Gambling Business Group suggests separate regulator for video game sector

The recent furores around lootbox and increased youth gambling appears to have triggered a reaction from the Gambling Business Group, who’s chief executive, Peter Hannibal, issued a statement Thursday calling on the UK government to create a new organisation dedicated to the regulation of video gaming.

“The video gaming or eSports world is a good example of where addiction is on the increase, particularly with the young,” Hannibal claimed. “The UK Gambling Commission has been struggling to reach a firm position on issues with gaming in a society where there is a natural propensity to conflate the two things.

“I would question whether it’s really for the Gambling Commission to regulate a completely separate sector.

“Instead the DCMS should ensure that gaming has its own industry regulator and the Gambling Commission should liaise with them as they do with other associated regulatory bodies. It’s not for the gambling sector to fix the problems surrounding addiction, fairness and transparency that are being created by another separate industry over which we have no control.”

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