UK’s new sports minister says gov’t eyeing credit card gambling

The UK government is mulling whether to restrict its citizens’ capacity to use their credit cards for gambling purposes, according to a new Tory minister.

This week, Mims Davies, the Tory MP for Eastleigh and the recently appointed Minister for Sport and Civil Society, gave a speech at the industry-funded charity GambleAware’s sixth annual ‘harm-minimization’ conference in London.

Davies (pictured) said her appointment followed “an extremely progressive year of policy developments” but warned that “the publication of the Gambling Review did not mark the end of government action.”

Davies said the government supported the gambling industry’s employment and investment, but “there are risks and industry must mitigate those risks with appropriate protections.” Davies emphasized the need for gambling operators “to deliver early interventions, before harm occurs,” adding that she wants to see “rapid progress in this area.”