Gambling Commission accused of tweaking figures as reform talks begin
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has announced four consultations with industry players to discuss its gambling white paper. Although it already has a list of talking points, it may add new ones after the Gambling Commission (BGC) was accused of manipulating data to support its own narrative.
BGC boss Michael Dugher will appear before a Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee hearing on Tuesday. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the proposals put forward by the Government when it released its White Paper more than two months ago.
However, Dugger expected the conversation to veer off topic. Bath MP Lord Foster wrote a damning report on BGC's conduct on Monday, The Guardian reports.
MISMISSION THROUGH CREATIVE WRITING
Foster accused the BGC of misreporting industry statistics to stoke opposition to gambling reforms. As a result, MPs are now questioning the reliability and integrity of the gambling industry lobby.
Foster gives several examples to support his argument. It was pointed to a BGC statement noting an increase in illegal betting during last year's World Cup.
In a statement, Dugger and the committee claimed that research shows excessive government regulation leads to more black market gambling. However, participation in unregulated betting only accounts for 1% of the total, according to Foster and The Guardian, which has seen the actual investigation.
Dugger is also accused of blatantly lying about the report. In a January press release, he said reports showed widespread "affordability checks" could harm the industry. According to The Guardian , there was no mention of affordability checks in the report.
Foster accused the BGC of failing to correctly or accurately represent the report's data, a pattern that has emerged before. He said Dougall tweeted in December that BGC "fully and openly supports" the government's plan to ban the use of credit cards for gambling.
Foster dismissed the claim, pointing to a previous survey by the UK Gambling Commission that showed no online gambling operators supported the idea. It's worth noting, however, that a lot may have changed in that two-year period, as Foster cited an investigation conducted by the regulator in 2020.
There is also a claim that the gambling industry's voluntary decision to withdraw TV advertising resulted in a 97% reduction in content visible to children. The actual figure was 70%, and BGC was accused of skewing the results to better paint a better picture of the industry.
The road to reform is long
After the UK released its gambling white paper, it was immediately criticized by both parties. Any accusations that industry-related companies are manipulating data or content may only provide more ammunition for gambling opponents. If the allegations against Dugher and BGC are true, it would also make it difficult for the gaming industry to have confidence in the organization's claims.
The UKGC is likely to take this into account as it embarks on a series of consultations. The UK government hopes to have most of the measures in place by mid-2024, although regulators admit this will be a lengthy process.
The UKGC plans to publish guidance on all aspects of online gambling. This guide covers areas such as online game design, managing financial risk, and dealing with bugs. In addition, guidance is provided on direct marketing, sales and ensuring correct age verification on gambling websites.
There are two further consultations yet to be finalized and are not a result of the White Paper. These involve administrative licensing and regulatory procedures.
Each consultation period will last 12 weeks, welcome feedback from industry stakeholders, and end in October. Further consultations on incentives, management tools and other topics for responsible gambling will then follow.
There will be new elections next year and the new government may have a different view on gambling. That's why proponents of reform hope many of the measures will be implemented by then.
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Source: www.casino.org
