GC Welcomes New Culture Secretary
The Betting and Gaming Council has urged the government to publish its Gambling Act Review white paper. Welcoming the new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lucy Frazer, the industry body called on the department to deliver the reforms without delay. The white paper aims to bring the UK’s gambling legislation up to date with the digital age.
The Betting and Gaming Council represents 90% of the UK’s casinos, bookmakers and online operators. ?Javon Swaby/Pexels
Cabinet Reshuffle
The Betting and Gaming Council has congratulated MP Lucy Frazer on her appointment as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Frazer was promoted to the role last week as part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle. She has served as the MP for South East Cambridgeshire since 2015.
Frazer will head up the newly streamlined version of the department formerly known as the DCMS. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has dropped its digital brief, which has now been transferred to the new Department of Science, Innovation and Technology.
The cabinet shake-up has seen the creation of four new departments, as the Prime Minister seeks to ensure that the government can deliver on its economic promises. The changes come as Sunak aims to fulfil his five promises. These are to halve inflation, reduce debt, grow the economy, cut waiting lists and stop the boats. In addition to the DSIT, new departments include Energy Security and Net Zero, Business and Trade, and the refocused CMS.
Former Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan will lead the DSIT. The department will focus on attracting tech firms to the UK and cementing the country’s status as a global leader in innovation and free market enterprise. Donelan will continue to lead the Online Safety Bill, which aims to combat harmful content on the internet.
Frazer recently served as the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, a role she held since last October. Before that she served as Minister of State for Transport for little over a month. From September 2021 she acted as Financial Secretary to the Treasury. Other ministerial positions held have been in the Ministry of Justice. Frazer has also acted as Solicitor General for England and Wales.
Gambling Review Delays
The MP brings a wealth of expertise to her new role in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The streamlined department will recognize the importance of various industries to the economy while building on the UK’s position as a world leader in the creative arts.
While the office has been nicknamed the ‘Minister of Fun’, Frazer’s new role will not be an easy one. The department is recognized as one of the most disrupted in recent years. The new Culture Secretary is the ninth to hold the job title since 2016. In an effort to maintain some sense of continuity, no changes have been made to junior cabinet roles.
Undersecretary Paul Scully will stay in charge of the Gambling Act Review, a brief he has been responsible for since October 2022. Scully is the fifth minister to oversee the review since its launch at the end of 2020. Previous ministers who have led the review include Nigel Huddleston, John Whittingdale, Chris Philp, and most recently Damian Collins.
The review itself has been beset with delays. Initially slated to be completed within a year, a white paper has yet to be published. The Covid-19 pandemic, the National Lottery License Competition and numerous cabinet reshuffles have all set the government’s original timeline back.
In the summer of 2022, it appeared that the white paper was close to being published. Chris Philp, who resigned over the Chris Pincher scandal, stated that the review had been handed to then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson at No. 10 for final approval. Philp urged Johnson to deliver the review in full and undiluted, but the Conservative leader’s resignation and the subsequent party crisis put the brief on the backburner.
Targeted Reforms
The Betting and Gaming Council has welcomed Frazer to her new role. The industry body represents 90% of the UK’s bookmakers, casinos and online operators. The gambling industry generates around ￡4.2 billion in the taxes for the UK’s Treasury and contributes ￡7.1 billion to the economy. 110,000 jobs rely on the regulated betting and gaming industry.
Speaking on behalf of the industry body, Michael Dugher urged the new Culture Secretary to deliver the gambling white paper without delay. Explaining that her appointment comes at a critical time for the sector, the BGC’s CEO called on Frazer to listen to those in the racing industry that are concerned about intrusive affordability checks driving punters into the arms of black-market operators. Dugher added:
“We continue to call for big changes so that standards in safer gambling continue to improve, but these changes must be carefully targeted to protect the small minority who are at risk or vulnerable, and not interfere with the overwhelming majority who enjoy betting safely and responsibly.”
The BGC is also hopeful that Frazer will reject calls for new taxes on the industry. The industry body has called for the creation of an ombudsman to address consumer reparation and has cooperated with previous ministers throughout the review. It is now keen to see the white paper published as soon as possible to put an end to the uncertainty that has loomed over the sector for more than two years.
Since Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took office in October 2022, rumors that the review could be scrapped have been put to bed. At the end of 2022 Paul Scully claimed that the white paper would be delivered in the coming months, leading many to believe that the new legislation would be released this month. As of yet no firm date has been given.
