Political chaos may delay new UK gambling regulation

The drama being enacted in Westminster, London, over the collapse of Boris Johnson’s premiership, is likely to have fallout on the proposed new gambling legislation.

It was expected that a white paper – a consultative document – would be released by the UK Government around now, covering many issues in the updating of the Gambling Act. Internet gambling was top of the agenda for that tidy-up of the regulations.

Now the entire issue may be put back to later in the year. Among the many resignations of ministers in the present chaotic political situation is that of Chris Philp, the gambling minister. A replacement will be appointed in time and it is hoped within the gambling industry that this will trigger a return to consideration of the white paper.

Many suspect that nothing will now happen until the end of the year. This is seen by some elements in the industry – notably the AWP sector – as not too big a problem. The new regulations will almost certainly centre on igaming, with other elements of gambling in the UK treated as nothing much more than a tidying-up of outdated regulation.

It was widely hoped, however, that the new regulations would include a right to use debit cards directly into machines to trigger play.