UKGC to further address players at risk

The UK Gambling Commission has issued a new directive aiming to limit further players' participation related to gambling harm. The new rules will apply from September 12, 2022, while the Commission will notify the operators by June on how to implement them after they fully understand how they should comply with them. Among the most important rules is monitoring a specific range of indicators, as a minimum, to identify gambling harm. Indicators include customer spending, time spent gambling and patterns of spending. Moreover, bookmakers should avoid giving new bonuses to players at risk and refrain from marketing activities. Once an indicator is flagged, the operator should take the appropriate action in cooperation with the Commission.

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Andrew Rhodes, UKGC's chief executive, commented: ''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 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.''

Previous failings of sportsbooks to deal with such issues made the Commission apply stricter regulations. More than 13,000 responses were collected during the consultation, all of which were evaluated to proceed with suitable changes. Committed to a safer betting environment, the UKGC will keep consulting financially vulnerable players and help them tackle any issues.