Gambling Commission to Apply new player protection rules this October

By October 31^st, new rules will come into play that will provide better protection for gamblers regarding misleading promotions. A crackdown by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) will see operators who break advertising rules or consumer laws facing severe consequences based on changes to regulations. Unlimited fines will be imposed for any such breaches, including advertising campaigns that are catered towards children or those that glamorize the gambling industry.

Changes to Come:

The Gambling Commission has decided to make several changes in order to better protect consumers who take part in gambling services within their jurisdiction. Among the changes is the fact that operators will have to take better precautions when working with third party affiliates. Advertising issues involving such affiliates will cause operators to be at risk of action by the UKGC if rules are broken, such as unwanted spam emails or texts to consumers.

Also, in the mix, is an eight-week deadline for operators to resolve complaints made by consumers, plus creating easier withdrawal terms for players. All of these changes take place after an open consultation was conducted with a goal of providing better consumer protection and ensure gamblers are being treated fairly by operators.

Taking Action:

According to the Commission, the changes will make it easier as well as faster for the regulatory body to take action against operators who breach consumer law, including instances of misleading promotions and bonuses, or restrictions that are unreasonable when it comes to withdrawing winnings.

According to the DailyMail…

Neil McArthur, the Chief Executive of the UKGC, commented on the recent changes by stating: “Protecting the interests of consumers is priority for us and needs to be a priority for gambling operators.

“These changes will protect consumers from irresponsible advertising and misleading promotions, ensure that consumers can withdraw their money more easily and will mean that consumer complaints are dealt with more swiftly.”

Back in 2016, the Competition and Markets Authority began working with the UKGC to start an investigation on whether or not online gambling operators were using their portals to treat customers fairly. By the summer of 2017, the Competition and Markets Authority decided to take action against several online gambling operators who had reportedly broken consumer law via their offered promotions.

Just this past February, operators including William Hill, Ladbrokes and PT Entertainment had decided to announce a renewed commitment to change the way they offer bonus promotions to ensure their consumers are better protected. One month later, BGO entertainment decided to make the same commitment.