UK Gambling Commission Updates Regulations for Online Gaming

In an effort to make online gambling safer, the UK Gambling Commission has introduced an updated list of rules. These new laws aim to prevent children under 18 gambling, by forcing operators to efficiently and speedily verify the details of its customers before they can make a deposit or place a bet.

 

Prior to these changes, customers were able to bet whilst their details were being checked. This process which often took over 72 hours to complete meant that it was much easier for children under the legal age (18) to gamble. These new changes make it much harder for people to illegally gamble and it helps safeguard against under-age gaming.

 

Following a CMA report last year, which concluded that customers are frustrated with having to provide additional information when withdrawing funds, the commission have changed this process to make it much more straightforward. Now customers register all of their details including, age, name and address as soon as they sign up, and deal with any queries immediately. Licensed operators are also required to inform customers of all of the information required, and how it should be supplied, upfront in order to speed up the process of withdrawing money. Moreover to avoid any confusion operators must take reasonable steps to guarantee that details of clientele remain accurate.

 

The Gambling Commission chief executive Neil McArthur has stated that “these changes will protect children and the vulnerable from gambling-related harm”. Jeremy Wright, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has also supported these changes arguing that they help better protect young people attempting to gamble online. To help further protect gamblers of all ages the Gambling Commission have started investigating ways to help customers experiencing gambling addictions.