Duncan-Smith attacks the “arrogance” of gambling companies

The former Conservative Party leader and Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan-Smith, has today called for the introduction of new Gambling Act that is ‘fit for the new digital age’.

Speaking to GB News, Mr Duncan Smith said, “We do have a whole chain of abusive behaviour by the gambling industry, and in the pursuit of their profits, what they have done is literally used those, who should least be used, those with a gambling problem”.

Pointing to the existence of VIP rooms where the most addicted gamblers get to meet celebrities, and to the £2.5 billion spent by the industry on advertising, Mr Duncan-Smith said, “The gambling companies are behaving in a very arrogant manner.  They think of their ability to make huge profits, regardless of the effect on those that are most affected, and that is a problem that will get worse, particularly amongst young people”.

Mr Duncan-Smith who is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling Harm said of his calls for a new Act, “It is not anti gambling. It is just saying: get some control back, so these gambling companies don’t have it all their own way”.

It is claimed that 0.5% of people in England are categorised as problem gamblers, with 55,000 children between 11 and 16 said to be in that category.   According to Iain Duncan-Smith, the economic cost of harmful gambling has been estimated at £1.27 billion per year with one gambler said to commit suicide on average every day.