UK Gambling Commission Tightens Rules to Protect Vulnerable Players

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) has updated its code of practice to increase protection for vulnerable gamblers. From September 12, 2022, gambling operators must comply with the new guidelines which detail how companies must “interact in a way which minimises the risk of customers experiencing harms associated with gambling.”

The new stance appears to have been brought on by numerous cases of gambling firms not doing enough to protect customers who could have been assessed as at-risk or even clearly displaying signs of problem gambling. When the new rules come into effect, operators must follow a three-step approach to identify, interact with, and then evaluate new customers.

Sky Vegas was fined £1.17m for sending information about free bets to 41,395 self-excluded customers. UKGC CEO Andrew Rhodes said: “Time and time again our enforcement cases show that some operators are still not doing enough to prevent gambling harm. These new rules, developed following an extensive consultation, make our expectations even more explicit.”