After the general election last month, Keir Starmer was appointed as the country’s 58th Prime Minister, meaning that the Labour Party will lead the country for the first time in 14 years. Now, as the UK prepares for its new chapter under Starmer’s new leadership and the Labour government, one of the key areas of focus will be gambling regulation

Even though the gambling industry has been a low priority for many parties, it seems like the new Labour government will pick up where the Conservatives left off and tighten gambling laws. This opinion comes especially after Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched the Labour Party Manifesto 2024. Their manifesto said: “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.”

So, how is this going to work in practice? What does it mean for UK gambling regulation?

Biggest talking points

While there is very little information about what the Labour Party plans to do in terms of gambling, there have been some discussions in the industry. For example, the UK Gambling Commission introduced new stake limits for online slot games, which will be rolled out next month. The measure aims to protect young people from life-changing losses on online slot games, and it’s supported by the new Labour government.

Then, we have gambling advertising, which has been in discussion for a while. The Labour Party Manifesto is all about reducing gambling-related harm, so it’s expected from the government to support these measures.

The government will probably limit the exposure of gambling promotions, especially to vulnerable groups of people like children. This could involve banning certain types of gambling ads during peak hours or implementing stricter guidelines on how online gambling is promoted. Still, we don’t anticipate that this will happen soon because, for instance, the ban on gambling sponsors on football shirts won’t be imposed until the 2026/27 season, so they still have time to prepare the action plan.

Furthermore, industry experts anticipate that a comprehensive review of the 2005 Gambling Act will follow, which might lead to new gambling legislation. It’s likely that a Gambling Ombudsman will be introduced in the new government. Still, many people are protesting on this that it takes time to establish an Ombudsman service, so we don’t expect it to happen any time soon.

Labour also aims to increase protections for consumers at risk of gambling addition, so protective measures will definitely follow. They can include mandatory deposit limits, enhanced self-exclusion programs, and improved support services for people struggling with gambling. Many are expecting regulations in some form, with casinos with high payouts being a potential target for further regulation.

The newly appointed Minister for Sport, Gambling and Media, Stephanie Peacock, has been supportive of horseracing. She stated that “the Labour party acknowledges the huge contribution that horseracing makes to both our culture and our economy.” Therefore, it’s expected that horseracing will receive more support from the new government, probably more funding or advertising opportunities.

Industry responses

The gambling industry responded positively to the Labour Party Manifesto. One of the first regulatory bodies to congratulate the manifesto was the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), as its CEO and acting chair Michael Dugher said that they welcome Labour’s general election manifesto and its commitment to improve the gambling standards in the UK. He added, “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.“

Professor Heather Wardle, co-director of Gambling Research Glasgow based at the University of Glasgow, also said that they’re looking forward to what the Labour government will do in terms of gambling in the UK.

She said, “Just before the general election was called, the Conservatives were about to implement a whole raft of changes to change gambling regulation. They’ve been stopped for the moment, whilst we’ve had a change of government. Obviously we want the Labour government to pick up and extend those changes and to do them quite swiftly.”