Good morning. About 60% of the UK gambling industry’s profits come from 5% of gamblers. A 2018 Gambling Commission audit estimated that there were more than 50,000 problem gamblers aged under 18. And since the government first put out a call for evidence on its proposed industry reforms in December 2020, the campaign group Clean Up Gambling estimates that more than £13bn has been lost online.
That provides some of the context for why critics of the industry say the reforms that were finally announced in a much-delayed government white paper yesterday are so urgently needed – and why they still think that a further wait for their implementation will mean that more gambling addicts will die.
Today’s newsletter, with Rob Davies, a Guardian business correspondent who covers gambling and is the author of Jackpot: How Gambling Conquered Britain, explains what’s changing, why it’s important, and what else needs to happen. Here are the headlines.
Five big stories
Policing | The Metropolitan police could be failing to spot serial killers because they are not properly investigating unexpected deaths, the inspector of constabulary has warned. A damning report concluded Britain’s largest force had still not learned from its “calamitous litany of failures” in the case of the serial killer Stephen Port.
Sudan | Rival factions in Sudan agreed on Thursday night to extend a ceasefire despite reports of surging fighting across the country that many fear suggests intense violence in the days to come. Fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces escalated through Thursday around Khartoum and in the country’s restive south-west.
Ukraine | Russia has launched a wave of missile attacks across many of Ukraine’s biggest cities, killing a mother and young child in the port city of Dnipro, and three people at a high-rise apartment building in the central city of Uman. Follow the live blog here.
Elections | A Conservative minister has refused to tell MPs whether the number of voters turned away from polling stations because of a lack of photo ID at local elections next week will be properly recorded. A number of MPs accused the government of being unable to properly explain how the mass use of voter ID would actually work.
Monarchy | Direct ancestors of King Charles III bought and exploited enslaved people on tobacco plantations in Virginia, according to new research shared with the Guardian. A document discovered in archives reveals that a direct ancestor of the king was involved in buying at least 200 enslaved people in 1686.
In depth: ‘A couple of months ago it didn’t look like it was going to happen’
When the Labour government’s 2005 gambling act was passed, it made Britain one of the most liberal gambling markets in the world. That was a deliberate change, according to Jim Orford of Gambling Watch UK, which sought to boost the industry and accepted its claim that “the commercial provision of gambling was just like any other leisure industry: essentially safe, except for the exceptional player who could not or would not ‘gamble responsibly’”.
Since then, the landscape has transformed, in large part due to the endless availability of betting and casino games on smartphones. And the claim that gambling was just like any other leisure activity is very much harder to make. The government’s new white paper – which has been delayed four times – is pitched as an attempt to finally bring regulation up to date.
Rob Davies says that those calling for reforms “have to chalk this up as a win. It’s a 7 or an 8 out of 10.” The government estimates that it could cost the whole industry as much as 8% of its profits, and as much as 14% for online gambling in particular. “So that’s a real impact. But there are things missing – and we still haven’t had a final verdict on almost any of the key issues.”
Here’s what you need to know.
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What are the most important measures in the white paper?
The government’s blueprint is a very wide-ranging document. Here are a few of the measures proposed, many of which are aimed at online gambling rather than “land-based” versions:
A mandatory levy on industry revenues. That has been reported as likely to be set at 1%, “but the figure isn’t in the document, so we don’t know exactly how high it will be”, Rob said. But it is still a big win for reformists – “a couple of months ago it didn’t look like it was going to happen, and there’s been ferocious lobbying on both sides”. If it does end up at 1%, that would be worth about £100m a year, and represent a serious defeat for an industry that has poured significant resources into influencing Westminster. The Guardian’s Kiran Stacey and Peter Walker recently reported that industry spending on hospitality for MPs has increased tenfold in the last five years.
New risk checks for heavy gamblers. These will take the form of background checks for county court judgments and other indicators of financial vulnerability at a “moderate level of spend”, with enhanced checks for those spending more heavily – proposed at a threshold of £1,000 in 24 hours, or £2,000 within 90 days. “Some of this is finger-in-the-air stuff,” Rob said. “There isn’t brilliant evidence out there for at what level you’re likely to be experiencing harm.”
