In the United Kingdom and the Gambling Commission regulator has released a new set of rules that have been designed to prompt locally-licensed iGaming operators into more effectively identifying and protecting at-risk consumers.
The authority used an official press release to describe the fresh directives as ‘stronger and more prescriptive’ in advance of stating that they are to come into force from September 12 so as to ensure ‘online gambling businesses do more to identify and take action to protect consumers at risk of harm’.
Raised recognition:
The Gambling Commission declared that all iGaming firms licensed in the United Kingdom are to now be obliged to ‘monitor a specific range of indicators’ concerning gambling harms as a minimum and ‘take action in a timely manner’ on any flagged alarms. The watchdog pronounced that such firms will moreover soon be required to ‘implement automated processes for strong indicators of harm’ and cease allowing at-risk consumers to access marketing materials and bonus offers.
Communication condition:
Established in September of 2007, the Gambling Commission proclaimed that its raft of new iGaming regulations furthermore encompasses a mandate for operators to ‘evaluate their interactions and ensure they interact with consumers at least at the level of problem gambling for the relevant activity’. The watchdog additionally asserted that such firms and their third-party providers are to be required to remain in compliance with these fresh regulations ‘at all times’ and collect evidence on any interactions via ‘routine casework.’
Examination exercise:
Andrew Rhodes serves as the Chief Executive for the Gambling Commission and he used the press release to disclose that the new rules have been introduced following the conclusion of a special consultation initiated in order to address failings it has been continuing to chronicle among local operators of online casino and sportsbetting sites. The regulator explained that this endeavor, which saw it receive some 13,000 responses, concluded that such iGaming firms often do not act quickly enough or at all to prevent harm despite being very capable of identifying at-risk customers.
Read a statement from Rhodes…
“Time and time again our enforcement cases show that some operators are still not doing enough to p ufa888 revent gambling harm. These new rules, developed following an extensive consultation, make our expectations even more explicit. We expect operators to identify and tackle gambling harms with fast, proportionate and effective action and we will not hesitate to take tough action on operators who fail to do so.”
Advancing aspiration:
The new rules from the Gambling Commission come as the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson is preparing to release a ‘white paper’ of proposed changes to the nation’s online and land-based gambling landscape. The regulator finished by asserting that it intends to continue working closely with the country’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and will soon debut another revised raft of rules ‘to make online gambling fairer and safer.’
