GC continues responsible gambling push with focused workshops

The UK Gambling Commission has unveiled details of a new series of events designed to help smaller operators improve their responsible gambling strategies as part of an ongoing effort to raise industry standards in the UK.

The workshop events will focus on common compliance findings and tackling money laundering, as well as helping gamblers stay safe using multi-operator self-exclusion and local risk assessments.

Manchester’s Performance Spaces Central Library will host the first of these events, with representatives from local smaller operators across the arcade, betting and bingo industries invited to attend.

Helen Venn, executive director of compliance and licensing at the Commission, said: “Raising standards across the whole gambling industry is at the heart of our latest strategy to shape a well-regulated gambling market that works for consumers.

“These workshops are a really important opportunity for us to engage with smaller operators on a face-to-face basis and to re-emphasise the importance of gambling businesses taking their anti-money laundering and social responsibility requirements seriously.”

In recent weeks, the Commission has made a series of announcements outlining its commitment to tackling issues related to responsible gambling in the UK.

Last month, the regulator published updated rules on advertising, pledging to take “tougher action” against gambling firms that breach regulations in the UK.

This followed a call to arms in July for UK gambling industry to “step up” to help the regulator improve standards across the sector.

In August, the Commission also announced it was to work with the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board on a new research project that will look into whether some gambling products and environments are more harmful than others.

The Commission last week also backed calls from the Competition and Markets Authority for operators to make it easier for customers to withdraw funds from their online accounts. The regulator said companies should “take immediate action” or face the consequences.