IN SUMMARY:
- The UK Gambling Commission’s proposed changes to amend the Gambling Law face opposition in the country
- A letter sent to the British Parliament asks lawmakers to pressure UKGC into reconsidering those changes, which include bringing more control over the horseracing industry and media rights income
- Experts say the new laws could lead to significant losses, estimated at $82 million
“Invasion of Personal Freedom”
The focus of the British lawmakers to reform Great Britain’s gaming laws faces controversy in the country, opened to debate by an anonymous letter recently sent to the British Parliament’s MPs. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) aims to amend the current outdated laws to bring the Gambling Law into the present.
The changes suggested by UKGC are a “significant invasion of personal freedom,” the letter says. Lawmakers want more control over the horseracing industry and its media rights revenues. This would lead to a domino effect expected to result in $82 million in losses, according to the estimations of industry experts and bettors.
Race Betting and iGaming Should Be Separated, Letter Says
The letter demands lawmakers pressure UKGC into reassessing the proposed changes while keeping in line with the government’s expectations for the Gambling Law.
iGaming and race betting should be set apart and follow different regulations, the authors of the letter added. They claim that race betting requires more skill and that it leads to less gambling-related issues, such as addiction.
According to the letter, the horse racing sector in the UK has been “fair [and] safe” and “stood the test of time”.
Individual rights could also be affected, it said:
“[The proposed changes] would be disproportionate to the small number of people who suffer damage from gambling in races, in addition to being a very significant invasion of personal freedom in the free society in which we live.”
Letter sent anonymously to MPs of the British Parliament’
Read more. https://www.gamblingnews.com/news/ukgcs-proposed-gambling-law-reform-faces-controversy/
