Labour deputy Tom Watson calls for review of remote gambling licences

Tom Watson has called for a review of all remote gambling licences issued since 2014 after turning his fire on the online betting industry once again.

Earlier this year the Labour deputy leader warned that his party would introduce limits on spend, stake and speed of online gambling should it come to power.

Now he has written to the Gambling Commission and called for government action in the wake of the punishment of four online operators for failing to put in place effective safeguards to prevent money laundering and to protect customers from harm.

Tom Watson has called for government actionCredit: Dan Kitwood

"These breaches give cause for consternation," Watson wrote after the four operators were fined a total of £4.5million.

He noted the use of 'white labels', which allow overseas brands to market in Britain without their own licence, and said: "A UK gambling licence should be a hallmark of credibility and trust.

"It should not be seen as an opportunity for operators to push the limits of their conditions and responsibilities, or become a labyrinth of white labels and whitelisted jurisdictions.

"A gambling licence is a privilege, not a right. To undermine the integrity of a gambling licence is to undermine the integrity of gambling legislation itself.

"I'm concerned that in 2014 too many remote licences were granted without the proper scrutiny needed to assess the business models, ownership and local markets of the operators concerned.

"For this reason, I'm today calling for a full review of all remote licences that have been issued since 2014."

Watson called for the government, working with the regulator, to reassess operators and their owners, and said: "As parliamentarians and regulators we will also be held accountable for the integrity of our response to this serious situation."

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