Mandatory or ‘opt-out’ deposit limits. At the moment, you can choose to set a limit on how much you can put into your gambling accounts – but the new proposals would mean that deposit limits were either compulsory, or required the gambler to specifically choose not to set them. “There are some really good studies that show that actually, if you get people to do this, they tend to set the limit quite low,” Rob said. “When you give people the opportunity to be sensible with their money, they take it.”
New curbs on ‘free spin’ and ‘bonus’ offers. An extract from Rob’s book published last year has a fascinating account of how powerful these kind of inducements are as “dark nudges” – ways that the industry pushes people towards choices that they might not take otherwise. “Free spins” usually come with the condition that you bet your winnings again, and help habituate people to gambling: similarly, recovering addict Phil Worrall told Rob that “if you get an email saying you’ll get a £50 free bet if you bet £50 of your own money, you find a way to scrape it together.” The Gambling Commission will conduct a review of the impact of those kinds of incentives and aim to ensure they are “targeted in a socially responsible manner”.
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What are the biggest problems with it?
The white paper has little to say about advertising – “it sticks to the presumption that you should prefer a free market”, Rob said. “They seem to have accepted the industry’s argument that ads aren’t about getting people to start gambling, they’re about getting existing gamblers to switch who they gamble with.” (The same argument was once made by tobacco companies.) That is a serious concern for many reformers, who argue that the massive increase in both ad spending and the size of the gambling market since the rules were liberalised in 2005 tells its own story.
The other key criticism of the proposals: they are still, for the most part, only proposals, with consultations now expected on the vast majority of changes and no concrete timeline for when it is all completed. That could mean that the end result has fewer teeth than the white paper might suggest.
The fact that there has already been a 16-week call for evidence, with more than 400 bespoke submissions to the government, has led some to suggest that it is time to simply get on with it. Matt Zarb-Cousin, director of Clean Up Gambling, writes that the consultation must not mean that the industry is allowed to “slow down implementation or water down effective policy”. And in this interview, Kay Wadsworth, whose daughter Kimberly died after a struggle with gambling addiction, tells Emily Dugan that the proposals are “not anywhere near enough” because of the delays.
“This is a highly complex industry, and this is a once-in-a-generation reform – and it didn’t go well in 2005,” Rob said. “So I can understand they want to get it right. But we can’t judge how powerful this package is until we know the results. And the government says it wants to implement this stuff by summer 2024 – but I’d say that is very ambitious.” If it takes much longer, the changes could run into a general election and a possible change of government – which would only mean more changes and delays.
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Are attitudes to gambling changing?
You might think that increased pressure on the government to do something about problem gambling, and other changes like the Premier League’s calculation that it should ban gambling ads from matchday shirt fronts (even if they will still be allowed on advertising hoardings, in reality the most visible form of promotion), is a sign of a new consensus that this is an issue that has to be tackled.
In fact, says Rob, public opinion has been clear for a long time. “People have been sceptical for years,” he said. “All the polling I’ve ever seen shows support for a tougher approach. But on the other side you have the kind of pressure exerted by a very effective gambling lobby that is able to have private conversations in Westminster corridors. So this is not about a sea change in how most people think – it’s about the government catching up with where people are.”
What else we’ve been reading
Simon Hattenstone’s interview with Smokey Robinson (above) is brimming with the amazing stories of Robinson’s long, storied career and life. His candour and affability makes for a delightful read – I will definitely be listening to his new album today. Nimo
After the death of Jerry Springer, Andrew Lawrence reflects on his life and remembers going to a taping of Springer’s infamous talk show in the 1990s: “Through it all, we charged our fists and chanted “Jair-REE! Jair-REE!” while the man at the centre of it all couldn’t have appeared less excitable.” Archie
Compressed trend cycles and gigantic fast fashion companies have meant that many people do not hold on to their clothes for more than a few years. Jess Cartner-Morley writes about a leopard print wrap dress that she was gifted 20 years ago and the treasured place it continues to have in her wardrobe. Nimo
Jonathan Yerushalmy compiles a set of extraordinary Google maps images that reveal the extent of the devastation of Mariupol – and how Russia has tried to cover up evidence of atrocities in the Ukrainian city. Archie
William Costa’s dispatch from Asunción is a great primer on one of the most fiercely contested general elections in Paraguay’s short democratic history. Nimo
Sport
Premier league | Tottenham Hotspur came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Manchester United thanks to goals from Pedro Porro and Son Heung-min (above). Meanwhile, Newcastle beat Everton 4-1 and Bournemouth beat Southampton 1-0, leaving the Saints all but condemned to relegation.
