New laws for Bingo

Saturday 1 September was an important day for the bingo industry as the Gambling Commission obtained new powers via the Gambling Act 2005. The Commission, which was formed in 2005, is now responsible for regulating all forms of gambling in the UK, including both traditional club bingo and online bingo games.

All operators that offer gambling opportunities must now be licensed by the Commission, and those that are found operating without a licence will be prosecuted. A team of fifty "compliance managers" is in place to identify illegal operators and enforce the law.

As part of the new law, gambling organisations are now permitted to advertise their services on television. Some individuals have argued that allowing such advertising is a negative more and might increase the number of "problem gamblers" in the country, but in a free market it is only fair that those in the gambling industry are able to advertise in the same way as companies in other industries. As for safety, the Gambling Act 2005 is designed to make gambling as transparent and safe for the consumer as possible, with gambling operators expected to play a big part in assisting those with gambling problems to get the help they require.

"We are a nation of gamblers, even if some who admit to the occasional flutter would shy away from that description," said Peter Dean, who is Chairman of the Gambling Commission. "Parliament has set the basic rules about what gambling is permitted. The Gambling Commission's task is to ensure that gambling is crime-free, fair and safe. It is a cause of great satisfaction to me that we now have the proper tools to do this within a modern system of gambling regulation which is second to none in the world."

Whilst it is doubtful that we will suddenly see online bingo companies dominate the commercial breaks on television, we can expect bingo sites to make good use of the relaxed advertising laws in the future. This is positive news for those of us who play bingo online, because advertising means more competition between bingo sites, and a better deal all round for players.

30th January 2008