the strategy and the arrangements needed to deliver it.”

The copy of the Consultation form and its contents can be found on the UKGC's website and is where everyone can publish their views on all particular matters...

...with the centerpiece being five priority areas, as defined by Commission's experts. They are:

• Research to inform action (to widen the research base by establishing a central data repository)
• Prevention (to progress the framework for measuring gambling-related harms)
• Treatment (to ensure that current treatments are evaluated, and needs are assessed)
• Evaluation (to embed a culture of evaluation through use of the protocol)
• Gambling businesses (to focus industry efforts for safer gambling through targeted collaboration)

Voicing Opinions on Important Matters

The commission's official statement regarding this goes as follows…

“The current National Responsible Gambling Strategy comes to an end in March 2019 and we are developing a new national strategy to reduce gambling harms.

We committed in our business plan to develop the new strategy and continue to be committed to driving and encouraging progress within our remit. However, we are only one of the bodies with a role to play, and will work together with Government, public health, the charitable sector and gambling businesses in order to make real progress to reduce gambling harms.”

The statement further reads that LCCP amendment is proposed in order specify that, under the provision, contributions made by licensees are made to organizations strictly approved by UKGC. This should “give clarity to gambling businesses on how they can ensure they are compliant.”

A Well Thought-Out Strategy

The full overview of the discussion, as well as medical and legal experts' findings, opinions and general approach to tackling gambling-related harm as outlined by the new strategy can be found in this pdf file on the Commission's official page.

It outlines the specifics of the proposed program consisting of defining the problem, identifying risk and protective factors, developing and testing prevention strategies and ensuring widespread adoption.

Source:

“Discussion on a new national strategy to reduce gambling harms”, gamblingcommission.gov.uk, December 12, 2018.