Getting to grips with gambling controls
In the December issue of Ethical Performance, Leo Martin asks if the gambling industry is doing enough to promote responsible gambling
According to the Gambling Commission, almost three quarters of the UK population participate in some form of gambling, up from just over two-thirds in 2007. While the vast majority of gamblers (92%) do so safely, without risk of developing a problem, the number of people in danger of becoming problem gamblers has reached almost a million. Worse still, the numbers with some form of gambling addiction have doubled over the last six years to almost 500,000, with the average debt standing at £17,500.
While the industry acknowledges that it must take a proactive approach to promoting responsible gambling, is it really doing enough?
The latest statistics from Gamcare reveal that the numbers receiving treatment through their organisation rose by 21% in 2012/3, with visitors to the site that year up by 100,000 and posts on the forum for problem gamblers up by 35%.
In an attempt to tackle the problem, the industry regulatory body, The Gambling Commission, is currently consulting on new licensing standards that could include a social responsibility code as well as advertising restrictions. Meanwhile, four of Britain’s biggest bookmakers have formed The Senet Group in a move to promote responsible gambling.
Read the article in full: Getting to grips with gambling controls