Gambling Commission targets action on spending limits
New rules on spending limits and age verification have been announced as part of plans revealed by the Gambling Commission to make gambling safer in the UK.
Following the publication of its ‘Review of Online Gambling’, the Commission said new rules should be introduced to further protect children by banning operators from providing free-to-play demo games until a consumer’s age has been determined.
There should be an improvement in the speed and effectiveness of age verification processes, while the rules should ensure operators set limits on consumers’ spending until affordability checks have been conducted.
The Commission wants to tackle unacceptable marketing and advertising and unfair terms, and improve complaints and disputes procedures, strengthen requirements to interact with consumers who may be experiencing, or are at risk of developing, problems with their gambling.
Neil McArthur, Gambling Commission chief executive, said: “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.
“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.”
The review found that industry profits from the sector have grown 10% to £4.7bn in the last year, and public participation has increased from 15.5% in 2014 to 18.3% in 2017.
Following the review the Gambling Commission said it plans to now assess the effectiveness of the current tools available to consumers to manage their gambling. It will also review gambling product characteristics to identify whether particular features pose greater risk of harm than others.
Tracey Crouch Minister for Sport and Civil Society, said: “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.”
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