The gambling industry within the UK has always fluctuated throughout its history. We seem to have a love-hate relationship with the industry that simply can’t be boiled down. With over a century of gambling behind us, the UK has a long past with this industry.
The UK Government has reflected this difficult relationship too. While they feasibly know that they earn money from the taxation of the industry, they also know that it costs money to support problem gambling. This is a give-and-take between the industry and the government, which clouds their perception of the industry.
With the current minority government, Brexit and other political strife, there has been a knock-on effect to the gambling industry. This has led to some operators pulling out of the UK industry as it is not as profitable for them with the uncertain currency value. Prior to the snap general election, the Conservative government was planning to bring in a bonus tax but this was shelved in the upheaval. This may come back on the table in 2018 as part of a new finance bill.
FOBTs, or Fixed Odds Betting Terminals, are rapidly falling out of favour with regulators. These betting machines are viewed as simply too tempting for consumers and offer unsupervised gambling. Within the UK, there are many restrictions as to how much a person is allowed to bet before the clerk cuts them off, similar to alcohol. FOBTs can allow users to furtively gamble thousands in very little time. This has been dammed by a number of experts, as it can be seen as a fast route to problem gambling, which costs the government a lot of money.
Generally, in the UK we’re moving towards a more responsible gambling message overall. This includes a move towards improved security. The number of PayPal casinos is evidence enough of this, as more players become aware that they should protect themselves online. The number of people specifically seeking out a PayPal casino has also led to the rise of review sites like www.paypal-casinos.co, which review the kinds of sites that accept safe payments.
This increased responsibility shows on a lot of operator sites too. You’ll see this when you play casino games that recommend you take breaks and keep an eye on your balance. Operators understand that they walk a fine line between regulation and being unable to run their businesses. While many policies that are being adopted these days are voluntary, the larger operators understand that they have to be seen to toe the party in order to continue operating.
The demographic of people accessing these games is also changing, as younger people are getting involved too. This has to be very strictly monitored however, as underage players must not be seen to be allowed to play. Sites that are found not to be doing their due diligence in this regard can quickly have their licence suspended.
The UK itself is in a state of serious flux at the moment, so it makes sense that this has had a knock-on effect to its industries. We’re trying to make gambling more accessible while still keeping it safe, which is no mean feat. The future of the industry is fluid and we may see serious changes in the future.
