Tighter controls to be imposed by UK Gambling Commission

Following industry consultations, the UK Gambling Commission is set to introduce tighter standards of operational conduct from October this year.

Aimed at creating a fairer environment for punters, the changes include giving the Commission power to impose unlimited fines for promotional campaigns that appeal to children or glamorise gambling.

Operators will also face am eight-week deadline to resolve player complaints on unreasonable restrictions on withdrawals of winnings, misleading promos or bonuses, and advertising. Operators will additionally be held responsible for misleading advertising by third-party affiliates such as marketing agencies and for sending spam emails or texts to customers.

According to official figures, British punters wagered GBP13.9 billion between October 2016 and September 2017 (the latest figures available)

Neil McArthur, the chief executive of the Gambling Commission, said this week: “These changes will protect consumers from irresponsible advertising and misleading promotions, ensure that consumers can withdraw their money more easily and will mean that consumer complaints are dealt with more swiftly.”

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