INAUGURAL JOINT PARLIAMENTARY MEETING AS GAMBLING FEARS RISE

Tomorrow (16 June 2020) Mick Antoniw, Member of Senedd for Pontypridd will chair the first joint meeting of Welsh and UK Parliamentary groups concerned with gambling addiction.

The meeting coincides with a significant increase in the number of people betting online during lockdown and growing concern that the return of sport to our televisions will cause a ‘frenzy’ of online gambling and an inevitable increase in gambling addiction.

Members of the Westminster All Party Parliamentary Group, chaired by Carolyn Harris MP and members of the Senedd’s Cross Party Group will be in attendance.

Mick Antoniw MS said

“We have seen that during lockdown the number of people gambling online across the UK during March increased by over eighty percent.

“With the return of sport to our televisions, and in particular the Premier league from this Wednesday, there’s growing concern that this there will be a ‘frenzy’ of online betting.

“Tomorrow I’ll be chairing the inaugural joint meeting of the Senedd’s Cross Party Group on Problem Gambling and Westminster’s All Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling Related Harm, chaired by Carolyn Harris MP.

“Whilst gambling control is not devolved to the Senedd, the social and public health consequences are, so we will explore how we can work together to influence UK and Welsh Government policy to better regulate the online betting industry, which many people believe is out of control.

“What’s needed is a regulatory framework that put the protection of people, not company profits first.”

ENDS