By Alastair Graham, CEO of AgeChecked, a solution provider for online retailers of age-restricted goods and services
Over the past decade, the British gambling industry has grown substantially, particularly due to a surge in online gaming, coupled with newly relaxed gambling laws.
As part of the Gambling Act of 2005, which came into force on September 1, 2007, betting companies could create TV adverts for sports gambling and online casinos for the first time, allowing companies to get directly into the homes of consumers. As such, the industry now makes around £14bn a year, a rise of 65 per cent since the laws were relaxed.
But, while relaxed betting regulations have benefitted the UK economy, with the sector contributing around £2.3bn per year, questions have been raised in recent years around its lacklustre age checks.
The ability for minors to bypass existing security measures designed to prevent under-age gambling is becoming a real issue in the UK. Recent reports have identified that 25,000 children, aged between 11 and 16, have been described as problematic gamblers, with another 36,000 at risk of becoming one.
