UK Gambling Commission Highlights Progress and Challenges in Gambling Regulation

Acknowledging Industry Progress

Rhodes praised the sector for evolving compliance practices, particularly in customer interactions. He noted that high-velocity spending with limited intervention has decreased significantly, replaced by more timely and effective customer interactions.

“Any operator of any real size and scale now who does not have well-developed algorithms, policies, procedures, interactions and interventions in place is increasingly an outlier, and this will become more obvious as the industry continues to make developments in this area,” Rhodes stated.

The introduction of the voluntary code by the Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) has also contributed to these advancements, striking a balance between consumer protection and user experience. Rhodes expressed optimism that this initiative has eased longstanding tensions between operators and regulators.

Compliance Assessment Results

Despite progress, inconsistencies remain. From April to June 2023, only 42% of compliance assessments achieved “Good” or “Satisfactory” standards, leaving 58% needing improvement.

However, subsequent assessments from July to September showed significant improvement, with 75% meeting these standards.

Rhodes highlighted challenges brought by mergers and acquisitions, particularly in marketing compliance, where technical complexities have led to inadvertent breaches, such as targeting excluded consumers.

Transparency Through Consumer Insights

The Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), launched to replace the outdated Health Survey, has enhanced data collection on gambling behaviors.

Early findings reveal that while only 21% of respondents trust the gambling industry, satisfaction with operator treatment is notably higher, with nearly four times as many satisfied respondents as dissatisfied ones.

Account withdrawals remain a pain point for consumers, though major operators process 99% of requests within 48 hours. The UKGC is working to address delays in the remaining 1%, often tied to anti-money laundering or technical issues.

Strengthening Operator Engagement

The UKGC has launched initiatives to improve engagement with operators. A pilot programme offering direct support through phone and email resolved nearly 300 operator queries within an average of two days, earning high satisfaction rates. Plans are underway to expand the programme despite limited Commission resources.

Additionally, the first Operator Engagement Forum, held in September, brought together representatives from over 100 operators and trade bodies. Based on positive feedback, a follow-up is scheduled for April 2025.

Supplier Due Diligence and Combatting Illegal Gambling

Rhodes urged operators to conduct thorough due diligence on their suppliers to avoid indirect support of unlicensed gambling activities.

“The Commission’s strategy on combatting illegal gambling is to cause as much up-stream disruption as we can, which is why we have focussed on ISPs, payment providers, search engines, software suppliers and more,” Rhodes explained.

The UKGC has intensified its efforts against illegal gambling, issuing over 770 cease-and-desist notices and working with search engines to remove 64,000 URLs linked to unlicensed operators.

Innovations in Consumer Protection

Highlighting the risk posed by illegal operators to self-excluded individuals, Rhodes emphasized the importance of innovative solutions like GamProtect, launched in September 2023.

This system, developed in collaboration with the Information Commissioner’s Office, shares information on at-risk individuals across operators and has already flagged over 6,000 cases.

Looking Ahead

Rhodes concluded by calling for sustained collaboration between regulators and the industry, especially as the Gambling Act Review approaches implementation.

The UKGC will play a pivotal role in overseeing its rollout and ensuring the continued evolution of responsible gambling practices.