The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the trade physique representing the gaming and betting trade within the UK, launched particulars of a brand new research that probed into the potential of introducing necessary well being messages in an effort to scale back downside playing.
Brits Disapprove Playing Obligatory Well being Warnings
On Tuesday the BGC launched the outcomes of the research which was carried out by YouGov. The brand new white paper factors out that an amazing majority of the general public within the UK considers that Authorities well being messages like those used for cigarettes, gained’t show to be efficient towards downside playing.
The outcomes of the brand new research reveal that 71% of the interviewed people don’t imagine such messages could be efficient. In distinction, solely 3% confirmed assist for “implementing obligatory well being warnings on betting merchandise” and admitted that these warnings could be very efficient.
Specializing in free bets, 47% of the individuals within the research acknowledged that banning such promotions gained’t scale back the charges of downside playing. Just like the earlier consequence, solely a tiny section of the general public, or 8%, responded that banning free bets will show to be “very efficient at stopping downside playing.”
Downside Playing Charge Is Solely 0.3%, Reminds BGC
The outcomes of the brand new research come amid proposals from anti-gambling teams that search to implement bans on promotions reminiscent of free bets and implement necessary well being messaging for playing merchandise. Nonetheless, the BGC reiterated that there are 22.5 million adults that gamble each month by collaborating in on-line on line casino video games, visiting a on line casino, enjoying bingo or shopping for lottery tickets. From that whole, solely 0.3% of the grownup inhabitants is impacted by downside playing, the BGC reminded. What’s extra, the council mentioned that the speed of downside playing actually dropped from 0.4% for the earlier yr.
In keeping with the BGC, the playing adverts ban within the UK throughout dwell soccer video games helped considerably scale back the publicity of youngsters to betting adverts by 97%. On the identical time, the Council acknowledged that the trade helps the creation of a non-statutory Ombudsman to assist with the prevention of playing hurt and scale back the charges of downside playing.
“Downside playing charges within the UK are low and have fallen, however nonetheless the anti-gambling foyer – prohibitionists who simply need to ban issues – are pushing for draconian measures which can solely stigmatize those that take pleasure in a innocent flutter.“
Michael Dugher, chief government of the BGC
Michael Dugher, BGC’s chief government, mentioned that the issue playing fee was low and has fallen even additional. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that robust measures are proposed by the anti-gambling supporters which will impression people who find themselves having fun with playing responsibly. Such measures, in accordance with Dugher, can impression the market negatively and push gamblers towards the harmful unregulated playing market. Lastly, he in contrast the proposed restrictions to those which might be used for tobacco and identified that betting actions want a completely totally different sort of regulation.
