FEATURES
PLAYER SAFETY RISK
REGULATING IN A GLOBAL PANDEMIC
Owain Flanders examines regulation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and evaluates arguments that the risk to player safety under lockdown might have been overestimated
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GAMBLINGINSIDER.COM
In a pandemic-stricken UK, the gambling industry could be forgiven for thinking it might take a break from the swathes of negative press it had become accustomed to in recent years. From mid-March, mainstream media was firmly focused on the new invisible killer, COVID-19. This meant problem gambling, often the focal point for a number of media companies, suddenly took a back seat to a much more immediate and widespread danger to public health. However, as the UK Government outlined plans for lockdown measures and employers began making use of furlough schemes - trapping problem gamblers at home with a potentially diminished income - it soon became very apparent that there would be no escape from the media spotlight for operators. In fact, as the anti-gambling headlines rolled in one by one, it was clear that the pandemic might have had the opposite effect.
Among a string of articles, the BBC described NHS fear over a “new wave” of gambling addiction, and the Guardian reported the lockdown might lead sports bettors to make riskier choices on online casino sites. Meanwhile, in the House of Lords, 22 MPs urged the British Government to impose strict curbs on gambling during the lockdown, while Swansea East MP Carolyn Harris described the pandemic as “absolutely disastrous” for those suffering from gambling addiction. All of this made clear that rather than stifling industry criticism, the pandemic galvanised its opponents towards a louder cry for regulatory action. It was the industry itself that responded to these concerns with newfound solidarity. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) did everything it could to allay lockdown fears, including issuing a 10-point pledge promising extra steps would be taken to
