The gambling market in Manchester has been changing recently due to newly adopted stricter policies on casinos and betting by local authorities as far as the increasing rate of problem gambling has been observed. The measures have been instituted to allow viable control of gambling with an intention of reducing the likelihood of resulting in negative impacts of gambling dependence in society with the new measures coming into force today.
The Manchester City Council with help from the UK Gambling Commission has implemented numerous of rules that will affect all gambling establishments based within Manchester. Such rules are: mandatory protective measures for players, new and more stringent requirements for training of staff, and increased controls of gambling operations.
Another is the introduction of city-wide self-exclusion program. This system makes it possible for people to self-exclude themselves from all the betting premises in Manchester with a simple sign up. Anyone who has self-excluded is now barred from gambling, and casinos and betting shops are obliged to check all customers against a central list.
Casinos are now required to implement a high level of time and spending control for players along with imposing the self-exclusion program. Such sessions are supposed to act as the controls for regulating the number of gambling sessions and thereby the amount of time people spend gambling. Markets have to ensure that players are closely followed by tracking systems in venues where the gambling problems can be identified.
The new regulations also require companieS to have increased focuses on staff training and customer awareness of problem gambling. At least all employees in Manchester’s gambling institutions must now undergo a course on helping customers who have gambling problems. This training is all about making gambling establishments, and other betting shops, safe places where members of staff are fully prepared to assist those who require it.
Some of the local casino operators have shown relatively different attitudes towards new regulations. As dire as some have hailed the changes as a way to ensure that gambling responsibility is achieved, there are others who have expressed their worries of how the changes will affect their operations. Critics of the measures have suggested that such a change would mean smaller loss for the industry but would mean less revenue thus might shut down micro businesses.
Still, in these aspects, many public health officials and addiction specialists have applauded the city’s actions. They reason that it is possible to minimize the effects of betting-related ills in the long run while enduring the short-term costs to the industry. The new regulations are believed to not only treat those already vulnerable to gambling disorder and provide effective prevention means for betting that are yet to surface but also to foster a level of a more controlled environment while gambling.
The application of such measures is synchronized with the start of the new campaign to raise awareness of people from Manchester about the harms of gambling. The campaign is currently available in the media space of the city’s public transport and social networks and focuses on the principles of safe gambling and the availability of relevant resources.
Local community organizations have also contributed to the formulation of these new regulations as well. Families affected by problem gambling have been particularly aggressive at lobbying for more controls and additional services. Their work has contributed to making effective that the new measures also aim at the lessen affected gamblers and extend this to family and other surrounding groups and societies.
The new rules have changed the situation by increasing the proportion of profit that Manchester casinos need to allocate for the treatment of gambling-related disorders and primary prevention of gambling. Some of the proposed additional funds will go to the growth of local supporting services – crisis centers and helplines that address the problems with gambling.
Concerning unvealing of the new measures, the city council has also declared intentions to scrutinize the efficiency of these measures. The University of Manchester will undertake a study to evaluate the effects of the regulations for a long-term gambling behaviour and tendencies towards addiction in Manchester. This evidence based approach will enable future refinement or modification of the applicable regulations as and when necessary.
Hence, though many cities are not the first to adopt even stricter measures on gambling, complex approach of Manchester can be eagerly observed by many other cities of Great Britain. Should this model work, it may be implemented in other cities suffering from the same problems with problem gambling.
Manchester’s casinos continue to align with these new laws still ensuring that gambling is not bad for the citizens while maintaining the healthy gambling business in Manchester. Future months will be significant in delivering the efficiency and significance of these mitigations on both gambling prospects and community.
The above presented new regulations, which are already initiated, are important steps Manchester is taking to make gambling environment in cities more responsible and safe. All of these measures are commendable since, as the city strives to solve the multifaceted problem of gambling addiction, new ways of tackling a growing menace to public health are needed. The success of this initiative can act as a precedent and create new trends in addressing the issue of managing gambling activities in cities not only throughout the UK but also around the world.
