UK Gambling Commission to change iGaming regulations

The UK Gambling Commission has announced several changes to iGaming regulations to adapt controls in the current market.

The iGaming segment is one of the most prolific in all gambling and continues to evolve and change daily, which is why the UK Gambling Commission has announced modifications to current regulations. The regulatory body has announced several measures that will improve iGaming conditions and make the segment better for consumers.

“Britain has the largest regulated online gambling market in the world and we are continually looking for ways to make it even fairer and safer for consumers,” Neil McArthur, Gambling Commission chief executive, said, adding: “The proposals we have announced today are intended to protect children better, reduce the risks to vulnerable consumers and build on the measures we already impose on operators to know their customers and intervene at an earlier stage before consumers experience harm.”

Among the mentioned changes is the ban from providing free-to-play demo games until a consumer’s age has been determined (in order to protect children), improving the speed and effectiveness of age verification processes, ensuring operators set limits on consumers’ spending until affordability checks have been conducted, tackling unacceptable marketing and advertising, unfair terms and improving complaints and disputes procedures, and also strengthening requirements to interact with consumers who may be experiencing, or are at risk of developing, problems with their gambling.

Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, further commented: “We are committed to ensuring the gambling industry is safe and sustainable. These proposals for additional regulations will strengthen the controls already in place and further safeguard children and vulnerable people from the risks of online gambling.”

The industry profits from the sector have grown 10 per cent to £4.7 billion in the last year, statistics show, while there’s a larger number of players, growing from 15.5 per cent in 2014 to 18.3 per cent in 2017.