UK Gaming White Paper Will Influence Australian Reform

The UK gambling white paper release marks an important step in regulating policies for legislations around the world. It can also influence Australian reforms. Australia wants to improve its gambling regulations, following the example of the UK. 

It is therefore conceivable that Australia may use the recently published White Paper as a template for its own legislation. This is the first conclusion drawn by Professor Sally Gainsbury from the University of Sydney during a webinar after recent developments.

During the webinar, Sally Gainsbury spoke with two representatives from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), Director Ben Haden and Executive Director of Research and Policy Tim Miller. Gainsbury works at the University of Sydney and is the Director of the Gambling Treatment & Research Clinic. She was accompanied by Assistant Professor Khalil Philander, who works at Washington State University.

The topic of discussion was the newly introduced white paper in the United Kingdom, which outlines reforms to the Gambling Act. The document enables the UKGC to expand its regulatory powers in the fight against illegal gambling offerings. The revised legislation on the island aims to provide better protection for problem gamblers.

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Evidence Gaps and Priorities

One of the plans that the UK regulator will implement is the publication of findings from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain. This is part of the three-year plan called “Evidence Gaps and Priorities”. Ben Haden had the following to say about it:

“We are going through a testing phase to transition to a new methodology for what we will call the Gambling Survey for Great Britain… I think it will give us a fundamentally very robust sample to understand consumer behaviour and the level of gambling related harm they have experienced.”

Ben Haden, Director of the UK Gambling Commission

In Australia, there is growing support to make changes to the current online gambling regulations. According to Gainsbury, the white paper can serve as a guide for Australia, as well as many other countries. She indicates that the world is closely observing the new gambling law in the United Kingdom:

“Many people around the world are watching what is happening in the United Kingdom. Australian gambling regulations are currently being reviewed, and the changes in the UK are likely to influence future Australian gambling reforms.”

Sally Gainsbury, Professor at the University of Sydney

According to Tim Miller, the Executive Director for Research and Policy, the measures outlined in the white paper are tailored specifically to the gambling market in Great Britain. While some of these measures may be applicable in other jurisdictions, it is evident that much of the approach is a response to the specific operating environment in the United Kingdom, taking into consideration the perspectives and opinions of consumers.

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Future Discussions Ahead

On Thursday, gambling experts will continue to discuss the white paper in the United Kingdom and the future of gambling in Australia. Australia awaits a report before deciding on a ban on gambling advertisements. One of the proposed changes in Australia is a ban on gambling advertisements on television. This proposal was put forward by Australian parliamentarian Zoe Daniel. It is expected that this proposal will not be discussed in the near future, as the government is currently awaiting the findings of a report on advertisements from online casinos in Australia.

The proposal to ban credit cards at legal online casinos has been approved in Australia. This ban was already in place for land-based casinos. The government has implemented this ban to better protect vulnerable players.

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