White Paper already obsolete?
In April 2023, the Gambling Commission (UKGC) published a ‘once in a generation’ Gambling White Paper. It promised reform across the industry, aiming to reduce harm while preserving customer freedom. But just two years on, Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) senior adviser Wes Himes is worried it’s already being sidelined.
The 2023 white paper
It might be a little simplistic to think that everything was going to be addressed in the 2023 white paper! But, it truly had an enormous scope. Of the 62 measures outlined, some of the most transformative were to be:
- New affordability checks
- Online game design changes
- Changes to marketing rules
- Steps towards a statutory levy
The overall goal of the White Paper was to delicately balance making the industry more transparent and reducing gambling related harm, while simultaneously maintaining a strong focus on customer experience. The government’s initial prediction was that the white paper’s impact on gross gambling yield (GGY) for the online sector would be between £584m and £914m.
And so far…?
A whole lot has happened since April 2023. Below is a timeline of some of the most impressive (and perhaps divisive) steps taken to implement the white paper.
30 August 2024 – “Light-touch” vulnerability checks came into effect for those depositing more than £500 per month. This tightened further to £150 per month in February 2025.
17 January 2025 – New rules came into play aiming to reduce game intensity focusing on facets like turn durations and feature limits. These put limits that had previously only applied to online slots onto all online casino games.
6 April 2025 – The mandatory levy was launched. This should generate £100 million a year for research into, and prevention, and treatment of gambling related harms. This income is expected to generate more than double what the optional levy delivered.
9 April 2025 – Stake limits for slot games were set at a maximum of £5 for over 25s and £2 for 18-24-year-olds. The average spin was already less than £2, but the government believed this would deliver a £181 million hit to operator GGY.
1 May 2025 – Operators must now give customers control over direct marketing. This came as a response to some shocking incidents, in particular one where Sky Betting & Gaming bombarded a problem gambler with 1,300 marketing emails over a two-year period.
Yet to be implemented – the much-discussed Gambling Ombudsman. Despite being promised within a year of the white paper’s publication, there’s been no announcement. Also pending: retail casinos being allowed to offer sports betting.
Betting & Gaming Council senior adviser Wes Himes
Writing in May, Wes Himes made it clear: the White Paper is not obsolete, but some people are acting like it is. He stressed that many of its proposals are only just being implemented, and it’s far too soon to start talking about another round of reform.
His main point? A “once in a generation” paper should mean just that. Calls for additional policy shifts, before we’ve even had time to assess the current ones, are premature.
He noted that other bodies are already implementing changes of their own. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is reviewing its recent rules on “strong appeal”, in particular the use of celebrities in gambling marketing. The Information Commissioner’s Office is investigating cookies and tracking. The treasury has published a consultation on forming a new online gambling tax.
So much is happening in the gambling industry already, but Himes notes that it’s ‘just a sliver of the overall UK economy’. Despite this it commands a huge amount of attention, which can make the road ahead unnecessarily difficult for operators.
Gambling Commission update and other views on the white paper
UKGC CEO, Andrew Rhodes, has always stated that the goal of the white paper was to “get the balance right between protecting people... and respecting the freedom of adults”. It seems as though this goal is largely being realised.
However, there are plenty of pressure groups who feel differently. Gambling With Lives (GWL) don’t think the white paper offers enough protection. They’ve called for:
- A ban on all gambling advertising
- A £100/month loss limit for affordability checks
- An end to VIP perks and free bets
Liz Ritchie, GWL co-founder commented that “So much more needs to happen to reduce the horrendous harm caused by one of the most loosely regulated gambling industries in the world.”
Is that fair? Probably not. UK licensing is among the strictest globally. But, it is fair to say that many campaigners had hoped for a white paper with more ‘bite’.
Final words
The white paper is ambitious. Some of the effects of its policies are starting to be seen, and this time next year, I believe we’ll see how correct Wes Himes is. The White Paper is a once in a generation paper, and we need to give it at least a couple of years to prove its worth.
Hopefully it will make a considerable impact on gambling related harm, without decimating the UK gambling industry. Whether it will make enough of an impact on gambling related harm is the question that we can’t answer, quite yet.
