Christian charity urges Lisa Nandy to take immediate action to reform UK’s ‘wild west’ gambling laws

The Christian Institute has welcomed the Government’s manifesto commitment to “reform gambling regulation” and is calling on the new Culture Secretary to “make it a priority”.

In a letter to Lisa Nandy, the Institute’s Acting Director explains that: “Gambling leaves far too many people locked into a spiral of debt and anxiety, significantly affecting both them and those they love…. There is no escape from the endless incentives and the 24/7 casino in your pocket. It is high time for meaningful action.”

[See full text of letter below.]

The Institute is highlighting three areas where quick, effective action can be taken immediately, in advance of the Government bringing forward a fuller suite of measures to regulate the industry.

1. Advertising
• Legislative restrictions on gambling marketing should be increased across all platforms.
• While Premier League clubs have voluntarily agreed to ban gambling logos from the front of matchday shirts from 2026, further action needs to be taken to address gambling advertising.
2. Protecting children
• Immediate action should be taken to hold the industry to account for the continuing exposure of under-18s to gambling.
3. Online stakes
• A strict limit should be imposed on online stakes, in line with the reduction in maximum stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) in 2018.
• There is no dedicated legislation for online gambling and the 2005 Gambling Act is unfit for the current landscape.

Acting Director of The Christian Institute Ciarán Kelly said:

“Gambling has become an all-pervasive part of life in modern Britain. From gambling logos on football shirts to betting ads on social media, there is no escaping it. It exploits the most vulnerable and desperate in our society and disproportionately affects those with mental health issues. Even children are now being groomed to gamble.

“We welcome the Government’s manifesto pledge to reform gambling regulation and call on the Culture Secretary to act quickly to hold gambling firms to account. There is too much of the ‘wild west’ about the UK’s current gambling laws. The time to act is now.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

• The Christian Institute has been campaigning for gambling reform for over two decades, including opposing the Gambling Act 2005 that created the current crisis.

• Research published by the charity GambleAware last month found that two-thirds of the British public are unhappy with the level of gambling advertising. Of the 4,207 adults surveyed, the majority supported stronger regulation of betting advertisements on social media (74 per cent) and television (72 per cent). In addition, 66 per cent expressed concern at the impact of gambling advertising on children. https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/ipsos-research-explores-barriers-opening-about-experiencing-problems-gambling

•  The number of people seeking help for gambling problems rose by over 10,000 last year, according to the National Gambling Helpline. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/gambling-harms-help-uk-gaming-betting-addiction-b2487347.html 

Full text of letter:

Dear Secretary of State,

Congratulations on your new role. You will have many opportunities to improve the lives of the citizens of the UK and you can be assured that I and many other Christians will be praying for you.

Christians have always championed the vulnerable. Gambling is one of the many ways in which vulnerable people can be exploited. The gambling industry profits by making false promises of easy money to those who are desperate to escape poverty. It also disproportionately exploits those suffering from poor mental health.

Gambling leaves far too many people locked into a spiral of debt and anxiety, significantly affecting both them and those they love. This is a major social problem.

The odds are stacked against those who try to escape or avoid it. Algorithms on social media force gambling adverts on those likely to respond. There is no escape from the endless incentives and the 24/7 casino in your pocket.

It is high time for meaningful action. Your party’s manifesto committed to reform gambling regulation. I urge you to make it a priority. There are three areas where quick, effective action can be taken.

1. 1. 1. Advertising

The pervasiveness of gambling advertising in modern Britain is disturbing. Adverts are often grossly misleading, suggesting high prizes are within easy reach. We urge the Government to work at speed to increase legislative restrictions on gambling marketing across all platforms. A priority target should be sport, especially football, where so many team shirts worn by supporters of all ages carry prominent gambling advertising.

1. 1. 2. Protecting children

The gambling industry has shown scant regard for protecting children. Many under-18s are exposed to multiple adverts for gambling websites on a daily basis – not least on those shirts worn by their sporting heroes. Gambling products are often intentionally designed to mimic colourful, family-friendly games. Loot boxes within video games are commonplace. The effect is that children are being groomed to gamble. Sadly, many children are gambling long before they are legally allowed to do so. The industry must be held to account for this.

1. 1. 3. Online stakes

In 2018, the Labour Party welcomed the reduction in maximum stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) from £100 to £2. This same change is now long overdue for online gambling. This is an urgent change which could be brought in quickly, in advance of a fuller suite of measures. There is no dedicated legislation for online gambling, and the 2005 Gambling Act, as your manifesto acknowledges, is unfit for the current landscape.

When the Gambling Act 2005 was working its way through Parliament, The Christian Institute worked hard to try to improve the legislation.  We warned of the damage that would come from deregulation. Those warnings were ignored and, sadly, many of our predictions have come true. Two decades on, there is an urgent need to bring gambling law up to date and improve protections for the vulnerable. We urge you to act quickly.

Yours sincerely,

Ciarán Kelly
Acting Director