The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) announced a new set of rules, requiring all licensed online operators to actively identify and intervene with players at risk.
The new rules will come into force on 12 September, instructing remote operators to monitor a “specific range of indicators as a required minimum to identify gambling harms“.
New Guidance
Due to “continued failings by licensed operators” to intervene with players who are identified as being at risk of developing gambling harms, the UKGC is preparing a new set of guidelines that will outline the actions required by the Commission concerning customer care, player monitoring, and business accountability.
According to the Commission, operators will be required to ‘flag indicators of harm and take action in a timely manner'.
The new guidance will be sent out to operators in June and the technical provisions will require operators to ‘implement automated processes’ so as to record indicators of player harm and ensure that ‘marketing engagements are prevented with at-risk customers’.
The Commission’s Chief Executive, Andrew Rhodes, commented by saying that “time and time again our enforcement cases show that some operators are still not doing enough to prevent gambling harm.
Apart from evaluating interactions with customers, operators will also be tasked with diligent record-keeping, so as to be able to offer evidence of the interaction evaluation to the Commission.
“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,” Rhodes explained.
