NHS mental health director implores bookmakers to take better care of customers

Bookmakers have outlined how “incredibly seriously” they take customer care after NHS director Claire Murdoch wrote to senior gambling bosses demanding better action from firms on mental health issues caused by betting.

In a letter to leading industry figures, Murdoch seeks an immediate restriction on bets placed by credit card, a ban on ‘VIP experiences’ and for bookmakers to stop streaming live games.

All three points have recently been in the headlines with the Gambling Commission stopping bets by credit card from April 14, considering a ban on bookmakers having VIP customers and launching an investigation after the Football Association, via a third party, sold the rights to broadcast certain FA Cup games to gambling firms.

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Murdoch, NHS national director for mental health, wrote: “The links between the sporting industry and gambling are deeply disturbing, and the tactics used by some firms are shameful.

“It is high time sporting bodies get back to their roots and start focusing on fans and families enjoying watching their heroes play, rather than allowing firms to hijack sport in pursuit of profit.

“Our NHS Long Term Plan will see 14 gambling clinics there for people across the country as part of our annual £2.3 billion investment boost to mental health services, but the NHS cannot be expected to put out fires caused by other parts of society playing with matches, which is why we need the gambling industry to up its game.”

Speaking on Radio 4 on Thursday, she added: "We believe there are 400,000 problem gamblers in the country. We know when that turns into a serious addiction it wrecks lives, including those who become so desperate they may even consider taking their own lives.

"This industry, which by the way invests more than £1.4bn a year in advertising alone, invests among other things in aggressive advertising and social media. When you have problem gamblers it becomes difficult for them to get away from it.

"This industry could make the changes I've asked for today if they wanted to. They haven't thus far regulated themselves well."

Addressing the issues raised in the letter, Brigid Simmonds, chair of the Betting And Gaming Council, the industry body for betting organisations, stated customer care was at the top of the agenda for firms and that a number of protection measures had already been put in place.

In a letter to Murdoch, Simmonds said: “We take our responsibility to our customers incredibly seriously and we are determined to raise standards and improve safer gambling.

“The points that you raise are important. Just some of the work our members have already done includes new age-verification checks, increased funding for research, education and treatment, introduced a whistle-to-whistle ban on gambling advertising, worked together as an industry to create GAMSTOP which will now be mandatory for all operators, created monitoring algorithms to monitor play both online and in retail to help identify those at risk of harmful play and just last week waived exclusivity on FA Cup games.

"We are also working on affordability checks, AdTech to block adverts and calling on search engines to block adverts from non-UK licensed operators advertising using help search terms.

“We have also announced Safer Gambling Commitments which represent a set of measures to deliver long-term and fundamental changes in how gambling companies are run in the UK and how they empower, protect and support their customers."

She added: “We are currently working with a range of stakeholders on safer gambling initiatives therefore it would be good to understand in greater detail your experience, knowledge and concerns and how we may address them.”

And the controversy surrounding the streaming of the FA Cup appears to have been resolved after DCMS ministers held discussions with the Football Association on a range of issues on Wednesday, including its commercial arrangements with gambling operators via IMG.

Nigel Adams, minister for sport, media and creative industries, said: "The FA have confirmed that no FA Cup matches will be exclusively streamed through gambling operators from this year's fourth round, through to the end of its current domestic contract in 2021.

"No individual will need to access a gambling account to see their team play in the FA Cup, which we welcome as a positive step in the right direction."

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