Labour’s shadow culture secretary Tom Watson has promised to impose online restrictions including new limits on stakes and speed of play if the party gains power.
Watson, speaking at an Institute of Public Policy Research policy seminar, said his party would create a new category in the 2005 Gambling Act for online betting.
It would impose limits on stakes, spending and speed of play, in order to tackle what he branded as “Britain’s hidden epidemic”.
Watson said: "Whereas gambling in the offline world is highly regulated, the lack of controls on online gambling is leading to vulnerable consumers suffering huge losses.
“Too often, operators have either neglected the care of their customers or have been too slow in their due diligence.
"We need to see a culture of limits introduced to internet gambling: a system of thresholds placed on the spend, stake and speed… that will give safeguards to consumers."
Watson also stated he would announce a gamer’s consultation to bring together evidence on the relationship with gaming and gambling, examining in particular skins betting and loot boxes.
Labour has already made the promise to ban the use of credit cards to fund gambling.
