Nipped in the Budd? Assessing the wisdom of the Gambling Review Body’s recommendations in relation to problem gambling
Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: The convening of the Gambling Review Body (the ‘Review Body’), between 2000 and 2001 was the most recent attempt by the British Government to consider fully policy objectives for the operation of its licensed gambling market. It followed in a tradition of comprehensive Government-sponsored reviews of gambling (carried out in the twentieth century by Royal Commissions) approximately every 20 to 25 years. The publication of its report in 2001 had a strong influence on the drafting of the Gambling Act 2005 (the ‘2005 Act’), Britain’s principal piece of gambling legislation. In 2019, Britain’s gambling laws are under review once more. The Labour Party (at the date of writing, the principal political party of Opposition) has set out plans for “a new Gambling Act that is fit for the digital age” ; while the House of Lords has approved a special inquiry committee on the “”Social and Economic consequences of the gambling industry ”. Against this backdrop, there may be merit in revisiting Budd. This essay considers two of the Budd Report’s key aims – the protection of vulnerable people and the protection of children[1]. It reviews those recommendations that were explicitly directed towards harm prevention; as well as a number of broader proposals which have clear relevance to the subject. This essay reviews Budd’s recommendations from 2001 against subsequent events – and in particular asks the question of whether the report contributed to the development of future regulatory problems and political controversies.
Authors: Daniel Waugh, Tom Grant
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2963326720