Women’s Champions League | A 1-1 draw with Barcelona at Camp Nou in front of 72,262 people was not enough for Chelsea to overturn the 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League semi-final. Manager Emma Hayes said: “I can’t ask for any more, I don’t know many teams that can come here and put them under pressure.”
Basketball | Brittney Griner, the Women’s NBA star who was detained in Russia for nearly 10 months on drug-related charges, has spoken to reporters for the first time since her release, saying that her experiences as an athlete helped her survive. “You find a way to just grind it out, just put your head down and keep going and keep moving forward,” she said.
The front pages
“Watchdog: Met may be failing to spot serial killers” is our Guardian print lead this Friday morning. The Financial Times has “Tories to strike ‘sunset clause’ from bill to scrap EU law”. “Ee aye addio We’ve done the cup” – translation: rail unions plan to strike during the FA Cup final and Eurovision, reports the Metro. “Just how cynical can rail unions be?” – the Daily Express fumes, while for the Daily Mail it’s just “Vindictive”. “NHS doctors stranded in Sudan after UK refuses airlift” – that’s the i. “Please help us” – the Daily Mirror makes an appeal about the “forgotten famine” in drought-stricken east Africa. “My place in Coronation proves King embraces diversity” says Floella Benjamin on the front of the Daily Telegraph. “Gambling curbs to save young from addiction,” reports the Times.
Something for the weekend
Our critics’ roundup of the best things to watch, read and listen to right now
TV
Guilt (BBC iPlayer)
Neil Forsyth’s Guilt began with squabbling brothers Max (Mark Bonnar) and Jake (Jamie Sives) accidentally running over and killing a man. Their Fargo-ish descent into farcical peril ended, in season one, with Max going to prison; season two followed him after release. As we rejoin it for the last death-waltz, Guilt is still skulking stealthily around Edinburgh’s underbelly, Jake and Max reunited. Bonnar has never been better. Jack Seale
Music
Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!
In the wave of pop-dance albums that sparkled a little light into 2020’s gloom, Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia was the world-beating monster smash but Jessie Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure? was the classiest. While That! Feels Good! is more brash and upfront – heavy on anthemic songs – closer examination reveals it to be a slightly different garment cut from the same, high-quality cloth. Alexis Petridis
Film
Polite Society
Nida Manzoor created We Are Lady Parts, a sitcom about a female Muslim punk band. Her debut feature film – a feelgood action comedy – stars newcomer Priya Kansara (above, right) as a young girl from a British-Pakistani family: Ria, a martial arts enthusiast and wannabe stuntwoman on a desperate mission to sabotage her older sister’s marriage to a guy that somehow only she can see is a creep. Peter Bradshaw
Podcast
Off the Beaten Jack
Widely available, episodes weekly
This immersive travel series focuses less on places than the people you meet there. Its second season sees host Jack Boswell spend three months housesitting in a Mississippi town to create a portrait of a Bible belt community – from its strip club workers to its mayor. Alexi Duggins
Today in Focus
Prince Harry and the return of the phone-hacking scandal
This week, Prince Harry’s case over alleged phone hacking by the publisher of the Sun and News of the World reached the high court. Jim Waterson reports
Cartoon of the day | Martin Rowson
The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
The word pagan may elicit images of ancient Roman religions or secretive groups that are interested in human sacrifice — in reality it is a growing, open practice that encompasses a diverse range of beliefs and traditions. King Charles’s coronation invitation prominently features an image of the Green Man – “an ancient figure from British folklore” – and the latest census revealed that 74,000 people declared they were pagan, an increase of 17,000 since 2011, a figure that some academics and pagans believe is an underestimate.
Social media has allowed like minded and curious people to connect and find each other, building a sense of community. The sacredness of nature and positive attitudes towards women in pagan belief are also key draws for people who both feel the need to embrace the natural world during a time of ecological crisis and reject patriarchal religion.
Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday
Bored at work?
And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
