May 2024
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This conference focused on implementation of proposed reforms to the betting and gaming industry in the UK.
It took place in light of the Government’s High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age white paper published in April 2023, and was an opportunity to assess key developments in policy and regulation and their implications for the sector, its customers and its partners.
The conference brought stakeholders together with policymakers to discuss practicalities and issues surrounding the implementation of changes to licensing conditions and technical standards, as well as options for introduction of the proposed statutory levy in anticipation of the Government’s response to the recent consultation on its structure, distribution and governance.
Discussion considered the operation of the statutory levy, including issues surrounding the proportionality of rates, the potential financial impact on the sector, and what will be needed to optimise a collaborative structure between funding recipients in research, prevention and treatment (RPT) bodies.
Delegates assessed proposed changes to the 80/20 machine rule in land-based premises and the recent announcement of maximum online stake limits, examining what will be needed if proposals are to be implemented by September 2024.
It was an opportunity to explore options for implementation of enhanced consumer safety measures, both online and in land-based premises, including practicalities of proposed changes to speed of play and game design, with forthcoming responses to Gambling Commission consultations on white paper reforms expected shortly.
There was also discussion on next steps for tackling gambling-related harm, heightened age-verification in land-based premises, and strengthened financial vulnerability checks, including the impact on the industry and its consumers, and options for the creation and operation of an independent industry ombudsman.
Further sessions assessed the financial and regulatory impact of proposed reforms, implications on M&A activity and market dynamics, the impact of emerging technologies and AI, and future opportunities for increased modernisation of the land-based sector.
We are pleased to have been able to include keynote sessions with: Ben Dean, Director, Sport and Gambling, Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive Officer, Gambling Commission; Professor Leighton Vaughan Williams, Director, Betting Research Unit, Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University; and Zöe Osmond, Chief Executive Officer, GambleAware.
The conference was an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who attended from the Cabinet Office; DBT; DfC, NI; DfE; DHSC; HMRC; HM Treasury; Home Office; NAO; NCSC; and the Welsh Government; as well as parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Lords.
