Are online betting restrictions expected to change in 2022?

Punters in the UK have fewer restrictions to navigate when placing sports bets or playing in casinos. This reality is because the UK has fairly lax gambling laws compared to other countries like America. Therefore, a lot of betting activities can legally take place. However, the UK's gambling industry is still regulated to keep players safe. The Gambling Act of 2005 was the first major legislation to regulate betting since the 1961 legislation of off-track gambling and betting shops. The Act was established to regulate all types of gambling, minus spread betting. The Gambling Act also created the Gambling Commission (UKGC), an independent regulator.

The primary goal of the Gambling Act was to create a landscape to promote fair and secure gambling by enforcing responsible advertising, protecting minors and the vulnerable, and keeping the industry from being used for criminal purposes. However, the industry has evolved a lot with the rise of online and remote gambling, raising several new concerns. For instance, Esports is now particularly attractive to youngsters, who are likely to bet on them. Therefore, many agitators have called for changes to the current rules to keep pace with evolving times. As such, we can expect to see a few consequential changes to online betting restrictions in 2022.

Why the delay in updated legislation?

The UK expected a new gambling act to be introduced in the autumn of 2020. However, the coronavirus pandemic's onset forced the gambling legislation to take a back seat, so a new act was more likely at the start of 2021. Sadly, the matter has dragged on to 2022, and the general understanding is that the new gambling rules and regulations will most likely occur in Spring 2022.

The Guardian newspaper says the delays are due to a shift in priorities. Presently, the Gambling Commission is focusing on finding a new license holder for the National Lottery. Camelot UK's license expires next year, and the Commission plans to decide who will be the new license holder in February this year. It is said that the government awaits that decision before allowing the revised gambling legislation to pass through parliament. Understandably, these delays have been a major source of agitation for campaigners who believe it will cause additional heartbreak for many families.

What changes can we expect to see in the revised legislation?

There are numerous rumoured changes to expect in 2022, but nothing is set in stone yet. Nevertheless, we can assume several changes, based on proposals from industry and parliamentary groups as well as what the Gambling Commission has been doing lately. Consequently, some of the changes to expect include:

• Increased Taxation

The Chancellor's recent budget revealed that taxes for sports betting companies and online casinos would increase in April 2022. This increase may not directly affect you as a punter, but it could have a secondary effect on the odds and prices you see on your go-to betting site.

• Changes To VIP Schemes

Bookmarkers and casinos offer VIP schemes to punters who bet a lot of money and have significant site activity. Many studies reveal that gambling addiction and fraud is likelier with VIP players, so alterations to these schemes are highly probable. Consequently, the VIP status vetting process will be more rigorous. Casinos will also be more compelled to examine their patrons' financial situations and susceptibility to problem gambling. Therefore, free bets and bonuses, loyalty rewards, and cashback will be more challenging to get in the future.

• Tightened advertising rules

Many experts expect stringent advertising rules for sports betting and online casinos alike. Besides changes to the advertising rules, you may also see a difference in how many gambling adverts you see and when you view them. Currently, it is estimated that viewers will see a betting advertisement at least once every ten seconds when watching a televised Premier League Match. Younger audiences see these games, so there will undoubtedly be a new rule dictating what time these adverts can be shown. Online betting platforms and casinos will also face new rules related to advertising on football jerseys.

• Stake limits for fixed odds games

Land-based fixed odds betting venues already have stake limits, and it is expected that this will be rolled out online. There is a current £2 per stake limit in land-based venues, but it is expected that this will increase for online betting.

• Stricter Responsible Gambling Tools

Online betting sites and casinos are expected to provide various tools to help bettors gamble responsibly. These tools include activity warnings as well as time, deposit, and loss limits. Many of these tools are optional for punters, but this will likely be reversed under the new act. Therefore, you can expect to have automatically imposed limits which you can then opt-out of. Data sharing between operators may also be added so clients can see how much they are gambling across all sites.

• Possibly Mandatory Gambling Levy

Presently, the gambling levy is optional and applicable to only operators who sign up for it, mostly the big-name bookmakers. However, the new act will likely introduce a compulsory levy that will be used to fund services dedicated to preventing gambling harm.

• More Active Monitoring

It is no secret that operators track every click you make on online casinos and betting sites. These operators are obliged to track your activity and intervene if you display signs of problem gambling. However, it isn't in the operator's best interest to intervene since more intervention means less money. Therefore, the new act will likely insist on closer monitoring, perhaps through an independent body with no conflict of interest.