The UK betting and gaming industry, revered for its integrity and expertise, is currently regulated by some of the strictest gambling legislation in the world. Deregulatory measures were first drafted in 2001, but their implementation has been plagued by delays. The UK Government published the first draft of a Gambling Bill in November 2003, since when further clauses have been added - so that even the incomplete draft runs to more than 250 clauses. It is now widely expected that the long-awaited deregulation of the UK's betting and gaming market will come about in 2006. The Gambling Commission will be launched in 2005 and become operational early in 2006.
The fact that motivation for a change in the law has come from a combination of developments in technology and defects in existing legislation, rather than from consumer demand, has led some to question whether the UK public needs, or even wants, more opportunities to gamble. The Joint Committee on the Draft Bill recognises that almost all of the evidence it received points to the fact that the proposed legislation will increase the number of people in the UK with a gambling problem. Indeed, it is the casino sector, perceived as hard gambling, which is likely to benefit most from the changes, as restrictions on membership rules, situation, size, entertainment and alcohol are lifted. The sector will also be able to advertise casinos, rather than be restricted to a listing in newspapers, as is the case currently. There is also likely to be a flurry of investment in projects - by domestic and overseas operators - creating thousands of jobs. Deregulation will also swell the Exchequer's coffers, a reality that has not gone unnoticed by cynics.
It is the bookmaking sector that has been making record profits since the introduction of the controversial Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) in 2001, and latest figures from HM Customs and Excise show total betting stakes - excluding the billions of pounds spent on bingo, lotteries, traditional gaming machines and casinos - to have reached £29.1bn in 2003, compared with £7.5bn in 1999. However, the rate of growth will slow as the frantic, and exceedingly lucrative, rollout of FOBTs is completed. Meanwhile, the pools sector continues to decline, while there are plans to convert some bingo halls to casinos. Understandably, companies that operate exclusively in the bingo sector are none too happy about the fact that casinos, on the whole, will be able to offer bingo but bingo halls will not be permitted to offer casino games. It seems inevitable that they will become casualties of deregulation, as consumer spending is diverted to resort casinos.
The advent and popularity of online gambling has made betting and gaming a truly global pursuit, albeit an illegal one in some jurisdictions. Following the Gambelli case (see Chapter 8 - The Global Market), it seems likely that Europe's state-run gambling monopolies will be outlawed in years to come. The future looks decidedly rosy for the already successful companies involved in the UK's betting and gaming industry with, it seems, their biggest threat being the entry of the giant US chains, which are already greedily eyeing up the market.
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