The Labour Party has committed to “strengthening protections” on gambling regulation and ensuring any changes are done with help and insight from the gambling industry.
Leader Sir Keir Starmer launched the party’s manifesto in Manchester on Thursday, with Labour widely expected to form the new UK government following next month’s general election.
Contained within the 131-page document, simply titled Change, Labour briefly outlined its intentions to make amendments to gambling legislation with a focus on player protection and responsible betting.
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 Conservatives published a white paper last April on its plans for gambling reform and the proposals have already impacted the finances of British racing, primarily through affordability checks, and frustrated punters, who have been been the subject of intrusive requests to provide personal documents to continue betting. 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.”
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