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A group of Parliamentarians who have a shared interest in the UK gambling industry, the Parliamentary All Party Betting & Gaming Group (APBGG), has launched an inquiry into the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) questioning its competence.
The APBGG states that there have been ongoing complaints by industry members for years to date. Nonetheless, operators have been afraid to disclose any of their concerns about the industry regulator, in public.
The investigation comes at a time in which the government prepares its review of the 2005 Gambling Act, in which the role of the UKGC is to be examined.
APBGG’s co-chair, Scott Benton MP, said:
“For a number of years, industry members have come to us and complained about the activities of the commission. They have been too scared to go public with their concerns, some even about the very legality of the commission’s undertakings, due to the commission’s power over them.”
Although there were critical reports by the Public Accounts Committee, National Audit Office and House of Lords Select Committee in 2020, they do not fully cover the allegations against the UKGC, said the APBGG. Benton makes it clear that the UKGC, as a key player in the industry, should be challenged and made accountable over its actions. He stated:
“As they have no formal method of complaint apart from the commission itself, we feel it is our duty to provide a conduit for legitimate criticism of the regulator.”
Benton concluded by stating that reliable regulatory oversight is not too much to ask for:
“All the British gambling industry wants is a competent and effective regulator.”
In response to the inquiry, spokesperson for the Gambling Commission said that the commission is “committed to making gambling fairer, safer and crime-free,” and that, in order to achieve this, the UKGC “regularly and openly” engages with parliamentarians on both the Gambling Act review.