Bereaved families say tougher regulations are needed to prevent gambling-related suicides and urged MPs not to be swayed by 'gambling lobby freebies'The MPs, who received gifts including hospitality tickets to Ascot, Cheltenham, Lord’s Cricket Ground, Wembley Stadium and the Brit Awards, were critical of the Government’s proposals for financial risk checks forThere is no suggestion that the MPs have acted immorally or outside of parliamentary rules, but the figures have prompted...
If the Conservatives remain in power, then the changes mentioned in the White Paper are likely to continue. Labour has not set out its plans for the gambling industry but it is not expected to scrap any of the paper’s proposed changes.Charles Ritchie, chair of Gambling with Lives, a charity that supports families bereaved by gambling-related suicide, warned that greater controls on gambling are needed to protect lives.
Some bookmakers have already implemented their own version of the affordability checks by asking people for pay slips and personal details. Another £128,600 came from the Betting and Gaming Council trade body, £7,400 from Paddy Power and Betfair’s owner Flutter Entertainment and its subsidiaries, and £1,600 from William Hill.
A spokesperson for Mr Hancock said that “as the MP representing Newmarket”, he is “proud to have both stood up for the horseracing industry and to have brought in some of the toughest anti-gambling measures in the UK – including the Fixed Odds Betting Terminal limits”. Sir Philip was paid £49,980 in 2020 by Entain - previously known as GVC Holdings - for "providing advice on responsible gambling and customer service".
Mr Spellar, a former transport, defence and Northern Ireland minister, added: "We cannot have this uncertainty for such a large and successful industry going forward." A spokesperson for Stephanie Peacock said she was participating in the debates in her capacity as the shadow gambling minister, responding from the Labour front bench.