Gambling Commission acts to improve gambling fairness and safety

The UK Gambling Commission has announced that new rules intended to improve how licensees identify and interact with at-risk customers have been added to licence conditions and codes of practice (LCCP).

The changes, that will come into force later this year and in 2020, strengthen requirements and increase the transparency of funding for research, prevention and treatment.

Paul Hope, commission executive director at the Gambling Commission, said:

“These changes have been designed to make gambling fairer and safer for consumers and we expect gambling firms to meet their responsibilities in these areas.”

The first of three core additions to the LCCP now requires gambling businesses to use only alternative resolution providers (ADR) that meet additional standards covering customer service, decision making and governance.

The new ADR rules be enforced from 31 October 2019, alongside other changes to customer interaction, designed to focus more on the outcomes of identifying and interacting with at risk customers who may be experiencing harms associated with gambling.

The final amendment will be effective from 1 January 2020 and concerns how gambling operators contribute to research, prevention and treatment, ensuring that funds are targeted at delivering the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms in Britain.

The Gambling Commission announcement comes a day after GVC-owned, Ladbrokes Coral Group, was ordered to pay £5.9m for safeguarding failings related to social responsibility and money laundering.

Read the full Gambling Commission statement here: Gambling Commission introduces new rules to make gambling fairer and safer