Open letter to Keir Starmer
According to The Guardian, activists wrote an open letter to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to encourage the continuation of certain measures in the gambling sector [Article on English], which were initiated by the Conservative Party. The signatories include CEOs of Samaritans, eight members of the House of Lords as well as academics and other stakeholders.
The activists feared that particularly the planned compulsory levy on British gambling companies to the National Health Service (NHS) could be delayed due to the change of power. The money would be earmarked for gambling-related research and the treatment of people who show signs of gambling addiction.
The letter's signatories say they are "deeply concerned by the delay in introducing a statutory levy" and called on the government to expedite implementation otherwise it could lead to "damage to mental health" and ultimately "cost lives".
Labor Party is accused of being close to gambling
The activists also have concerns about the Links between senior Labor politicians and the gambling industry expressed. It is feared that this could lead to a political realignment, which has already been well developed by the Conservative Party in the form of the Gambling White Paper.
The Labor Party has often accepted donations from the gaming industry, which was able to gain a foothold for the first time through liberalization under former Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2005. There are also several former Labor politicians who now have jobs in the gaming industry and maintain good relationships with their former party colleagues.
However, this criticism only seems to be of limited relevance, as some Conservative Party politicians have generated donations for their party in the past or even switched to the gambling industry. Nevertheless, the Conservative Party has pushed for new regulation of gambling.
New figures from the Gambling Commission expected
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is expected to publish current figures on gambling addiction and other gambling-related harm shortly. These statistics were calculated on a new methodological basis and could indicate that the frequency of problem gambling may be higher than previously thought.
If the numbers are correspondingly high, this could increase the pressure on the Labor Party to press ahead with the measures planned by the previous government.
Similar posts
Gambling Bukmacherzy.com is restarting and revealing the balance of its betting tips Gambling online scratch cards in check: Why 60 $is enough here and 100 $is allowed elsewhere Gambling gambling update: Free spins at JackpotPiraten, New Year's Eve lotteries & ghost castle at SlotMagie Gambling Gambling Weekly Review: Halloween Slots, Betway Comes to USA & Scandal in Online Poker
- Online casinos
- News
- Gambling
- Activists call for gambling levy to be imposed in the UK