DCMS review to assess the impact of the Gambling Act on consumers

DCMS to Evaluate Effectiveness and Unintended Consequences of Gambling Act Review

The UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is launching a comprehensive review to assess whether the reforms outlined in the Gambling Act Review white paper are being implemented effectively or causing any unforeseen issues. This evaluation will focus on the measures already enacted and their outcomes.

Commission and Collaborative Effort

The evaluation plan, published on 5 December, has been developed in partnership with the Gambling Commission, with additional support from the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen).

The Gambling Act Review white paper, first published in April 2023 after delays, proposed updates to the 2005 Gambling Act to reflect the rise of online gambling. Some measures have already been implemented, including:

• The introduction of a new statutory levy on gambling profits.
• New stake limits on online slot machines, following a previous commitment from the former Conservative government in February.

Evaluating Policy Outcomes and Unintended Effects

The DCMS’s evaluation will examine:

• Whether the reforms are being implemented effectively.
• Whether intended outcomes are being achieved.
• Whether any unforeseen consequences have emerged as a result of the reforms.

The review will incorporate feedback and data from a variety of sources, including:

• Consumer surveys.
• Operator surveys.
• In-depth interviews and focus groups.
• Monitoring and data analysis.

Additionally, a ‘lived experience panel’ will be established, including individuals with personal experiences of gambling and gambling-related harm. This panel will collaborate with the Gambling Commission’s existing lived experience advisory panel.

The final evaluation report is expected in 2026, with research and data collection set to begin in the coming months.

The DCMS stated:

“The impacts and outcomes of specific proposals will be evaluated individually, as well as in a package, to assess the collective effect of the measures implemented to date.”

Collaboration Will Be Crucial

Bryony Sheldon, Director of Policy for the Gambling Commission, emphasized the importance of cross-sector cooperation for the evaluation’s success. An independent advisory group, administered by NatCen, will include stakeholders such as researchers, academics, evaluators, and practitioners.

Sheldon commented:

“Evaluation requires involvement and cooperation from a wide variety of stakeholders. We have engaged extensively and will continue to do so through both formal and informal consultation. The experience of consumers, operators, and other stakeholders will be central to this review.”

She added that the evaluation will involve prioritization and pragmatic decision-making to focus efforts effectively.

Latest Gambling Participation Data

The Gambling Commission has also published its latest findings on gambling activity across Great Britain, as part of Wave Two of the ‘Gambling Survey for Great Britain’. Key highlights include:

• 48% of respondents engaged in some form of gambling in the last four weeks, consistent with the previous year.
• When excluding lottery participants, 28% engaged in gambling.
• 37% participated in online gambling, consistent with last year. This drops to 17% without including lottery players.
• 29% engaged in in-person gambling, largely unchanged from the previous year.
• Most common gambling activities outside lotteries were scratchcards (12%) and sports betting (12%).
• Gambling participation is highest among males aged 45 to 64, but among non-lottery players, males aged 25 to 34 have the highest participation rates.

The two primary reasons respondents cited for gambling were “for the chance to win big money” and because “it is fun.”

These insights, combined with the ongoing evaluation, will inform the DCMS and Gambling Commission’s efforts to refine policies, assess reforms, and ensure the integrity of the gambling environment in Great Britain.