UK Gambling Commission disputes evidence cited in parliamentary gambling harm inquiry

The UK Gambling Commission has raised concerns over the accuracy of data used in a recent parliamentary committee hearing on gambling harm, warning that misleading claims could affect policy decisions targeting the gambling sector.

Executive Director Tim Miller flagged three specific statements on youth gambling made during the April session, citing the absence of supporting evidence and presenting the Commission's own findings instead.

The Health and Social Care Committee session in April brought together gambling harm researchers who called for tighter controls on casino games and gambling advertising. In a letter dated shortly after the meeting and made public on July 8, Miller wrote to Committee Chair Layla Moran expressing concerns about the evidence presented.

Miller noted that three statements made by researchers during the session were not supported by sources. Lucy Hubber, director of Public Health Nottingham, stated that one-third of 11-16-year-olds were engaged in land-based gambling.

Sam Chamberlain, professor of psychiatry at the University of Southampton, claimed that up to 20% of young people had a gambling problem in 2020. Heather Wardle, professor of gambling research and policy at the University of Glasgow, said that skin betting among young adults was as risky as online slots.

According to Miller, Hubber’s statement was based on “local estimates” without a national-level source. No sources were provided for the statements made by Chamberlain and Wardle.

Commission data shows lower participation

Miller cited the Commission’s Young People and Gambling 2024 report, published in November, which found that 27% of 11-17-year-olds had gambled in the previous 12 months. The report identified arcade games, including penny pushers and claw grab machines, as the most common forms of gambling, followed by informal betting with family and friends.

“These statistics would not support an assertion, at a national level at least, that a third of 11-16-year-olds are using land-based gambling,” Miller said.

The report also noted that gambling by minors frequently involved parental supervision. About 8% of respondents played National Lottery games online, with 7% accessing these via their parents’ accounts with permission. Similarly, 6% placed bets online with permission, compared to 2% without.

Regulatory measures on age verification

Miller outlined the Commission’s recent measures aligned with the Gambling Act review. The regulator introduced mandatory age verification test purchasing for all land-based gambling operators and adjusted its good practice code, requiring age checks for anyone who appears under 25, instead of under 21.

Test purchasing rates increased to 94% from April 2023 to March 2024, up from 93% the previous year.

The Commission has also targeted illegal gambling websites, including third-party sites linked to Roblox that enabled betting with the platform’s in-game currency, Robux. Since April 2024, the Commission has issued 1,150 cease-and-desist and disruption notices and continues to work with search engines like Google to combat unauthorized online gambling.

“The Commission takes the issue of illegal gambling incredibly seriously and as part of our wider work on tackling illegal operators, the Commission has been taking increased action,” Miller wrote.