The UK government is considering following Australia’s example in toughening warnings used in gambling advertisements in a bid to curb addiction, the Times reported.
In a recent speech, Paul Scully, minister for digital, culture, media and sport, pointed to the Australian effort as a useful model.
Australia’s more robust messaging included “chances are you’re about to lose,” and “imagine what you could be buying instead,” according to The Times. That stands in stark contrast to current UK messaging with slogans such as “take time to think.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak looks set to revive plans to limit online gambling in the UK. It’s the world’s biggest regulated market for online betting, and nearly one in 10 suicides in England are estimated to be linked to gambling. Scully is expected to publish a review into the industry in January.
Government plans include introducing maximum stakes of between £2 and £5 for online slot machines, as well as a mechanism for checking the finances of service users, the paper said. At the moment, there are no limits on how much users can stake in individual online slots.
Plans to outlaw free bets and VIP packages for problem gamblers have been abandoned, the Times said, as well as proposals to ban gambling companies from sponsoring football shirts for Premier League clubs. In line with the government’s hands-off approach to industry regulation, gaming providers will be free to decide for themselves whether and how to limit the practice.