On Thursday, 14 April 2022, the Gambling Commission of Great Britain announced the introduction of stricter and more prescriptive rules for online gambling operators. The new rules, which will be enforced on 12 September 2022, will ensure that online gambling companies intensify their efforts toward identifying and protecting customers that are at high-risk.
According to the new directive, online casino operators and other iGaming establishments in the United Kingdom must:
- Keep an eye on a specific range of indicators, at the very least, to detect harm caused by gambling-related.
- Flag likely sources of harm and deal with them as soon as possible.
- Use automated mechanisms to handle strong signals of damage.
- Not allow marketing and new bonus take-up for endangered customers.
- Assess their interactions and make sure they engage with their customers at the level of gambling problems at least.
- Provide the Commission with documentation of their customer interaction assessment during regular casework.
- Always adhere to these requirements and ensure that third-party providers comply with them.
In June, new guidelines for operators to consider will be published to aid their understanding and compliance with the requirements of the new rules. For this reason, the Gambling Commission will interact with gaming operators to ensure the guidelines take into consideration the questions that will be received regarding the requirements.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Gambling Commission, Andrew Rhodes, on several occasions, the enforcement cases of the Commission reveal that some operators still have so much to do to ensure that their customers are safe from problem gambling and other gambling harm. However, the new rules were made after broad consultation, so, the expectations of the Commission are clearer than ever. Also, operators are required to identify and address problems caused by gambling promptly because the Commission will not fail to penalise defaulters.
Additionally, to ensure a better and more secure online gambling experience, the Gambling Commission has decided to carry out further consultation on spotting gambling customers who are financially vulnerable. Thus, it aims to address significant unaffordable gambling in its next phase of work. More updates about the consultation will be shared by the Commission when it kicks off.
Finally, the UK Gambling Commission has promised to keep a close working relationship with the department for Digital, culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and consider the Government’s Gambling Act Review. It will also carry on with its extensive projects focused on identifying gambling clients who are at risk of harm, as well as maintain close interaction with the Betting and Gaming Council (BCG) and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
