The Gamblers Consumers Forum (GCF) is a new organisation set up to represent the interests of those that enjoy betting and to raise the many concerns that punters have as regards the proposals put forward by the recent gambling white paper in the UK.

I was joined by both Abbie McGregor and Andrew Woodman in this episode to discuss just why they have setup the GCF, including what it stands for, what it is against and their plans to help better represent the many people that bet in the UK , who until now have been overlooked.

Starting with their opposition to the planned affordability checks mooted in the White Paper, which they describe as  'unnecessary, unworkable, unpractical and ineffective', Andrew and Abbie also outline why such measures will only serve to increase the usage of the black market, a precursor of which was seen during the 2022 World Cup with a 3-fold increase in visits to it.

The very real prospect of a growing black market is also a concern for those dealing with gambling addiction and Abbie also outlines GCF's issues with what has been proposed in the White Paper and why such measures are not rooted in science and might ultimately do more harm than good.

Through the chat, we also discuss what they would like to see change as per regulation and the Gambling Commission's role, alongside that of a better dispute resolution service, plus the importance of pushing back against those who make up the anti-gambling lobby.

The vast majority of people who bet, have up to now not been represented when it comes to the debate around new gambling legislation and the GCF are here to fill that void and finally represent the average punter's interests and concerns.

Please visit https://gamblersconsumerforum.com/ to find out more about their work.

Discover More:

• Learn more on the Smart Betting Club and how we help winning bettors at https://smartbettingclub.com/ 
• Gamblers Consumers Forum: https://gamblersconsumerforum.com/
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