Gamblers under 25 to be banned from betting more than £2 per online spin in imminent shake-up
UNDER-25s will be banned from betting more than £2 per spin online under the government’s gambling crackdown.
But older punters could be allowed to stake up to £15 as part of an imminent shake-up of the industry to be revealed within weeks.
Cabinet documents leaked to the Sun also confirm plans to force betting firms to pay a new legal tax to fund help for problem gamblers.
They must do credit checks on those at risk of spiralling into debt and face fresh duties to look for “signs their losses are unaffordable”.
Free bet bonus offers will be subject to “new controls” where they are being “targeted in harmful ways”.
Premier League clubs have also agreed to remove all gambling logos from the front of players’ shirts.
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A maximum stake for internet slot games of between £2 to £15 is likely to infuriate the industry fearing less profits.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said she will “consult on a stake limit of between £2 and £15 for online slots games... and also consulting on a low limit of £2 for under 25s.”
Laying out the plans to colleagues, she insisted: “Our proposals are targeted to protect people who are at risk of addiction, catastrophic loss and harm, with minimal disruption to the majority.”
While almost half of British adults gamble every month, ministers are concerned at the country’s 300,000 problem gamblers and further 1.8million at risk of harm.
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Ms Frazer has not specified the rate of the mandatory levy in her pitch to Cabinet but it is understood to be around 1 per cent of profits.
To combat addiction online games will be made safer by “limiting the riskiest features”.
She also vows to close “remaining gaps” that allow under-18s to gamble on cash fruit machines and scratch cards.
Customers deemed “high risk” will have their data shared across the industry to stop them racking up huge losses.
A new now-legal watchdog will be created to mediate punter complaints, which ministers warn will be given legal teeth if firms fail to abide by it on a voluntary basis.
The Gambling Commission regulator will get beefed-up powers to crack down on the black market.
Horserace betting faces higher taxes under a new review to ensure proper funding for the sport.
However casinos will be given a lifeline by allowing all, rather than just some, to offer sports betting and letting high-end ones to give credit to rich foreign visitors.
Ms Frazer told fellow ministers: “I am confident that the societal benefits in harm reduction outweigh the projected costs to industry, and that much of the drop in online revenue will be the foregone income from people gambling unaffordably.”
She plans to publish the Gambling White Paper after the Easter break and will ram as much as it through without creating a new law.
Meanwhile a Tory MP has been stung offering to use his position to lobby for the gambling industry.
Scott Benton was caught by undercover Times reporters saying he could leak the upcoming White Paper and raise the issue in Parliament in return for payment.
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The Blackpool South MP was secretly filmed promising “behind the scenes” information and bragged about his “easy access to Ministers”.
Rishi Sunak was earlier tonight facing calls to suspend the whip, although sources said it was a matter for the Commons Standards Commissioner.
MP: PAY ME TO LOBBY
A TORY MP has been caught offering to lobby for the gambling industry.
Times reporters filmed Scott Benton, left, saying he would table questions and offer “behind the scenes” info for a fee.