Gambling Act review will target credit cards and loot boxes

Comments by David Clifton feature in an EGR article published today entitled “UK government confirms Gambling Act review will target credit cards and loot boxes”.

The article picks up on the same points mentioned in our website posting of yesterday, in which we reported that the background briefing notes for yesterday’s Queen’s Speech stated that: “the Government will carry out a review of the Gambling Act, with a particular focus on tackling issues around online loot boxes and credit card misuse”.

David is quoted in the EGR article (that you can download below) as saying that:

  • “the industry should not fear the outcome of a review as much as if the Labour Party had won the recent UK election” but “it would be a mistake for operators to expect the current online gambling regulation status quo to continue”,
  • “the currently awaited outcome of the Gambling Commission’s gambling with credit cards consultation might well negate the need for law reform proposals on that issue but I expect to see in due course the introduction of a 1% GGY mandatory RET levy” and
  • whilst “widening the statutory definition of gambling to include loot boxes is highly likely …. Government reviews of legislation take time so, while some principles may be established during the course of next year, I reckon it’s going to be 2021 at the earliest before legislative changes come into effect”.

You can read here about a Royal Society for Public Health report, also published today, that provides clear evidence of where we can expect the forthcoming Gambling Act review to focus its attention insofar as the issue of loot boxes is concerned.