UK RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING FUNDING ISSUE RESOLVED
(Update)
12 June 2009
New three year voluntary donations system
agreed
Arguments over the voluntary funding by UK gambling
companies of the Responsibility in Gambling Trust were
resoved this week with the announcement by the minister
for sport, Gerry Sutcliffe, that he has accepted a new,
three-year voluntary funding arrangement with betting
and gaming operators that will provide at least GBP15
million for problem gambling research, education and
treatment.
The agreement ends an impasse where
insufficient funds had been voluntarily provided,
leading to government threats that it would impose a
mandatory levy in order to sustain the RIGT (see
previous InfoPowa reports).
According to a report
in The Racing Post, a mandatory levy remains a
government option. Sutcliffe apparently said Tuesday
that the mechanism for a mandatory scheme was in place,
and he warned he would not be afraid to use it if the
industry came up short with voluntary funding.
“I’m very pleased we have managed to secure the future
of this important work without the need for new
legislation, and I’m confident the new structure will be
successful," said the minister. “But if, in the coming
months, it becomes clear that it is not working, I will
not hesitate to bring in a statutory levy.
“The
protection of vulnerable people remains my No. 1
priority, and I will not be giving the industry a second
chance to put this right.”
Online Casino News Courtesy of
Infopowa
More news here.
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