Have election betting revelations gone from genuine scandal to political circus?

Craig Williams is under investigation by the Gambling Commission over a £100 bet on the date of the general election. Photograph: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

Until the past few weeks, online casinos and bookmakers have made handy villains for an under-pressure government.

Ministers could legitimately claim to be cleaning up Labour’s mess with reforms that partially roll back the permissive regulatory regime ushered in under Tony Blair.