The Collapse of Football Index

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about the collapse of Football Index and the Gambling Commission’s suspension of its operating licence.

I appreciate your concerns about this issue, and that many people have lost substantial amounts of money because of it.

The UK Government has stated that it has met with the Gambling Commission on this matter, and that it takes very seriously the concerns of Football Index customers.

I understand that members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Related Harm have written to Ministers, raising questions about actions taken by the Gambling Commission and requesting an inquiry into the events leading to the collapse of Football Index. I am aware that the Gambling Commission has stated that it suspended Football Index’s licence once it was satisfied it had no other regulatory option left to it.

I understand that the Government has recently announced that it will appoint an independent expert to conduct a review into the collapse of FI and that this will include the decisions and actions of the Gambling Commission. It expects the findings to be published this summer. I can assure you I will follow developments on this matter.

The Government launched its call for evidence into the Gambling Act 2005 in December last year, which closed on 31 March 2021. It says it aims to publish a White Paper into its findings by the end of the year.

More widely, I believe the law on gambling should be approached from a public health perspective to protect the vulnerable and particularly children and young people, but to allow others who choose to do so to gamble safely.

I welcome the gambling review because UK gambling legislation is more than 15 years old. It is right that the legislation is brought up to date. We need fit-for-purpose, evidence-based regulation that is targeted effectively to reduce gambling-related harm, and that can keep up with the changing nature of gambling online. We must also ensure the right support is in place to tackle the highly serious matter of problem gambling.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP