UKGC Doubles Down on Gambling Harm Prevention

The United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission (UKGC) published new rules for gambling businesses in Great Britain. The Commission expects operators to have all the required practices in place by 12 September this year. Included in the new rules are procedures to help platform providers with recognising at-risk gamblers and the relevant actions required. 

British gambling operators will have the support of the UKGC during the transition period, as well as hands-on guidance from the regulator before the cut-off date. The gambling Commission aims to help its licensees understand and comply with the new laws. Operators expect clear guidelines from the Commission in June. 

The new rules address improved measures to combat gambling harm and come a week after the Commission published its business plan for the year ahead. 

 Keeping Risky Gambling at Bay 

A range of new responsible gambling laws from the British regulator ensures online platforms take action to identify and protect at-risk players. The Commission describes the rules as ‘stronger and more prescriptive’. Grounds for the updated and newly published rules arose from a consultation held by the Commission following continuous failure among online operators regarding gambling harm prevention. UKGC Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes said:

“Time and time again, our enforcement cases show that some operators are still not doing enough to prevent gambling harm. These new rules, developed following an extensive consultation, make our expectations even more explicit”. 

Built on the expectation of swift, fair, and effective action from all licensed operators, the amendments complement, and further clarify, duties on player protection. The Commission explains how their consultation and call for evidence received around 13,000 responses and the robust changes follow careful considerations from these proposals. 

 Early Detection, Intervention, and Single Customer View 

Britain’s regulator notes that although operators have the capabilities to identify at-risk customers, many do not use the tools at their disposal, nor do they act accordingly and in a timeous manner. The new rules, effective from 12 September 2022, clarify what operators must measure and when to step in. 

A range of specific indicators needs monitoring as the threshold for harmful gambling behaviour. This includes time and money spent, spending patterns, gambling behaviour indicators, customer-led contact, responsible gambling tools, and account indicators for at-risk profiles. Once an operator flags indicators of harm, they must take swift action. 

Operators must have automated processes for strong indicators of harm, prevent any form of marketing to at-risk customers, and discontinue any new bonus rewards. These measures tie in with the Commission’s goal for a Single Customer View system. This will allow gambling businesses to identify high-risk customers through collaborative data sharing. 

Evaluations of customer interactions are necessary and interventions must take place on the level of the problematic gambling. The UKGC requires operators to keep a record of these interactions and these must be available for inspection. Furthermore, the operators must ensure compliance with the rules at all times and are accountable for third-party providers as well. 

 Improvements in Progress 

These protocols tackle three specific risk factors that include unaffordable binge gambling, significant unaffordable losses over time, and operators’ failure to identify particularly vulnerable consumers. 

To make online gambling fairer and safer, the phases set out by the Commission focus on financially vulnerable customers next. While considering the British government’s Gambling Act Reform, the UKGC continues to work with DCMS, BGC, and ICO on the single customer view pilot.