UKGC Introduces Licensing Conditions Changes in Order to Better Protect Players

Great Britain's gambling regulator, United Kingdom Gambling Commission, will be introducing a set of logistical and operational changes in regards to licensing process and conditions in this country that should establish a new practice with end goal of making a safer and fairer environment for players.

These new rules will be raising alternative dispute resolution's (ADR) standards and will bolster requirements on how licensed operators will interact with and identify consumers that exhibit signs of problem gambling. The idea is also to “improve the transparency of funding for research, prevention and treatment.”

ADR Revamped

These changes were preceded by an open consultation...

...and will be introduced over the course of stages. The first set of rules will be going in effect this October and in terms of ADR, gambling operators and related businesses will be asked to only use ADR providers that meet Commission's standards. ADR rules will be enforced come October 31st. They will not be applied to gaming machine technical and gambling software licenses.

These new standards will be in ties with customer service, governance and decision-making. The Commission says they will clarify the role of ADR in future and work on improving its consistency in order to “reassure consumers that a provider is independent of the gambling business.”

More Interaction With Consumers

Customer interaction requirements are also subject to changes...

...and will entail focusing (by the operator) on outcomes of identifying and interacting with players who are at risk of experiencing (or are experiencing) gambling associated harms. By this, estimating the impact of an interaction on a customer and overall approach's effectiveness is meant.

These will also be introduced on October 31st and will cover all licenses apart from non-remote lottery, gaming machine technical, gambling software and host licenses.

One Sole Aim: Making Gambling Safer

UKGC is also forcing operators to meet responsibilities that cater to their funding of research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm. Starting from January 1st 2020, new rules will make sure that funds contributed by operators are indeed helping UKGC's National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms. A list of bodies that operators can send their funds to will be soon published by the organization.

Executive Director of UK Gambling Commission, Paul Hope, says:

“These changes have been designed to make gambling fairer and safer for consumers and we expect gambling firms to meet their responsibilities in these areas.”

New Verification Standards

In May, the UKGC introduced new age and identity verification procedures…

...after an open consultation on making sure operators verify their customers' identity details.

Richard Watson of The Commission, was quoted as saying:

“We have been working hard to raise standards in the online industry to ensure that gambling is crime-free and that the one in five people in Britain who gamble online every month can do so safely. [...] We expect operators to know their customers and to ask the right questions to make sure they meet their anti-money laundering and social responsibility obligations.”

Source:

“Gambling Commission to boost player protection with license changes”, igamingbusiness.com, August 7, 2019.