DAVY VIEW

The House of Lords Select Committee has published its long-anticipated report on Gambling Harm. Of the various parties issuing expert/recommendation reports on this topic in recent times, this is among the most critical and most likely to influence future legislation. On first glance, the broad approach appears sensible, mainly evidence-based and likely to accelerate progress towards legislative certainty (it calls for an accelerated review of the Gambling Act). It also appears to have resisted calls for blanket restrictions in key areas, such as maximum stake limits and advertising, while also recommending greater enforcement against offshore operators. All considered, we believe this to be a positive step on the inevitable path towards greater UK gaming regulation.