Betting industry welcomes Labour pledge to 'strengthen protections' on gambling regulation in general election manifesto

Labour’s pledge to work with the gambling industry on reforms to regulation was welcomed by bookmakers following the party’s general election manifesto launch on Thursday.

Opinion polls give Labour a significant lead over its opponents and the party is expected to form the next government under leader Sir Keir Starmer after the election takes place on July 4.

A white paper containing proposals to reform the 2005 Gambling Act was introduced by the Conservative government last April. In its manifesto, simply titled Change, Labour said it would proceed with reforms to the gambling sector.

The manifesto states: “Labour is committed to reducing gambling-related harm. Recognising the evolution of the gambling landscape since 2005, Labour will reform gambling regulation, strengthening protections. We will continue to work with the industry on how to ensure responsible gambling.”

The explicit reference to working with the betting industry was highlighted by Michael Dugher, the chief executive and acting chair of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) and a former Labour MP.

He said: “We welcome Labour’s general election manifesto and its commitment to continue working with the industry to further drive up standards. BGC members are currently undergoing the biggest regulatory changes in a generation following the publication of the white paper, which Labour supported, and much of this work will be ongoing after the general election. 

“This is also backed up by the industry’s significant efforts to continue to drive world-class standards and protections for the vulnerable, which has transformed the sector in recent years and stands in marked contrast to the dangers posed by the unsafe, unregulated black market online. 

“We remain committed to working with the next government to continue to implement change as part of the evidence-based, proportionate, regulatory changes outlined in the white paper, ensuring those measures get the balance right between protecting the vulnerable, while allowing the vast majority of punters who enjoying betting responsibly to continue doing so without unnecessary intrusion.

“We have worked closely with shadow ministers in recent years and we strongly welcome their commitment in the manifesto to work with the regulated industry. Whatever happens at the polls, our work to drive up standards carries on and we look forward to partnering with the next government in this vitally important work.”

The proposals contained in last April's white paper have already impacted the finances of British racing, primarily through affordability checks, which have already been extensively rolled out by bookmakers. A Gambling Commission pilot of 'frictionless' affordability checks is due to be launched in August. 

Concerns around the proposed measures were highlighted in Westminster Hall debates in October last year and in February this year, the latter after a petition on stopping affordability checks reached 100,000 signatures in less than a month.

Stephanie Peacock, who had been Labour’s shadow sports minister before the election was called, attended both debates, and was among a group of Labour MPs who visited the St Leger at Doncaster last year as guests of Arena Racing.

Stephanie Peacock: Labour's shadow sports minister

During October’s debate, Peacock said that “the future of racing must be protected for generations to come” when outlining the economic and social importance of the sport, while in February’s debate she said that is was “important for racing that the government and the Gambling Commission work with the industry to ensure that financial risk checks are truly frictionless, targeted and accurate”.

Labour’s manifesto launch follows those of the Liberal Democrats, who pledged plans to introduce “effective” affordability checks and crack down on black market operators, and the Conservatives, who made no mention of betting, racing or the levy.

A senior Conservative aide confirmed on Wednesday that he is under investigation by the Gambling Commission for placing a bet on what date the election would be called for.

Craig Williams, a Conservative candidate and former parliamentary private secretary to prime minister Rishi Sunak, reportedly placed a £100 bet on the general election being called in July, just three days before the announcement was made, according to the Guardian.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Williams said: “I've been contacted by a journalist about Gambling Commission inquiries into one of my accounts and thought it best to be totally transparent.

“I put a flutter on the general election some weeks ago. This has resulted in some routine inquiries and I confirm I will fully cooperate with these. I don't want to be a distraction from the campaign, I should have thought through how it looked.”

Read these next:

Gambling reform, racing and the levy absent from the Conservative's general election manifesto 

Liberal Democrats reveal proposals to tackle problem gambling and introduce 'effective' affordability checks in manifesto 

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