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Major Changes Coming to UK Gambling in 2024
By Shane Addinall Oct 19, 2023 IndustryEach year, gambling commissioners and authorities amend regulations to ensure safe and responsible gaming is in practice. Here we have a look at some changes that will take place within the next year, with assistance from several directors at the UKGC.In an annual Lotteries Council meeting and press event, we learn that changes are near and about to shake up the way we find entertainment through online gambling.
While these changes may seem to be driven by anxiety, players, providers, and platforms need to remember what the UKGC stands for, and that is to ensure that content is provided and played in a safe and responsible manner.
While the topics of amendments, changes, and consulting differ each year, several directors dropped hints as to some changes we could expect and when.
The UKGC Executive Director, Tim Miller, mentioned the topics of discussion prior to Ian Angus’s speech on October 11th. Similarly, in early October, the Director of Research and Statistics, Ben Haden, mentioned two upcoming projects by the Commission within the following six months. Ben mentioned that these may involve regulatory returns and daily real-time consumer data.
Changes To Look Out For
The Director of Policy, Ian Angus, delivered a speech at the Lotteries Council on October 11th, 2023. This was an important announcement he made on behalf of the Gambling Commission with regard to the society lottery sector and the current and upcoming consultations for 2024. Angus said:
Quote“As we move into the new year, we’ll begin to see some of the more substantive changes start to come into effect as consultations publish responses. There will be changes to the LCCP after we review the submissions received, development of an ombudsman scheme, and we will continue to make progress with further consultations. So, it will be an incredibly busy year but one we hope will be an incredibly important year in continuing to make gambling safer, fairer and crime-free.”
While he briefly mentioned society gambling, the majority was focused on the Gambling Act Review White Paper, consisting of 268 pages, that the government published in April of 2023.
The White Paper includes the following:
- Legislative change by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS).
- For players, providers, and platforms to take the necessary voluntary steps.
- Changes in the License Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), the basic set of rules for licensing.
These changes are only projections, with the first round of UKGC consultations for the gambling white paper amained to set course on October 18 - a mere week after Ian Angus’s speech. The consultations due to set course in the near future include:
✓ Age verification on-premises.
✓ Removing features that aid the need for consistent playing on non-slots online casino games.
✓ Improving the consumer’s choice regarding direct marketing, cross-selling, financial vulnerability checks, and financial risk assessments.
Angus emphasised that the plans were to comb through data collection and client surveys to start off with, but more would come to light in the future.
Changes Implemented
A second point was how important quarterly phone surveys and NHS data collection are. This type of data can help pinpoint those who are in need of help when it comes to problem gambling and beyond. With regards to this, Angus said:
Quote“This will be the largest survey of its type into the prevalence and participation of gambling anywhere in the world, with 20,000 responses a year when it is fully up and running. This will give us more accurate and up-to-date information, leading to better regulation across the sector. We are currently in fieldwork and will start publishing new data in the spring of next year.”
Though we can admit that change is never easy, the UKGC has always been on the side of the player to look out for their safety, to monitor fair gameplay, and to encourage responsible gambling.
The UK Gaming Commission has its mark on reputable platforms that will surely protect the players’ well-being. These changes could have a great positive impact, and they should be embraced and supported as we move into 2024.
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