New Jersey regulator criticises UK gambling reforms

New Jersey’s top gaming regulator has levelled invasive criticism at the United Kingdom for its lack of gambling reform progress.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJ DGE)’s director, David Rebuck, has emphasised the differences between the two country’s cultures, stating that oversights and controls in the US are far more potent.

Moreover, Rebuck suggested that the UK should even follow the lead of the superior standards in practice across the Atlantic.

The whitepaper

Rebuck went into further detail by citing the UK whitepaper, which after its long-awaited release in April is still slated for review for at least another year. He explained:

“They’ve been at it for two-plus years, maybe three, and when you look at that, that’s kind of discouraging.”

In lieu of the issues that the UK is still debating, Rebuck had 3 key reforms that he believes should be enacted immediately.

Raising the minimum age

It is common in the US that the minimum gambling age is set at 21 whereas in the UK it still remains firmly at 18.

Rebuck described setting the age so low as “asking for trouble”, he made the claim that this encourages underage gambling and possibly ignites early gambling addiction.

Responsible gambling program

The next reform he suggested was an effective irresponsible gambling program. Rebuck stressed that this should include a self-exclusion option, whereby a gambler may choose to ban themselves from casinos and other gambling activities.

The UK does in actual fact provide the GAMSTOP self-exclusion program for online operators and their clients, accompanied by a series of land-based schemes. Rebuck was, however, left unperturbed by these stating:

“They don’t have this in the UK the way we have it here in the United States.”

Consumer protections

Lastly, Rebuck mentioned consumer protections, specifying that these are a widespread standard across both federal and state legislatures in the United States, which is not the case in the UK.

Despite this praise for the US measures, Rebuke was not forthcoming regarding the particular protections the UK is lacking.

SiGMA Balkans/CIS

As a globally recognised nexus for networking, SiGMA Group sets its sights next to the Balkans this September, when the SIGMA Balkans/CIS Summit heads to Limassol Cyprus.

A host of networking opportunities and industry-leading knowledge will be emanating from the much-anticipated event which will pack panel discussions, keynote speeches, start-up pitches and much more into 3 days in the diverse Cypriot city.