Plea to outlaw free bets from gaming firms

FREE- BET promotions and other incentives from gambling firms to encourage punters should be banned, ministers have been told.

A reform of the rules was required to prevent operators from being allowed to “stimulate demand”, according to Lord Forsyth of Drumlean.

The Conservative peer, formerly responsible for gambling matters as a Home Office Minister, said such a situation previously existed and action was required to stop people from being “bombarded” by offers on the television and internet.

Culture minister Baroness Barran earlier confirmed that publication of Public Health England’s review on the harm relating to gambling had been “delayed by Covid” but was expected in the first part of this year.

Lord Forsyth said: “When I was in charge of gambling in the Home Office some 25 years ago, the rule was that operators were not allowed to stimulate demand.

“They were prevented from advertising or doing anything which encouraged people to gamble. Now people are being bombarded on television and the internet with offers of free bets.”