Written by Jon Bryan | Expected reading time 3 minutes
Last Updated: June 13, 2024
Written by Jon Bryan
Will a new Prime Minister signal much change in the realms of Gambling Policy? Writing for SlotsHawk.com, Jon Bryan doesn’t think so.
Whoever gets the keys to Downing Street after the election on July 4th, many of the discussions and policies about gambling have already been settled. Or, at the very least, the framework for them has been.
MANIFESTO COMMITTEMENTS
We haven’t yet seen the manifestos that the mainstream political parties will be putting to the electorate. The surprise election called by Rishi Sunak means that they are still being worked on. While they may have some specific commitments on gambling, the likelihood is that we will not see any big surprises being announced in this policy area, especially not by either the Conservatives or Labour.
The Conservatives no doubt will think that they have said everything they need to in this area. As it took them long enough to produce the Gambling White Paper, they probably don’t want to re-do any of that again. If they are going to produce a surprise policy on anything, like the shock announcement of National Service, it’s unlikely to be on gambling.
But what about the Labour Party? Well, like the Conservatives, their manifesto isn’t out yet. It might have some specific commitments on gambling, but as they seem to be playing it safe and saying very little with most things, I wouldn’t bet on seeing anything new. They did make more specific commitments than the Conservatives did in 2019, which I wrote about in the past.
But Starmer’s Labour Party is very different to Corbyn’s, so they are more likely to say nothing dramatic on this issue, if anything at all. ‘We will continue and strengthen what the current government has started’, is more likely to be what they say when it comes to gambling. Judging from what Labour’s Shadow Minister, Stephanie Peacock, said in this area at the Betting and Gaming Council’s AGM earlier this year, we can expect to see continuity rather than change.
A NEW GAMBLING MINISTER, WHATEVER THE RESULT
With changes taking place in the boundaries, the constituency of current Gambling Minister, Stuart Andrew, will cease to exist. He will no longer be an MP and is not standing for election elsewhere, which he has announced at different times on social media. This is not a huge surprise. It had been previously been mooted when the boundary changes were announced some months ago. He is one of many Conservative MPs and Ministers stepping down in this election.
So, whoever wins the UK election, and all the smart money is on Labour, there will definitely be a new person leading on gambling reform.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT ON GAMBLING POLICY FROM THE NEXT GOVERNMENT?
It’s difficult to imagine anything new or dramatic, as the expectation will be that everything that needs to happen with government regulation on gambling was set out last year in the Gambling White Paper.
The body that’s more important to watch is not the new government and any key appointments they make, it’s probably the Gambling Commission that needs to be watched closely, rather than any ministerial changes. They’re the organisation driving through change and conducting surveys and consultations.
Whatever the result, it’s probably outside Westminster which needs to be kept an eye on. That’s where the future of gambling regulation is likely to take shape, rather than in a new parliament, or even in any debates or hustings in the run-up to the election.
Jon Bryan is a Gambling Writer and Poker Player. His pamphlet “Risking It All: The freedom to gamble” is now available to purchase or free to download.. You can subscribe (for free) to his Substack:
Follow Jon on Twitter /X @JonBryanPoker
